Alastair Little

2022 - 8 - 3

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Image courtesy of "Eater London"

Alastair Little Obituary: One of the Most Influential Chefs in Britain (Eater London)

Chef Alastair Little, most famous for his Soho restaurant Alastair Little, has died. His eponymous Soho restaurant, which opened in 1985, helped set the ...

Though Little’s early fame did result in TV appearances, he never truly became a culinary household name despite the import of his restaurants and philosophy. The London restaurant world was forever transformed, with the Hendersons’s ferocious focus on offal, British game, and vegetables not a departure from Little’s philosophy, but a natural progression. And in the future, the alumni of the River Cafe, Alastair Little, Bibendum, and Kensington Place would shape London and British dining for decades to come, not just in restaurants, but in the dissemination of the ideas Little cherished from the dining room to the masses. His cooking philosophy was one of simplicity and subtraction: asking what could be removed from a dish in order to let the remaining parts shine brightest. But then, it was really something: up until the 1980s London’s European dining rooms of renown were still in thrall to Escoffier and co., only shaken up by the arrival of nouvelle cuisine in France. So while Marco Pierre White, Pierre Koffmann and the like were doing their new thing (White’s Michelin star magnet Harvey’s also opened in that golden year, 1987) Little and co. Together with then partner Kirsten Pedersen it bore many of the hallmarks of London restaurants today — a kitchen looking on to the dining room; bare tables and paper napkins; and most significantly, a twice-daily-changing menu, — over 35 years ago.

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Image courtesy of "BigHospitality.co.uk"

'Godfather of modern British cookery' Alastair Little dies at 72 (BigHospitality.co.uk)

Chef, restaurateur and cookbook writer Alastair Little has died at the age of 72.

Alastair Little was a self-taught, intelligent & articulate chef who was ahead of his time. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.” “His cooking was just incredible x peerless.

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Image courtesy of "Evening Standard"

Alastair Little, the 'godfather of modern British cooking' dies at 72 (Evening Standard)

In his 1980s and 1990s heyday, Little was one of the county's most recognisable chefs.

Alastair Little was a godfather of modern British cooking and a champion of keeping it simple. Speaking to the Standard today, Maschler said: “The changes to restaurant cooking that handsome, helpful Alastair Little codified nearly 40 years ago in his eponymous Soho restaurant still inspire and reverberate — perhaps at even a higher volume. A stark contrast to what else was on offer in London in the era, reviews from critics were warm, and it led to television appearances.

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Image courtesy of "The Caterer.com"

Industry pays tribute as 'godfather' of British food Alastair Little dies ... (The Caterer.com)

Alastair Little a chef once dubbed the godfather' of modern British cooking has died.

The man was a legend in so many eyes and mine, and my thoughts go to his family and friends. His eponymous Soho restaurant influenced a generation of chefs and restaurateurs and the British food scene owes him so much. The restaurant was named The Times Restaurant of the Year in 1993. In 2012, Fay Maschler, food critic at the Evening Standard for over 40 years, told The Caterer of her memory of Little gracing magazine covers in the 1980s following the success of the restaurant. In 1985 Little opened his eponymous restaurant in London's Soho. It was ahead of its time: floorboards were bare, tablecloths were removed, and customers could see straight into the restaurant kitchen. Little, the son of a naval officer, travelled widely across Europe as a child, which ignited his passion for food.

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Image courtesy of "Daily Express"

'So sad' James Martin devastated as 'legendary' chef Alastair Little ... (Daily Express)

JAMES MARTIN has paid a heartbroken tribute to chef Alastair Little, who has died at the age of 72, calling him the 'godfather of British food'.

Tracey added: “So sad to hear this news. I used to love him and Rowley Leigh doing their 'spot' on Nigel Slater's programme back in the day. Taking to Twitter, Saturday Kitchen star James called Alastair a “legend”. Celebrity chef Jeremy Lee paid tribute to Alastair today, writing: “Alastair Little was a godfather of modern British cooking and a champion of keeping it simple. “The man was a legend in so many's eyes and mine and my thoughts go to his family and friends. “So sad to hear the news one of the true godfathers of British food has passed away,” he wrote.

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Image courtesy of "Tasting Table"

The Death Of Alastair Little Has The Food World Shaken (Tasting Table)

Legendary British Chef Alastair Little died at the age of 72, leaving behind a legacy of influential cooking based on simplicity (per Eater).

Nigella Lawson joined an ever-increasing number of industry professionals tweeting their condolences to the family and remembering the legacy left behind by acclaimed Chef Alastair Little. After opening a second restaurant in 1995, Little went on to share his influential cooking style by authoring five cookbooks in the 1990s (via Eater). He will be greatly missed by fellow chefs and industry professionals touched by his trend-setting cooking style and charming personality.

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Image courtesy of "HITC"

Who is Alastair Little? 'Godfather' of British food dies aged 72 (HITC)

The legendary chef has left behind a legacy, and his name will be remembered forever through his impact on the industry.

British chef and television personality James Martin wrote: “The man was a legend in so many’s eyes and mine and my thoughts go to his family and friends. One fan of Little added: “Shocked to learn that Alastair Little has died. All the food at By Alastair Little is completely fresh, and it’s not cooked until it is ordered. Chef, you are and always will be a legend to me and many others. Rather than taking a cooking route, Alastair read archaeology at Cambridge. He recalled hating the food that they fed him at boarding school. He discovered his passion for food whilst traveling across Europe as a young child with his father.

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Image courtesy of "Mashed"

The devastating death of Alastair Little (Mashed)

Sadly compounding that loss, chef Alastair Little has passed away at 72 (via Eater London). His accomplishments as a chef, restaurant owner, and cookbook author ...

Food journalist, author, and radio presenter Dan Saladino tweeted his respects to the British giant saying, "Rest in Peace Alastair Little... British food giant... While the culinary world lost one of its brightest stars, his impact and legacy will no doubt be seen for generations. The Michelin Guide tweeted, "Alastair Little was a self-taught, intelligent & articulate chef who was ahead of his time. His eponymous Soho restaurant influenced a generation of chefs & restaurateurs, and the British food scene owes him so much. champion of simple, authentic & generous food." The restaurant earned rave reviews thanks in part to Little's core beliefs about cooking.

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Image courtesy of "The Drinks Business"

Chef Alastair Little dies (The Drinks Business)

Alastair Little, the self-taught chef and restaurateur who opened his eponymous Soho restaurant in 1985, has died at the age of 72.

The Michelin Guide UK also paid tribute: “Alastair Little was a self-taught, intelligent & articulate chef who was ahead of his time. Thank you@byAlastairL(from the unpublished first draft of his award-winning book ‘Keep it Simple’) pic.twitter.com/jMc7rm1xIw While he was working at Old Compton Wine Bar as a waiter, the chef quit leaving Little to don his apron and take control of the pass. One of the most influential chefs of his generation. Despite learning from, what are now considered, classic cookbooks, Little’s approach went against the grain of most restaurants at the time when it eventually came to opening his own eatery. The next day he was cooking for 70 covers, using David’s ‘French Provincial Cooking’ as his guide.

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Image courtesy of "The Sun"

Who was Alastair Little?... (The Sun)

CHEF Alastair Little was known as the "Godfather of British cooking" and a leading figure in modern cuisine.He died at the age of 72 on August 3, 2022.

His cooking was just incredible.” He opened one of the first eponymous restaurants in Britain on Soho's Frith Street in 1985. Little passed away in Australia on August 3, 2022, at the age of 72.

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Image courtesy of "Telegraph.co.uk"

Alastair Little, innovative and influential chef who spearheaded a ... (Telegraph.co.uk)

He eschewed the Michelin-star treadmill in favour of simple, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.

With Kirsten Pedersen he had a son and a daughter. He eventually became assistant manager at Small’s before moving in 1974 to the Old Compton Wine Bar, where he took over as head chef when the previous one quit. He appeared on the cover of Elle magazine and on television in shows such as Ready Steady Cook and Masterchef. The self-taught Little would change his menu twice a day according to what he could find locally, an approach that was almost unheard of at the time. By the age of 12, I was obsessed with what we were having for dinner.” The top restaurants in London were Michelin-starred establishments such as Le Gavroche or La Tante Claire. English chefs at the time generally had a low status: as one food writer put it, cooking as a career was regarded as “a default option for those who couldn’t think of anything better to do”.

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