Following the publication his latest book, we talk to the Observer’s restaurant critic about his 20-year career
How did you first start out writing about food? Can you tell us about the early steps in your career?
I had no plans to be a restaurant critic until about three seconds after the then editor of the Observer magazine told me, in 1999, that there was a vacancy. I said: “That’s not a job you can apply for but I think I’d be rather good at it.” The magazine editor eventually agreed. The then overall editor of the paper, Roger Alton, had other ideas as I was one of his news feature writers, which is a tricky job. He wanted our brilliant political commentator Andrew Rawnsley to do it, because he took a few people out to lunch. Eventually it was agreed that we would alternate. Except Andrew really wasn’t interested in writing about restaurants so, by default, the job became mine.
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