A cup of tea with... SIMON HOLST

AFTER 20 WONDERFUL YEARS OF WORKING WITH HIS MOTHER, THE COOK HAS A VERY GOOD REASON FOR HANGING UP HIS PINNY

- KARYN HENGER

Cookbook author Simon Holst, 54, became a household name after publishing more than 40 family-friendly cookbooks with his mum Dame Alison Holst, as well as another nine of his own. The father of two is now a senior advisor for New Zealand Food Safety, but has very fond memories of creating recipes with his biggest mentor. The Weekly catches up with Simon over a takeaway coffee as he reveals what it was like working with his mum and how he’s coping with her failing health, due to dementia.

Simon, we met a woman the other day who says that after 11 years, your chicken risotto is still her family’s favourite meal. Do you get that a lot?

Wow, no – I’m flattered. What I’ve found is that you drop out of people’s minds quite quickly if you’re not trying to maintain a presence.

Why did you stop producing cookbooks?

I felt like it was time for a change. I’d been doing books for 20 years and there was quite a pile.

What was it like writing cookbooks with your mum?