My grateful thanks to Komal Patel at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of The Skint Cook by Ian Bursnall in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

The Skint Cook will be published by Harper Collins on 18th January 2024 and is available for pre-order through the links here.

The Skint Cook

Top nosh, less dosh: over 80 affordably delicious recipes you will love

• Use up leftovers
• Knock out showstoppers
• Have cash to spare

From Friday night fake-aways to succulent Sunday roasts, The Skint Cook is all about feel-good food made with ingredients that are accessible at prices that are affordable.

There’s updates on classics, flavour combos to die for and new recipes that are about to become your go-to staples – alongside a showcase of thrifty tips and tricks that are ingeniously simple and incredibly effective.

Whether it’s swapping butter for margarine or turning leftover doughnuts into the bread pudding of your dreams, The Skint Cook shows you how to get resourceful and make your cooking affordably delicious.

My Review of The Skint Cook

A collection of inexpensive recipes. 

If I have one tiny quibble about The Skint Cook, it would be that, in common with just about every cook book I own, I’d like a little greater consistency in the number of people each recipe serves. Some recipes are for two, some for 2-3, some for four and so on. I think new cooks for whom The Skint Cook would be a fabulous starter book might benefit from all the recipes serving two with advice on how to increase the ingredients for more diners. 

That aside, from Ian Bursnall’s potted life history in the introduction throughout the rest of The Skint Cook there is a straightforward, pragmatic approach that means this is a cook book accessible to all. With opening sections on store cupboard basics and essential kitchen equipment or tips for getting children involved with cooking, and an ending giving conversion charts and oven timings, The Skint Cook would make a perfect handbook for a student going to university or someone setting up home for the first time. I really liked the sample menus too. The handwritten section headings and Ian’s scrawled notes all add to the authenticity of the book. 

The six sections of recipes are based on readily accessible ingredients and techniques that are clearly explained and easy to follow. Most ingredients are at the more economical end of the scale although some splash out a bit and there are some twists that add an extra dimension to traditional recipes. Quite honestly, it would never have occurred to me to add balsamic vinegar to a crumble! 

I thoroughly enjoyed the way the majority of the recipes are accompanied by mouth watering photographs and many of the entries have little insights into Ian Bursnall’s childhood or family life so that this is partly a biography as well as a cookery book. Another real strength in The Skint Cook for me was the sense of community, family and friendship underpinning the recipe choices. These are dishes that can be made easily but can be used to feed guests in a very pleasing manner.

Whilst anyone with a good knowledge of basic cooking won’t find any challenging recipes or particularly difficult techniques, The Skint Cook gives an entertaining grounding in economical, tasty and nutritious meals that will make catering for an individual, a couple or a family a pleasure. If you’ve someone in the family just starting out on a cooking adventure The Skint Cook is a cracking place for that journey to begin. 

About Ian Bursnall

Hailing from Leicester, Ian Bursnall – aka The Skint Roofer – competed in Jamie Oliver’s ‘Great Cookbook Challenge’ in 2022, where he won the judges over with his inventive twists on crowd-pleasing, budget-friendly recipes for all the family, such as ‘Pimped-up pigs in Blankets’ and ‘Donna’s Spuds: Roasties with Stilton’. Ever since his mum taught him to cook at 16, Ian’s passion has been to make cooking accessible, helping and encouraging people to understand flavours and feel confident in the kitchen.

For more information, find Ian on Instagram.