Tough Cookies: Tales Of Obsession, Toil And Tenacity From Britain's Culinary Heavyweights

by Simon Wright

British food was never renowned for its flair and inventiveness until the 1980s when Marco Pierre White led an extraordinary revolution in British cuisine. Passionate and unpredictable, he inspired many of the top chefs in Britain today. In this insightful book, Simon Wright exposes the revolution for what it was and shows how the passionate idealism of the early years has been compromised. He travels inside the brotherhood of chefs and tells the very distinct tales of Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Shaun Hill, and Marcus Wareing—four men who have risen through the vicious climate of the kitchen to make a special mark. Theirs is an elite band, tough to join, and these are the stories of how they qualified for membership.

197 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2005

Reviews

[De · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love stories about what it's like to work in some of the most demanding kitchens in the world and the people who create the innovative food that comes out of them. Inspired! And my cooking has improved too!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is awesome. very true to life about kitchen work and what drives chefs to do what they do. it goes through the life stories of how gordon ramsay, heston blumenthal, and marco pierre white came up in the restaurant world. very fast read page turner

[Rachel Pascoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really insightful reading - shows how hard chefs work and how much they love what they do. The rise of the celebrity chef. Highlights up and coming and already successful old schools chefs.