Anna Jones: a zest for life

How did your food career begin?

I wasn’t very happy at work – I felt that I was just drifting along and, to be truthful, it made me a little lazy and disconnected! So when I read an article about how you should choose a job based on which pages of the papers you read first (in my case, the restaurant section), it sparked something.

I searched online for cooking courses and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen apprentice programme came up. I applied and, just 10 days later, my hobby became my work. That was about 14 years ago. I’m so glad I followed my instinct and took that leap of faith. 

What made you decide to strike out by yourself after working for Jamie?

Once I was doing something I was passionate about, I found that the energy and ambition came naturally. My parents instilled in me the idea that anything is achievable, so I try to do the same with young people who I meet within the industry. It also helps that the Fifteen team were so nurturing. I had the opportunity to try my hand at lots of things and realised that the combination of cooking, food styling and writing would suit me better in the long term than the crazy hours and intense atmosphere of professional kitchens.

You’ve worked in a few all-male kitchen environments – was that daunting?

In Tuscany, where I did some of my training, I worked with all-male teams who were warm and welcoming. It may be that the huge respect Italians have for ‘Nonna’s’ [grandmother’s] cooking and for food in general seeps into the culture. But then in other places, I must admit, I didn’t enjoy that old-school, macho attitude that still exists. Why say ‘Yes, Chef’ when you could use a person’s name? I’m grateful for those experiences though because they taught me what I feel is acceptable in terms of how I’m treated – and to stand up for myself. Obviously, both men and women can be wonderful chefs, but there’s something about the act of cooking – the generosity and sensitivity – that feels somehow feminine to me.

As a female-only organisation, how can we encourage girls and young women to feel positive about food and their bodies? 

With so many contradicting messages about what is or isn’t good for you, it can be hard for girls to navigate the world of food. There’s also an information overload of books with very specific promises, like eating for concentration or weight loss or improved sleep. Also, while the ‘clean eating’ movement has some sound principles, it can feel restrictive – I recently met a woman who was incredibly stressed out because she couldn’t find spirulina powder where she lived! I think we need to reframe the conversation and avoid talk of diet or dieting. We need to simplify and reconnect with the idea of food as fuel – the very thing that allows us to function.

Encouraging girls to shop, cook, pick or even grow their own food is key to creating a healthy respect and appreciation for what they put in their bodies. Making and eating meals together is also important, as it reinforces that food is fun. Eating is about celebration, joy and sharing. It provides us with social as well as physical nourishment.

Tell us about your recipes for our members.

Even though I spend my life cooking, I often don’t take as much time as I would like to make sure I am really well-nourished. Some weeks I’m saintly; I get into a rhythm and make breakfasts, lunches and dinners to be proud of. Other weeks I don’t do so well. It’s in those weeks that I try to make a pot of soup. This recipe is fab for batch cooking as it’s simple and provides eight servings of easy goodness. The fruit bars are great to make for, or with, girls if some of them have intolerances or allergies, as they’re free from eggs and dairy, and gluten-free if you use the right flour. You can read my recipes below.