White Lion lands Downton Abbey cookbook and cocktail recipes

Quarto imprint White Lion Publishing has snapped up a "Downton Abbey" cookbook and collection of cocktail recipes to coincide with a film version of the hit series.

Publisher Kerry Enzor acquired UK rights from Roger Shaw, president of Weldon Owen. The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook and The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book will be published in September when the movie hits cinemas.

The cookbook includes more than 100 recipes “that showcase the intrinsic role that food played both upstairs and downstairs in the Crawley household”. It was written by Annie Gray, a historian, cook and writer specialising in the history of food and dining. Her first book, The Greedy Queen: Eating with Victoria (Profile), was published in 2017.

There are 70 cocktail recipes in the other collection, collated by the settings in which they were drunk, spanning everyday drinks to those for special occasions, from Ginger Beer to Mint Julep and Prince of Wales Punch.

Both titles feature set photography and include forewords by "Downton Abbey" writer and creator Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame, executive producer.

Richard Green, group publisher of White Lion Publishing, said: “We are delighted to be publishing these two beautiful titles this autumn. There is huge excitement building around the release of the film and with these books, fans will also be able to bring the 'Downton Abbey' gastronomic experience into their homes, making them a unique and essential accompaniment for any 'Downton Abbey' fan.”