Main content

How my fussy toddler spawned a baby food empire

Annabel Karmel is known for her baby and toddler cookbooks, but her success is rooted in catering for a fussy second child, months after a heartbreaking tragedy claimed her first

Children's food author Annabel Karmel is said to have transformed the way parents think about cooking for babies and children. But her food empire was born out of tragedy. After the death of her first child Natasha at just three months old, Annabel鈥檚 grief ran so deep, she ended up giving up a successful career as a professional harpist and made up her mind to create a meaningful legacy out of her daughter's death. When she had her second child, a son named Nicholas and a fussy eater, she began to explore child nutrition, experimenting with different flavours and her breakout book The Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner was launched.

Ana茂s Bordier had no idea her identical twin sister was on the other side of the world until she saw a YouTube video of a woman who looked remarkably like her. It turned out to be American film actress Samantha Futerman. Ana茂s tracked her doppelg盲nger down, and they agreed to speak online. Turns out they were both born in South Korea and separated at birth. Ana茂s was adopted by a French family, and Samantha was adopted by an American one. They told Jo Fidgen what happened when they met in person. This interview was first broadcast in December 2018.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producers: Hetal Bapodra and June Christie

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Annabel Karmel standing at her kitchen worktop with lots of vegetables in front of her about to prepare a healthy meal. Credit: Ant Duncan)

Available now

41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Yesterday 11:06GMT
  • Yesterday 17:06GMT
  • Yesterday 21:06GMT
  • Today 02:06GMT

Watch Lives Less Ordinary on YouTube

Videos from our extraordinary podcast Lives Less Ordinary.

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else鈥檚 life and expect the unexpected