Theresa May’s cookbook collection may surprise you

Many EYB Members read cookbooks as a way to wind down after a long day. If you are one of them, you share something in common with a head of state. Indexed blog Great British Chefs has reported that UK Prime Minister Theresa May has over 150 cookbooks in her collection, and she likes to read them to relax. 

May commented on her cookbooks during a speech to factory workers in Newcastle. As Ollie Lloyd, CEO of Great British Chefs, writes, “If the Prime Minister is hoping to go down the ‘we’re not so different, you and I’ route and prove she has the common touch, she may have missed the mark,” as only 2% of Brits surveyed by the organization had more than 50 cookbooks in their own collections. Nearly 20% if those surveyed didn’t own even one cookbook!

Unfortunately for the curious, May didn’t elaborate on the types of cookbooks she owns or her favorite authors. Nor did she comment on what dishes she likes to cook, if any, from her books. In the past she has stated that she enjoys cooking, so she must use the books for more than just relaxing. If I were a betting person, I would guess that May tops the rest of the world’s leaders in numbers of cookbooks owned.