Gina Cavaciuti: Jasmine, you work hard to ensure we’re representing EDI in our OcadoLife content. Why is that important?
Jasmine Phillips: For the OcadoLife team, improving quality and supporting diversity go hand in hand. Many competitor titles rely on test kitchens and familiar faithfuls, and it’s certainly a challenge finding and guiding a variety of talent every issue, but the result is a proactive take on the culinary landscape. It’s important because it keeps the magazine content fresh and relevant.
GC: How do we demonstrate the full spectrum of EDI values in the magazine?
JP: It’s not just the more obvious ways in which we support diversity – profiling and seeking out content from food writers, chefs and suppliers from minority cultures or LGBTQ+ groups – it’s about accessibility, too. A lot of our content is intentionally more accessible for those who may not have the energy levels or physical stamina to spend a long time in the kitchen cooking a big meal. We allow for different skill levels, capabilities and budgets with our recipes, and we always include some dishes that are extra accessible and low on effort.
GC: The planning for this must be meticulous…
JP: Yes, we put a lot of thought and effort into it. EDI is rooted in how the content is planned and executed; it’s never tokenistic. Sometimes these stories come about in the most unexpected and surprising way. For example, a chance chat with a stylist on a shoot led to us providing her a writing platform in the magazine, resulting in a feature on Filipino barbecue. And we care about faith inclusivity, too – it’s not all about Christmas and Easter; we celebrate Holi, Diwali, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Eid, Lunar New Year and more.
GC: Aside from recipe writing, how else do you ensure diversity within OcadoLife content?
JP: We profile established and up-and-coming chefs with a view to represent diverse British food stories. For example, in ‘Kitchen Treasures’ we spoke to three UK chefs about their most treasured cooking utensil, which invited discussion of their different lived experiences and the cultural influences in their kitchens. Some of our features explore British staples through different cultural lenses, as with a column we commissioned on fish and chips from Georgie Ma (aka Chinese Chippy Girl), who grew up in a UK fish and chip shop run by her Chinese parents.
GC: So the people are as important as the recipes?
For authenticity, yes. Without the personal stories, the diversity of content has no meaning or relevance – or soul! And our doors are always open to new talent – we commissioned Adejoké Bakare a year before she became the first Black woman in the UK to win a Michelin star. That was a proud moment for everyone involved.