Jo Pratt

Jo in a few words...

Contact Us About Jo

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Jo 's Story

Jo Pratt is a TV cook and best-selling author of several books, including The Nation’s Favourite Food, In the Mood for Food, In the Mood for Entertaining, The Madhouse Cookbook, In The Mood for Healthy Food and The Flexible Vegetarian. Her upcoming book, The Flexible Pescatarian, will be published in March 2019.

Jo is also a regular contributor to magazines such as BBC Good Food and Waitrose Magazine and she often appears on TV shows such as the Sainsbury’s and Channel 4 tie-up ‘What’s Cooking?’ She is the former food editor for both Elle and Glamour Magazine and was named one of Waterstone’s ‘Writers of the Future’ in 2008, to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

When she’s not writing books, you’ll also find Jo presenting recipes online, on TV, in your favourite food magazines and on stage performing live cookery demonstrations and workshops/cookery classes. 

There’s no stopping Jo - in 2014 she took on the restaurant world by collaborating with three female chefs, Sophie Michell, Gee Charman and Caroline Artiss, to launch The Gorgeous Kitchen. It’s a contemporary restaurant specialising in beautiful global cuisine made with British-grown produce at Heathrow’s Terminal 2: The Queens Terminal.

Studying Home Economics at John Moore’s University in Liverpool was where it all started. After graduating she worked with big name chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Gary Rhodes, Gordon Ramsay, and John Torode on everything from live cookery demonstrations to TV programmes.

Jo’s cooking style initially evolved from working with hugely talented restaurant chefs making the most delicious food – and translating their ideas into recipes for the everyday kitchen. She’s created a unique style and has become known for producing fail-safe, accessible and great looking recipes. They are written with her distinctive friendly and chatty manner, offering useful/practical tips and ideas along the way. The results are impressive recipes that we can all enjoy – whatever our ability, whatever the occasion.

As a result, many British and global companies choose to work with Jo as a brand ambassador or consultant on a variety of campaigns, including Flora, Jacob’s Creek, James Villa Holidays, Betty Crocker, British Potatoes, Gaggia, Leisure Cookers, Panasonic and Tilda Rice.

Jo had a passion for food from a young age. She grew up near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire – a market town often referred to as the food capital of England and famous for their delicious Pork Pies. She now lives in London with her husband Phil (aka the best fed man in London) and their two children Olly and Rosa (Jo’s harshest food critics!). 

Television Appearances

• CHANNEL 4, Chef, What’s Cooking? 2013
• CHANNEL 5, Guest Chef, Live with Gabby, 2012
• UKTV Good Food, Perfect series 1 and 2, 2011-2012, plus Christmas Special, 2012
• ITV Guest chef, 10 Mile Menu, 2011
• ITV Presenter, The Guide (x9 short films) Daybreak, 2010 and Kid’s Holiday Activities, 2011
• ITV Regular Guest chef, The Michael Ball Show, 2010
• ITV Presenter, EBLEX sponsorship vignettes for Britain’s Best Dish, 2010/2011
• ITV Guest Chef appearances, Saturday Cooks, Christmas Cooks, Daily Cooks and Daily Cooks Challenge, 2006 – 2010
• Good Food VT Presenter, Guest Chef appearances, Market Kitchen, 2007- 2009
• CHANNEL 5 Guest Chef appearances, Cooking the Books, Dec 2007/Jan 2008
• BBC Three VT Presenter, The Restaurant: You’re Fried, October 2007
• ITV Guest Chef appearance, Soapstar Superchef, April 2007
• BBC 1 Guest Chef appearances, Saturday Kitchen, 2006
• Sky One Guest appearances, Taste, 2006
• UKFood Guest appearances & VT presenter, Great Food Live, 2002-2006
• UKFood Guest appearances, Food Uncut, 2006

Books

• In the Mood for Healthy Food, Watkins, July 2015
• Madhouse Cookbook, DBP, March 2013
• In the Mood for Entertaining, Penguin, June 2009
• In the Mood for Food Penguin, Penguin, January 2007
• The Nations Favourite Food BBC Books, 2003

Awards

• The Nations Favourite Food – Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2003, Best Tied to a Food Television Programme
• Waterstones 'Author for the Future', in 2008