Thomasina Miers on rediscovering Mexico, family feasts and the power of good ingredients

Thomasina Miers is not one to rest on her culinary laurels. Nearly two decades after winning MasterChef and launching a restaurant empire, she found herself yearning for the vibrant flavours and conviviality of Mexico. In her latest adventure, Miers packed up her family and spent six months living, shopping and cooking in Mexico, an experience that has inspired her newest book, Mexican Table, and left her with a fresh appreciation for the power of good ingredients and the magic of a shared table.

Listen to Thomasina Miers' full episode, then explore more chats with chefs and food creators for their best kitchen tips, stories and slip-ups in our podcast hub.

Food as a homesickness cure

For Miers, this journey was not just a professional pilgrimage but a deeply personal homecoming. Her children, some of whom had never set foot in Mexico, were suddenly immersed in bustling markets, tropical fruit and the everyday rituals of Mexican life. “My kids do not know this country,” she recalls, “like my youngest two hadn’t even ever been. So I was like, they’ve got to know this.” Miers says, "Food became this way of making them less homesick because the produce was so, so incredible. Like the pineapples in Mexico - sweet, but also sherbety, acidic and sweet in the same way. It is like eating a sherbet dip dab, just crazy flavours.”

Markets, mangoes and motherhood

The reality of daily life in Mexico was a far cry from glossy restaurant kitchens. Miers found herself cooking three meals a day, packing school lunches and navigating the dazzling array of fresh produce on offer. “There are markets everywhere and that’s how you shop. There are supermarkets, too, but there are so many great proper markets and everything looks so fresh and tastes so good.”

It was the mangoes, however, that marked a turning point for her children. On a sweltering walk through Mexico City’s Bosque de Chapultepec, tempers frayed and energy waned – until a mango seller appeared, deftly slicing ripe fruit into glistening crescents. Each child reached out reluctantly, but you could see their mood shift with every bite.

From that moment, food became a bridge between the unfamiliar and the comforting – a way to root her family in their new surroundings. Salsa verde with tomatillos and serrano chillies at breakfast, sweet, tangy pineapples, and the daily rhythm of shopping and cooking together all helped transform homesickness into excitement.

Everyday Mexican made simple

One of the biggest surprises of Miers’ time in Mexico was how accessible authentic home cooking could be. Far from the labour-intensive, multi-ingredient moles of legend, she discovered a new wave of Mexican cuisine built on simplicity and bold flavour. “A lot of the cool new restaurants in Mexico City, they’re doing much simpler moles than the ones I first knew…"

Her new book captures this spirit, centred around 12 core ingredients that define Mexican cooking, from tomatoes and pumpkins to chillies and cacao. It shows how, with a few well-chosen basics, even a British kitchen can channel the vibrant depth of Mexico. “Suddenly I feel like you can open up Mexican food to people in their kitchens and get quite sophisticated and unusual flavours into their home cooking in quite a simple way.”

If you’re inspired to bring a taste of Mexico to your kitchen, explore our collection of vibrant Mexican recipes.

Sustainable food for lasting change

Miers’ time in Mexico also deepened her commitment to sustainability, both in her restaurants and at home. She champions regenerative farming, grass-fed beef and small producers, believing that good food begins with good soil. “The wellness is in the ingredients you buy. Going to my local farmer’s market is like my gospel. It’s my Sunday ritual because I know that my money is going to the pockets of people who are looking after nature and the food is going to the bodies of my children and me and it’s doing us good.”

She is outspoken about the need for systemic change, from zero business rates for greengrocers to better food education in schools, and believes real wellness comes from what we put on our plates, not what we pop in a pill. “Big food has got a massive incentive to keep feeding us ultra-processed because it’s cheap and they make massive profit on it. But if you did away with both sides and just had a bit better food then you’re kind of solving the problem without having to spend billions.”

For more tips on reducing waste and eating sustainably, visit our sustainability hub.

The joy of good food, great company and a well-stocked freezer

Despite her travels and campaign work, Miers remains at heart a home cook who loves nothing more than feeding friends and family. She swears by batch cooking and a well-stocked freezer: “I tend to make massive batches of everything, so then I’ve always got one for the freezer.” She takes joy in simple pleasures like brown sugar meringues, homemade stock and, when the mood strikes, a shoulder of lamb rubbed with chilli and garlic.

Asked what good food means to her, her answer is both simple and sincere: “Friends, great ingredients, time and music probably, with tequilas in there.” It’s a recipe for happiness that crosses borders and, thanks to her infectious enthusiasm, feels within everyone’s reach.