Insights
Ideas, guides & gifting advice
Practical help and inspiration for making a personalised cookbook people will treasure.
20 July 2026
How to Take Food Photos on Your Phone
Window light, no flash, side or back lighting, plain backgrounds and the right angle. How to shoot food on a phone well enough to print.
8 July 2026
Mother's Day Gifts for Mums Who Love Cooking
Mother's Day gift ideas beyond flowers and chocolate - plus when UK Mothering Sunday falls, gifts from several siblings, and what to do if you've left it late.
6 July 2026
Father's Day Gifts for Dads Who Love Cooking
Father's Day gift ideas for dads who cook - including the dad who insists he doesn't want anything, barbecue dads, and gifts from young children.
15 July 2026
Wedding Gift Ideas for Couples Who Cook
Wedding gifts for couples who cook, plus the etiquette: how much to spend in the UK, going off-registry, group gifts and when the gift should arrive.
13 July 2026
Anniversary Gift Ideas by Year
The traditional anniversary gift for every year, plus what to actually buy - including 1st (paper), 25th (silver), 40th (ruby) and 50th (gold).
31 July 2026
How to Make a Family Cookbook
A step-by-step guide to making a family cookbook - gathering recipes, writing them up, photos, layout and printing. Written by people who print them.
29 July 2026
Personalised Cookbook Gifts: The Right Book for Each Occasion
A personalised cookbook works differently for a wedding, a 50th birthday or a Mother's Day gift. Which version suits which occasion, and how to get it right.
27 July 2026
How to Write a Recipe (So Someone Else Can Cook It)
How to write a recipe properly: ingredients in order of use, one action per step, cues as well as times, and the details people always leave out.
24 July 2026
How to Organise a Cookbook
Four ways to organise a cookbook, which one to pick, how to order recipes within a chapter, and the navigation every book needs.
22 July 2026
Cookbook Design: The 7 Rules That Do Most of the Work
What makes a cookbook look professionally designed: consistency, two fonts, white space, one recipe per page, a grid, and the navigation nobody notices.
17 July 2026
How to Digitise Old Handwritten Recipe Cards Before They Fade
Photograph, name, back up and transcribe old family recipe cards - including what to do with "a knob of butter" and "bake till done".
10 July 2026
Birthday Gift Ideas for Someone Who Loves Cooking
Birthday gift ideas for cooks, including 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th and 80th milestones - and what to do when they insist they don't want anything.
3 July 2026
Christmas Gifts for People Who Love to Cook
Personalised Christmas gift ideas for cooks, plus the ordering timeline - when to start, when to chase contributors, and the real cut-off date.
1 July 2026
Gifts for Grandparents Who Have Everything
What to give grandparents who are actively getting rid of things - including milestone birthdays, care-home constraints, and gifts from grandchildren.
26 June 2026
How to gather recipes from family without the chaos
Getting everyone to contribute sounds simple. In practice, it involves three unanswered group chats, a relative who only cooks by feel, and someone who insists their recipe is secret. Here is how to make it painless.