News and Features

Somerset Food is growing!

We are pleased to welcome our new Recipe Editor and Feature Writer

Jan Maggs, Recipe Editor

Jan is taking a well-earned break from her cookery school Vanilla and Spice, and we are delighted to announce that she will be helping to support www.somersetfood.org by editing our recipe section.

Jan will be publishing recipes from her courses and her own repertoire to help you get the best from Somerset’s wonderful seasonal produce.  She will also be sharing her vast food knowledge, giving us tips and techniques as well as interesting facts about the ingredients.   

Jan says “ My husband is my inspiration and also my challenge - he's developed a sophisticated scoring system for my food, how difficult it is to get a 10 - he's a tough marker but I love to try!”

Click here to see Jan’s first recipe

Annie Vickerstaff, Feature Writer

Freelance writer Annie is passionate about local food, organic food, healthy food and tasty food, as she says herself  “that’s pretty much most food really!”

Annie will be out and about for www.somersetfood.org discovering the best places to shop and eat out, as well as keeping us up to date with foodie news.  Let us know if there’s something you think we should be covering.

Annie has written a book about health in relation to pregnancy and birth, published by White Ladder Press, and works part time as a Health Trainer for Somerset Primary Care Trust, helping clients on a 1to1 basis with food issues such as healthy eating and weight loss.

On her CV Annie lists ‘eating out’ as a hobby, one of her favourite haunts is The Swan at Rowberrow “for its great steak & ale pie with real shortcrust pastry, good beer, and for allowing dogs into the bar.”  She moved to Somerset in 2007 for the lifestyle and enjoys nature, walking, the community spirit, real ale and horses, she loves what she describes as “the amazing landscape: the Mendips, the Levels, Glastonbury Tor, hills, rivers, valleys and woods “

Annie’s taste in music is indicative of the diversity of her interests, “When I’m in the car I play Nickelback, turned up loud” she says, “I love Angelique Kidjo’s amazing African music and Telemann’s baroque.” 

The relationship between mind, body and spirit fascinate Annie and she lives by the principle “Make the most of the sunshine and accept the clouds.”

Click here to see Annie’s first feature, on Taunton