"A great journalist, passionate about food" (Gordon Ramsay).
Michael Bateman was the father of modern food journalism. He began writing about food in England during the 1960s, when the average British culinary experience was limited to fish and chips. At the time, it was a subject national newspapers scarcely bothered with.
Among other accomplishments, he was the first journalist to write detailed exposés on issues such as food additives. His wit, humor, erudition, and passion for his subject poured off the pages week after week as he researched his articles, often disappearing for days if not weeks to cover every possible angle and talk to every expert. Eventually he became a prominent editor—and nurtured food writers of the next generation, such as Sophie Grigson and Oz Clarke.
This collection includes some of his best work, spanning several decades—on topics as wide-ranging as Australian cuisine; veganism; food marketing; French wine; and Coca-Cola.
