These are a few of Diana Henry's favourite things

(Image credit: Chris Terry)

Born in Northern Ireland, food writer Diana Henry (below) studied English Literature at the University of Oxford and was a BBC television producer for more than a decade, before following her taste buds around the world and starting to write. She has published 11 cookery books–her latest is Around the Table: 52 Essays on Food & Life, which gathers more than two decades of her work in one volume – and has weekly columns in The Telegraph Magazine and Waitrose Weekend.

She lives in London with her children and, when not in the kitchen, can be found with her nose in a book.

Photographs

Diana Henry's favourite things illustrations

I started to think much more about photography when I was working on my first book and how I wanted it to feel. I began to look more closely at everything, tear sheets out of magazines and photocopy lots of pictures, which I use to communicate with my designer and photographer. I learnt a lot about colour and texture and bringing in a bit of the unexpected. If I were to train for another job, I would choose photography. You need to notice, which makes life richer. Among my most precious possessions are the photographs I have of my children, then and now. I can spend hours going through them and would feel bereft if I lost them.

Books

Fiction has remained at the core of my life. I joined the library as soon as I was old enough and spent my childhood immersed in books. I used to roll under the bed in the spare room and hide so people wouldn’t make me do anything else with my time. I loved the worlds that books allowed me to visit and, as an adult, love words and sentences. I mostly read American and Irish literature. Two favourites are A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley and Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

Tableware

I have spent a life gathering up table linen, from Portugal, Italy, France and the Baltics (the latter produce such gorgeous linen), and second-hand cutlery — pistol-handled knives and silver soup ladles. I love the work of Jono Smart, who is based in Scotland. His tableware is matte, plain and has a limited colour range. It is so tactile and I love the way it never fights with food, it provides a canvas for it.

This feature originally appeared in the January 28, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Amie Elizabeth White is Country Life's Acting Luxury Editor. She studied history at the University of Edinburgh and previously worked in fashion styling. She regularly writes for Country Life's London Life supplement and has written for Luxury London, covering everything from Chanel suits and skincare, to the best pies in the city. She has a big heart, but would sell her soul for a good pair of shoes.