Dame Prue Leith embraces the joys of growing old

Dame Prue Leith has challenged the gloomy conventional wisdom around ageing, arguing that growing old can be joyous and should not be treated as though it were something to fear. 

The restaurateur, novelist and broadcaster tackles the subject in her latest book, Being Old…and Learning to Love It!, approaching ageing with humour while also confronting loss, declining health and the knowledge that time is limited. 

For Dame Prue, one of the biggest problems is society's perception of old age itself. 

“The main problem is the accepted view that old age is horrible. For a lot of it, it is joyous. The book is a counterbalance to all that depressing advice about managing old age as if it was a dread disease.” 

But despite writing about some of the questions that come with getting older, she does not see herself as particularly philosophical. 

“I don’t think anyone would ever call me philosophical. I tend to just get on with life and enjoy it,” she said. 

That approach was also behind her decision this year to leave The Great British Bake Off after nine seasons. 

She acknowledged it had been difficult to walk away from a programme she loved and the people she worked alongside, but said the decision was ultimately about making the most of her time. 

“Yes, it was. I loved Bake Off and will be friends with Paul, Noel and Alison for life. But I was running out of time and realised if I didn’t stop, I’d never have a summer holiday in Europe again. It was the right decision,” she said.  

Her decision reflects one of the themes running through her thoughts on ageing: accepting that time is finite without allowing that knowledge to diminish the enjoyment of life. 

She also believes attitudes towards older women are changing, although expectations about what women should wear or how they should behave as they age have not disappeared. 

“Yes, attitudes are changing. And a good thing too. But there are still women who tell me they’d love to wear red but, since they turned 50 or 60, they think it’s not ‘appropriate’”, she said. 

Her own life has been marked by change. 

Her career has taken her through food, restaurants and business as well as novels and broadcasting, but she said there was no grand design behind the different paths she followed. 

“Yes, never had a plan,” she said. 

One constant, however, has been food. 

Despite growing older, she said her enthusiasm for eating and trying different foods had remained unchanged.  

“No, I've always been greedy, loved food, eaten everything,” she added.  

Dame Prue Leith's Life and Books 

Dame Prue Leith is a British-South African chef, restaurateur, author and television personality, born in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 18, 1940. She is best known for her work in the food industry, her cookbooks and novels, and her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off. 

Her books cover a range of subjects, from cooking and baking to fiction, memoir and ageing. Leith’s Cookery Bible provides recipes and cooking techniques for cooks of different abilities, while Bliss on Toast explores ways of preparing toast, from simple meals to more elaborate dishes. 

She co-wrote The Vegetarian Kitchen with her niece Peta Leith, offering vegetarian recipes and vegan alternatives. Her fiction includes The Prodigal Daughter, about a woman pursuing a career in the food business, and The Lost Son, which explores family relationships, secrets and unexpected consequences.  

In Being Old… and Learning to Love It!, Leith examines ageing, relationships and family life. Her autobiography, I'll Try Anything Once, provides a further account of her life and experiences. 

Her published work reflects her experience in the restaurant industry and her interests in food, family, ambitions, and relationships.