Nicky's interview

0 shares Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+

Interview by Lydia

We interviewed Nicky!

"My favourite bloggers are those who really put their own voice into their writing - that's what makes personal food blogs stand out from the generic recipe sites."

Hello Nicky, so tell us...

When did you begin your blog, and what inspired you to start it?

I can't remember the specific date, but I think I started Pink Recipe Box in August 2011. I had been really into cooking and baking for quite a while and always used to use generic business-type websites to source my recipes. One day I came across someone's personal food blog and that led me to another and another until I was hooked! I saw this wonderful world of food blogging open up in front of me and just new I wanted to be a part of it.

How many hours per week do you spend on your blog?

In between developing recipes, photographing food, writing blog posts and promoting Pink Recipe Box, I probably spend around 15 hours a week on my blog. That sounds a lot seeing as how it's not even my main job! I just can't help it - even when I'm out at a totally none-blog-related food festival or restaurant, I can't help thinking "This would look great in a photo on my blog! I could work it into a post about..." It sounds crazy but I'm never really not spending time on Pink Recipe Box, if you know what I mean.

Are you involved in the blogging community - how do you attract new readers?

I'm fairly involved in the blogging community - I love sharing other's posts on Facebook and Twitter and even do a weekly feature round-up every Wednesday as party of my Creative Wednesday link party. A lot of my new readers come either from Google or from social websites such as Pinterest, so I try and make every single post as SEO as possible and try to make my photos pop in order to catch attention.

As a travel writer do you have a favorite city for food?

It sounds so cliché but the best food I've ever had so far has been in Rome, Italy. Everything was good - and that's no exaggeration! I think I had handmade pizza every single day. Each time it was from a different pizzeria and each time it was even more amazing than the last. I even found time to try what is supposedly the best gelato in the word - honestly? I thought it was okay - and I managed to squeeze in a cupcake or two after tracking down some very hard to find cupcakeries. I've got to mention the wine, too. Like the pizza, I never had a bad glass of wine in Rome. Even the cheapest of the cheap house stuff tasted wonderful.

When you get home from a long trip do you have a go to dish you crave?

I love Indian food and whenever I come home after a long trip, a curry is one of the first things I have. My boyfriend makes amazing curries from scratch and I'll always see if I can persuade him to make one for us. I very rarely - in fact, I can't even think of one time - have a curry when I'm travelling, as I'm always eager to try the local food and weigh it up for myself.

If you could be a contestant or guest on any cooking show what show would you choose?

One of my favourite cooking shows is Hell's Kitchen but I'd hate to be on it - I burst into tears if anyone slightly raises their voice to me, never mind Gordon Ramsay screaming in my face. I'd love to be on Come Dine With Me, not only for the chance to have my cooking scored, but also to be able to host a dinner party and then go to four other dinner parties! I definitely don't think I'm the best chef in the world, so I don't think I'd win - I'd just love the experience.

Is there any dish, ingredient or type of food you refuse to cook or eat?

There are plenty - for a food blogger, I'm actually quite fussy. I won't go anywhere near liver, kidney or anything else like that. My parents tried to force it on me when I was little and it's put me off for life. I'll cook mushrooms for other people, but I won't eat them - when something is only found in the deepest, darkest forests buried under mountains of soil, you're not meant to eat it!

What or who inspires you?

There are plenty of food bloggers who inspire me to keep going forward and improve. Jessica from How Sweet It Is and Tieghan from Half Baked Harvest immediately come to mind. I love their writing style - they really impart their own voice into their posts - and their photography skills are amazing. I'll also always have a soft spot from Michelle from Brown Eyed Baker because hers is the very first food blog I ever came across.

If you could go back and talk to yourself when you started your blog, what advice could you now offer?

I would definitely tell myself to stick at it and be consistent. For the first year, or even maybe longer, I was very inconsistent with my posts. I now pretty much post five times a week and my traffic has increased, as has my readers' satisfaction. I'd also like to tell myself not to waste time writing how I think people want me to write and just write as I do. Like I mentioned above, my favourite bloggers are those who really put their own voice into their writing - that's what makes personal food blogs stand out from the generic recipe sites.

Anything else you would like to share?

To any food bloggers reading this who are just starting out - never give up! I used to - and still often do on some bad days - think about giving up when I compare other food bloggers' stats to my own or compare their amazing photos to my sometimes pathetic ones. You don't have to compare yourself with others. It doesn't matter if you're better than someone else, all that matters is you continue to strive to be a better blogger yourself and continue growing your blog every day.

Thank you Nicky for answering our questions and see you soon!
Published by Lydia - 08/05/2013

If you are a blogger, a chef, working in the food industry or have a website about food and cooking, and you would like to share with our community, please contact us!
We would be happy to feature you on our site.