What’s it about? Dear Grace is a thoughtful cookbook created for one of life’s biggest milestones: leaving home. Written by chef Claire Thomson for her daughter as she heads off to university, it combines reliable, budget-conscious recipes with reflections on growing up, independence and the enduring comfort of home cooking.

Organised into chapters including Legacy Recipes, Cooking on a Budget, All Back to Mine – Late Night Food, Flatshare Feasts, Faster than Fast Food and Sweet Tooth, this book is filled with approachable dishes that build confidence in the kitchen without requiring specialist skills or expensive ingredients. Illustrated throughout with colour artwork, it offers practical inspiration for feeding yourself well, cooking for friends and creating new traditions, wherever home happens to be.

Who’s the author? Claire Thomson is a chef and award-winning food writer whose practical, family-focused recipes have earned her a loyal online following. She has written for publications including The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC Good Food Magazine and delicious., and won a Guild of Food Writers Award for Tomato.

Claire is also a familiar voice and face across food media, with appearances on Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch and Woman’s Hour, and she hosts The 5 O’Clock Apron podcast. The idea for Dear Grace grew from a series of heartfelt Instagram posts written to her daughter, pairing recipes with advice and memories that resonated with parents and young adults alike.

Perfect for: Students, first-time renters and young adults learning to cook, as well as parents looking for a meaningful gift to help them on their next chapter.