The scent of sizzling bacon rolls might as well be drifting down the phone line as I catch up with Sarah Rankin, 2022 MasterChef finalist, food writer, and passionate advocate for Fife and Tayside’s local produce.
She’s at her mother-in-law’s in the Highlands, and as she laughs about losing track of the days, it’s clear that home, family, and food are deeply intertwined in her life.
Sarah, 50, might have come to national prominence thanks to reaching the MasterChef final in 2022.
But it’s her love for the land and its bounty – specifically, the vibrant produce of Tayside and Fife within range of her Kinross home – that truly fuels her culinary passion.
“We’re incredibly lucky in Perthshire, Angus, Tayside and Fife,” she says.
“We’re right at the heart of some incredible growing regions. Carse of Gowrie fruit, East Neuk seafood, rare breed pork farmers, wild game from shooting estates – it’s all on our doorstep.”
Has Sarah Rankin always been a foodie?
Shopping at farm shops and cooking with local ingredients is second nature to Sarah.
It’s a practice ingrained since childhood. She laughs that she was into it before it became the thing of “hipsters”.
Raised in Inverness, Sarah recalls growing up in a household where everything was made from scratch.
“My mum was a brilliant scratch cook, and my granny was an incredible baker,” she smiles.
“Walking into my granny’s house on a Saturday morning and smelling fresh pancakes or sponge cake or Clootie dumpling – there was always something on the go.
“My granny’s homemade chips were also just amazing – I miss them very much!”
What inspired Sarah Rankin to change career and apply for MasterChef?
Leaving Inverness, Sarah studied marketing and tourism in Edinburgh before embarking on a career in arts and event management.
She later moved to Silicon Valley, USA, with her husband Neil, who works in electronics.
There, she immersed herself in the rich, multicultural food scene.
“It was amazing – so many farmers’ markets, so many food cultures blending. It really broadened my outlook on ingredients and techniques,” she adds.
But it was when the couple started a family and returned to Scotland, that Sarah’s love for food deepened.
Cooking for friends became a way of life, and soon, the mother-of-two found herself contemplating a major career shift.
“I was always cooking, reading about food, experimenting with new techniques,” she reflects.
“And after lockdown, I had this moment where I thought, ‘If I don’t push myself now, I might never get the chance.’”
That push led her to apply for MasterChef.
MasterChef boosted Sarah Rankin’s career – but she prefers to look to future
Sarah won’t dwell too much about her time on the show, which saw her knocked out in the final.
She certainly won’t be drawn on the recent complaints made by others about alleged misconduct by now former host Gregg Wallace.
The main reason for not talking about MasterChef is because she is keen to establish her own brand beyond reality TV.
But she does acknowledge that her appearance on the BBC show changed everything.
“I’d always loved cooking, but MasterChef gave me the confidence to turn that passion into a career,” she says.
How has Sarah Rankin’s career developed since appearing on MasterChef?
Since then, she has built a name as a food writer, broadcaster, and private caterer.
She runs a monthly pop-up restaurant from her home kitchen in Kinross and appears regularly on BBC Radio Scotland and Radio 4, championing the importance of local, seasonal produce.
“A lot of people don’t realise how much better it is to eat in rhythm with the seasons,” she says.
“Supermarkets make everything available year-round, but when you buy locally, you’re getting fresher, more sustainable food – and keeping money in the community.”
Sarah’s commitment to Scottish food culture has led her to some exciting collaborations, including her upcoming appearance at the Pitlochry Winter Words Festival on February 22.
The opportunity came about serendipitously when she met actor Alan Cumming at the Wigtown Book Festival.
How did conversation with Alan Cumming lead to Pitlochry Winter Words Festival?
“He came to my talk with Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker, and we got chatting afterwards,” she explains.
“He mentioned the literary lunches at Pitlochry and invited me to take part.”
But in true Sarah Rankin fashion, she suggested shaking things up.
“I said, ‘I love the idea, but can I cook live instead of just talking?’”
The result is a unique, interactive literary lunch where she will demonstrate a dish from her cookbook Kith, while the audience enjoys a meal inspired by her recipes.
“I want people to see how simple and accessible cooking good food can be,” she adds.
‘Incredible’ reaction to Sarah Rankin’s first cook book – but does she cook at home?
“Kith”, her first cookbook, has been a resounding success, and she’s already hard at work on a second, due next October, she reveals.
“It was a labour of love. I’d written plenty in my marketing career, but never a cookbook. The response has been incredible.”
With so much happening – pop-ups, radio appearances, food festivals, and another book in the works – does she still find time to cook at home?
“Absolutely,” she says. “My kitchen is my domain. Though sometimes my kids walk in, see food everywhere, and ask, ‘What’s for dinner?’ And I’m like, ‘Erm… grab a pizza, I’m working!’”
One thing she wasn’t making at Christmas, though, was turkey.
“I don’t like it,” she confesses.
“Newsflash! We had beef and venison for Christmas instead. And, to be honest, most turkeys aren’t local anyway.”
Sarah Rankin will be hosting The Courier Food and Drink Awards 2025
Kinross is the perfect base for Sarah. It’s close enough to Edinburgh for her husband’s work, but also within reach of the Highlands, where much of her family still resides.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” she says.
In March, she’ll also be hosting The Courier’s Food and Drink Awards 2025, celebrating the very best of what the region has to offer.
As we wrap up our conversation, I ask her what advice she’d give to anyone hesitant about cooking or changing careers.
“Be brave,” she says. “Push yourself a little. You never know where it might take you.”
Sarah Rankin’s Literary Lunch is part of the Winter Words Festival at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on February 22.
Conversation