Dame Prue.

Several years ago (certainly pre-pandemic) I was lucky enough to meet Prue Leith. She’d been speaking at the Felixstowe Book Festival and promoting her latest book. Afterwards there was an opportunity to buy the book and have it signed, with photos too. In the course of our surprisingly extended chat I briefly described my career in food education and my subsequent disappointment that I felt I’d failed to make an impact on the children I’d taught. Her response was “keep going”. It was this encouragement that spurred me on when our son needed to keep busy during the pandemic, leading to the launch of Becky Bakes. Just last weekend we saw her again, this time in a local theatre, again promoting her latest book. But what a woman! At 83, travelling widely and telling the tale of her career as a failed academic, successful business woman-turned cook who has advised numerous committees and companies, even the Royal Society. Their magazine was beautiful and so informative, all down to her I suspect. An icon? No doubt. Who else, I wonder?