‘Feed Your Family and Save Money’ book review – the Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller
YouTube gardening star Huw Richards and Instagram chef Sam Cooper have joined forces to create The Self-Sufficiency Garden, which has topped the Sunday Times bestseller list.
The book shows how you can feed your family and save money with easy-to-follow garden and kitchen tips. Their plot is just 10m x 12.5m (a half-sized allotment), producing over 7,300 portions of veg in 10 months. Read more about other gardening book reviews.
The Self-Sufficiency Garden – cost-of-living crisis
Prompted by the cost-of-living crisis, the pair wanted to trial methods in their self-sufficiency garden, measuring 125 sq metres. They worked out a formula for growing six portions of veg a day per person, or 586 kg of food in total. Once Huw and Sam’s garden was up and running, maintaining it took four hours a week.
Time and cost-saving measures are addressed at every stage, from choosing the best crop varieties to efficient growing and food prep. Using self-sufficiency principles, the book describes laying a garden out, building growing spaces, including hot beds and polytunnels and composting.
Using veg to the best advantage
There are month-by-month planting plans, key tasks, troubleshooting and tackling the hungry gap. Find information on growing skills such as sowing, transplanting, watering and plant protection. Many gardening books cover the growing of produce. Where this one stands out is how to use your veg to create tasty meals.
“The key to self-sufficiency is flexibility and adaptability in the kitchen which is what Sam brings to the table,” explains Huw. Kitchen tips, meal prep, storage, and preserving ideas along with base recipes so you can make the most of your crop, are all covered.
The Self-Sufficiency Garden – possible in the modern world
“I really wanted to see if self-sufficiency in veg, in a relatable garden space, was actually possible in this modern world. I am now very confident you don’t need much space at all to grow a lot of food,” said Huw. “Our book shows you how to do this in a no-nonsense and practical way. It helps you plan out your own space, to see just how productive you can be.”
Huw Richards started his YouTube channel age 12. It has now clocked up 85 million views, and he is one of the UK’s most-watched social gardeners. Sam Cooper is a professional chef, fermenter and author with over 520k Instagram followers. The Self-Sufficiency Garden by Huw Richards and Sam Cooper retails at £16.99 in hardback with 224 pages, visit www.dk.com.
