Octavia Lillywhite
Octavia Lillywhite is an award-winning food and lifestyle journalist with over 15 years of experience. She joined the Sunday Mirror magazine as a cub reporter and stayed until she was running the Food and Lifestyle department, learning all the food styling tricks of the trade as she went (eg. to photograph ice cream under studio lights, swap it for instant mashed potato dyed with food colouring so it doesn’t melt).
With a passion for creating beautiful, tasty family meals that don’t use hundreds of ingredients or anything you have to source from obscure websites, she’s a champion of local and seasonal foods, using up leftovers and composting, which, she maintains, is probably the most important thing we all can do to protect the environment. She also became a self-confessed wine expert while working on Saturday Magazine’s wine column, knows her Côtes de Rhône from her Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, and can now drink wine “really well”.
While at the Sunday Mirror and Daily Express, she interviewed some of the country’s greatest chefs. Heston Blumenthal taught her why you shouldn’t trust a rare beef burger at a barbecue (unless it’s his); from Neil Rankin she learned scrambled eggs need to be cooked slowly and from Jamie Oliver, that fish finger wraps are improved by sriracha. Her favourite interview was with charming Frenchman Raymond Blanc, with whom she’s now slightly in love. He taught her the importance of ‘terroir’, and that workaholic is just another word for passionate - as long as you make time for the people who matter.
She’s never owned a microwave, cooks from scratch for her and her husband nearly every night and only eats ready meals on very special occasions - like Valentine's Day when M&S do their majestic Meal Deal. She’s never managed to watch an entire episode of The Great British Bake Off because it’s too stressful, “...and I’d rather be risking my own soggy bottom in the kitchen than crying over someone else’s on TV.”
Latest articles by Octavia Lillywhite
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Quorn Shepherd's pie
This Quorn Shepherd's pie is a veggie version of the classic comfort food, topped with creamy mashed potato and carrots mixed together.
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Shepherd's pie with sweet potato topping
This shepherd's pie with sweet potato topping gives the traditional lamb dish a twist. It's not just got a fantastic colour, it tastes great too.
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Macaroni shepherd's pie
This macaroni shepherd's pie is a combination of two great comfort food dishes - sounds unusual but it really works and the whole family will love it.
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Baby food: Leek, potato and goat's cheese mash
Leek, potato and goat's cheese mash is ideal as a side dish for adults or a weaning purée for babies. It's really simple to make and tastes delicious
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Baby food: Apricot purée
Apricot purée baby food gives your baby a sweet treat without any sugar by using deliciously fragrant apricots and a little juice
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Baby food: Garden vegetable combo
This garden vegetable combo baby food is perfect for 6-8 month+ babies, and you can make use of any veg you might have in the bottom of your fridge
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Baby food: Pork or beef purée
This is a great way to make meals for your baby out of your leftovers. Keep a little plain meat back from your meals simply puree into a smooth baby food
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Baby food: Turkey purée
Turkey purée is perfect for 7+ month babies and is a cheap way of making a healthy meal for your baby after a Sunday roast
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated
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Baby food: Cooling banana yogurt pops
Cooling baby banana yogurt pops are a refreshing snack for a baby - change the tastes and textures they experience by giving them these frozen treats
By Octavia Lillywhite • Last updated