Synopsis
'A vital new voice who speaks so powerfully about addiction' – Bryony Gordon
From working in some of London’s most prestigious restaurants to scrubbing fat from kitchen floors, Alasdair Gill’s life as a chef has been a series of exhilarating highs and harrowing lows. But so too has his private life. Taking readers behind the swinging kitchen doors of London’s dining scene, he shows us the major contradictions in his life, from crossing paths with Anthony Bourdain and preparing dishes for the ultra wealthy to hiding in drug-fuelled kitchen dens and a wake-up call that nearly ended his life.
Knives and Spoons is a raw and honest look at the chaotic and often toxic world of professional kitchens, filled with fierce and unforgiving moments, but also a testament to the power of finding one’s craft and the long road to recovery.
Details
09 July 2026
9781037401466Reviews
A vital new voice who speaks so powerfully about addiction
Incredibly moving, heartbreaking, savage, vivid, shocking, immediate and of course very funny. It’ll also show all those who love The Bear how to really tear up a kitchen
Magnificent, powerful, brutally honest and a very funny book . . . I never wanted it to stop
Restaurant biographies tend to be boring and repetitive . . . but not in Ali’s account. He gives a proper insight into not only how he has worked, but how he has thought . . . It has been a privilege to observe him not only succeed in adversity, but thrive. Do learn from him
