Judy Ridgway is a food and wine writer with more than 60 books to her name, including Running Your own Catering Company, Running Your own Wine Bar and Wining and Dining at Home. She also co-wrote The Catering Management Handbook with her brother Brian Ridgway, who at that time was Operations Director of the Thistle Group of hotels.
Before becoming a journalist and author, Judy ran a small catering company in central London called London Cooks Ltd. Parties of all kinds, including weddings and anniversaries, featured prominently in the work of the company and her experiences at that time have contributed greatly to the writing of A Banquet on a Budget.