"...the reality is that for many, sourcing cheap food is the main priority, and cooking chemical-free food is a long way down the list of priorities..."

"I spent a couple of days whizzing around London recently and didn't miss a meal slot. The raison d'etre for the trip was to attend a lunch to celebrate 10 years of Portland on Great Portland Street, co-owned by a past student, Daniel Morgenthau."

Unearthing the underrated, yet brilliant Jerusalem artichokes

Myrtle taught me this brilliant 1,1,3,5 formula that we use in Ballymaloe House and here at the school for many of our soups.

"Let 2025 be the year when you start to eat your ‘weeds’, a very high percentage of what we call weeds are edible and super-nutritious."

Plus: a selection of recipes that offer new twists on reliable classics

Make movie night snacks the stars of the show

"If you’ve done a lot of cooking coming up to Christmas, it’s possible that you won’t want to go anywhere near your cooker for at least a week, but I love the excitement of poking around in the fridge and pantry..."

Darina Allen shares gift inspiration and festive recipes in the nick of time for Christmas

"Something that will save them time, something they might not get around to making themselves, something they will really enjoy and that will remind them of you when they eat or drink it."