“Now the look of the book dictates the sale. In my day you could still buy a good cookbook in paperback with no pictures at all. I doubt if that would sell today. But those books were much used: they lived in the kitchen and got splattered with custard and gravy.”

Dame Prudence Margaret Leith is a South African and British restaurateur, broadcaster, cookery writer, businesswoman, television personality, novelist, chef, and former university chancellor. She is best known as Prue Leith. Her work spans food, media, and writing. She has built a public career around cooking and cookery publishing, while also appearing on television and working in business. As a novelist and broadcaster, she is known for communicating clearly and practically, with a reputation shaped by her long presence in British public life.