Initially a reluctant television cook,
Nigel has now presented four prime-time series for BBC1, a BBC4 documentary and a film of
his memoir
Toast. His weekly cookery show regularly reaches over 3 million
viewers. A new series for BBC1 is currently in production.
Twelve Tastes of Christmas (BBC1 2012)
Director Sarah Myland, Food Producer James Thompson,
Lighting Cameraman Richard Hill, Series Producer Michelle Crowley.
Two half hour programmes for BBC1 in which we explore twelve tastes associated with Christmas, from marzipan and nuts to ginger and the Christmas goose. The story also follows Nigel's trip to Norway to choose the tree for Trafalgar Square. First shown on Friday December 14 and 21st at 7.30.
Dish of the Day (BBC1 2012) Director Sarah Myland, Food Producer James Thompson,
Lighting Cameraman Richard Hill, Series Producer Michelle Crowley. A new, fourth series for BBC1,
Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day, started on Friday 12th October at 7.30pm and ran for eight weeks. The series was repeated on Sundays at 5.30pm. Many of the recipes are in Kitchen Diaries Vol ii.
Simple Cooking (BBC1, 2011, 2012) Director Sarah Myland, Food Producer James Thompson,
Lighting Cameraman Richard Hill, Series Producer Jen Fazey. Nigel is a home cook, not a chef, as the simple, understated cooking in this series shows. A series of eight programs first shown in Autumn 2011 on BBC1. Most of the recipes are available in The Kitchen Diaries and Tender Vol 1 and 2, available from the books section of this site. A second series for 2012 is currently in production.
Simple Suppers(BBC1, 2009, 2010) Director Simon Kerfoot, Lighting Cameraman Richard Hill, Series Producer Jen Fazey. This is quick, simple food that is within the capabilities of even the most inexperienced cook. Each programme takes us through a week's worth of simple suppers which explore the idea of cooking with our appetites rather than rigidly following written recipes word for word. This is seriously relaxed cooking filmed in Nigel's own garden and on friends' allotments. Series 1 was first shown on BBC1 in Autumn 2009. Series 2 was first shown on BBC1 in Autumn 2010.Simple Suppers won the Guild Of Food Writers Television Programme of the Year 2010 and Nigel has been named as the Good Housekeeping Food Awards Television Cook of the Year.
Films and Documentaries
Life is Sweets(BBC4 2012)
Director Mark Adderley.
BBC4 documentary. First shown November 2012. The magical,
nostalgic story of sweets and chocolate as told through the presenter's
life became one of highest rating documentaries in BBC4's history.
Toast (Ruby Films, BBC Films 2010)
Director SJ Clarkson, Executive Producer Alison Owen. A ninety-minute film of Nigel's award-winning autobiographical novel Toast by Ruby Films for BBC1. The film, shot in various locations in the Midlands is directed by SJ Clarkson (Life on Mars, Mistresses, Whitechapel) and stars Helena Bonham-Carter in the role of Mrs Potter. The screenplay is by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and the cast list includes Ken Stott as Nigel's father, Victoria Hamilton as his mother and Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland) as the teenage Nigel. The cast also includes Ben Aldridge, Matthew McNulty and Oscar Kennedy as the young Nigel. Toast was shown BBC1 at 9.00pm on Thursday 30th December 2010 attracting 6.2m viewers and was shown at Berlin Film Festival 2011. The film will be shown throughout the US in Autumn 2011 and at the Taipei Film Festival. The DVD is now available. Click here to buy Television
Archive
A Taste of My Life
(BBC2, Series 1 2006, Series 2 2007, Series 3 2008)
The story of what we cook and eat is in itself a form of autobiography. A Taste of my Life is three series of ten programmes made for BBC television that has allowed writers, actors and entertainers to tell their story through the medium of food. Produced and directed by Mark Adderley of Doghouse Films and based on the idea behind Nigel's autobiography Toast, the first series ran in Autumn 2006, the second in Spring 2007 and the third in Spring 2008. Guests have included the writers Alan Bennett and Meera Syal, the film director Richard E Grant, actors Vanessa Redgrave, Miranda Richardson, Brenda Blethyn, John Hurt, Timothy Spall, Sue Johnston, Liz Smith, Tamsin Grieg, Alex Kingston, Richard Briers, Max Beesley, Julia Sawalha, Keith Allen, John Barrowman, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Jane Horrocks, Angela Griffin, Thandie Newton, comedians Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jo Brand and Lenny Henry, Satirist Rory Bremner, cookery writer Nigella Lawson and the journalist and broadcaster Janet Street Porter.
Taste of My Life website: www.doghouse-media.co.uk
Real Food
(Ch 4, 1998. Series 1 Available on 4oD at www.channel4.com)
Nigel's first television series Real Food was first shown on Channel 4 in 1998 and was produced by Frances Whitaker for Kudos Productions. The eight programmes featured guest cook Nigella Lawson and covered eight of Nigel's favourite passions from Ice Cream to Chocolate. They are regularly repeated. The book Nigel Slater's Real Food accompanies the series.
Nigel has also appeared on Gardener's World BBC2 (2011), Grumpy Old Men, BBC2, 2006, 2007; Eating With Nigel Slater, BBC 2, 2006, How Britain Got the Gardening Bug, BBC4, 2009
Radio
Nigel has appeared on Desert Island Discs, Gardener's Question Time, Front Row, The Food Programme and
was a regular panelist on the Radio 4 series Curious Cooks. His autobiography
Toast - the Story of a Boy's Hunger was serialised on Radio 4's Book of the Week.
