At home with Sophie Bertrand

Forking Wellness is the debut book from nutritionists, Instagram powerhouses and podcast hosts Sophie Bertrand and her great friend Bari Stricoff. The book is a guide to health and nutrition, including 45 recipes, which goes back to basics, enabling the reader to make more balanced choices. Lynda Clark talks to Sophie about her first steps on the property ladder, how her interest in food first began and what her future plans are

FTB: Tell us about your first steps on the property ladder

SB: I was renting in London when I met my future husband who at the time was living in Manchester. I decided to cut my lease short and we moved in with my parents so we could save to buy our own home. It took us two years, but eventually we managed to buy a one bedroom, one bathroom bungalow in Beaconsfield. It had been on the market for around six months when we viewed it, but as soon as we saw it we both knew it had loads of potential and we loved it. We are due to have our first baby very soon and we need more space, so we are moving back in with my parents for a few months while we have an extension built.

FTB: How did your interest in food start?

SB: When I was growing up I had no interest in food and I was a fussy eater. When I was about 15 I developed an eating disorder, which was very difficult. After years of therapy and self-development I finally had a better relationship with food. Having recovered, I then did a psychology degree followed by a Masters in Clinical Nutrition. I wanted to inspire people to make their own balanced choices to help them live healthier and happier lives, and this inspired me to blog about my experiences, which later turned into my business Sophie’s Healthy Kitchen.

FTB: How did you meet Bari?

SB: I met her when we were doing our Masters at University College London. We have a very laid-back sort of relationship and we used to sit next to each other during lectures and talk about nutrition and the food industry in general. Our friendship grew and we decided to do a podcast as we wanted to create a space for people to talk and share ideas. We were then approached to write the book, and jumped at the opportunity, as we wanted to educate people so they could learn how to find the balance between eating for health as well as eating for enjoyment. helped to build my business and create a space where you can express your opinion, which people may not agree with, but it’s great to hear other people’s ideas and views. I am not worried about how many followers I have, but I like to engage with people and start positive discussions.

FTB: What are your plans for the future?

SB: Well, with a baby on the way that will take up a lot of my time, along with the extension on the house, of course. We would love to write a second book together and we are always keeping an eye out for new research as you have to keep up-todate with what is going on.

FTB: What advice do you have for first time buyers?

SB: Save, save, save – you might have to give up some luxuries, social events, holidays and weekend getaways, but to get on the ladder you have to make sacrifices. Also prioritise what you really want and give and take elsewhere, as everyone has different ideas of what they need from a home. Finally, when you view a house, make sure you look at its potential as that is so important.

FTB: Was it difficult for you to write the book together?

SB: It went really well! We signed the agreement to write it in December 2019 and had to give the first draft in the following March, so it was a quick turnaround. We had to be very organised and we both wrote sections of it and would send our work to each other so we could read it and make any comments. We never argued, and when we tested the recipes we asked all our family and friends to try them as their feedback was invaluable. Bari is originally from America, so we had to decide on the use of certain words which are different in each country, like chips or fries! We published the book in October 2020 and it has gone really, really well considering we are going through a pandemic. We would have loved to do a proper book launch but we have postponed that until the autumn when we hope things will be back to normal.

FTB: Tell us about your career?

SB: As a qualified nutritionist, I have worked with leading brands in the food industry whether that be on a consultancy basis or recipe development, on various public health campaigns, and I work with clients on a one-to-one basis to help them achieve their nutrition-related goals in a safe environment.

FTB: You are both very big on social

media – tell us about that?

SB: Social media takes up a great deal of time but it is so important. It has really

Forking Wellness, published by Meyer & Meyer, is available both in paperback and on ebook through bookshops and online retailers

@sophieshealthykitchen sophieshealthykitchen.com

“SAVE, SAVE, SAVE – YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE UP SOME LUXURIES, SOCIAL EVENTS, HOLIDAYS AND WEEKEND GETAWAYS, BUT TO GET ON THE LADDER YOU HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES”

“WHEN WE TESTED THE RECIPES WE ASKED ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO TRY THEM AS THEIR FEEDBACK WAS INVALUABLE”