Cooking up a dual career POLLY'S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

The real estate agent and well-followed foodie has now served up a cookbook!

- Rebekah Hebenton 

By day, Polly Markus is a busy real estate agent in commercial Auckland's CBD. At night, she's an online cooking sensation, creating delicious recipes for her 47,000 loyal Instagram followers.

That achievement alone is something the 32-year-old never imagined was possible before the Covid pandemic hit. But now she's celebrating yet another mouth-watering accomplishment - the release of her very own cookbook!

"It's definitely a pinch-me moment," laughs Polly, who began cooking up a storm on social media two years ago to pass the long days of lockdown.

From the moment she shared her very first recipe on @miss_pollys_kitchen, things took off in a big way for the passionate foodie, and now there's no looking back.

"I remember when I hit 500 followers," she laughs. "I was like, 'Oh, my goodness!' I still feel like I'm just a home cook sharing recipes that I love."

Food has always played an important role in Polly's life. As a child, she would enthusiastically devour everything on her plate and her love of the culinary arts was nurtured by her dad Les, who spent endless hours teaching her everything he knew.

"My dad was a really good cook and he started teaching me from quite a young age," smiles Polly. "And then it became my passion. I love cooking for friends and family."