Many celeb chefs possess a charismatic quality in the way they work – whether it’s Jamie Oliver’s enthusiasm, Gino D’Acampo’s oh-so-Italian passion, or Nigella’s sultry lick of a spoon. But for none is this more pronounced or unique than with Jack Monroe. She earned a loyal following blogging as cash-strapped Southendbased single mum ‘A Girl Called Jack’ and now, six years later – with cookbooks and newspaper columns under her belt – she pays herself the living wage, donates her media appearance fees to food poverty charities and is a staunchly proud (and loud) voice for the underprivileged.
With a variety of thrifty cookbooks now on the market, Monroe’s position of having once been in food bank queues is a rare one. This is perhaps why she feels a fierce loyalty to fans. ‘There are 4 million people living in poverty in the UK, and food banks that people, including children, depend upon to survive,’ she says. ‘I’ve been given a platform and a responsibility by the people who have read and shared my work and, until we no longer have food poverty in the UK, I have to continue to do what I do.’ Also, she jokes, she’d be ‘a bit of an a hole’ if she hightailed on getting a book deal.
But it’s not a loveless labour, she insists. ‘It does seem like the mantle has largely fallen on me, but it’s not just a matter of having to do it – I want to. I get genuine pleasure out of taking simple, cheap ingredients, things other people might sniff over in the supermarket, and turning them into a restaurant-worthy meal.’
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