Chef
https://www.woodrowstudios.co.ukRichard Bramble
A Who’s Who of 90’s UK chefs beautifully illustrated by Richard Bramble’s watercolours. Discovered Hambleton Hall via this book and knocked on their door to get my first serious chef Job back in 1999
A comprehensive and historical look at the traditions of British game cookery. (Bewareth the hare, it breeds incubus and causeth fearful dreams), you’ve been warned…
Prosper Montagné
Not an original choice, but I genuinely think I read this from cover to cover when I was gifted a copy as I started out on my cooking journey
Anthony Bourdain
I made a pilgrimage to Les Halles (long after Bourdain had left) to eat steak frites. It was OK. The book is better: meat-heavy and full of the wit, honesty and authenticity that made Bourdain universally loved by chefs.
Michel Roux and Albert Roux
Chintzy and garish throughout yet utterly indispensable as a young chef’s entry-level guide into the world of classic French patisserie
Prue Leith and Caroline Waldegrave
Its title became pretty apt as my dog-eared copy (stolen from my mum’s cookbook collection) became my dependable culinary doctrine for a summer spent in Dorset blagging my way from kitchen porter to chef at a country house hotel in Studland.
John Campbell
John Campbell took me under his wing for a month-long Stage at the two Michelin starred ‘The Vineyard’ early in my career. In the midst of the molecular gastronomy revolution, I always respected his balance of adopting new techniques whilst adhering to classical principles.
Nico Ladenis
Old school refined cooking from Nic the Greek, from the halcyon days when chervil had to go on top of everything.
Albert Roux and Michel Roux
A culinary dissection of the French provinces’ regional specialities and a loving masterclass on traditional French cookery. Even though it was published back in 1989, the photography still holds up – a beautiful book.
Marco Pierre White
Canteen Cuisine, Marco Pierre White I never had a copy of White Heat, instead I had this (again, stolen from my mum), A collection of recipes from the restaurant he opened with Michael Caine in the 1990s. the Terrine d’Hiver recipe morphed into my Terrine of pig’s head and foie gras and stayed on my restaurant menu for years.