Welcome to Taisty Bytes 2.0!
This seems like a good place to start
Hello and welcome! Whether you’re a new reader or a loyal regular, this post is your ‘Quick Start Guide’ to what you can expect from me here at Taisty Bytes.
If you’re just joining us, get ready to dive into a world of kitchen experiments and food photography.
And to my awesome regulars, welcome to Taisty Bytes 2.0! There are a few exciting new items on the menu, so come on in and take a look…
First things first: Hello 👋 I’m Mark, a thirty-something finding his way around the kitchen. Currently living in the beautiful Devon countryside with my partner Ben and dog Hiro (you will see a lot of him).
After years of dabbling in different careers and hobbies, I realised at the beginning of this year that the kitchen, once an intimidating place for me, could be my next great adventure. With a desire to create, share, and connect through food, I dove headfirst into this journey—camera in one hand, whisk in the other. I’ve not burned the kitchen down, yet - so I’m taking that as a successful start!
What you will find here:
Journal Entries: I’ll be sharing what I’ve been up to in the kitchen. Expect stories, recipes, and plenty of delicious food photography. As someone who’s still finding his way around the kitchen, this will be a live journal of my learning process—hopefully, it will be as helpful for you as it is for me!
Curated Recipes and Creator Spotlights: Most of what I’ll be sharing comes from the incredible recipes I’ve found in cookbooks, online, or through social media. I’ll recreate these dishes in my own kitchen and spotlight the talented creators behind them. This way, you’ll not only get to enjoy these recipes with me, but also discover some amazing chefs and food bloggers along the way.
Food Photography: Capturing the beauty (and occasional mess) of the kitchen has become a passion of mine. As I continue to learn about both cooking and photography, I aim to bring you images that are just as mouthwatering as the recipes.
Recipe Database Updates: I’m building a customisable recipe database in Notion that will be available as a downloadable template for you to clone and personalise. This tool is designed to help you organise your recipes, track prep times, and manage your kitchen efficiently. I’ll also be providing video tutorials and guides to help you get the most out of it, making it easy for you to build your own culinary database.
A Welcoming Community: I hope to create a happy, safe space where we can all learn, laugh, and share our love for food. Whether you’re just starting out like me, or have years of experience, everyone is welcome here. If that sounds good to you, I’d love for you to subscribe and join the community!
All posts are FREE—but by subscribing, you’re directly supporting this journey. Your contributions help fund ingredients, equipment, cookbooks, and photography gear, ensuring that I can keep experimenting, learning, and sharing it all with you. Every bit of support helps make this project possible, and I’m incredibly grateful to have you along for the ride.
Feel free to follow me over on Instagram too!
A little bit about me…
I grew up on a farm in Lancashire, in a big family home where the door was always open to friends and family. My journey has taken me through several exciting chapters—being an Under 18 show jumping champion, a social media trainer, web developer, graphic designer, and a small business owner, to name a few. These experiences have shaped who I am today, leading me to this new adventure in the kitchen.
When I first started this journey, I found humour in the fact that, despite everything I’d accomplished, I knew next to nothing about cooking. Now, after spending time experimenting and learning, I can say I’ve come a long way, though there’s still so much more to explore. I’m embracing the process, mistakes and all!
…and a little bit more - The Quick-Fire Round!
I’m obsessed with technology
Japan is my happy place. Dreams were made when I finally got to visit for my 30th
I love helping people and sharing what I’ve learned along the way.
I have a lot of hobbies: photography, illustrating, hiking, and video games, to name a few
In the kitchen and in life, I believe in embracing the mess, celebrating the small victories and always being open to learning something new. If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far, it’s that the journey is just as important as the destination—especially when there’s good food involved!
Your turn…
I’d love to hear from you! Whether it’s sharing your own kitchen adventures, asking questions, or just saying hello—this space is as much yours as it is mine. Feel free to jump into the comments, share your thoughts, or even suggest topics you’d like to see covered.
I’ll leave it here for now. I hope this has been helpful to you. Your support means the world to me, and I’m eager to hear your thoughts. If there’s anything you’re curious about, I’m just a message away.
- Mark
The photography is great!
Marvellous - looking forward to more