AS the old saying goes, a little bit of what you fancy, does you good.

And for actress-turned foodie Nicola Millbank, her new recipe book embodies that testament by showcasing tasty classics with a modern twist.

Dedicated to her 101-year-old grandfather Walter, Nicola, who is more commonly known as Milly, spoke at the Swindon Festival of Literature on Saturday to a small intimate crowd where she was able to reveal the inspiration behind her work.

The audience heard how Milly first tapped into her “passion project” of real, honest and hearty grub back in 2015 when she launched her popular website www.millycookbook.com.

“The book came out of a dark place,” she explained.

“My fiancé Michael and I were living in the front room of his parents house in Islington and we were both depressed because, honestly, we had no money.

“Then one day Mike said, you love cooking and it is something you have always done, so why not set up a website with recipes.”

Speaking honestly, Milly added: “We have all had that time in our life where you think can I do anything else, can I champion my creativity into anything else?

“I think it was that point in my life where it was a turning point.

“I just started writing and writing all these different recipes and I channelled all my creativity into the website and my social media presence started growing.”

Within months, Milly's honest and real approach to cooking captured the attention of foodies across the country and she soon found herself at the centre of stories talking about her unique way of thinking towards food.

It was through one of these stories that Lisa Milton, executive publisher at Harper Collins stumbled across Milly’s website.

“She saw a piece I did in the Daily Mail and she said she loved that I wasn’t into clean eating and my ethos of having everything in moderation," Milly said.

“It’s a shame I found the email the following year in my junk inbox. I thought I had missed the opportunity so I wrote back as soon as I could. Lisa thought I wasn’t interest but I was and that’s how the book came to be."

By day, the 29-year-old, who grew up in Chippenham but now lives in London, is known for her roles on ITV’s Mr Selfridge and Sky’s Mount Pleasant.

But in between roles, she is often found cooking up a storm in the kitchen and during the discussion on Saturday, Milly talked about why she opposes clean eating diets, which have swept the nation, which encourage buying gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free foods.

“I don’t want to indulge in this ideology that because I am blonde and I am in my twenties that I should look a certain way," Milly said. "I want to be real and say it is ok to enjoy a burger and a beer, it is ok to be hungover and want a McDonald’s the next day.

“Eat what you love, eat what you enjoy and eat what bring you happiness.

“Since putting the book out there, I have been asked many times, what is real food? Real food is all foods. Real food is everything you like to eat. It is home cooking and celebrating that by embracing all ingredients and all food groups.

“It is eating everything you enjoy but in moderation.

“Growing up, my grandad always said, a little bit of what you fancy does you good and that is why I’ve dedicated the book to him. He’s my hero.”

Some of Milly’s favourite recipes in her book, Milly's Real Food, include Pimm’s jelly, sticky ribs and her all-time favourite raspberry and rose cheesecake. Next year she will soon be publishing a recipe book on dog treats and snacks.