Cliodhna Prendergast is a veritable polymath! A thoughtful writer, walker and sea swimmer, she also takes the most arrestingly beautiful photographs of both the food she cooks and the wild landscape in Connemara on the West coast of Ireland where she lives. Yet it is her approach to food that really excites me. Ballymaloe trained and formed in the crucible of running restaurants, the way she cooks feels completely natural and unassuming, allowing the simplicity of incredible produce to speak for itself. And when that produce is a freshly caught lobster or mushroom just plucked from the woods, it is the ultimate form of respect to do just enough to make the dish shine and no more. But don’t be deceived, that level of restraint means knowing exactly what you’re doing. It’s no accident! She was a joy to talk to and I’m just waiting for the day when I can jump into that clear Connemara sea with her.