- King of Tarts — Baking for EveryBody
Introduction
Community is built around food. It Brings Joy.
Food has always shaped the way I see the world. I’m endlessly curious about ingredients, techniques, flavour, and the science that makes baking work.
For me, learning never stops. Every recipe, every ingredient swap, and every baking challenge offers something new to discover. That curiosity has shaped the way I bake, develop recipes, and share what I’ve learned.
Above all, I believe food should bring people together. Through King of Tarts, I want to make baking more understandable, more inclusive, and more enjoyable—so everyone can experience the satisfaction of creating something delicious.
Growing up, I cherished the time I spent watching and helping my nan in the kitchen. I constantly asked questions, fascinated by the way ingredients transformed as she cooked and baked, although the process sometimes frustrated me too. “Why?” became one of my favourite questions. My nan would often smile and explain that she did things that way because her mother had taught her.
Every week, she cooked and baked for our family. Her cupboards always held chocolate, nuts, seeds, flour, and all the ingredients she considered essential. She had strong opinions about the jam, butter, flour, and raising agents she used because she knew they produced the results she wanted.
Nothing went to waste in her kitchen. Brown paper lined her baking trays, while empty butter wrappers greased her pans. Her familiar baking tools were always close at hand, ready for the next cake, pastry, or family favourite.
As I grew older, I spent hours carefully copying her recipes. I wanted to preserve more than a collection of ingredients and methods; I wanted to hold onto my connection with her, the memories we created in her kitchen, and the family traditions she had passed down through generations.
When I lived with my nan for a few months, I began to understand the real magic behind her cooking. She rarely followed written recipes or relied on cups, spoons, or precise measurements. Instead, she cooked by instinct, experience, touch, and memory.
Over time, I learned how to translate phrases such as “a stick of butter,” “a pinch of salt,” or “a handful of this” into measurements that others could follow and recreate.
After my nan passed away, just short of 90, I discovered recipes scattered through diaries and appointment books, tucked between newspaper clippings and labels saved from food packaging. Each one told part of her story.
Rooted in her European heritage, these recipes had evolved over the years as she adapted them to the ingredients, techniques, and life around her. In doing so, she made them uniquely her own.
For me, recipes are more than instructions. They carry memories, traditions, and family history. By sharing them and passing them on, we keep those stories alive for the next generation.
This cookbook grew from my increasing interest in health, diet-related conditions, food allergies, and the way different ingredients affect both wellbeing and baking.
I believe food should bring people together. Everyone should be able to share, enjoy, and feel included at the table, regardless of dietary needs.
Drawing on my experience in food development and baking, I created this resource to help people navigate food allergies, sensitivities, and plant-based diets without sacrificing flavour, texture, or enjoyment.
The recipes include practical options for FODMAP sensitivities, gluten-free baking, plant-based diets, and reduced sugar or salt. Most importantly, I’ve designed each recipe to feel approachable, reliable, and easy to follow.
Through these pages, I hope to share my voice, experience, and practical knowledge in a way that helps you feel more confident in the kitchen. I include tips for recreating each recipe at home, along with simple substitutions for those moments when you do not have every ingredient on hand.
Food science never stands still. New ingredients, techniques, dietary needs, and consumer preferences continue to shape the way we cook and bake. That constant change keeps food exciting and means there is always something new to explore, test, and learn.
In this cookbook, I explain the essential techniques behind each recipe and share the practical tips and tricks I have learned throughout my career as a food scientist. I have designed every recipe with the home kitchen in mind, because it is one of the best places to build confidence, develop your skills, and understand how ingredients and techniques work together. Mistakes are part of that process too. In fact, they often teach us the most. With each bake, you learn what worked, what changed, and what you might do differently next time.