Olia Hercules is an author and journalist. She was born in the south of Ukraine in 1984. She left her hometown Kakhovka at the age of 12, when she moved to Cyprus. She trained at the renowned Leiths School of Food and Wine and then worked as a chef de partie in restaurants, including Ottolenghi. She is the award-winning author of several books, including Mamushka, a cookbook that celebrates her family recipes from Ukraine and Moldova to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, and Kaukasis: A Culinary Journey Through Georgia, Azerbaijan and Beyond. Olia was named the Observer Rising Star of 2015. Her third cookbook, Summer Kitchens, was released in the US in July 2020. Olia lives in London with her sons Sasha and Wilfred and husband Joe. She spends her time writing, cooking and researching food cultures of countries less explored. (London, England) @oliahercules

(Photo Credit: Joe Woodhouse)