Beauty & Wellness: Alexandra Dudley
Eat Real, Feel Real, Wellness Chef : Alexandra Dudley
Hailing from the whimsical wonderland that is Norfolk by the sea. Still one of my most favourite places in the world, summer memories of Tennis week spent by the sea with windswept hair & sun blushed skin.
Alexandra has established herself as a mecca for wholesome food bringing sustainable eating to the table in true flavour and style. Her diet is mainly plant based free from dairy, wheat and gluten and she keeps refined sugar to a minimum.
In short, Alexandra’s beautiful recipes are for the wanderer, the creative soul, and for those who live their
lives free. Immediately warm, open and spirited, she has an organic approach to food, telling stories in the work she does playing on the ingredients themselves.
Her unique recipes have left me awe-inspired, I frequently take a look at her instagram page hoping for a little inspiration for a garden supper and each time I visit I am lifted by a sensation of love and light for delicious food. So you can imagine my excitement when we had the opportunity to interview Alexandra for Broochini’s Beauty and Wellness series, we could do little more than beam a gigantic smile after receiving her beautiful photographs from Mykonos glowing in her Antibes & Kakula bikini.
Alexandra will inspire and empower you to follow your gut.Glow on, take a look, and get lost in her beautiful recipes for sun filled afternoons spent with best friends and better halves.
R: Your book ‘Land & Sea: Secrets to simple, sustainable, sensational food’ is all about how to eat sustainably with wholesome ingredients, what inspired you to write the book?
A: I think I always wanted to write a cookbook and when I put the proposal together I was looking for something that was a little bit diferent, I am also a believer that essentially cookbooks are just an extension of your personality, and something for me that has always made my cooking a bit more unique, and something that has been a topic of conversation, is my focus on reducing food waste – especially making use of all the elements of the ingredients – using things like beetroot leaves or broccoli stalks or carrot tops, bits that we trim of and throw away; that’s something I’ve never done! I’ve always tried to avoid throwing away as much food as possible. As I got older I became aware of trying to do something to help the food waste situation, and so when I was thinking about my book I thought why not do something on a micro level and make that the thread of my book.
R: Which recipe is your go-to recipe when entertaining friends?
A: Weirdly its one that doesn’t have a photo, it’s in the last chapter which is called “Little Extras” and it’s a rocket parsley toasted almond salad, it’s really simple but it’s almost a hybrid between a tabbouleh and salad but there’s no grains there’s just loads of faked almonds, it’s almost a condiment! And then char-grilled romaine hearts – again, simple and delicious!
R: They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, what did you make for breakfast this morning? And, what is your morning mantra?
A: What did I have for breakfast this morning? This morning I had stewed apples with a vegan protein chia pudding. I usually make something easy in the morning - vegan protein chia pudding without milk is great as you get a morning hit of protein. I also always take Echinacea and have hot water and lemon. I’m trying to take 10 minutes a morning to meditate (re: morning mantra) but at the moment I fnd myself doing it more in the evening so it’s more like a daily mantra.
R: You are always travelling, how to do maintain your healthy, plant based, diet whilst constantly moving? What are your top tips for clean eating whilst travelling?
A: Bring Snacks! Most of the time your fne while you’re travelling in terms of getting access to vegetable and stuf. I travel a lot to the Greek islands, I fnd it really easy to eat there, there are so many amazing vegetable dishes. The only meal where I struggle travelling is breakfast, so often ill bring my own breakfast packs – ill bring chia seeds and plant protein – its dry food and you just mix it with water when you’re there. It’s a great backup! I also bring green power supplements as sometimes it’s hard to get access to sanitized greens when you’re travelling in certain parts of the world – actually, Gabriela Peacock, who is a nutritionist, has an amazing range of travel supplements with mini sachets of green power and digestive enzymes. Also, take a probiotic! I always take a probiotic!! But, I’m a big fan of trying the local cuisine when I’m travelling, so I think my diet is a bit more relaxed but if anything, breakfast is the one meal where I will revert back to habit, especially if I have something stressful going on. It’s just starting the day well!
About her trip:
R: You were just in Mykonos cooking for a yoga retreat – When going on a trip what are your travel essentials?
A: A little spikey massage ball, which is a godsend as I get a really tight back and shoulders. Then, my camera - I’m always taking lots of photos, a book, my yoga mat, a tangle teaser (hair brush) and that’s probably it.
R: How do you choose a bikini? Why Broochini?
A: I think primarily comfort – comfort in a way that it is both comfortable and I feel comfortable in it. A bikini that makes you feel good. I’m also quite sensitive to cheap plastic so I choose brands, like Broochini, that are high quality with a seamless quality that’s really forgiving and doesn’t leave a mark on your skin when you wear it.
*side note*
A: Bikini advice – Looking after your swimwear is really important, so rinse it out every time you wear it! If you invest in nice pieces, put the love back into them.
R: What was your favorite beach in Mykonos and, what do you usually pack in your beach bag?
A: Ornos Beach is really beautiful – It is also a beach that is out of the wind which was great as it was quite windy while I was there – that’s my favorite for sunbathing. But, my favorite fun party beach is one called Alamagou which has a really cool beach bar vibe. In my beach bag, I always take sunglasses, sunscreen, Vichy thermal water hydration spray, skin and tonic lip balm and something so go over my face if I want to protect it from the sun, usually a sarong.
Favourite Broochini pieces:
R: The best sunset you’ve had?
A: Greece again; the Greek islands but not Mykonos. I stay on an Island called Lipsi, which is part of the Dodecanese Islands – it’s a tiny island, it has about 800 people on it and it doesn’t even have a single hotel and we rent a house there. You fy into Leros and then take a tiny boat across to Lipsi, usually in the evening, and I think that’s the best sunset.
R: You are currently based in London - What is your favorite restaurant in London right now?
A: Right now it’s probably The River Café, it’s having a major comeback! My boyfriend and I went two weeks ago and it was so heavenly. I think at the moment there is a real trend in London to have small plates – its good for you, it full of favors and its sexy food. Another one of my favorite restaurants is called Kiln which has great spicy Thai grill and claypot dishes. Then Magpie just opened up on Heddon street and they do a really cool breakfast and they have all these amazing infusion drinks which are made using things like cucumber, matcha and rice milk – they are all really bizarre but delicate, delicious and very photogenic!
R: What is your astrological sign?
A: Sagittarius, but I’m actually borderline Sagittarius and Capricorn and am defnitely borderline Sagittarius and Capricorn in term of my personality traits. I’m blindingly optimistic but I’m also a realist but in a really positive way. I’m a big believer in just keeping on and I think that that’s one of my biggest strengths.
R: What is your go-to superfood?
A: Probably something really simple like Ginger – It’s such an underrated superfood. Ginger tea has a direct efect when you drink it.
R: What does free mean to you?
A: Without stress, without worry. I’m such a big worrier and it’s something that I always try to work on.
R: What is your trick for letting go of stress?
A: Cooking or listening to music really loudly, singing!
And with that we wrapped things up – Followed by a ginger shot!
Thank you Alexandra x
You can shop Alexandra’s book here: Land & Sea: Secrets to simple, sustainable, sensational food
