Ebury Press wins chef, farmer and activist Roberts’ debut in three-way auction
Ebury Press has won a three-way auction for The Farm Table by Julius Roberts, a TV and social media chef, farmer and activist known for his channel 5 show “A Taste of the Country”.
Publishing director Lizzy Gray acquired world all language rights from Alice Russell at The Found, for publication in autumn 2023.
The publisher’s synopsis reads: “Noble Rot-trained chef Julius moved to his Dorset small-holding in 2020 where he rears sheep, chickens, goats and grows his own produce. He creates rustic, pared-back dishes inspired by his surroundings and the seasons.
“Julius’ first book, The Farm Table, is the cook and grower’s hyper-seasonal journey over one year. Photographed by Elena Heatherwick and styled by the author, The Farm Table weaves together delicious food with honest tales from his smallholding, along with practical advice on how to grow vegetables, and cook always with the seasons in mind – all set against the beautiful backdrop of the Dorset countryside and coast, which has captivated his legion of followers and influential fans.”
Roberts said: “I have been an avid reader of cookery books all my life, stealing them from my parents’ kitchen at a very young age and reading them through the night. So to be publishing my own is an incredible feeling – let alone to be doing it with some of the very best publishers in the business, it’s a bit of a dream come true. For me the one rule of cooking is to eat seasonally. So the book is set across the year, telling the story of the farm and the seasons, the hard work and weather, interwoven with delicious recipes made with homegrown produce from the garden and local farm shops.
“My cooking is colourful, bursting with flavour, but at its heart incredibly simple and highly achievable for anyone at home. I hope it really inspires people to connect with nature; to eat seasonally and to find joy and confidence in the kitchen – and perhaps even in the vegetable garden too.”
Gray commented: “Julius is an immensely talented and exciting new voice in nonfiction. The Ebury Press team and I fell in love with Julius’ outstanding food, the farm, the animals and his gorgeous dogs, Loki and Zephyr. This is farm-to-table food writing at its sublime best. We are hugely proud to be Julius’ publishing home and to be launching The Farm Table as a landmark autumn 2023 book.”
