The independent publishers who are changing cookbooks

CR speaks to Tezeta Press, Long Prawn and Apartamento to get an insight into why it’s important for independent creators to offer something different and challenge the status quo

Cookbook sales are thriving, with non-fiction book charts always chock full of them, especially as we head into the festive season. Due to the sheer volume of books that get published every year, the recurring celebrity chefs that adorn the covers, and the copy and paste format and design, these cookbooks can start to blur into one another. Food and cooking is for everyone, and knowing where our food, the recipes and the techniques come from is key for true food appreciation. But there’s a danger that can be forgotten when everything starts to look the same. 

Here, CR speaks to three independent cookbook makers and food publishers trying to challenge this homogenisation. They provide us with an insight into what they create, and all three touch upon the importance of representation, the value of storytelling when it comes to food, and why design is vital in offering a playful alternative to the norm.  

Belly Full by Riaz Phillips, published by Tezeta Press