About Me

Hi, I’m Camilla Hawkins, a UK food writer, recipe developer and the creator of Fab Food 4 All, my popular food blog, which I launched in March 2012.

My approach to cooking is simple: I want to make quick, easy and economical food that doesn’t compromise on taste. My ethos is essentially more time eating, less time cooking.

With a love of food and Home Economics since childhood, I began blogging after becoming frustrated with recipes that didn’t work or that my family didn’t like. I set out to share family recipes plus create a collection of tried-and-tested recipes that took the guesswork out of deciding what to cook.

I soon discovered that if I had a passion for something or a culinary need, then someone else would too.

Today, I’m particularly known for my recipes for jams, jellies, curds and chutneys, many of which are prize-winning. Preserving is so rewarding and budget-friendly, as you can make the most of a glut of seasonal produce or foraged fruit, etc, and it prevents food waste.

You won’t find added pectin or jam sugar in my jams and jellies; for low-pectin fruits I add fresh lemon juice, which aids the gelling process.

I also share everything from quick family meals and comforting puddings to homemade bread, cakes and soups.

My Background

I describe myself as a food writer and recipe developer who enjoys the art and science of cooking. I develop my recipes with real-life cooking in mind for busy people (me being one of them).

My cooking has been shaped by my Anglo-Danish heritage, as I have an English father and Danish mother. My mother was a major influence growing up, introducing me to traditional Danish food while also inspiring me through her favourite cookery writers, including Marguerite Patten and Delia Smith.

Both my grandmothers were passionate cooks and hugely influential.

My Home Economics teacher also encouraged my passion for cooking, culminating in me winning my school’s Prize for Home Economics at the age of 16. I went on to study A Level Home Economics and always wanted to become a cookery writer.

After various jobs including a stint in catering, I embarked on a degree course in Home Economics at the age of 21. However, it was not what I was expecting and had very little to do with food. Hence, I left and eventually ended up working in Bird’s Eye Walls PR Department because at least it was food-related.

After meeting my husband and starting a family, I gave up my job to become a stay-at-home mum.

As the children got older, I had more time on my hands, so my husband suggested that I put my passion for food, nutrition and cookery to use by starting a blog. I’d read about blogging entrepreneurs, so the idea was already on my radar.

What started as a hobby has become my full-time job and enabled me to fulfil my ambition of being a cookery writer (call me a late bloomer)! I also became a photographer along the way.

More About Fab Food 4 All

All my recipes are tested by my husband and two children (who are now adults), and I value their honest opinions. Sometimes my husband even develops recipes like this Quick Homemade Hummus.

Over the years, my work has appeared in and been recognised by publications and food platforms including The Guardian, The Metro, Waitrose Weekend, Reader’s Digest, Great British Chefs and Vuelio’s Top 10 UK Food Blogs. I have also developed recipes for brands and contributed recipes to Great British Chefs.

I continue to share my love of preserves plus healthy, economical everyday recipes through Fab Food 4 All. I’ve also started to focus more on gut-friendly food whilst steering away from ultra-processed ingredients and using more organic ones such as organic bouillon (Dr Coys) instead of stock cubes.

Hence, I set up a raised bed this year (2026) as organic produce is so expensive. So far, I have grown my own courgettes, French beans and tomatoes. I also bought an apple tree to complement my existing fruit bushes (gooseberry, blueberry, blackcurrant and whitecurrant).

So, whether I’m making a batch of prize-winning jam, recreating a childhood favourite or finding a quicker way to make a recipe, my goal remains the same: no more drab food, only fab food.

Recipes I’m Particularly Proud Of

Of course, I’m proud of all my recipes, but some are extra special like the ones below:

1. Easy Danish Sourdough Rye Bread – took many months to develop and started as a slow cooker recipe. I wanted to make this healthy, gut-friendly bread I’d grown up eating but without the 2-day prep time. I finally succeeded and make this once a week. You literally stir the ingredients together, prove in the tin, and bake. You can even feed your starter just before you mix the ingredients if you forget or are short of time. After many readers’ requests, I also added baking instructions.
2. Easy Slow Cooker Sourdough Sandwich Bread – a world first and another recipe that took months to develop. After developing an artisan slow cooker sourdough loaf first, I needed one that was easier to make sandwiches with.
3. Peach & Apricot Jam – the first jam I ever developed without pectin and entered into our local Parish Day Horticultural Show. It won first prize; I cried, and it was the start of my jam-making obsession!
4. Easy Green Tomato Chutney with Fig – which not only won 1^st prize but also Best Exhibit in Division at the Parish Day Horticultural Show. To top that, both judges left a message asking for the recipe! 
5. Granny’s Quick Lemon Curd – a recipe that sat in my cookery index box for a couple of decades with scant detail, in my sister’s handwriting (after she asked my granny for the recipe). It’s so popular as there’s no sieving, double boiler or endless stirring involved, unlike most recipes, plus it tastes amazing. There was always a jar of this lemon curd in my granny’s fridge!
6. Danish Apple Cake (Æblekage) – not a cake but a dessert layered with stewed apples, toasted caramelised oats finished off with a layer of whipped cream and a grating of dark chocolate. My Danish grandmother followed a new trend for using oats instead of toasted bread, and my mother added the grated chocolate. I was thrilled when Felicity Cloake of The Guardian referenced it in her article about how to make the Perfect Danish Æblekage!

5 Fun Facts About Me

1. I loathe blue cheese, so you won’t find any recipes using it on FF4A. Come to think of it, I also loathe goat’s cheese, so the same goes for that.
2. I love cats and have a sleek elderly black cat called Coco (17) and up until March 2025 had a beautiful British Shorthair called Moet (9), who we rescued; we still miss her every day.
3. I like to hug trees when no one is looking. Forest bathing with a sound bath is my favourite way to chill, so woodland retreats are my happy place.
4. Foraging for free, organic food brings me great joy and has inspired many preserves. My last one, Seedless Blackberry & Raspberry Jam, won 1^st Prize at the local Parish Day Horticultural Show.
5. I’m a Sagittarius and optimistic by nature. I always say, “The optimist has a better time of it!”

If you ever have any suggestions or questions, then do reach out via my contact page or leave a comment under any recipe. I love hearing from you and wouldn’t be here without you!

You can also chat with me on my social channels where I share my recipes and more. I’m most active on Facebook where I post a “Question of the Day” and enjoy getting to know my readers. Next there’s Instagram where I share stories such as updates on my garden produce. Then there’s YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, BlueSky, and Pinterest.

Finally, if you never want to miss out on a new recipe, then be sure to sign up to my newsletter (the form can be found on any recipe post)!

PS: All the material on this blog is the copyright of Fabfood4all.co.uk. When people steal my content, it cuts deep as it feels like a piece of my DNA has been stolen. This blog is so much more than just a job; it’s part of me!

19/08/2026