Jane Hornby

Jane is undoubtedly the expert when it come to cakes and bakes

After working as a copywriter for three years Jane couldn't fight the urge she had to work with food any longer and she quit her job to attend Leiths School of Food and Wine. It was here she fuelled her passion for cooking and won a six month scholarship on Good Food to work as Cookery assistant.

That was in 2003 and Jane instantly became an integral part of the team, testing and creating recipes, attending shoots, writing features, and even doing cookery-based radio interviews. Readers of the magazine will probably know her best for her fabulous wedding cakes and fantastic baking features, all of which made impossible looking centrepieces easy to achieve.

A dream role

Jane was thrilled to come to work and be surrounded by food all day, working in a role that is her passion and her hobby. She thrived on sharing her knowledge and bringing pleasure to fellow food lovers.

Q&A

Who do you admire, and what would you cook for them?: Nigel Slater. He doesn't compromise and goes for deliciousness over anything else. I'd cook him something easy like sausages and mash with onion gravy so I didn't have to spend too much time in the kitchen - I'd want to talk to him as well as feed him!
What's your favourite recipe and why?: It's a bit of a cliché these days but comfort food, my top one being a mega-creamy rice pudding with caramel sauce, or a home-made apple pie (tastes best on a Sunday afternoon after roast beef, with rain splattering against the windows). My ultimate food, rather than recipe is very simple I'm afraid - a plate of gooey cheeses, crusty bread and a glass of wine - heaven.
Who inspired you to start cooking and fuelled your love of food?: Mum was the one that got me in the kitchen, although there wasn't much stopping me to be honest. She nurtured my love of cooking and let me mess up her kitchen weekend after weekend - luckily there were always lots of willing tasters. I cooked my way through several books, especially one really garish but brilliant Australian Women's Weekly publication called 'Cooking Class'. Also my aunty, she was a caterer and always cooked huge buffets for our family get-togethers; I was always very envious. Her pineapple meringue was to die for.

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