"On a cold day, there’s nothing like my mum’s stew to come home to"
"When I was growing up our family lived in London but we spent our weekends in Wiltshire, where my architect father had designed and built a beautiful modernist house. I’d wait for Dad to come home on Friday night so we could pack the car for the weekend, and on Saturday morning at the house, over breakfast, we’d plan a long walk, including a pub visit.
My mother is one of those effortless cooks who achieves so much without noticing she’s done anything. She’d put together her beef stew after breakfast and get it slow-cooking in the oven. The walks, mostly on Salisbury Plain, were fun whatever the weather. Humphrey the dog would run nonstop until we got to the pub, where I loved the smell of open fires and ale. The walk home was faster in anticipation of lunch.
My mother’s beef stew is simple to make but the flavour is so good. She served it with baked potatoes, and the fluffy, buttery potato is fantastic with the rich stew. I’ve cooked this many times for my family and have added ingredients over the years – but it’s always made with the same love my mother puts into hers."