Alastair Little

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 Thank you@byAlastairL(from the unpublished first draft of his award-winning book ‘Keep it Simple’) pic.twitter.com/jMc7rm1xIw While he was working at Old Compton Wine Bar as a waiter, the chef quit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.

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”.

Alastair Little was an intelligent, articulate, and self-taught chef who helped shape generations, know his recipes and net worth.

After Alastair Little unexpectedly passed away, his admirers and the food industry showered him with love (via Eater London). His food was amazing and unmatched. Alastair Little was an intelligent, articulate, and self-taught chef who helped shape generations of chefs and restaurateurs. The title “the grandfather of modern British food” was bestowed upon him in recognition of his achievements as a chef, restaurant proprietor, and cookbook author. He recalled opening the refrigerator every morning to see what was inside before visiting the Soho butcher shops and little produce markets to do his shopping. So sad to hear the news one of the true godfathers of British food has passed away. His daily-changing menus, which used seasonal ingredients, affected contemporary British eateries and various Alastair Little recipes.

The Australian Good Food website reported: “The bespectacled Little scurries around the small kitchen just as he did in his pioneering London restaurant in 1985 ...

With Kirsten Pedersen he had a son and a daughter. He appeared on the cover of Elle magazine and on television in shows such as Ready Steady Cook and Masterchef. 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. 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. The Australian Good Food website reported: “The bespectacled Little scurries around the small kitchen just as he did in his pioneering London restaurant in 1985.” 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”.

Reports reveal that the legendary chef passed away this week at the age of 72 and the cause of death is not yet known.

Alastair Little was a self-taught, intelligent & articulate chef who was ahead of his time. Huge love to his family. The Michelin Guide UK also paid tribute: “Alastair Little was a self-taught, intelligent & articulate chef who was ahead of his time. What a hugely influential and inspiring chef, and a wonderful man. One of the most influential chefs of his generation. I’m so saddened to hear that the great Alastair Little has died.

While Alastair Little may not be a celebrity chef, he has had an impact on the way we eat and dine. Here's some interesting details about Little.

In fact, he clarified that he actually likes "plenty of Aussie produce," as well as Australian "cheese, truffles and brisket." However, it appears the couple remained in Sydney because in 2020, Good Food reported that Little had purchased a stake in the Potts Point restaurant, Et Al. What some Aussies found ironic about that development is that in the year prior, Little came under fire for taking shots at the quality of Australia's produce and declaring the Australian food scene a good 20 years behind that of London. "Some of Little's swipes at our produce were fair cop, others over the top," the Australian outlet noted before excusing Little's derision because it was "spurred on by criticism" of London. Moreover, Little swore he'd been quoted out of context. Little's partner in the restaurant was also his life partner at the time. Alastair Little never went to cooking school, according to The Drinks Business. Rather, he taught himself to cook starting in childhood — but not with the intention of becoming a chef, or at least not that he was consciously aware. According to The Sun, he cooked his way through classic cookbooks such as "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking" by Julia Child. To wit, Little didn't even turn up on television until 1990, when he made his first of what would be just a handful of appearances on " Master Chef," "Chef!," and "Food File" (per IMDb). His father, a naval officer, ate broadly and would always rise to the occasion when Little would push for something new. He's also credited with "setting a new standard for London restaurants," according to The Drinks Business. In those early years, he continued learning to cook using Elizabeth David's "French Provincial Cooking." Rather, he would appear to fit into a category of chefs whom The New York Times refers to as a "chef's chef." Lepard's tweets recounted Little's influence on his own career in food as well as a meaningful screenshot of a previously unpublished quote from a long-ago first draft of Little's seminal 1993 book, "Keep it Simple." The first of five cookbooks Little authored introduced many in the world outside of London, England to the genre of food now known as "modern British cuisine" (via Eater). In fact, per The Sun, Alastair Little has been called the grandfather/godfather of this genre. "Chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Alastair Little has died at 72," Eater London reported on Wednesday, August 3, 2022.