I am a highly experienced and creative editor/writer with a passion for making beautiful books on food and drink. With more than 30 years experience working in lifestyle publishing, I have an in-depth understanding of the process behind making four-colour, highly illustrated cookery titles. I can offer consultancy and an end-to-end project management/editorial service, including working with authors to shape and develop manuscripts, nuts-and-bolts copyediting, flat planning, assembling design and photography teams and delivering print-ready files.
I began my publishing career with Michael Joseph (Penguin Books) and then moved on the features desk of the Sunday Express 'S' magazine. After settling at Time Warner Books (Little Brown) for over a decade, I then enjoyed a stint at BBC Worldwide (publishers of Delia Smith, Rick Stein and Ken Hom at that time). Most recently I was the Editorial Director/Publisher for Food & Drink at Ryland Peters & Small, where I was on staff for more than 20 years.
During my career I have worked closely with a host of high-profile authors, most notably Linda McCartney, as editor of her ground-breaking vegetarian cookbooks. More recently I collaborated with Tristan Stephenson on his 'Curious Bartender' series, including the bestselling debut The Curious Bartender: The Artistry & Alchemy of Creating the Perfect Cocktail, shortlisted for the André Simon Award and in 2026 The Curious Bartender's Agave Safari won the Fortnam & Mason Drinks Book Award. I have written two cocktail books myself, Rosé Cocktails (2017 RPS) and Short Cocktails & Small Bites (2019 RPS), as well as been credited as the compiler of/contributor to numerous recipe collections. I have also had the honour of working with Guild members Orlando Murrin, Bronte Aurell, Ursula Ferrigno, María José Sevilla, Jenny Linford, Fran Warde, Da-Ha West, Suzy Delta and many (many) more.
I do have a particular passion for cocktails and bar culture, no doubt born as a direct result of drinking Snowballs in Marbella piano clubs in the 80s... since then I have sampled many good (and bad) drinks on my worldwide escapades including negronis in Naples, brandy in Barcelona, pisco in Macchu Picchu, mescal in Mexico City, beer in Beijing and even Desi Daru in Delhi (though the 'gin' I bought from a shop built from Meccano at a tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan remains the most vivid memory from that trip...)
