Anna Jones works up an appetite

When did you first come to Watergate Bay, and what’s your impression of the place?

I’ve been coming to Watergate for years now. My first trip was as a young chef when Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen opened in the Bay. I was part of the second London cohort of Fifteen, so was keen to try the food and meet some of the students working there. A few years later, we came to stay as a family at the hotel.

I've spent a lot of time in Cornwall (my husband, John, lived there in the early years of our relationship), but Watergate is still one of my all-time favourite beaches. You just can’t beat a Watergate sunset.

I've spent a lot of time in Cornwall, but Watergate is still one of my all-time favourite beaches. You just can’t beat a Watergate sunset.

What do you like to eat if you need energy?

I don’t do anything hugely different from normal. If I’m going to yoga, I’ll usually make a smoothie with lots of hemp hearts and nut butter for a hit of plant protein – something not too heavy.

I always bring snacks on walks, mainly for my son, but I have been known to dip into them. I make oat and peanut butter bars which are perfect walking fuel.

What are some of your favourite ways to work up an appetite – or burn off a big meal – at Watergate Bay?

A walk along the coast path is a favourite – it never fails to blow me away with its beauty. Or a swim in the sea or the pool. Food always tastes best after a swim.

Do you like being active and getting in the water, or is it more about slowing down and taking it easy with the view?

I'm a water baby. I’m still very much learning to surf, but I love getting out there. I try and get in the sea whenever I’m near it, whatever the weather.

I did draw the line at breaking through the ice on the shoreline one day. But John still went in for a surf – there's no stopping him!

We’d love to hear your ideas for the perfect post-surf brunch…

The meal I always make for John post-surf is potato rosti with roast tomatoes, soft-boiled eggs, and chilli chutney. It's filling, has a good bit of protein, and is his absolute favourite.

Do you have any favourite dishes that consistently convert the die-hard carnivores?

If you've eaten a certain way all your life, it can be hard to make a change. But it’s clear that we all need to be eating a lot more plants for our health and for the planet – and if you eat the kind of food I love to cook, I really don’t think anyone would feel as if they were missing out.

I like to persuade people with food over words, so I’d make a saag aloo ‘shepherd's pie' or my sticky sesame baked cauliflower.

Apart from local and seasonal, how else do you decide what vegetables to buy and cook with? What are your favourites?

I get cravings for certain foods. This week, I couldn’t stop thinking about caponata, the Sicilian sweet and sour aubergine stew, so that’s what I made. But more often than not, it’s a trip to my local greengrocers or scanning the 'what's in season' list from my local veg supplier.

I generally buy what looks particularly good – or sometimes whatever's going cheap and I know I can use up.

At the moment, I'm all about tomatoes. I'm eating them for almost every meal! I like them simply on toast with British Graceburn cheese or in slow-cooked sauces for pasta with crispy capers and herbs.

The meal I always make for my husband John post-surf is potato rosti with roast tomatoes, soft-boiled eggs, and chilli chutney. It's filling, has a good bit of protein, and is his absolute favourite

Of all the recipes in your cookbooks, which ones do you return to again and again, and why?

We have a few family favourites which we cook on repeat. There's the sweet potato dhal from my first book, A Modern Way to Eat, along with the black bean tacos from the same book. Then there's the one-pot pasta from my second book, A Modern Way to Cook. We also love the coconut and mustard seed baked cauliflower from my third book, The Modern Cook’s Year, and the lentil, sweet potato, and tamarind bake from my latest book, One.

What are you working on next?

I’m working on a couple of very different projects. I have another book in the works, which will come out in late 2023/early 2024 – and I’m having another baby at the end of this year.