McEvedy was born and raised in Hammersmith. She visited Turkey a number of times during her childhood. She said visiting the ancient ruins and the dramatic Turkish coastline had a huge impact on her life, but what captivated her most was the food.[2] McEvedy said when her parents suggested the children keep travel diaries, she began a lifelong fascination with collecting recipes: "My sister would faithfully reproduce the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul".