Anyone else like a nosy peek behind the curtains? I’m thrilled that so many of you are as excited as me about my new book, Real Healthy. I will be telling you lots more about the recipes and giving you a taster look inside the book very soon but…. I thought you might like to see some ‘the making of’ too…
I’m fascinated by behind-the-scenes (BTS) stories and photos. One of my favourite books from my early teens is a glossy hardback about the making of Ang Lee’s Oscar winning film, Sense and Sensbility (love the original Jane Austen book, love the movie, adore the soundtrack). The book Sense and Sensibility: The Screenplay & Diaries is based on Emma Thompson’s diary entries from rehearsals through to filming with photos, letters, quips from the late Alan Rickman and of course gossip about cast and crew. Fun story - I once received a Nanny McPhee-headed letter from Emma Thompson telling me she loved my cookbooks as she had been served a ‘Hemsley Menu’ at the home of a fellow actor :)
Anyway, it reminded me how much I personally enjoy seeing things come to life and how interesting it is to see what and who is involved. This is my 6th book now and you’d think I’d be ‘better at them’ but I still tear my hair out, get caught out on deadlines despite my Virgo planning etc….
Most of all want to celebrate the INCREDIBLY talented people involved in making books. So here are just some of the legends that worked on mine - most of them worked on my 5th book, Feel Good (2022) too and have supported me through my miscarriages and my most trying personal times.
Here’s the Real Healthy shoot team…
Food stylist / prop stylist / chief recipe tester
Meet Florence Blair
Florence is a fantastic, chef, charming writer and superstar that you really must follow. Here’s her newsletter too. Florence is a cherished part of my personal and working life - turning her (many) talents and creativity to working with me on my recipes and my instagram reels and being the most cool, calm and collected -and fun - person to work with. Thank you Florence!
Photographers
Meet Lizzie Mayson and Ollie Grove
Lizzie & Ollie worked on my last book Feel Good too. We shoot at Lizzie’s cofounded studio in Hackney where we enjoy beautiful light and can pop to the fantastic grocery stores next door to grab any rogue ingredients when we run out. Lizzie also has her own magazine.
Ollie took the portrait pics of me back at mine where I died of embrassement shooting the back cover pic in front of the bush outside my neighbours house. Ollie comes armed with containers to take leftovers home and gives blow-by-blow feedback on the ‘scran’ at staff lunch time.
Food styling assistant / chief of team lunch
Meet Emma Cantlay
Florence bought the incredible Emma in to assist on the cooking as there are 90 recipes in the book so there’s hell of a lot to get done. You’re probably thinking ‘but Melissa what are YOU actually doing on your book shoot!?”. Good question - inevitably I'm trying to note down any recipe tweaks in and amongst the shots, making tea, washing up and breast feeding. And also carry on writing the rest of the book as it was a relatively quick(ish) turn around.
Emma is a successful illustrator, check out her work here. Summer in particular was obsessed with her and her calm nature, even when we were on our 10th recipe shot of the day.
Rest of the team
Last, but by no means least, here are some of the visitors to the shoot.
Baby Summer - the shoots are long so she came to breastfeed every day. She had just started crawling during our shoot fortnight so was rummaging in and out of prop bags, packing and unpacking shopping, banging pans together and easing her gums on carrots.
Celia the Editor, who also publishes Ottolenghi, Julius Roberts and Mary Berry, and Alice the Agent who looks after the lovely Rachel Ama and Poppy Okotcha too. As you can see I’m lucky to be in very good company.
That’s a wrap on BTS of the book shoot. My 6th book and I never ever take for granted what a privilege it is to write books and see them in your homes. THANK YOU for your support.
Would you be interested in hearing more about experiences in cookbook publishing? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to share my stories on this and what I’ve been told by others. It’s a fascinating industry. The wonderful Mark Diacano, author of many books and the newsletter Garden to Table, has written wittily and widely on this so give him a follow too.
Oooooh I love a BTS post! The recipes look delicious, can’t wait for the book x
Bl**dy brilliant book, and what a book launch - you are the queen of speeches, so warm and funny!