In 1990, Britain was mocked for its bland food and over-boiled veg but by 2000, the country was on its way to being one of the world’s most exciting culinary hotspots. Former Good Food Guide editor Andrew Turvil was there, tasting Marco Pierre White’s three Michelin starred food, clocking Jamie Oliver’s first TV take, and fielding volcanic phone calls from irate chefs. In sparkling prose and a veritable feast of 1990s food, Blood, Sweat & Asparagus Spears charts the wild ride from the cigarette-fueled ‘SAS of kitchens’ to Hakkasan’s velvet-dark glamour via the £5 recession lunch and the arrival of conveyor-belt sushi. Fast-paced, funny and meticulously researched, this is a love-letter to restaurants-and the people who bled to make them great. If you’ve ever yelled “Yes, chef!” at a TV, queued for ramen, or Instagrammed a marrow bone, this is your origin story. This is the ultimate feast of 90s nostalgia.
