Munch Launch First Cookbook

Munch Lunch & Dinner is a new kitchen essential. This cookbook is packed with easy-to-follow, healthy and nutritious meals that use low cost and easy-to-find ingredients.

In a world of recipe books by celebrity chefs and aspirational MasterChef-style cooking, Munch Lunch & Dinner is a cookbook with a difference. It goes back to basics with clear guides on what to stock in your cupboards, how to shop and chop meat, fish and vegetables, and tips on cutting costs, reducing waste, making your food go further, and eating more sustainably and healthily.

The book was born out of Munch CIC’s Community Cooking workshops and courses, which they run to help people develop the skills and confidence they need to cook from scratch, with Munch Lunch & Dinner providing a take home tool. However the duo behind Munch CIC, nutritionist Mary Louise Needham-Carlton and her husband, chef Denzil Carlton, realized that many people would benefit from this accessible approach to home cooking and meal planning.

Mary Louise, Director, Munch CIC, and author of Munch Lunch & Dinner, said at the book’s launch that there is a massive generational gap in people being able to cook from scratch. She hopes this book will fill that gap and give many people the confidence to cook, which is an essential life skill.

She says: “It’s really exciting to potentially be able to help more people access good healthy food and learn about sustainable nutrition. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated! We hope this book will be a useful guide for new cooks as well as a go-to for experienced cooks, for new ideas for quick mid-week meals. Plus, all profits help individuals and children at our Cooking Clubs learn valuable life skills, which is what we love more than anything here at Munch.”

Production of Munch Lunch & Dinner was supported by Winchester City Council. The book is available at £14.99 (paperback) and £21.99 (hardback) via munchcic.co.uk and Amazon.

Lead picture: Mary Louise Needham-Carlton with Natasha Dochniak, Hampshire Fare

Photography at the launch (below) with thanks to Cath Lowe Photography.