Alastair Little

Alastair Little (1950-2022) was a British chef, cookbook author, and restaurateur. Growing up, Alastair travelled widely across Europe because his father was a naval officer. His travels ignited his passion for food, although he didn’t study cooking formally, instead reading archaeology at Cambridge. After finishing his studies he returned to his main passion of cooking and learned his trade at London venues, before setting up on his own, first with Suffolk restaurant Le Routier and then Simpsons in Putney. He was also head chef at L’Escargot restaurant and 192 in London. Alastair’s eponymous restaurant, which he opened in Soho in 1985, soon became known for its culinary excellence and one of the great London eateries. In 1993, his cookery skills were recognised when his restaurant won the Times Restaurant of Year award. Little published a number of books, including; Keep It Simple (1993), Food of the Sun (1995), Italian Kitchen (1996), and Soho Cooking (2000). Alastair’s cookery was a major catalyst in the evolution of modern British cuisine.