Food Writer of the Year, Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards 2015
Sybil Kapoor is a chef, food writer, broadcaster, moderator and travel
writer. She has won five national awards for her books, cookery writing, food journalism and
broadcasting, including two prestigious Glenfiddich Awards, two Michael
Smith Awards from the Guild of Food Writers for work on British food and most recently Fortnum & Mason's Food & Drink Awards for Food Writer of the Year.
She has also been shortlisted for Food Journalist of the Year by The Guild of Food Writers 2015 Awards.
She is the author of seven cookery books, including
Modern British Food,
Simply British and
Taste A New Way to Cook. ?My books allow me to develop my ideas,
but are always focused on how to create delicious food at home.?
Her latest book,
The
Great British Vegetable Cookbook (National Trust) can
be bought as a companion to her last book
National
Trust Simply Baking. ?I had a lot of fun trying to create recipes that
bring out the best of a vegetable while packing in as much information as
possible about each vegetable from practical tips to their history. Did you know that chillies were cultivated
commercially in England in the 19th century or that Samuel Pepys
cited cucumbers as a cause of death in 1663??
Born and brought up in the English countryside, she embarked
on a career as a chef in London and New York.
In 1985 she became sous chef at Jam?s, Jonathan Waxman?s first
restaurant in New York. On her return to
London she became head chef at Clarke?s, later moving to Café Kensington, both
of which specialised in fresh-tasting modern food. Her love of seasonal ingredients soon led her
to an interest in British cooking, then considered unfashionable. Captivated by its clean flavours and
simplicity she began to promote its cause when, in 1991, she embarked on a new
career as food writer.
With a breadth of knowledge of the food world, she writes on
both of cookery and food related matters as well as travel for the British
nationals, including the Financial Times, the Guardian and The Telegraph. She also writes for magazines such as House
& Garden, Conde Nast Traveller, Sainsbury's Magazine, Delicious, Country Life, Countryside Voice
(CPRE magazine) and Waitrose Food Illustrated. She writes a blog for Borough Market in London and also writes food and travel features for Civilian Global.
She regularly features on both radio and television in
programmes such as Woman?s Hour on BBC Radio 4 and Market Kitchen?s Big
Adventure on the Good Food Channel.
This web site is her latest long-term project. ?I wanted to create a site that people would
enjoy dipping into, whether to find a recipe for supper or to read something
interesting. It's a bit quirky as I draw on both past and current work. Where possible, I?ll include photographs and illustrations from some of the
brilliant photographers and artists I?ve worked with throughout my career. Toby Glanville,
who took my portrait here, was one of the first photographers I worked with,
and remains a firm favourite.?
