Vanessa Jarvis-Findlay unveils a sassy new plant-based cookbook

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Part cookbook and part personal memoir, the book brings together Jarvis-Findlay’s South African heritage, her classical technique, and her cheeky sense of humour, resulting in plant-based food that feels at once familiar and sharply original.

“I didn’t write a ‘vegan cookbook’. I wrote a love letter to South African flavour, then dressed it in couture and served it with a wink,” says Jarvis-Findlay

What sets The Neked Food: Plant-Based Gourmet Edition apart is how proudly it wears its roots. The dishes are technically impressive and visually striking, but they begin with South African staples and nostalgic flavour notes that Vanessa pushes into unexpected territory.

It’s thoughtful, heritage-driven cooking with technique, personality and a sense of fun.

Jarvis-Findlay’s work in food is deeply tied to a personal journey. She is a cancer survivor and nationally recognised advocate for plant-based living, known for the Lady Godiva Freedom Ride, a symbolic and widely covered personal act of healing and sovereignty. This moment, equal parts defiance, humour and reclamation, has become part of her public story and informs her approach to food: bold, personal, and unapologetically original.

Beyond the food, the book is sure to live beautifully on coffee tables and kitchen counters. Jarvis-Findlay is not only the author and chef, but also the photographer, styling and shooting every dish herself. The result is a visual style that’s clean, intimate and tasteful.

The Neked Food: Plant-Based Gourmet Edition is available now at www.nekedfood.co.za and selected retailers.