Jack Monroe: 'My back-up plan is to go back to working at the supermarket'

The cook and campaigner talks about growing up in a house full of foster children, her large appetite, and why she doesn’t take her career for granted

I was born in Southend in the late 80s and now I live back there, near to where I grew up. I remember going on adventures with my older brother and, when I was 11, being allowed to go to the corner shop alone, and filling up a bag with penny chews, Fruit Salads, Bruiser bars and Black Jacks.

My parents fostered about 100 children from when I was four onwards. Some stayed for 24 hours and some for 13 years. We were always getting folding chairs out of the garage and budging up to make space at the table or putting another jacket potato in the oven.