We’re excited to announce our first judge for Very Vintage Bake-off supported by South Auckland Women’s Institute! 
Annabelle White will be joining us to judge the baked entries on Sunday 4th November.
Popular television and radio cooking personality Annabelle White is synonymous with good food and fun times in the kitchen. Annabelle believes that keeping food simple, easy, “confidence-building” and delicious, mixed with plenty of tips, funny quips and great recipes make for good times for family and friends.
Annabelle was a long time food columnist for the Sunday Star-Times and also wrote the popular Food Detective column. She is the former food editor for NZ House & Garden and the New Zealand Women’s Weekly. She is now devoting her efforts to her website – www.annabellewhite.com.
The author of eleven cookbooks Annabelle is also busy with cooking classes and the public speaking circuit. In 2009 the University of Waikato recognized her with the Distinguished Alumni award. Annabelle holds a history degree (MA First Class Hons) from Waikato University.
Annabelle was born and raised in New Zealand and while she does not have formal chef’s training, her love of “great honest cooking” came from watching her mother cook every day after school. Annabelle’s extensive travels continue to be a great motivating factor in appreciating the global kitchen and learning about good food.
When she was just 17 years old Annabelle spent a year in Dover, Delaware as an AFS scholar. She credits her time with a high-energy, good food-loving Italian American 
family as a great experience to gain knowledge and appreciation for new ingredients and new cooking styles.
Annabelle’s first cookbook Best Recipes was released in 1997 and had been reprinted multiple times. Many of her titles are now out of print but her sequel to Best Recipes entitled Simply The Best co-authored with Kathy Paterson in 1999 topped the New Zealand best-selling list and remained there for many weeks. Other titles include, Annabelle Cooks, Annabelle Cooks Healthy and specialist cook books in the areas of Christmas, BBQ and Cakes and Slices.
Annabelle began her TV work as the zany food reporter for TV3’s Nightline in 1989 and then on a more regular basis for 5.30 With Jude and subsequently 5.00 With Jude in 1999-2001. She hosted her own prime time shows for World on a Plate featuring filming in New York City and Tonga in 2001. Her foray into Breakfast TV started with TV3 in 2008 and then moved to TVNZ in 2009. Her role with Breakfast has seen her filming food and travel pieces in China (Shanghai), the United States (Santa Monica) and Ireland. Annabelle’s radio work began in 1990 and she has been on-air nationwide on a regular basis since then.
Annabelle’s newest book is Casual Cooking (Penguin) published August 2012.