I have been spending time on the edges of the @fdbloggers Twitter community for a while, following the #foodbloggersGTK posts and enjoying the chance to learn more about the people behind different food blogs. After watching from the sidelines, I have finally decided to join in and share my own answers. This is a little introduction to me, my food blog, my cooking habits, my kitchen disasters, and the recipes and food photography that have meant the most to me so far.
Name?
Gavin
Blog?
brainfoodstudio.com, also known as The Little Egg.
What was your reason for starting a blog?
I began by taking photographs of the food I cooked and sharing recipes on internet forums about seven years ago. Over time, that habit became something I wanted to take more seriously. I was looking for a project that would challenge me, give me something rewarding to focus on, and allow me to combine cooking, writing, recipe development, and food photography in one place. Starting a food blog felt like the natural next step.
I have now been blogging for around a year, and it has been a fascinating experience. At its best, food blogging is creative, satisfying, and a lot of fun. At other times, it can be surprisingly frustrating, especially when a recipe refuses to behave, a photograph will not come together, or the technical side of running a blog gets in the way. Even so, it remains one of the most rewarding things I have taken on.
What’s the dish you’re most proud of?
The dish I am most proud of is my individual labneh cheesecakes. They stand out because they are a genuinely tasty dessert with no added sugar, and they do not feel like a compromise. I remember tasting them for the first time and feeling a real sense of excitement when I realised they had worked. Not just worked, but worked really well.
That moment of enthusiasm probably carried through into the photography too, because I am particularly pleased with the images from that recipe. For me, it is one of those rare dishes where the idea, flavour, texture, and presentation all came together in a way that felt complete. It represents exactly the kind of food I enjoy creating: thoughtful, satisfying, and a little unexpected.
What one kitchen utensil could you not live without?
A knife. It may sound obvious, but a good knife can do so much that almost every other kitchen tool starts to feel like a luxury. Chopping, slicing, trimming, crushing, portioning, and preparing ingredients all begin there. If I had to strip my kitchen back to one essential utensil, that would be the one I would keep.
You’re stranded on a desert island. What three ingredients would you take with you?
Smoked paprika, bananas, and olive oil. It is not necessarily the most practical desert island selection, but it does sound strangely close to the beginning of a recipe idea. The smoked paprika would bring depth and warmth, bananas would provide sweetness and energy, and olive oil would make almost anything feel more satisfying. Whether they belong together is another question, but I would probably try to find out.
Who do you take inspiration from?
The two food writers and cooks I have taken the most inspiration from are Yotam Ottolenghi and Edouard de Pomiane. Ottolenghi has played a major role in my culinary life in recent years because his recipes changed the way I looked at vegetarian food. His approach made vegetables feel vibrant, generous, layered, and exciting rather than secondary. That had a lasting effect on the way I think about cooking.
I am also extremely fond of Edouard de Pomiane. He may be the most loving and humble food writer I have read. His voice is warm, candid, and endearing, and he writes as though he is speaking directly to the reader rather than performing for them. That kind of honesty and simplicity is something I admire deeply. Between the two of them, I find inspiration in both bold flavour and gentle, human writing.
Your favourite social platform?
Twitter. I like that it is centred around words, even though images still play an important role. As someone who enjoys both writing and food photography, I appreciate the balance. It is also a useful place for food bloggers to talk, share ideas, ask questions, and discover other people who are working through the same creative process.
Biggest disaster in the kitchen?
When I was a teenager, I once tried to make jelly in a blender to speed things up and forgot to put the lid on. We were lucky to escape without burns, and fortunately the mixture cleaned off the walls more easily than it might have done. It was one of those mistakes that teaches you a basic kitchen lesson very quickly.
In adult life, my least proud moment involved a banana loaf that simply would not seem to cook. After far too much frustration, I threw it across the room at the bin in a petulant rage. It was not my finest hour, but it was memorable. Cooking can be calming, creative, and joyful, but occasionally it can also test your patience in spectacular ways.
Favourite spot for coffee?
At home. I do not have any specialist coffee-making equipment, but I find busy, noisy coffee shops quite unrelaxing. I enjoy coffee most when I can sit quietly, take my time, and not feel rushed or crowded. That said, I do still go to coffee shops when I am out and about or meeting someone.
When I do have coffee away from home, Artisan in Chiswick stands out as one of the best I have had. Even so, my favourite coffee spot remains my own home, where the atmosphere matters as much as the drink itself.
Favourite photo you’ve taken?
This is a difficult question, so I am going to cheat slightly and choose three. My favourites are the labneh cheesecake with no added sugar, the sweet and salty fresh lime soda, and the chargrilled aubergine bites. Each one means something different to me. The cheesecake photographs captured the excitement of a recipe that came together beautifully. The lime soda images felt fresh and bright. The aubergine bites had a richness and texture that I really enjoyed photographing.
Most successful blog post and why?
In terms of page views, my spelt rough puff pastry recipe is the most successful post on the blog. If success is measured purely by traffic, then that would be the clear answer. However, the recipe that feels most successful to me personally is my sweet potato with avocado and lime.
That dish has become a weeknight staple, and I have made it for myself more often than anything else I have posted. I have eaten it almost every week since publishing it, which tells me it has the qualities I want my recipes to have. It is easy, tasty, accessible, and satisfying enough to return to again and again. For a food blog focused on real cooking, that feels like a true success story.
Now nominate three food bloggers you’d like to get to know more.
I do not feel that I know any other food bloggers well enough to nominate them, and I would rather not name people just for the sake of it. So I will skip this question for now. Sorry.
To everyone who has made it this far, thank you for reading. I hope this has helped you learn a little more about me, my food blog, my approach to recipes, and the kind of cooking and photography that inspire me.