My name is Sophie Grigson and I moved to Puglia in early spring 2019. The best move ever. Previously, I was a cookery writer, broadcaster, cooking teacher and occasional chef but above all I have always been and remain a curious and enthusiastic cook. I have a broad knowledge of many different cuisines, but Italian food started to work its magic on me some 40 years ago when I first travelled around the country. Now it is the food of Puglia that intrigues me the most, based as it is on beautiful honest seasonal ingredients and a joyful lack of pretension.

My cooking style is generous, informal, led by a passion for the best ingredients. I shop locally (such a pleasure here), use free range eggs, freshly caught fish from Puglia’s Adriatic and Ionian seas and small quantities of humanely raised meat.

I have written and contributed to over 20 books (see below), articles for many major UK newspapers and magazines, and presented 9 television series as well as appearing on shows such as Saturday Kitchen and Masterchef.

I live and work in Ceglie Messapica in the beautiful Valle d’Itria with its lush olive orchards and vines and so very many pointy trulli. You can find my blog about life and food in Puglia at sophieinpuglia.com.

As I’ve enthusiastically discovered over the past few years, the culinary delights of Puglia are plentiful and delicious. I am thrilled to join the talented ladies of Trulli Delicious and to be sharing our love of these dishes with you and your guests.

My husband, Stephen, and I fell in love with Puglia in 2012. So much that we built a holiday home situated between Ostuni and Ceglie Messapica. Following the changes that Covid and Brexit brought, Stephen, cockerpoo Elsa and I made the decision to make that home a permanent one, a move that has brought so many incredible adventures and challenges!

I originally trained as a Norland Nanny but as ever, life took several forks and led me to a 15 year career in managing residential property in London and Sussex. The last 10 years I have been working with my husband as Financial Director and chief organizer! I’m also an enthusiastic home-cook especially here in Puglia where the local produce is so good.

Like Sophie, I was easily seduced by Puglia, its olive trees, its red earth, its great food, its old white hill-top towns, and of course by the warmth of its people. I first visited Puglia in 2010 with my partner Julian. Within two years we had bought a plot of land with an amazing view and 80 olive trees, and were building our own house.  
 
Julian, Scooby the dog and I moved in lock, stock and barrel in 2016. We have since acquired a second dog and 4 cats. In addition, we feed another 5 stray cats and one stray dog. It’s quite a change from Lanarkshire where I was born and Edinburgh where I had lived for many years. I have never regretted the move for a moment.  
 
Before Italy, I worked for two decades in financial services, as an IT project manager where I honed my organisational and planning skills. It is these that I bring to Trulli Delicious along with a keen appetite for food of all types. I’m always open to trying new tastes and have even grown to like Puglia’s infamous ricotta forte.