Dame Prudence Margaret Leith, DBE (born 18 February 1940[1]) is a South African[2] restaurateur, broadcaster, cookery writer and novelist.

[5] In 1975, she founded Leith's School of Food and Wine, which trains professional chefs and amateur cooks.

The catering division, Travellers Fare, was detached from the hotels business in 1982 with outlets created, including Casey Jones and Upper Crust.

Later, in the 1980s, she was the subject of two television programmes about her life and career: the first episode of Channel 4's Take Six Cooks and the BBC's The Best of British, a series about young entrepreneurs.

[citation needed] She has also been active in general education, chairing Ashridge Management College (2002–07); 3E's Enterprises (an education company turning round failing schools and managing academies (1998–2006) and Chairman of Governors at the secondary school Kings College in Guildford (2000–07).

She was a director of the housing association, Places for People (1999–2003) and a member of the Consumer Debt Working Group that contributed to the Conservative Party's 2006 policy document Breakdown Britain (2004–05).

Leith was married to property developer and author Rayne Kruger from 1974 until his death aged 80 in December 2002.

[20][21] Their son, Danny Kruger, was a speechwriter and adviser to David Cameron,[22] and is the Conservative MP for the constituency of East Wiltshire.

[27][28] In May 2020, she expressed support of the breach of virus lockdown by Dominic Cummings and Mary Wakefield,[29] whom her son described as "old friends".

[31] Leith's honours include the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year in 1990 and thirteen honorary degrees or fellowships from UK universities.