Kate Humble champions artisanal skills in her latest book

TV presenter and author Kate Humble, known for her work on BBC’s Back To The Land, Springwatch, and Animal Park, has expressed her growing admiration for artisans and the resurgence in traditional crafting skills. Despite humourously describing her own crafting skills as lacking, Humble professes a deep respect for those able to create items by hand, especially as the workplace undergoes rapid changes due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).

Humble, aged 55, spoke about the unpredictable future many face as AI technologies increasingly replicate tasks historically carried out by writers, photographers, and television professionals. This technological shift may be steering more individuals towards physical, artisanal crafts, potentially igniting an “artisan uprising”, she said.

Residing in rural Monmouthshire, Wales, Humble has authored several books, with her latest work titled “Home Made.” This cookbook not only features simple, countryside recipes but also celebrates the artisans who craft the tools and products used within it. From handmade aprons and knives to crafted firepits and pans, Humble’s book weaves narratives of makers like glassmaker Emsie Sharp, basket weaver Amanda Rayner, and former office worker turned vegetable grower Ben Ward. To Humble, these artisans represent people who have dared to follow their dreams, opting for a hands-on lifestyle over traditional career paths.

Humble remarks on the disconnect many people now experience with food preparation and production, as modern convenience has transformed the way people source their meals. The rise of delivery services has contributed to a diminished engagement with the selection and preparation of food. This echoes Humble’s own upbringing, where home-cooked meals from scratch were the norm and she learned her cooking skills from her mother.

Although she regards herself as merely a home cook, Humble finds solace and satisfaction in the simplicity of preparing meals from raw ingredients, an approach she finds both therapeutic and rewarding. Her new book aims to bring this uncomplicated joy to others through its straightforward recipes.

Reflecting on her life and career, Humble describes her journey from rural Berkshire to Wales, where in 2007 she took the significant step of moving from London to a smallholding with her husband, Ludo. This shift allowed her to establish a working farm in the Wye Valley, which serves as the backdrop for Channel 5’s Escape To The Farm. Humble credits this move with a personal reconnection to nature that was missing during her years in London, especially while working on nature-centric programmes like Springwatch.

In addition to her passion for the countryside, Humble maintains a life-long love for travel, having first ventured to Africa at 18. Despite her wanderlust, she acknowledges how travel now often brings homesickness for the life she has built in Wales.

Kate Humble’s latest book, “Home Made: Recipes From The Countryside,” which encapsulates her love for the artisanal, natural, and connected way of life, is currently available, published by Gaia at a price of £26.

Source: Noah Wire Services