A collection of his best and tastiest food writing with a foreword by Hunter Davies.

Michael Bateman was without doubt the father of modern food journalism; he began writing about food during the 1960s, when the average British culinary experience was limited to fish and chips, it was a subject national newspapers scarcely bothered with. He started writing about food on the features pages of The Sunday Times and was the first journalist to write detailed exposés on issues such as food additives.

His wit, humour, erudition and passion for his subject poured off the pages week after week as he researched his articles, often disappearing for days if not weeks to cover every possible angle and talking to every expert. He became editor of the Lifespan section of the magazine, commissioning articles about food, health and lifestyle, through which, in 1982, he launched a national campaign for Real Bread.

Michael moved to the Sunday Express magazine as food editor in 1981, eventually becoming deputy editor where he nurtured young food writers such as Sophie Grigson and Oz Clarke, before finally moving on to become food editor of the Independent on Sunday magazine, from the paper's inception in 1989 until his untimely death in 2006.

Michael Bateman's pioneering writings about food, made him one of the most eminent and admired of food writers and in 2000, his contribution to the field was recognised when he won the prestigious Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year award.

Reviews

Witty, erudite and brilliantly researched, this is some of the finest food journalism you are likely to read. Some of the articles are so well written, it almost makes me want to hang up my quill and weep into my napkin Bristol Evening Post

This collection is one of those delightful books that need not be read straight throught from cover to cover, but according to your whim. If you want to discover his opinon on ready-cooked meals then go to the chapter entitled Snob Appeal on a Plate. If, on the other hand, you have often wondered how a food critic can eat like a king, yet still address the plight of the hungry, go to the chapter headed Gourmet with a Conscience. And if you want to know why he became so impressed with Sophie Grigson's modern approach to cookery and her emphasis on freshness, flavour and texture, go to Sophie's Choice. You will not be disappointed. This is a book that no foodie should ignore Oxford Times

A collection of acticles by the late Michael Bateman is highly welcome. A Delicious Way to Earn a Living reminds us of his vitality. His topics in these pieces in the 1970s and 1980s include English mustard, hollandaise sauce and cat food. Among many highlights is a 12-page chat with Elizabeth David, who notes that 'wrapping a bottle of wine in several sheets of dampened newspaper' keeps it 'cool as a cucumber'The Independent

Bateman was perhaps the most consistently entertaining and informative food writer in Britain. This collection of his journalism gives a flavour of his impressive range. He was equally at home writing in-repth interviews ... analysing food additives and branded goods (there's a terrific account of the Heinz baked bean factory), commenting wryly on the "cappuccino craze" or campaigning for real chickens and real bread. Wherever you dip in there are unexpected treats. The Sunday Times

He was very outspoken, a no-nonsense food writer, who liked substance rather than design. He had the respect of everyone Raymond Blanc