Sophie Merkens is a photographer, writer, recipe developer and food stylist. Her passion lies in sharing local stories that connect kai, people, and place. Her work moves between the wild and the studio—writing recipes, cooking, then styling food on river rocks, mossy logs, and forest floors, as well as in commercial kitchens. You’ll find her in the garden, foraging in the wild, cooking over fire, road-tripping in her van Zephyr, or catching teeny tiny waves with mates on surf days. She’s happiest when sharing delicious, local and seasonal meals with loved ones — often doing her happy-eating dance. Her first book, Grow – Wāhine Finding Connection Through Food, was published in 2022.
