Maria Ritchie

• Maria spent more than three years as a cooking demonstration host and ambassador for America's Test Kitchen aboard cruise ships, teaching culinary techniques to thousands of guests while sailing around the world.
• Maria's love of cookbooks has led her to build an extensive collection. Fascinated by how tried and tested recipes are preserved in print and passed down through generations, she hopes to one day author a cookbook of her own.
• In 2022, Maria interviewed fellow Colombian chef Leonor Espinosa, recipient of The World's Best Female Chef award. At the awards ceremony, she unexpectedly shared sushi with the Roca brothers and Massimo Bottura, and she admits she is still a little starstruck.

Experience

Maria likes to describe herself as an avid cook, but even more so an avid eater. After gaining experience in professional kitchens, including a stage at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain, she joined America's Test Kitchen, where she refined her skills in recipe testing, culinary education, and food communication. She later went on to develop recipes for Simply Recipes, work as a features writer for Lovefood.com, and serve as deputy editor at LoveINC, while also contributing to publications including Vice and HuffPost. She now divides her time between food writing, recipe development, and teaching culinary skills to amateur and professional cooks at the Edinburgh Food & Drink Academy. In her spare time, she can usually be found tracking down great pastries, spending too much time and money at food markets, or hosting lavish food parties for friends.

Education

Maria holds a bachelor's degree in gastronomy from Universidad de La Sabana and a master's degree in arts and lifestyle journalism from the University of the Arts London.