Beginning with the basics, Katie discussed the best budget staples to keep in your cupboards and freezers - and more importantly, where to find them. Her social media videos focus on accessible recipes, and as she confidently told me, “you can turn anything from your pantry into a meal.” A small glimpse at her social media pages proves this, with her popular series Tins Made Tasty demonstrating that you can make meals from five pantry ingredients.
Her pantry staples were: beans in sauce, which are high in protein and fibre; pasta and rice; and soup - which she points out doesn’t have to just be soup. Soup can be a stock, a base of a pasta bake, stew, and much more. By “stretching ingredients further” and not limiting ingredients to their conventional use, we begin to broaden our cooking horizons.
By “stretching ingredients further” and not limiting ingredients to their conventional use, we begin to broaden our cooking horizons.
Katie's hot spots to shop for budget friendly ingredients were Asda, where there are high quality fresh ingredients and a wide range of tinned goods; Lidl, which similarly has cheap pantry items; and, surprisingly, M&S, which is beginning to become more affordable with the right products. Katie specifically recommends checking out some of their seafood products, which can be a bargain at under £2!
The Courier was interested to know which of Katie’s many delicious recipes she herself cannot stop coming back to. Her favourite recipes were her tuna and tomato orzo and her cream cheese, spring vegetable orzo, both tasty and easy to make with delicious ingredients that nourish the body. Her “go to pudding” not to be missed is her upside-down pineapple cake; she said people resonated with it, we imagine its simplicity and nostalgic feel had broad appeal.
Our conversation turned towards Katie’s inspiration; she described fond memories of her nan, who was a fantastic cook, and reminisces on “a table full of yummy meals” and her family being brought together by the food her nan created. Since then, she has been “passionate about making food feel doable” in a way that doesn’t make it “dull or restrictive”.
Katie described fond memories of her nan, who was a fantastic cook, and reminisces on “a table full of yummy meals” and her family being brought together by food...
We discussed how easy it is for students to find themselves in a cooking slump, reliant on microwave meals or frozen pizzas. While we agreed that there is nothing wrong with the odd instant meal, Katie wanted to offer some tips to start finding time to make some delicious homemade food. She told me that cooking is all about making mistakes, getting creative, and learning by doing. Managing your finances is increasingly necessary as a student, and Katie commented that “particularly in a cost-of-living crisis, there is a lot to be said for learning how to feed yourself well without blowing your budget”. So, if you are looking for an answer to your budget friendly prayers, consider heading to Katie’s social media to learn how to cook inexpensive, low-effort, and tasty recipes.
Katie has amassed over 90,000 followers on Instagram; The Courier wanted to know what her journey has looked like from university to where she is today. After graduating with her degree in film and digital media, Katie has worked in universities, video production, and now, photography and content creation, which she says “go hand in hand”.
Food content online is an oversaturated market and finding a niche is important to establish your presence. When this was brought to Katie, she commented “I don’t think there is a secret to viral content”, but that creators should find something they care about and the "rest will follow." Katie describes her series Tins Made Tasty as the turning point in her social media career. People resonated with the focus on minimal ingredients and Katie loves making these videos to empower people to eat well in an accessible way.
...creators should find something they care about and the "rest will follow."
Katie told us that despite the creative freedom, social media creation is like “running a tiny creative agency on your own”, for which you are wholly responsible. When asked what one would need to begin content creation, Katie said that you only need an iPhone, some natural light, and yourself - but monetising said work is not as straightforward. She told me “I don’t make loads of money from social media”, and any income she does see mostly comes from brand deals with companies that she knows her audience will resonate with.
As we wrapped up the interview, Katie’s message is clear: that with so much happening in the world, “food is the one thing that brings people together”. It ignites a sense of community, it nourishes our bodies and it keeps us creating. She adds that her DMs are always open and she will always reply to a comment or message. So, if you have a rogue tin in your cupboard that you just don’t know how to use… you know where to go.