Ysewijn grew up in
Antwerp, in the Flemish part of Belgium. She studied graphic design at the Sint Maria Institute in Antwerp, after which she did one year specialization in graphics and ancient printing techniques and two more years of specialization in
fashion design. After working for a short time in the fashion industry, she worked for eight years as a graphic designer in advertising. In 2010, she started her blog, which led to her becoming a freelance writer in 2013. From 2014 to 2016 she wrote for the British digital magazine
Fish on Friday. Pieces for
The Guardian and the
iNews and several other publications followed. Ysewijn mainly writes about culinary history and published her first book,
Pride and Pudding, about the history of British puddings in 2015 (in Belgium; 2016 publication in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US).
Belgian Café Culture, the National Trust Book of Puddings, Brits Bakboek,
Oats in the North, Wheat from the South (
The British Baking Book in the US) and
The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook followed. Following the release of
The British Baking Book, Ysewijn was praised in 2020 by
The New Yorker Magazine for recognizing the role of slavery in the development of a baking culture in Europe, but also for writing culinary history in a readable and clear way. On June 8 2024 she became the first Belgian author to win the prestigious James Beard Award https://www.eater.com/24173865/james-beard-foundation-awards-2024-media-winners-cookbooks-journalism for her book Dark rye and Honey cake, Festival baking from Belgium the heart of the Low Countries. A book with history and recipes. She has been one of the two judges for the
Bake-off Vlaanderen program since 2017 and
Junior Bake Off since 2020. She is also a jury member of the Guild of Fine Food's
Great Taste Awards and the
World Cheese Awards. On January 10, 2022, Regula was announced as one of the judges of
The Platinum Pudding Competition in honor of the
Platinum Jubilee of Britain's
Queen Elizabeth II. In August 2024, she was awarded the title of MBE (Member of the
Order of the British Empire) by
King Charles III in recognition of her services to British food and culture in Belgium and the UK. == Television and Radio ==