Who is Minnie Taylor?

Winnifred Olson, my Nan

My Nan, Winnifred Olson

Hi! My name is Sam, not Minnie Taylor. I love to cook and entertain at home. I can’t think of a better way to get to know people than to share a drink and some good food. I also love to share what I learn and find with others, and that is what Minnie Taylor, the website, is all about.

So why Minnie Taylor? Well, my love of cooking came from my Nan, Winnifred Olson—Winnie to her friends. She was a firecracker and taught me so many things in life. I miss her every day, and every time I am in the kitchen I think back to the hours I spent with her. So when I was looking for a name to call my website, I did think about her name, but it wasn’t very catchy. So I looked to other strong women from my family.

Minnie Taylor was actually my Great Grandmother. By all accounts, she was a real character. Prior to World War II, she had a restaurant in Belgium. She and her staff escaped to the beaches of Dunkirk, where she fed the Allied soldiers before escaping on a fishing trawler to Hull in the UK. There were many stories passed down, some I think are bordering on folklore, but one thing I know for certain is: she shared her passion for food and feeding people with my Grandfather, Papa. From cooking in my Great Grandmother’s restaurant to feeding troops in the army, to becoming a head chef on an island in Devon, and later, the chef at a stately home.

Sadly, I never got to meet Papa, but I was so lucky to hear stories from my Nan, herself the housekeeper in the same stately home. I would spend hours in the kitchen with her listening to stories about her and Papa’s time at Burgh Island in Devon and then, later, in a small, charming village near Stafford. Thanks Nan!

Fun facts about me:

  • I’m originally from the UK but was raised in a small town outside of Wellington, New Zealand.

  • For the last two decades I have lived in the United States, lately in the great state of Colorado - home to mountains, craft breweries and the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

  • I have a passion for making and creating art of all sorts.

  • I’m a real estate stalker who is always looking for the next renovation project.

  • And a loving Mum to a sassy tabby cat and Jack Russell terrier who has given up his JRT card.