The Good Food team’s favourite covers of the past 35 years
To celebrate Good Food's 35th birthday, we've reminisced on our favourite covers from the past four decades – which cover is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below
Since its launch in November 1989, there have been 420 covers of your favourite magazine (and counting) which, on the occasion of our 35th anniversary, got us thinking: what are our team’s favourite covers? Now – a caveat – many of our team weren’t even born when Good Food began so they naturally default to the issues that have been created since they joined our family. But some of us oldies can remember when Good Food first hit the shelves – and it was a revelation.
The very first issue carried the tagline "Food, drink & more from your TV and radio cooks". The main image was a fish one-pan dish, and coverlines included "50 recipes", "Pull-out and keep cook’s directory", "Win £6,000 of kitchen equipment" and "Great budget wines". The main draw, though, was she-who-needs-no-surname Delia, which the cover promised a simple "Update on". It might seem sparse and unadventurous now, but this was breaking new ground. There had never been a magazine like it in the UK before and it quickly soared in popularity, capturing the nation’s passion for food, inspiring them to be more adventurous in the kitchen, guiding them to boost their skills, and showcasing the recipes of TV and radio stars.
Good Food became part of the national conversation and we have stayed there ever since, working with the best chefs, helping to make them the household names they became. We have only ever featured one non-recipe image as our main focus on the cover – that was Gordon Ramsay in October 2004, but there were many mentions of other famous faces of their era, including Loyd Grossman, Jilly Goolden, Madhur Jaffrey, Gary Rhodes, Sophie Grigson – all paving the way for the still-shining stars of today: Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Ainsley Harriott and, of course, Nigella.
Along the way, there have been hard-hitting articles, including facts about beef and BSE, and a campaign to improve school dinners. And we were – and always have been – champions of the latest ingredients and kitchen kit. Back in 1995, microwave ovens were the must-have gadget, in the way that air fryers are today, so we inspired our audience with recipes to make the most of their new countertop device.
But back to our favourite ever covers. The members of our team here explain their rationales – why their particular choice means something to them. Happy birthday to us, and I hope you enjoy the team’s choices. It would be great to read yours in the comments section.
Keith Kendrick, Good Food's magazine editor
Let's celebrate! (December 2018)
Voted by Keith Kendrick, Good Food's magazine editor
This December 2018 cover has a very special place for me. I’d been the magazine’s editor for around a year when our genius food team allowed me to share my recipe for this magnificent Christmas ham, studded with stem ginger and drizzled with the syrup. It sold well and I was ecstatic. They haven’t let me loose on a cover recipe since, but that’s okay – I only had one recipe to share anyway!
New ways to share (July 2014)
Voted by Barney Desmazery, skills and shows editor
I’m choosing the pulled pork burger from July 2014 because up until then every cover had been a very traditional ‘dinner party’ style dish that was made for sharing. These were a nod to a new type of cooking, to street food, to barbecuing and, 10 years later, pulled pork might not seem that ground breaking but at the time it was Good Food flexing its recipe diversity on the cover for the first time.
Easter baking special (April 2013)
Voted by Natalie Hardwick, head of digital delivery
It’s almost impossible to pick a favourite cover, but this Easter 2013 gem sprung to mind when I started reminiscing about the many brilliant covers I’ve seen over my long tenure at Good Food. I love the rainbow cake as it’s so fun and kitsch, with the pastel logo added for good measure, as if the cake wasn’t striking enough. I remember it being a popular issue and recipe. I answered our magazine inbox at the time and recall corresponding with readers who were getting in touch to ask how to get their sponges brighter, so it did get the Good Food community excited, which is testament to what a strong, evocative cover image it is.
Our best ever curries (September 2019)
Voted by Anna Glover, senior food editor
It took a lot of time and tests to get it right but I was so happy with this recipe. It was the one I saw most people make on Instagram, too.
Share the magic (Christmas 2016)
Voted by Amy Donovan, digital marketing manager
My favourite ever Good Food cover has to be Christmas 2016. I had recently started working for the magazine and this one was the first to have my name in it, it was a big moment. Not only is the cover recipe iconic – eggnog trifle – but it was a showstopper as well. I think my mum was responsible for half the newsstand sales that year.
Hello, sunshine! (June 2017)
Voted by Cassie Best, food director, and Lara-Jane Johnston, digital marketing executive
Cassie: The eton mess cheesecake of dreams, it encapsulates summer! Gorgeous strawberries and meringues on top of a vanilla cheesecake – you can even see the blue skies and sunshine in the background.
Lara-Jane: When I think of Good Food, the first thing that comes to mind is this cover star cheesecake. I think the cover is so vibrant and beautiful, really evoking feelings of summer and joy. When I bought a copy of this magazine, I had just finished my degree and made the cheesecake for my family and I to enjoy with some champagne to celebrate. Lots of lovely memories!
Salad days (May 2024)
Voted by Emma Hartfield, health editor
I remember spotting this one on the shelves in the office when it came out, and thinking how vibrant and fresh it looked. Fresh because it was a lovely big salad (and I’m a big fan of lovely big salads!) but also the full-bleed close-up of this type of food is pretty original – a hard thing to achieve on food magazine covers.
Make it meaningful (Christmas 2023)
Voted by Alice Johnston, audience development manager
I think this one was just especially eye-catching given the perfect arrangement of beautifully decorated biscuits, striking colours and the sense of movement created by the ribbons. The theme of meaningfulness and giving really comes through in this image, and I think it perfectly captures the sense of delight when unboxing a treasure trove of goodies. Our former Christmas issues have often focused on one centrepiece bake or dessert, so it was quite daring to go for more of a gift box look. I also loved the animated videos promoted on social alongside this with hands coming in and out to take the biscuits, again reflecting the theme of Christmas as a time of giving and sharing.
Time for brunch (February 2019)
Voted by Alice Johnston, audience development manager
Firstly due to the sheer mastery of stacking that many pancakes with a perfect cascade of maple syrup trickling down. I just love the all-out indulgence of the recipe and punchy pink/purple colour scheme – bringing some much needed cheer during the dark days of February.
The cool issue (August 2017)
Voted by Emily Marten, digital assistant
I love the bright contrasting colours and the retro-inspired recipe with a modern twist. It’s really screaming summertime!
Thrill of the grill (August 2023)
Voted by Helen Salter, digital writer
My favourite thing about this particular issue – apart from the drool-inducing food – is the bright, contrasting colours. The combination of hot pink, vibrant yellow and navy blue is so striking, and a little different to your typical summer colour palette. And of course, the BBQ feast looks incredibly enticing, you can can almost taste it. I remember using the 'ultimate spice blend' included in this issue to make a spicy butter, which I then melted over barbecued corn.
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