Home / Events / What is so special about West Country Cooking? Cookbook authors discuss what sets our region apart from the rest of the UK.

What is so special about West Country Cooking? Cookbook authors discuss what sets our region apart from the rest of the UK.

Name: What is so special about West Country Cooking? Cookbook authors discuss what sets our region apart from the rest of the UK.
Start: 2026-10-24T14:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-24T14:50:00+01:00
Location: Food Matters Tent, Royal Avenue Gardens

Sat 24 Oct 2026 · 2:00 pm – 2:50 pm · Food Matters Tent, Royal Avenue Gardens

Food Matters

Orlando Murrin (DFF Ambassador) in conversation with Martha Collison (Pull up a Chair), Pip Payne (The Slimming Foodie) & Dorothy Woods (Cook Together).

Please note: Well-behaved dogs and children welcome.

FreeNo ticket needed

Date

Saturday 24 October 2026

Time

2:00 pm – 2:50 pm

Venue

Food Matters Tent, Royal Avenue Gardens Dartmouth, United Kingdom

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Meet the presenters

Orlando Murrin

Chef & Food Writer

“I’ve been to dozens and dozens of food festivals, on islands, up mountains, underwater (I made that last one up) but there is none as delightful and picturesque as Dartmouth. The harbour setting – stalls draped along the waterfront – is beautiful and unusual, and gives the festival a unique atmosphere. I also think it is the friendliest festival, with festival goers in a really good mood”

Orlando Murrin is a highly experienced food writer and editor, based in Exeter.

Orlando Murrin has worked in practically every area of food – as editor, writer, chef and teacher. His latest books – Two’s Company and Two’s Company Simple – are focused on cooking for two. In early 2024 his first crime novel was published – with a culinary twist.

Dorothy Woods

Writer

Dorothy Woods is an American- born chef, nutritionist, food writer, and the author of Cook Together, the viral cookbook that reimagines dinner as a shared experience. Her second book, Cook Together: Vegetarian and Vegan came out in September of 2026. Since publishing the first Cook Together book in 2023, Dorothy has built a growing global community around the idea of cooking side by side.

Trained at Le Cordon Bleu and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Dorothy spent more than a decade working as a private chef across Los Angeles, London, and Europe, helping families navigate healthy eating, food sensitivities, and the realities of busy modern life. Her work blends professional culinary training with a relaxed, practical philosophy inspired by healthy California living: fresh, no-fuss food, joyful cooking, and habits that genuinely stick.

Now based in Somerset with her husband and two children, Dorothy writes recipes and teaches cooking with a focus on bringing people together in the kitchen: couples, parents and children, housemates, friends and families. Through Healthy Dot, her coaching work, and the expanding Cook Together series, she continues to champion food as a tool not just for nourishment, but for stronger relationships and healthier homes.

Book: Cook Together: Vegetarian and Vegan

Pip Payne

Writer

Pip Payne is the author and creator behind The Slimming Foodie, a food brand she launched in 2015 to share delicious, healthy, accessible recipes for real-life family cooking.

Born in Torbay and raised in Broadsands, Pip has always had a strong connection to Devon. After living in Cardiff and London, she returned to the county 14 years ago and now lives with her family on the edge of Dartmoor.

Over the past 11 years, Pip has built The Slimming Foodie into a hugely popular online food community and has written seven cookbooks, including three Sunday Times bestsellers. Her books cover everything from quick family meals and air-fryer recipes to comforting favourites and budget-friendly cooking.

Pip’s cooking is all about making good food achievable. She champions straightforward recipes, accessible ingredients and cooking from scratch, with an emphasis on food that the whole family can enjoy together. Her approach is about showing that lighter, balanced cooking doesn’t have to mean compromising on flavour or enjoyment.

Book: Ultimate Comfort Food

Martha Collison

Writer

Martha Collison is a food writer, broadcaster and recipe creator who first captured the nation’s attention as the youngest ever contestant on The Great British Bake Off in 2014. Since then, she has become one of the UK’s most trusted modern baking and cookery voices, writing a long-running column for Waitrose Weekend, publishing three cookbooks – including Pull Up a Chair (Kyle Books, 2025) – and building an engaged online community.

Martha was the resident Show Chef on The Graham Norton Radio Show with Virgin Radio for almost 3 years, and has appeared on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen. Shortlisted for the Guild of Food Writers’ Recipe Writer of the Year in 2024, Martha is passionate about making delicious food accessible, championing sustainable produce and cooking up a storm for her young family. Her warm, modern approach to food continues to resonate across digital, print and broadcast.

Book: Pull Up a Chair

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