A bid to get British students cooking

Annabel Frere’s (née Warren-Gash) Help! There’s a Stove in my Kitchen is a book of recipes for those getting started in the kitchen or for quick-and-easy meals for those with too little time on their hands. The book is now on its sixth reprint  and has been introduced to the UK market.  

“The real reason which led me to writing the book was to provide my daughters Georgina and Victoria with home recipes when they started at the University of Cape Town,” said Annabel (Mathematics & Philosophy 1975). Her collection of recipes grew and soon she noticed how valuable a guide like this could be to anyone starting out on their own.

“It is designed for students primarily, especially those going into ‘digs’ for the first time, who want to get started in cooking meals for themselves and their friends without spending too long in the kitchen and keeping within a student budget. “ She said. “The idea is to have fun whilst learning the basics, and progress quickly to cooking proper family meals, using a bit of creativity on the way,” She added. "The humorous design - which won the Gourmand World Cookbooks Award for design - invites you to enjoy dipping into the culinary world, with instant gratification!"

With over 170 recipes ranging from basic to complex and kitchen tips and tricks to help along the way, the book has also found fans elsewhere, “The book is also selling well to busy parents, who want good ideas, but have limited time available to rustle up decent meals,” Annabel said.

Help! There’s a Stove in my Kitchen was first published in 2011 by Random House Struik in South Africa, since then it has spread to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and US. With a launch in the UK, Annabel hopes that British students will be more confident to pick up cookery.

Help! There’s a Stove in my Kitchen is available from Amazon and other retailers.

Find out more on Annabel’s Facebook page.