Nigel Slater

Observer food writer and most recently, the author of Tender: A Cook and his Vegetable Patch ...

Born in Wolverhampton, Nigel Slater began cooking at an early age. He worked in restaurants around the country from the age of sixteen. He then moved to London and became a recipe tester and a cook for food photography.

In 1988, he joined Marie Claire magazine as the food editor. By 1993, he was writing about food for the Observer's Life magazine and his first book, Real Fast Food, was published. Several more bestselling books have followed, helping to establish him as one of our best-loved food writers. Eschewing fancy techniques and over-elaboration, he has perfected a beautifully simple, yet richly evocative writing style and a clear, no-nonsense cooking style to complement that.

Nigel has been awarded Food Writer of the Year several times and branched out into TV with the series Real Food. He recently won a Glenfiddich Award for his autobiography, Toast.

Nigel has also presented the BBC2 "food nostalgia" series, A Taste of My Life in which he talks to celebrities about their memories and experiences of food.

His most recent project is Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch:, With over 400 recipe ideas and many wonderful stories from the cook's garden, Tender: A Cook and his Vegetable Patch, is the definitive guide to cooking with vegetables from Britain's finest food writer. In his imitable, unpretentious style Nigel Slater elevates vegetables to the starring role in his latest cook book, whether that means enjoying vegetables for their own sake or on the same plate as a piece of meat or fish.

Fact file

Name: Nigel Slater

Date of birth: 1958

Place of birth: Wolverhampton

Current Home: London

Education: Various kitchens

Similar Authors: Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson.