An Interview with Rosie Birkett, Food Writer and Author of ‘A Lot on Her Plate’

An Interview with Rosie Birkett, Food Writer and Author of ‘A Lot on Her Plate’



With
a publishing portfolio that includes The Guardian, The
Independent, Grazia and Olive, Rosie Birkett is one of the
country’s brightest food writers. She is recognised for her
informative stories, from documenting grouse shooting in the
Scottish countryside with James Lowe, the head chef of Lyle’s, to scaling
India by rail with famous Indian chef, Vivek Singh. Rosie has
interviewed some of the industry’s finest chefs, charming the likes
of Heston Blumenthal, Raymond Blanc and René Redzepi. She has
trailed the globe unearthing culinary secrets; understandably, she
thinks it is the best job in the world.

“Food is a joyful thing, and being part of the food industry is
joyful too,” she tells us, filling our cups with some good old
Yorkshire Tea. “I just think about food all the time. So it makes
sense really.”

Her recipes and food styling have appeared in a wealth of
national magazines and newspapers including The Sunday Times
Magazine, Guardian’s Cook and Red. Of late, Rosie has turned her
attentions towards another obsession – cooking. Her new book,
A Lot On Her Plate (also the name of her
wildly
successful blog)
, will be springing up in bookshops this month.
It marries together the cooking skills she has gathered from her
time in some of the world’s most reputable kitchens with the food
she likes to eat at home among friends and family.

Food is a joyful thing, and being part of the food industry is joyful too.

“I think when you spend so much time witnessing cooking, it’s
inevitable that you’ll end up getting the bug,” she explains. “A
few years ago I realised how in love I was with food and cooking,
and I wanted to focus on that.”



The book is beautiful. From the colourful descriptions and
encouragement to create with fresh, seasonal produce, Rosie’s
healthy attitude to eating can be felt from beginning to end. “I
hope people look at my book and it makes them want to cook, eat and
enjoy food without worrying about counting calories. So often, the
conversation is about weight loss. Especially if you’re a woman. I
don’t think food should be associated with shame and anxiety, I
think it should be a cause for celebration. Learning to cook
properly means, by default, that you know more about food and what
to eat.”

With her book, Rosie hopes to reignite the joys of cooking and
eating in a world that is so easily seduced by buzzwords like
‘superfood’ and ‘cleanse’. “Cooking is one of the most kind and
creative things we can do for ourselves and others, it’s a way to
show love to yourself and the people you care about.”

We paid a visit to The Observer’s ‘Rising Star of 2015’ at her
new home in Stoke Newington, all soaring ceilings and clean white
walls. She quickly tells us that the place is far from finished,
but it already has most people’s idea of the perfect kitchen,
decorated with luscious plants and enough space to rustle up a
feast or two. She hopes to begin having supperclubs in the next few
months.

From late April to early May, Rosie enjoyed a residency at
London food project Carousel, serving up dishes from the book. “I
want to encourage people to use their local amenities. I want to
demystify some ingredients and arm people with techniques that will
stay with them for life,” she tells us.

Alongside the release of A Lot On Her Plate, Rosie will also be
launching a new YouTube channel of the same name. It is set to meld
together her work with cooking, recipes, talks and interviews, and
means there will a lot more of her in the coming year. We’re
certainly not complaining.

Rosie Birkett’s Top 5 London Eats:

LYLE’S

VERDEN

BLIXEN

THE
LOCKHART

ST.
JOHN

Discover More
Rosie Birkett’s Insider Guide to Eating in East London