Hattie Ellis

Food writer

A chef’s book that is genuinely based on the home kitchen. As well as following the seasons, it also covers different occasions, from dinner for two (‘In Spring a Young Man’s Fancy’) to feeding a crowd (Footballers’ Lunch). The writing is witty and full of well-honed opinions, and I love the illustrations by Lucinda Rogers; illustration dates much less than photography.

Charlie Lee-Potter

Writer, broadcaster and academic

Too many cookery books boast overblown, lavish photographs and underwhelming, derivative recipes. This is the opposite - you'll want to cook everything in it and the beautiful but restrained pen and ink drawings will soothe your overstrained eyes.

Richard Maggs

Aga Cookery Doctor