Book review: How to Grow Food

The publishing world is often a mirror of its own past, proving that truly good ideas tend to resurface exactly when a new generation needs them. About fifteen years ago, the grow-your-own movement saw a fascinating cross-pollination: horticulturalists like Alys Fowler and Mark Diacono began migrating into the kitchen, while legendary cooks like Nigel Slater started getting their fingernails dirty in the garden. Today, that cycle has returned with a fresh coat of digital paint. While veteran national treasure Mary Berry has recently released a gardening title, social media sensation Huw Richards is heading in the other direction with a new garden cookbook that perfectly bridges the gap between the allotment and the dinner table.

Published by DK, the book is designed with the crisp, instructional precision of a Haynes manual. It hits the criteria that modern publishers dream of, ticking at least two of the three boxes: a massive digital platform (Richards boasts over a quarter of a million Instagram followers) and clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for food production. While it lacks the formal seal of approval from institutions like Kew or the RHS, the book’s sheer practicality makes such endorsements feel like unnecessary window dressing.

YouTube star Huw Richards  last book was about permaculture gardening. He has also worked as a Gardena ambassador and provides the horticultural muscle here. He is joined by fellow Welshman Sam Cooper (to be clear, this is the chef known online as Sam Black, not Lily Allen’s former husband.) Cooper brings professional culinary weight to the project, crafting inventive recipes for the 70 different crops Richards grows. These dishes, such as a standout carrot miso hummus, move well beyond the basic boil and serve mentality often found in gardening books.

The real strength of this collaboration lies in its fundamental honesty. In an era of aesthetic-first lifestyle content, there is a refreshing sense of reliability here: Richards is a man who actually grows, and Cooper is a proper chef who actually cooks. Their combined expertise ensures the methods are not just aspirational, but entirely trustworthy. DK has elevated this kind of instructional guide to a fine art, stripping away the fluff in favor of simple information and accessible stages. It is a book for the modern gardener-cook who wants results on the plate as much as in the soil.