
Heather Taylor
Senior Food Editor at M&S Food

07/11/2025
Christmas dinner tips from Tom Kerridge
Daunted at the prospect of cooking Christmas dinner? Tom Kerridge is here to help. From how to stop your turkey drying out to his foolproof method for the crispiest roasties, the pro chef answers your burning Christmas cooking questions.
See Tom's tips

03/11/2025
Must-try mince pies 2025
At M&S, our product developers have tasted hundreds of mince pies in their quest to create the perfect one. Whether you’re going traditional, gluten-free, or plant-based, read our guide to the best mince pies in the Foodhall this Christmas.
Mince pies this way

03/11/2025
How to cook and carve a turkey
Learn how to prep your bird like a pro, including choosing, preparing, cooking and carving your Christmas turkey, plus genius flavour hacks to help you boost your gravy. From Tom Kerridge’s foolproof turkey recipe and ideas for how to use up leftovers, our ultimate guide has all you need for an epic festive centrepiece.
Top turkey tips

03/11/2025
How to make roast potatoes
Read our expert guide on how to make roast potatoes from nailing the perfect cooking technique to which fats to use and some top tips and recipes from Tom Kerridge.
Roast potato guide

31/10/2025
5 ways to use tomato sauce
You should never be without a jar of our Classic Tomato Everything Sauce in your cupboards. It’s endlessly versatile, whether used in a golden, cheesy pasta bake or simmered into shakshuka. See our top five ways to use this jarred sauce.
How to use tomato sauce

20/10/2025
How to host a dinner party
Your turn to host? Read our ultimate dinner party guide, from how to prep to what to cook, what to drink and how to entertain without the stress. Whether you’re pulling out all the stops with a made-from-scratch feast or want some easy shortcuts from the Foodhall, make staying in the new going out with our expert tips.
Be the host with the most

29/09/2025
Top 10 autumn food ideas
From sipping on a warm cup of hot chocolate to cooking up some hearty comfort food, get set for the cosy season with our ultimate autumn food checklist.
See the top 10

22/09/2025
How to make the best hot chocolate
Say hello to cosy season with a warming cup of hot chocolate. Read our ultimate guide to hot chocolate, from the best way to make it to next-level to hot chocolate topping ideas.
Hot chocolate ideas

18/09/2025
Budget mushroom recipe ideas
Mushrooms are a brilliantly versatile budget ingredient that can bring meaty, umami flavours to all sorts of dishes. See our tips for how to cook mushrooms and ideas for different ways to use mushrooms with our easy, budget-friendly recipes.
Ways to use mushrooms

12/09/2025
How to carve a Halloween pumpkin
Get set for spooky season and learn how to carve a pumpkin for Halloween. See how to pick your perfect pumpkin, then download our free pumpkin carving template for your jack o'lantern and get creative with some frightfully fun designs.
Read More

10/09/2025
The Food Christmas Gift Guide
Discover the best food and drink gifts in our Foodhall with our senior food editor's picks. From secret Santa food gift ideas to the best drinks gifts and get-ahead foodie treats to pop away for the big day, we've got next-level festive treats all wrapped up.
Food gift ideas

10/09/2025
Pop it away for the big day
Get ahead for Christmas with genius festive flavour-boosting ingredients, store cupboard essentials and gifts to keep on standby. Read our expert guide to the best festive food to stock up on in the Foodhall now and pop away for the big day.
Get organised

09/09/2025
The best Christmas cheese and top cheeseboard tips
Want to create a showstopping Christmas cheeseboard? Read our expert tips on choosing the right selection of cheeses to perfectly complement one another, storing and cutting them right, and hacks to help you present everything beautifully.
Choose your cheese

05/09/2025
Christmas breakfast ideas
Kick off the festive celebrations in style with our Christmas breakfast recipe ideas. Whether you’re looking for family-friendly festive breakfasts, a lazy brunch to start the day slowly or Christmas breakfasts you can make ahead, our recipes and Foodhall picks will get your day off to a delicious start.
Christmas breakfast recipes

02/09/2025
How to make mulled wine
Nothing warms the cockles on a chilly winter’s day quite like a steaming cup of mulled wine. Get into the festive spirit with our ultimate guide on how to make mulled wine. Don’t fancy making it from scratch? See our pick of the best mulled wine in the Foodhall this season.
Mulled wine tips

29/08/2025
How to cook with figs
Sweet, jammy and fragrant, figs are a seasonal treat that work in sweet and savoury dishes. Discover how to cook with figs with these easy recipe ideas – the perfect excuse to try our ripe Bursa Figs during their short-but-sweet season.
Fig recipes

20/08/2025
10 cooking methods to master
Up your kitchen game by mastering these 10 essential cooking skills. From how to cook fish to perfectly cooked steak, these need-to-know cooking techniques are guaranteed to make your food taste better.
See the top 10

14/08/2025
How to cook rice
From fluffy basmati to creamy risotto, rice is one of the most versatile ingredients out there. Read our Senior Food Editor’s guide to how to make rice perfectly, then be inspired with our easy-to-follow recipe ideas.
Read the rice guide

01/08/2025
Budget-friendly ways with oats
Cheap, nourishing, satisfying and versatile – oats are one of the most hardworking ingredients in your kitchen, and for good reason. See what to make with oats with our best oat recipe ideas, discover the health benefits of oats, and top prep tips.
Oat recipes

17/07/2025
How to make smoothies
A smoothie is a brilliantly quick and easy way to pack in lots of extra fruit, veg and goodness. Learn how to make smoothies with our step-by-step guide and discover our easy, flavour-boosting hacks. Then be inspired with our go-to recipes for nourishing homemade smoothies.
Smoothie ideas

27/06/2025
How to make a fresh tomato sauce
Read our ultimate guide to making a batch of budget-friendly, slow-cooked fresh tomato sauce. Then discover lots of clever ways to use it, from pizza toppings to pasta and trusty traybakes.
See the recipes

06/06/2025
Korean food and recipe ideas
Korean food is having a moment. Delve into this multi-layered spicy, savoury and umami cuisine with delicious Korean-inspired recipe ideas, ingredients and must-try new products landing in our Foodhall.
Read more

16/05/2025
Top 10 ways with frozen peas
Good for your budget, healthy and bursting with sweet, vibrant flavour, frozen peas are a stalwart family ingredient. See our pick of flavour-packed, wallet-friendly recipes that put this freezer hero to delicious use.
See the top 10

22/04/2025
Try the pistachio trend
Discover more about the viral pistachio food trend and see our edit of the must-try pistachio products in the Foodhall and irresistible pistachio recipe ideas.
Go nuts

14/03/2025
Top freezer food tips
When it comes to cutting back on food waste, saving on your family budget, and getting clever with leftovers, the freezer is your friend. Read our guide to the best foods to freeze and how to freeze them, plus top kitchen tips and freezer-ready recipe ideas.
See the tips

12/03/2025
Roast dinner top tips
Golden Yorkshires, crispy-skinned chicken, lashings of gravy: Sunday roast is one of life’s great pleasures. From timing tips to shortcut ingredients – plus ideas for what to do if you don’t fancy cooking – learn how to cook roast dinner like a pro with our easy guide. Plus, discover our pick of the best Sunday dinner recipes.
See the ideas

07/03/2025
Beginner's guide to red wine
From different grape varieties to flavour characteristics and styles, get the lowdown on red wine with this expert guide from our in-house wine pros.
Read the guide

07/03/2025
A complete guide to potatoes
From buttery Jersey Royals to King Edwards and Maris Pipers, discover the best types of potatoes to try. Plus, find out where potatoes come from, when they’re in season, and how to use potatoes with our senior food editor’s top tips and potato recipe ideas.
Read the guide

07/02/2025
Top tips for quick dinners
Want to cut down on prep time in the kitchen without missing out on bold, punchy flavours? It's all about cooking smarter. Read our Senior Food Editor's guide to time-saving cooking tips and genius flavour-boosting ingredients.
Quick dinner tips

01/01/2025
The best gut health foods
Learn about the benefits of looking after your gut health, the best gut health foods to support your microbiome and how to incorporate them into your diet. Plus, thrive on the inside with our top picks from our delicious, nutritious Good Gut range.
Gut health guide
Heather completed an English Literature degree at Sheffield University and received a first-class honours.
Heather has worked in a series of professional kitchens in Edinburgh, France and Portugal, before settling in London and working as a food writer for a series of top UK publications and brands. She has 10+ years of experience working in food media, recipe development, and food writing.
Heather joined M&S Food in 2019 as deputy food editor, and has since worked across a range of projects and channels, for both print and digital. From recipes to articles, magazines and copywriting, her role is about celebrating the very best of M&S Food and inspiring customers. As Senior Food Editor, she currently leads the editorial team at M&S Food. She is also a member of the Guild of Food Writers.
Heather is a content expert across print and digital channels, with a wealth of experience. She's also a skilled recipe developer who knows her roux from her roast chicken. Having worked at M&S Food for over 7 years, she's had the honour of speaking to hundreds of food producers, chefs and experts to uncover some of our incredible food stories, from scallop divers in Orkney to sourdough makers in Wrexham and salmon smokers on the east coast of Scotland. She uses this knowledge to create the best recipes, inspiring articles, and engaging customer communications that show that for M&S, it's never just food.
When Heather isn't cooking or recipe testing, or logging her food adventures on her website you may find her browsing farmers' markets, writing, and reading. Oh, and eating.