Petrie Hosken had been searching for a child’s cookery book that was not only fun and entertaining but, as in her own words, non-patronising. Each and every bookshop left her leaving empty handed, she took to the internet but still no joy.  Sure she was missing something she called on her sister Claire Bosi to give her a hand. As the owner of a Michelin starred restaurant and having worked in the field of fine dining for many years, Petrie felt Claire would be able to guide her in the right direction. Surprisingly, to both sisters, they just couldn’t find what they were looking for, and so the Gruesome Gastronomes series was born.

Initially the sisters had intended to write some light hearted children’s cookbooks but as their research deepened they came across facts and figures that shocked them regarding obesity, malnutrition and the poor diet of many of the nation’s children. Many families, it seemed, knew very little about food and lived on ready-made and processed products.

It seemed important to teach children about food and make it much more interesting. With the support and recipes from some of the world’s leading chefs including Marcus Waring, Claude Bosi and Shaun Hill, a series of books were written. The books are jam packed full of interesting facts about the food that we eat, some things will make you laugh, other’s may quite honestly shock not only your little chef but also you. The books explain why we should eat in seasons and have quizzes regarding which foods are good for us, which foods are not, and perhaps more importantly why.