Real food. Real costs. Real family life.
Hey, I’m Alan — better known as Brewski — the cook, dad and food-loving budget enthusiast behind Looks Good Let’s Eat.
My passion for cooking started when I joined the British Army at just 16 years old as a chef. Over the next 25 years, my career took me from working in military kitchens to reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1), with responsibility for operational management on a much larger scale. But however my career developed, my love of cooking never disappeared.
Today, that experience shapes how I feed my own family of five. I’ve always believed that good planning, sensible budgeting and a little creativity in the kitchen can produce fantastic food without spending a fortune. And with rising supermarket prices, increasing concerns about ultra-processed foods and unnecessary food waste, I wanted to share that approach with other families.
That’s why Looks Good Let’s Eat exists: to show that proper, delicious home-cooked food doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag — and to prove it with recipes that are actually costed.
What Makes This Place Different
Every recipe on Looks Good Let’s Eat starts with one simple belief: great food shouldn’t cost a fortune.
With 25 years of experience in the Army, I’ve learned the importance of planning, making ingredients go further and delivering quality without unnecessary spending. Now I’m bringing that same practical approach into my family kitchen.
Here’s what you’ll find:
Proper food, full of flavour — satisfying family meals made with everyday ingredients, without unnecessary fuss or expensive extras.
Honest recipe costing — ingredient breakdowns and supermarket comparisons to help you understand what a meal actually costs.
Real family food budgets — sharing what our household of five spends, where we save and what we learn along the way.
My 4-2-1 meal planning method — four fresh dinners, two easier meals and one treat night, giving you flexibility without losing control of your budget.
Smarter food choices — practical ways to reduce waste, make informed decisions about processed foods and get more value from every ingredient.
This isn’t about always buying the cheapest food. It’s about eating well, spending wisely and making your food budget work for you.
Why I Started This
Cooking has always been more than just preparing a meal for me. It’s about bringing people together, enjoying proper food and making the most of what you’ve got.
Throughout my career, budgeting, planning and reducing waste were important parts of delivering good food. Those principles have stayed with me, and they’re just as relevant in my family kitchen today.
But watching supermarket prices rise, seeing how heavily families are encouraged towards convenience foods, and knowing how much perfectly good food gets wasted made me want to do something more than simply cook for my own family.
I wanted to challenge the idea that eating well has to be expensive.
That’s why I started sharing my recipes with real ingredient costs, supermarket comparisons and practical ways to save money. Not to tell anyone how they should eat or spend, but to give people the information and confidence to make their own choices.
Because if I can help another family put a delicious dinner on the table, spend a little less and waste a little less along the way, then Looks Good Let’s Eat is doing exactly what I hoped it would.
A Bit More About Me
Away from my professional career, I’m a dad who loves nothing more than getting into the kitchen and cooking something worth sitting down for.
Our household of five is much like any other busy family. There’s always something happening, different tastes to consider, and a food budget that needs to stretch across the week. But I genuinely enjoy the challenge of turning everyday ingredients into something everyone looks forward to eating.
I love experimenting with flavours, trying dishes from different cuisines and putting my own spin on familiar favourites. Some meals are quick and simple, others take a little more time, but they all start with the same question: can I make something delicious without spending more than I need to?
I’m not a qualified nutritionist, and I don’t pretend to be. My background is in professional cooking, practical food management and feeding my own family. When I share nutritional information or discuss ultra-processed foods, it’s to help readers make informed choices, not to tell anyone what they should eat.
And while I enjoy developing my own recipes, I’m always learning from other cooks too. When I’ve adapted someone else’s work, I believe in giving credit where it’s due.
For me, cooking should be enjoyable, affordable and accessible. A good meal doesn’t need a fancy name or an expensive shopping list. It just needs to taste great.
You’re in the Right Place If…
You’re in the right place if you love good food but don’t love what it costs to put it on the table.
Whether you’re feeding a busy family, trying to bring your weekly shopping bill down, looking for fresh meal ideas or simply wanting to waste less food, there’s something here for you.
You don’t need to be an experienced cook, follow a strict budget or give up the foods you enjoy. My aim is to share recipes, ideas and honest costs that help you make the choices that work for your household.
No judgement. No unnecessary faff. Just proper food, real costs and practical ways to save.
So pull up a chair, have a look around and hopefully find something delicious to cook tonight.
Let’s eat well — and spend wisely.
Alan (Brewski) 🍴
Get in Touch
Got a question about a recipe, an idea you’d like me to try, or a money-saving tip worth sharing? I’d love to hear from you.
Whether you’re a fellow home cook, someone looking to make their food budget go further, or a brand interested in working together, feel free to drop me a message using the form below.
I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.