Jo Rodgers

1 month ago | toa.st | Jo Rodgers

Before she wrote her debut novel, The Names, Florence Knapp was already well known as a heritage craftsperson. Twenty years ago, with young children at home, she began a sewing blog that focused on English paper piecing, a specialised type of hand-sewing that drew a devoted community of fellow makers. Florence wrote extensively on the craft, lending her expertise to books and magazines. But all the while, she was experimenting with fiction on the side.

Mar 12, 2025 | houseandgarden.co.uk | Jo Rodgers

We’re still a couple of weeks from the equinox, but hallelujah, you can sit outside again without getting a blue nose. In our snail-filled, too-shady London garden, where I’m pecking at the computer, the resilient hellebores look hale, and some pre-potted tulip and narcissus bulbs that I ordered from Sarah Raven (cribbing a suggestion from last year’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide are already on the move.

Mar 5, 2025 | countrylife.co.uk | Rosie Paterson |Emma Hughes |Jo Rodgers

A few short years ago, if you lived within spitting distance of a Waitrose, the value of your house went up; nowadays, it’s all about how close you live to a Gail’s or, better still, an independent bakery. Even Greggs is in on the action and its vegan sausage roll continues to make literal headlines. With so much choice, it can be tricky to know where to go when in search of your favourite pastry, so we asked the best people in the know for some recommendations. What?

Mar 4, 2025 | countrylife.co.uk | Jo Rodgers

Last week, in her unbeatable guide to Oxfordshire, Jo Rodgers claimed to have uncovered the world's — actually the universe's — best pumpkin pancakes. Where? Five Little Pigs in Wallingford. 'They’re warmly spiced and have a texture like crisped-up cake and they come with mascarpone, a rich seasonal fruit (poached blood oranges, figs, and so on), and a pitcher of maple syrup.

Feb 17, 2025 | countrylife.co.uk | Rosie Paterson |Jo Rodgers

A piece of the pieThe Dorchester’s The Grill by Tom Booton restaurant is partnering with East London’s historic pie shop G. Kelly right in time for British Pie Week (3rd-9th March). The reimagined pie — a contemporary take on G. Kelly’s pork and mushroom pie — will be available exclusively at The Grill for Pie week only, alongside Booton’s signature chicken and vegetarian offerings. G.