Author Caleb Botton has been nominated for the Jane Grigson Trust's Sous Chef Award for New Food and Drink Writers 2026 for his upcoming book Fire & Feast: Stories and Recipes from the Gypsy Table. The nomination recognizes his work in chronicling British Romany Gypsy and Traveller culture through food. The book is scheduled for publication by Ebury Press in April 2026.
Caleb Botton, from a prominent Romanichal family related to boxer Tyson Fury and bare-knuckle champion Bartley Gorman, is developing Fire & Feast: Stories and Recipes from the Gypsy Table. The book blends cultural storytelling with recipes, aiming to highlight the often-overlooked heritage of British Romany Gypsies and Travellers. As Botton explained in an interview, “Fire & Feast is cultural story telling conveyed through the medium of food. It chronicles the marginalised and overlooked culture of British Romany Gypsies and Travellers with the honesty and humanity it deserves.”
Botton's journey to authorship began after leaving school at age 12 following a family death, which forced him to work. He later returned to education as an adult, addressing his dyslexia through a course that enabled him to earn a degree from a London university. This paved the way for a career as a screenwriter, filmmaker, and lecturer. Inspiration struck during a trip near Bali, where he observed an elderly woman cooking over an open flame, evoking memories of his grandmother preparing meals. “I watched an old woman crouch down on a dirt street making food over an open flame. She threw in greens, spices and created an aromatic delight. It reminded me of my own grandmother, preparing our meals over the fire,” Botton recalled.
The author emphasizes the practical roots of Traveller cuisine. “People think Traveller’s food is wild, exotic and secret. But really, it’s practical, local and fresh. It was formed by necessity and survival and borrows shamelessly from what’s around,” he said. At its core, he noted, “At the very centre of the Gypsy world, is ‘family’. You cook for your loved ones. You cook with passion. You cook with the knowledge that you are continuing an extraordinary legacy.”
Botton views his project as a significant contribution to food literature. “Romany cuisine has never been given the thoughtful, literary or the historically grounded representation it deserves,” he stated, adding that it serves as “part history, part memoir and rooted in remembrance, it’s testimony of how people move, endure, and survive.” The winner of the award will be announced at Quo Vadis on March 17, 2026.
