Jamie's Great Britain

This book is really special to me. It has been a long time coming, but sometimes it takes a few decades of looking at other countries to realise how wonderful your own really is. I grew up in one of the first true British 'gastropubs', which my Mum and Dad still run today. For me, the heart and soul of real British cooking is food that makes you happy and puts a smile on your face. And that's what I want to share with you: the real essence of British food, done properly.

Over the years, British food culture has embraced loads of different flavours and influences from all the people who have settled here and made Great Britain their home. I hope the food in this book reflects the open-mindedness of our culture as well as the beauty of Great Britain. There are over 100 of my favourite recipes here: some are indisputable classics, some are my versions of the classics, some should be classics but just haven't been made famous yet and others I've made up by picking from the great bounty of British produce.

Writing this book has been a real labour of love and wherever you're from, if you love food, I think it will offer you a little taste of happiness.