Knives and Spoons

An insider account about the burn of the kitchen and the bite of addiction from a London chef and son of the late food critic A. A. Gill.

An insider account about the burn of the kitchen and the bite of addiction from London chef Alasdair Gill.

'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.