John Burton-Race: The Man, the Magic & the Mayhem

by Micheal Cowton, Mike Cowton

Overview

A prodigious talent stalked by controversy, celebrity chef John Burton-Race has always lived life on the edge, and remains nothing if not pragmatic. "I wear people down. I’m a bit of a basket case."

Born in Singapore in 1957 to a British diplomat father, Burton-Race helped the family chef while being exposed to global tastes and flavours that still influence his style of cooking. He worked under renowned chef Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and when Blanc opened Le Petit Blanc in Oxford, he turned to Burton-Race to head the kitchen. Here the young, aspiring chef would win his first Michelin star. Three years later he opened his own restaurant, L’Ortolan in Berkshire.



Awarded two Michelin stars, the achievement was repeated in 2000 at John Burton-Race Restaurant at London’s Landmark Hotel. Television viewers, however, bore witness to his mercurial nature in the fly-on-the-wall series French Leave and Return of the Chef, and an appearance on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here ended in disaster when his second wife closed his Devon restaurant while he was in the Australian bush. Possessed of an innate talent for self destruction, John Burton-Race is still driven, still complex, still controversial, still living life at 100 miles an hour. This is his story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781911658412
Publisher:	Mortons Books
Publication date:	08/11/2020
Edition description:	First
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Cowton honed his journalistic skills on national newspapers as a features writer, columnist and chief sub-editor, working variously for the Daily Express, The Observer and Mail On Sunday. As a published biographer, his writing credits include works on the bands Level 42 and Pet Shop Boys. A former magazine editor and visiting lecturer in media studies, he is currently employed as a production editor for a major publishing house. Married with two children, he lives in Lincolnshire.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

1 Reality Bites 13

2 A Chance Encounter 17

3 Baby Steps 21

4 Malay Malaise 25

5 Inner Demons 31

6 Changing Palates 37

7 Loitering In A Bubble 43

8 Kite Fights And Fiery Chillies 47

9 Brothers In Arms 53

10 Bullets And Banana Cake 59

11 Far Pig In A Tall White Hat 63

12 Loony Tunes 71

13 Bohemian Rhapsody 77

14 French Dressing 79

15 Culinary Hero 85

16 Revolutionary Guard 91

17 A Good Egg 97

18 L'Ortolan 101

19 A Family Affair 107

20 Marriage Made In Hell 113

21 Dining Out On Psychosis 123

22 Lenny Henry: Chef! 129

23 Creating A Legacy 135

24 Disappearing Act 145

25 Taking Stock 149

26 French Leave 155

27 Cobblers Cove 161

28 Red Wine And A Timely Enema 165

29 King Of Cassoulet 169

30 Back To The Future 177

31 Angel In Freefall 185

32 Secret Liaisons 195

33 Unfolding Soap Opera 199

34 Jungle Drums 205

35 Kitchen Criminals 211

36 Brand Ambassador 219

37 Boozy Honeymoon 227

38 The John Burton-Race Experience 231

39 Oggys In Italy 235

40 The Inevitable Burnout 239

41 Bouncing Back 247

42 The Ever-Evolving Journey 251

43 Home Truths 255

Epilogue 259

Acknowledgements 261

About The Author 264