My father is a fisherman and my mother ran the family restaurant. Us kids were always on the go; we helped dad with his preparations for a night at sea, helped mum with the cooking and the daytime restaurant chores like the hanging of octopus on our washing line, and then off we were — to the restaurant. The initial spark that ignited my passion to cook came from there. All I wanted to do as a child was cook. I would spend hours writing down recipes and watching the amazing ladies create in their kitchens. It fascinated me. These are the days I remember now, working in a busy London restaurant and loving every moment of it; now I know where it all began.

Marianna Leivaditaki
chef
‘Aegean: Recipes from the Mountains to the Sea’