Alasdair Gill - Knives and Spoons
A Chef's Story of Kitchens, Addictions and Mayhem
WithAlasdair Gill
In conversation withChitra Ramaswamy
On:10th July 2026, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attendance options:
The Portobello Bookshop is very excited to welcome Alasdair Gill for a discussion of his book Knives and Spoons. Gill is a chef and writer whose career has taken him from the pressure-cooker environment of London’s finest dining establishments to his current work as a private chef. The book delves into the world of intense restaurant life and explores his personal journey including the highs and lows of that lifestyle.
Gill will be in conversation with journalist and restaurant critic Chitra Ramaswamy, it's sure to be a brilliant evening with lots of fascinating insights!
This event will take place in the bookshop with an in-person audience, as well as a livestream for attendees watching from home. There will be a signing after the event.
In-person vouchers can be redeemed on the night of the event against a single copy of Knives and Spoons– we will have a list of attendees with vouchers to be redeemed. Please note that only one voucher can be redeemed per book. Livestream vouchers are valid until the day after the event and can be redeemed on our website against a single copy of Knives and Spoons.
About Knives and Spoons:
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.
Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.
Participants:
Alasdair Gill Author
Alasdair Gill is a chef and writer whose career has taken him from the pressure-cooker environment of London’s finest dining establishments to his current work as a private chef. His writing can be regularly found in The Sunday Times, Vice, Times 2, ST magazine, ST style, You magazine and Tatler. Knives and Spoons is his first book.
Chitra Ramaswamy Chair
Chitra Ramaswamy is a journalist and author from London. Her latest book, Homelands: The History of a Friendship (Canongate) is a work of creative non-fiction exploring her friendship with a 99-year-old German Jewish refugee called Henry Wuga. It won the Saltire Non-Fiction Book of the Year and was included in The Guardian’s top memoirs and biographies of 2022. Her first book, Expecting: The Inner Life of Pregnancy (Saraband) won the Saltire First Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Polari Prize. She has contributed essays to Antlers of Water, Nasty Women, The Freedom Papers, The Bi:ble, and Message From The Skies and recently completed a commission from the Alasdair Gray Archive. She is a freelance writer for The Guardian, the restaurant critic for The Times Scotland, and broadcasts for BBC radio. She lives in Edinburgh with her partner, two children, and rescue dog.
The venue
The Portobello Bookshop
46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA
Telephone: 0131 629 6756
Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com
Wheelchair Access
We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.
Sound
We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.