Our year on a plate

Think 2020 has been a complete write-off? Think again. From family dinners and virtual cook-alongs to mindful shopping and surprise social media trends, the past 12 months have offered some valuable lessons, writes Pip Sloan

You’d be forgiven for wanting to brush this year swiftly under the carpet and plough straight into 2021, leaving faded memories of fresh vegetable shortages, pasta stockpiling and store-cupboard cooking well behind you.

But what of all the family dinners and virtual cook-alongs, and the nation’s collective effort – once the stockpiling finally dwindled – to shop more mindfully and support local businesses? For many people, 2020 was the year that mealtimes with all members of the household around the table became a regular event, and one in which children were encouraged to take an interest in the kitchen.

Previously untouched cookbooks were cracked open to create something special – because with restaurants closed for months on end, we needed to get creative. The kitchen became the ticket to cancelled holiday destinations and the meeting point for Zoom dinner parties. And it was the source of many a social media trend ( just think of all the sourdough and banana bread that was consumed, if not literally then digitally).

Even our columnists, and favourite chefs and producers, for whom food ( whether making it, cooking it or writing about it) is a lifelong passion, discovered new things this year – about the importance of community, the significance of cooking for others, and that meal planning really can help to keep you sane.

Over the following pages, they share what they’ve learned in the kitchen, and reveal the tips and tricks that will keep them cooking into 2021.