We gathered for an inspiring morning with fellow Scot, Suzanne Mulholland, better known to her thousands of fans as The Batch Lady. If you haven’t come across Suzanne yet, she’s the queen of saving time in the kitchen (and life), Sunday Times bestselling author (six times over), and co-host of Channel 4’s hit show Batch From Scratch alongside Joe Swash.
From the moment she took the stage at the W Hotel in Edinburgh, Suzanne had us captivated. Refreshingly real, wonderfully down-to-earth, and as straight-talking as they come. She shared her remarkable journey, from running a small car-washing business at just 13, to mastering time management in the corporate world, taking time out to raise her two children and ultimately reinventing old-school batch cooking into a modern-day lifesaver - all from her home on a farm in the Scottish Borders.
"I don’t actually like cooking," Suzanne laughs. "I’m more of a ‘peacock cook’ - I love hosting friends for a big Sunday lunch. That’s why I started batch cooking. Being organised might sound boring, but it gives you so much more time for the fun stuff. I don’t want to cook every night."
And her mantra? “You can’t please everyone, it’s exhausting!” She doesn’t engage with negativity online, keeps her personal life private, and always aims her content at “imaginary 45-year-old Janet” - a busy mum who loves her recipes and tips.
What struck everyone in the room wasn’t just her business savvy, but her openness about confidence. “I’m not naturally confident,” she admitted. “I never watch myself back on TV – or watch my videos again. But each time you try something new, your confidence grows.”
Suzanne’s story is proof that with consistency, creativity, and a sprinkle of bravery, you can take a simple idea (like prepping 10 meals in an hour) and turn it into a career you love.
By the end of the morning, we left feeling inspired, motivated, and maybe just a little tempted to batch cook our own dinners for the week.
Some of Suzanne’s golden nuggets from the morning:
- Find your niche. It makes you stand out, and publishers love it.
- Be consistent, from your social handles to your posting schedule. No underscores, no confusion.
- Find your platform, then cross-post content.
- Show up, even if it’s messy. Her early videos were rough, but they made her relatable.
- Step outside your comfort zone. “You age faster if you don’t,” she laughed. “I’d rather be the 85 year old driving into the city than the one sitting at home because of the weather.”
- Diversify your income, from books and sponsorships to an Amazon shop, Suzanne keeps multiple revenue streams open.
- Own your work - from domains to intellectual property, she makes sure it’s all protected.
- Reuse your content. Whether it’s an image or old video with a voiceover, use it and forward plan. All her posts go out 2 months in advance. Stories are done daily.
- Learn as you go. Suzanne taught herself everything from YouTube and isn’t afraid of making mistakes. She approached Lidl with an idea for a brand partnership and everything grew from there.
Missed our event but feeling inspired to start batch cooking? Keep an eye out for Suzanne’s new cookbook, launching next month, just in time for Christmas!
A huge thank you to the W Hotel Edinburgh for hosting us so beautifully, and for treating guests to delicious coffees, pastries and fruit platters.
We’re also incredibly grateful to our amazing sponsors, FreeAgent, the award-winning accounting software designed specifically for UK small business owners, landlords, and their accountants or bookkeepers.
Special thanks to Jennifer McLuckie for her stunning photography, and to the brilliant team at Woosh. You’ll be able to catch up on everything you missed when this event is featured on the ‘egg talks to’ podcast very soon.
For more inspiring words of wisdom, don’t miss our Women on Top Summit on 24th September. The Edinburgh women-networking event, sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland, FreeAgent, Niksen, Melville Independent Plc & YOUR GB, will be a high-energy day packed with inspiring speakers, practical insights and unforgettable connections. Whether you’re just starting out, scaling up, a stay at home mum or merely looking for a confidence boost, this is your space to feel seen, supported and supercharged. TICKETS HERE.
