In contrast to the vast profusion of recipe books on the shelves, there are very few books written about restaurants themselves. Christel Lane is a Cambridge Professor of Economic Sociology who has written an in-depth book about the fine-dining scene of Britain and Germany (two similar sized countries, neither with much inherent fine-dining culture until recent years). She has conducted 40 in-depth interviews with Michelin starred chefs in both countries, and is able to draw on a rich vein of data from these as she discusses the pressures that chefs face and what motivates them, the economics of the fine-dining sector, the role of front-of house staff and suppliers, and the social and other factors driving high end cooking. Although the author is from an academic background, the book is easy to read and contains a wealth of interesting information and anecdotes about the restaurant scene. Her fluent writing style is combined with proper research, a refreshing change from much of what passes for journalism about the restaurant industry in the UK. The insights from chefs, and even from a separate interview of regular diners, are often enlightening, and I liked the way that she has noted outlying points of view expressed but always put these into a broader context . Anyone interested in the restaurant industry should read this book.
