Profile Books wins five-way auction for Benton's 'culinary journey across Britain'

Profile Books has snapped up Peckish by chef and food writer Ben Benton in a five-way auction.

Nick Humphrey, editorial director, and Jon Petre, assistant editor, jointly acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Jack Fogg at Dunn Fogg. It will publish in May 2025.

The book is a "culinary journey across Britain" and the synopsis says: "British food is usually seen as a dire affair — if people think of it at all, they picture fish and chips, tea and cakes, stiff sandwiches and limp vegetables. But the truth is that British food today is one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cuisines... Peckish is a delectable tour celebrating the extraordinary variety of cultures and people in Britain today, a moreish adventure that offers a chef’s perspective on how to find and cook delicious food where you live."

Petre said: "It’s never been a more exciting time for British food writing, and I’m thrilled that we’ll be leading the charge with Peckish. Ben Benton is an exceptional writer and chef, and his connections in the UK food scene and knowledge of our best producers make for a mouthwatering tour of the best British cuisine. What’s most exciting about Peckish is its variety, touching as much on the best masala pizza in the Midlands as on traditional British cooking. It will make a brilliant addition to Profile’s food list — a stream of restaurant tips, cooking hacks and takeaway ideas beckon."

Benton added: "It has long rankled that both from abroad and from within, British cuisine is much maligned. As I sit here, a cook, writer and avid traveller of the British Isles, even I find it hard to resist the stereotypes, our national cuisine reduced to little more than a few regional highlights: fish and chips, chicken tikka masala, Yorkshire pudding and a quaint fondness for tea and cakes. So it is with great glee that with Peckish I will have the chance to see for myself and tackle some of this nonsense head on."