Simple, fast and easy cooking was a big trend in the market in 2019, and Kay Featherstone and Kate Allinson’s cookbook was unquestionably the leader in the field. But the duo’s huge online following, and their ability to reach readers UK-wide, made Pinch of Nom a standout title.
Pinch of Nom is the first recipe book in years to understand this, and will doubtless be a game changer. Three more books are in the pipeline, and publishers will be trawling the internet for similar blogs and writers, desperate to cash in on the potential of this sort of accessible, glamour-free simplicity.
Perhaps the era of judgemental, celebrity-driven diet advice is finally dead, which is surely reason to celebrate.
Hundreds of thousands of readers will find moments of unusual togetherness in these recipes, the act of cooking wrenched from the often isolating chamber of the domestic kitchen and embedded in a supportive, communal space. Pinch of Nom didn’t change the rules or even the recipes, it just forged a place where people could cook alone, together. That’s what makes a successful cookbook.
Remember how Joe Wicks burst on the publishing scene three and a bit years ago, and went on to smash records with non-fiction sales that were anything but "lean"? Prepare for a similar trajectory for this first book from the chef creators of the UK's most frequented food blog, Pinch of Nom, which has an extremely engaged community of 1.5 million users, as well as 1.33 million Likes on Facebook.
