Born and raised in Dublin, the photogenic cook has put Irish cooking on the map in recent years, with her angelic looks and gentle manner striking a chord with viewers of her hit BBC television programme Rachel's Favourite Food for Friends.

Away from the camera and her own kitchen, Rachel teaches at the world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in scenic Cork. Her food reflects the demands of her own lifestyle - busy working mother entertaining at home using good ingredients simply prepared but with her own individual spin.

Rachel also has a weekly column in The Sunday Tribune magazine in Ireland and is a regular contributor to Good Food. She lives near Ballymaloe in the rolling Cork countryside with her two young sons and her restaurateur husband, Isaac who is the son of Irish culinary icon Darina Allen.