Jane Grigson Trust Award shortlist revealed

A food blogger, private cook and radio journalist have made the shortlist for the Jane Grigson Trust Award 2019 with judges praising the "high standard" of submissions for this year's prize. 

The £2000 Jane Grigson Trust Award, created in memory of the distinguished British food writer Jane Grigson, is made to a first-time writer of a book about food or drink which has been commissioned but has not yet been published. 

The shortlisted books are The Botanical Kitchen by Elly McCausland, The Island Kitchen by Selina Periampillai and The Ark of Taste by Dan Saladino. 

Chair of judges Geraldene Holt said: "Reading the entries for the 2019 Jane Grigson Trust Award has been an exhilarating experience. The high standard of writing across a broad range of subjects is impressive. First-time writers have made journeys of discovery to find new ingredients or new ways of cooking, or have explored the neglected cuisines of distant places. British food writing is clearly thriving and its future is very bright indeed. In considering such a wide range of work, it was difficult to choose the shortlist of three. However, the judges have decided on The Botanical Kitchen by Elly McCausland, The Island Kitchen by Selina  Periampillai and The Ark of Taste by Dan Saladino, all of which bring a distinctive voice and the spark of originality to their subjects."

Food blogger McCausland takes an in-depth look at our love affair with every part of the plant – fruits, flowers, leaves and seeds, from orchards to the tropics, tea leaves to tayberries – and shows how they enhance flavour, dramatically shifting and developing the character of a dish. (To be published by Absolute Press, March 2020). 

Private cook and recipe consultant Periampillai, who is of Mauritian descent, celebrates the vibrant, exciting and varied home cuisines of the Indian Ocean, including recipes for dishes such as Seychellois Creole Octopus Salad and Peanut Pumpkin Stew from Madagascar. (To be published by Bloomsbury, May 2019).

Radio journalist Saladino takes the reader on a journey of discovery into the world’s most endangered foods and disappearing flavours, starting with the blood oranges of his family’s Sicilian roots, in order to better understand the world and our place in it. (To be published by Jonathan Cape, Spring 2020).

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony at Quo Vadis in Soho, London on Monday 18th March.  The winner will receive a cheque for £2000 and the two runners-up will receive £100 book tokens.  All three shortlisted authors will receive copies of The Best of Jane Grigson (Grub Street).

Author and chair of the Jane Grigson Trust (JGT) Holt will be joined on the judging panel by Holt by JGT trustees Clarissa Hyman and Josceline Dimbleby, food writer William Sitwell and Quo Vadis London chef  and food writer Jeremy Lee.

Food writer and historian Angela Clutton won the 2018 Jane Grigson Trust Award for her "fascinating and unique" book The Vinegar Cupboard (Absolute Press).