Bloomsbury Absolute bags Kerridge's Hand & Flowers cookbook

Bloomsbury Absolute has bagged a cookbook from Tom Kerridge featuring recipes from his two Michelin-starred pub, the Hand & Flowers.

Publisher Jon Croft acquired world rights in a deal with Borra Garson at Deborah McKenna Limited. The Hand & Flowers Cookbook will be published in September 2020.

Kerridge opened the Hand & Flowers in 2005, reinventing British dishes and becoming the first and only pub with two Michelin stars. The book will feature specially commissioned photography by Cristian Barnett.

Its synopsis states: “Celebrating 15 years of The Hand & Flowers this year, the book presents 70 of the best dishes the restaurant has ever served, including Great British Menu-winners roast hog with salt-baked potatoes and apple sauce and slow-cooked duck breast, peas, duck-fat chips and gravy. Other classics that Tom’s fans will recognise are smoked haddock omelette, salt cod Scotch egg with red pepper sauce and picante chorizo, and chocolate and ale cake with salted caramel and muscovado ice cream.”

Kerridge said: “I’m incredibly excited for this collection of dishes and recipes to be published, finally. These pages represent the journey that we have been on, from a small husband-and-wife team with a little pub in Marlow to the point where we are 15 years later, with a wonderful team of people that have walked the path with us. Couldn’t be prouder of everything that this little neighbourhood pub has achieved!”

Absolute Press founder and publisher Jon Croft added: “The Hand & Flowers Cookbook was the first book that I asked Tom to write. Then a string of his bestselling cookbooks stalled its publication. Now the book closest to Tom’s heart is gathering speed as it heads towards publication and I am thrilled that its time has come.”