Blood, Sweat & Asparagus Spears: The Story of the 1990s Restaurant Revolution

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. 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. 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. Read more