Simon Hopkinson is often hailed as the ‘food writer’s food writer’. He left school at 17 to begin a career as a chef in the kitchen of Yves Champeau, which formulated a lasting impression, developing his passion for French regional cooking.

Simon announced himself onto the London restaurant scene in 1983, opening Hilaire and drawing attention as a leading young chef. Designer and entrepreneur Terence Conran spotted his talent and persuaded him to lead the kitchen for the opening of Bibendum in 1987. Simon left the restaurant in 1995 to concentrate on writing cookery books. Notably Roast Chicken and Other Stories was declared the ‘most useful cookbook of all time’ in 2005 by Waitrose Food Illustrated. ‘The Good Cook’ was his first television series.