2

Helmsley aNd helmsley

Loved by the food, fitness andfashion industries alike, sistersJasmine and Melissa Hemsleyhave taken the health and

wellness industry by storm sincelaunching their family-run wellnessbusiness in 2010 for people who wantto live healthier happier lives. Withintwo weeks of creating their blog thegirls were asked to contribute toVogue.co.uk, where they are stillregular columnists. e Art of EatingWell is Jasmine and Melissa’s best-

selling first cookbook whichchampions nourishing, home-cookedfood. eir philosophy is poured intoevery page, from their love of bonebroth to championing natural fats as adiet staple. Packed with over 150exciting recipes, it’s hard to believe thatthese delicious dishes are free fromgrain, gluten and refined sugar.

Earlier this year the Hemsleys launchedtheir sell-out Hemsley Spiralizer, amust-have kitchen tool for instantly

turning fruit and vegetables intonoodle-like spirals. Hemsley + Hemsleycontinue to cook and consult forcelebrities and high-profile events(some clients include Louis Vuitton,Chanel and Vivienne Westwood)around the world and they arecurrently very happy in the kitchenwriting their second book, Good +Simple, which will be out in 2016.

www.hemsleyandhemsley.com Twitter: @HemsleyHemsley

autumn 2015

hemsley & hemsley With Camille allcroft

Many thanks Jasmine and Melissa for joining me for this interview, Exclusive readers will be delighted to get an insight in to your careers.

Biography

Photography byNick Hopper

3

Helmsley aNd helmsley

Food is very evocative of memories, what and where was themost memorable meal you have ever eaten?

Childhood meals are very memorable for us, our mum is fromthe Philippines where big family gatherings centred around foodare an important part of the culture. We didn’t get roasts on aSunday (the British classic). Sunday was a lazy day where weall tucked into our Mum’s Big Sunday Soup instead (all theleftovers of the week, Italian style with plenty of garlic, tomatoesand black pepper) or Bistek (a classic Filipino dish of soy sauceand lemon marinated beef quickly stir fried) or her baked troutthat is so good we put it in our book!

What sparked your interest in cookery?

Jasmine: I worked full-time as a model from the age of 19 andwas fascinated by the many different ideas surrounding healthand nutrition. Over the years I developed a way of eating thatmade me feel energised and toned and I found that natural,easy to digest and nutrient dense foods were what truly counteddespite whatever ‘fads’ were being hailed by the media. I’dalways cooked (mum had me chopping onions from day dot!)and I was able to start experimenting with quick and easy waysto enjoy more nutritious foods. I was soon sharing tips and trickswith friends and family. Mel, who worked as a footwear brandmanager and later in marketing and promotion for gastropubsand bars, caught the bug and helped spread the word!

Melissa: Being the baby of the family I didn’t have to cook athing until I left home and wondered where all the good foodhad gone! I kept calling mum and Jaz and asking them how tomake the salad dressings, stews and soups that I missed anddefinitely discovered a passion for cooking for myself and others.6 years ago, we started a bespoke service aimed at helping peoplewith their digestion and relationship with food. We becameprivate chefs and wellness coaches but we didn’t intentionally‘launch’ the business - it came about organically. We werecooking for clients, clearing out their cupboards, filling up theirfridges and freezers and showing them how to cook our recipesand feel better - happier, healthier and more energized. Backthen we didn’t have a name, our clients called us their ‘foodfairies’! Within two weeks of launching our own blog, we wereasked to contribute recipes to vogue.co.uk and became theLondon based editors of sousstyle.com. We then developed ourbook e Art of Eating Well as a go-to guide for people to use asthe foundation of eating and feeling well by championing goodfood. Since then we have launched our hugely successful HemsleySpiralizer and will be releasing our second book, Good + Simplenext year.

You have become very successful and gained a massive fanbase, what has been the highlight of your career so far?

Luckily we have those “ah-ha” moments all the time, whenever aclient tells us they feel better and shares their experiences andlearnings with their friends and family. When we see that peoplehave stopped punishing themselves with calorie counting,gruelling workouts, low-fat highly processed health foodproducts, skipped meals and diet programmes and start living(and sleeping!) again, it’s a very rewarding feeling!

When you want to relax rather than cooking your own meal,what is your favourite takeaway order?

Our kind of cooking is relaxing! We’ve always got a stash of foodin the freezer ready for those nights when we don’t feel like doingmuch - like Beef Ragu. Heat it up while you spiralize somecourgettes and grate some parmesan and in minutes you’ve got ahearty, warming meal that’s homemade.

You must get the chance to eat out a lot, what is yourfavourite restaurant?

Our favourites in London are Brunswick House in Vauxhall,Elliots in Borough Market, Rochelle’s Canteen in Shoreditch (it’shidden from the street in a converted school) and Paradise inKensal Rise (where Melissa used to work). We also love SeaContainers (Seamus Mullen) on the Southbank which isstunningly beautiful and the food is incredible with views of theames.

Where do you get your inspiration?

We’re constantly inspired on our travels and receive requests fromfriends, family, readers and clients. ey often ask us to reworktheir favourite foods which keeps us coming up with more ideas.We make clever use of whole foods to reinvent classics - our 2pizza recipes are made from cauliflower or chickpea bases, fudgybrownies made from black beans, rice made from broccoli,noodles from cucumbers and carrots and spaghetti made fromcourgette (courgetti). We also feel supported by our fellow‘wellness warriors’ and love that more and more people areembracing this wonderful health and wellness movement!Witnessing this new wave of interest in looking after ourselvesand loved ones in the most natural way possible inspires us tokeep making a difference.

Your book e Art of Eating Well has become aninternational bestseller, how will your next book Good +Simple differ from your first?

We can’t give too much away, but Good + Simple will offer anaccessible and highly practical cookbook that’s perfect for anyonewho loves food and wants to look and feel amazing by eatinggood food, every day.

autumn 2015

4

Helmsley aNd helmsley

What simple dish would you cook for surprise dinnerguests?

Mung Dahl or Squash, Red Lentil and Coconut Curry whichwe’ve had in the freezer. We are big fans of batch cooking as alittle preparation on the weekend (something we like to call aSunday Cook-Off) means all we need to do is heat up our foodand throw in some spinach or greens at the last minute. In themost frugal and efficient way, we’ve created something to eatthat’s comforting, delicious and easy to digest.

Who are your idols when it comes to other chefs, whosecookbook would you turn to for a reliable recipe?

We don’t cook much from recipes but for beautiful writing,imagery and inspiring ideas, we love Nigel Slater, YotamOttolenghi, Sabrina Ghayour’s Persiana and Madhur Jaffrey.

Although many of your recipes are healthy, what unhealthyfood do you find irresistible?

People always tell us that our recipes don’t taste healthy and wepride ourselves on coming up with upgraded versions oftakeaways, comfort foods and the nostalgia-inducing dishes thatour clients, friends, families and followers love best from theirchildhoods. We make clever use of whole foods to reinvent classics- our 2 pizza recipes are made from cauliflower or chickpeabases and they are so simple, we always make extra and freezesome for later. One of our most popular sweet treats are theBlack Bean Brownies from our book; they’re rich and fudgy andbest of all, free from any processed nasties! Another deliciousdessert is our bright green Avocado Lime Cheesecake. It’s a raw,New York-style cheesecake packed full of goodness. e smoothcreamy lime sits atop a nutty, chocolate base with a hint ofcoconut. Other surprisingly healthy favourites include rice madefrom broccoli, noodles from cucumbers and carrots and spaghettimade from courgette (courgetti). We even have a Hemsley +Hemsley answer to fried chicken, free from breadcrumbs andvegetable oil but crunchy, crispy and delectable. It’s called Pablo’sChicken after our cousin’s boyfriend who’s a huge fan and didn’tthink we could recreate it but was very pleasantly surprised! (Allrecipes in e Art Of Eating Well)

Do you have any tips for readers who find it difficult to stickto eating healthily?

Making eating healthily a lifestyle is all about the prep! And ofcourse anything that saves time is a must; skip any cooking/foodprep processes like sautéing the vegetables for a frittata or fryingonions for a stew and instead take the time out once a week toproperly prepare foods to make them more nutritious and easier

to digest. We do this during our ‘Sunday Cook-Off’, which isone of our most popular tools which we teach our clients andreaders so that come Monday morning, they’re well-equippedwith delicious nourishing food to take on the week! We usuallyhave a cook-off every Sunday and have been teaching this in ourcooking classes - cooking a stew made from pulses or a lessfashionable cut of meat (we champion these cheaper cuts),roasting lots of veg at the same time (to make maximum use ofthe oven) which can be eaten hot or added into salads, soaking abowl of quinoa, soaking nuts for smoothies and making bonebroth which is easy to do and kind on the pocket. Another greattip is that if you feel as though you are having a craving tryhydrating yourself first - even better with a ginger tea (see point2) or lemon water. Wait 20 mins and then see what hashappened to the craving. Usually you’re just bored andsomething peppy on your taste buds does the trick to blow awaysweet and salty snack attacks!

e success of your spiralizer has been incredible, do youhave plans to launch any more gadgets which make healthycookery simpler?

We’re delighted with how popular the Hemsley Spiralizer hasbeen and how much families love it. Shops tell us it’s one of themost gifted cookery items! We like to keep a very simple kitchenso the spiralizer is part of our arsenal but other than that youjust need a great pan, sharp knife and a slow cooker which isbrilliant for making our beloved bone broth.

What classic comfort food do you like to make if you feel inneed of an indulgent pick-me-up?

Homemade bone broth as it can be enjoyed around theclock in a multitude of ways and always makes us feel better!Bone broth is our secret weapon for quick and tasty mealsand a nourishing all-rounder packed with vitamins,minerals, collagen and keratin which make it amazing forskin. It’s easy to make and kind on the pocket; we usehomemade bone broth to steam veggies, add to sauces andas the base of soups, stews and quinoa risottos or wherever asavoury recipe calls for stock or water. We love it forbreakfast with an egg whisked in or as a soothing bedtimedrink.

You are great believers in the philosophy of eating well tofeel better, what food would you make if you were feeling alittle under the weather?

A warming Mung Dahl made with a base of bone broth and todrink, our Pep-Up Tea, which is a fantastic alternative to coffeethat is invigorating and detoxifying. Turmeric lends the tea its

autumn 2015

5

Helmsley aNd helmsley

wonderful colour. A great pick-me-up forthe whole system, this detoxifying and anti-inflammatory bright orange root containscurcumin, known to have extremely potentmedicinal properties. Cayenne, ginger andlemon also come together to make this Pep-Up Tea an immune-boosting remedy thatcan be enjoyed as a caffeine-free brew in themorning or sipped slowly after a meal. It’sdelicious hot or cold

What is your favourite part of your job?

Every day is different at H+H and with allsmall businesses, you have to roll up yoursleeves and get involved. ere is lots ofroom for creativity and also plenty of timeto work alone and remotely from laptops sowe aren’t in each other’s space the wholetime! To be honest, we’re lucky to be doingsomething that is so varied and enjoyable.

Lastly, have you ever had any disasters inthe kitchen?!

ere may have been a spilled beetroot juiceor two...worst clean up ever!

autumn 2015

QuICk-FIrE rounD

Pizza or pasta? Both! our flower power pizza (made with acauliflower base) or courgetti (courgette spaghetti)

What is your favourite dessert? Paradise Bars are one of ourfavourite everyday treats and a popular recipe from ourbook, they’re healthy, delicious coconut bars dipped in rich,dark chocolate or if we’re going all out then our AvocadoLime cheesecake.

Chinese or Indian? We love Asian inspired flavours and areinfluenced a lot by our travels to places like Cambodia aswell as our Filipino heritage.

What is your favourite brunch order? Eggs, eggs, eggs!

What would you cook on a campfire? It would have to beSmokey beans from our book with tonnes of cabbage,followed by a few slices of our banana bread lightly toastedabove the flames and smothered in butter.

What was the best food-related gift you have ever received?We recently received a beautifully printed, handmade,double sided koro kimono apron and we also have bespokeones from our friend Matthew Williamson!

What is your least favourite food? Mel doesn’t like peanutbutter!

What snack would you take for a long journey? our TahiniBliss Balls from e Art of Eating Well, or some Carrot FlaxCrackers and Mung Bean Hummus for dipping.

What is your best tip for first time cooks? Spiralize! It is fastand easy and makes you look and feel like a kitchen whizz asit does all the hard work for you. It’s also versatile - you canmake noodles for salads and Pho or ramen soups, spaghettifrom vegetables to match with your favourite Italian saucesor simple pestos.

What food would you happily eat every day? Bone brothand we pretty much do, we add it to everything - dips,dressing, soups, stews, sauces, or drink it plain.

You have 15 minutes to make a meal, what would youcook? ‘Quicker an Toast’ from our cookbook literallytakes 3 minutes, or we’d heat up a leftover sauce which isstashed in our freezer and spiralize some veggie noodleswhile it heats up on the stove.

Photography by Nick Hopper