Growing up in a small cottage in the Cotswolds, my earliest memories are filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and the gentle hum of my grandmother’s voice as she shared her cherished recipes. Those quiet Sunday mornings, with flour-dusted aprons and sunlight streaming through lace curtains, shaped not just my culinary journey but my entire perspective on life.

For years, I pursued a career in publishing, editing cookbooks for others while my own recipes remained confined to the margins of worn notebooks. It wasn’t until I lost my grandmother in 2015 that I realized her legacy needed to live on. In her final days, she handed me a weathered recipe box, filled with hand-written cards dating back to the 1940s. Each card told a story – of rationing during wartime, of celebration feasts, of family traditions that spanned generations.

Wish a Meal began as a tribute to her, but it’s grown into something far more meaningful. Today, at 45, I blend traditional British cooking techniques with modern innovations, creating recipes that honor the past while embracing the future. This isn’t just a cooking website; it’s a gathering place for those who believe that every meal tells a story, every recipe carries memories, and every shared dish brings people closer together.

Here, you’ll find more than just recipes – you’ll discover the stories behind them, the traditions that shaped them, and the love that continues to inspire them. From my grandmother’s victory sponge cake to my own contemporary twists on classic dishes, each recipe is a chapter in an ongoing story of family, tradition, and the joy of sharing good food.

With love,

Sophia Bennett