Blood, Sweat and Asparagus Spears

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FINANCIAL TIMES – BEST BOOKS OF 2025

Winner – Special Award of the Jury – Gourmand Awards 2025

‘An extremely efficient romp through the postwar decades, one dish at a time’ Jay Rayner

‘Mouthwatering’ The Mail on Sunday

‘A valuable historical contribution. More importantly… a delightful read.’ The Sunday Times

From White Heat to Wagamama, this is the inside story of the explosive decade that changed eating out in Britain forever: Blood, Sweat and Asparagus Spears is your seat at the best table for the story of the 1990s Restaurant Revolution.

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 and Asparagus Spears charts the wild ride from the cigarette fueled ‘SAS of kitchens’ to Nobu’s celebrity glamour via the £5 recession lunch and the arrival of conveyor-belt sushi.

What you’ll find inside:

First-hand stories from Marco Pierre White, Paul Heathcote, Vineet Bhatia, Heston Blumenthal, and scores more, with their reflections and recollections adding spice to the mix.

The 1990s trends that shaped today – coffee outlets rose 847% and monthly eating-out nearly tripled by 2015, while organic sales doubled.

A tasting tour of 33 iconic dishes that still shape restaurant menus now, from Black Cod Miso to Triple-Cooked Chips.

Behind-the-pass insight into how the 1990s forged the careers of current headline chefs and set the template for Britain’s modern, multicultural food identity.

Drawing on contemporary reviews and original interviews, Andrew Turvil reveals the triumphs, pitfalls and night shift epiphanies that transformed Britain from a ‘country of one sauce’ into a nation of food obsessives.

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 the ultimate feast of 90s nostalgia.

‘A fabulous book – a page-turning in-depth delve into our world of food, hospitality and the characters within’ Sally Clarke, chef and restaurateur