André Simon 2025 Longlist Announced
This year's longlisted food books reflect the extraordinary breadth of contemporary food writing, combining personal storytelling with cultural insight and deep research. Together, they take readers on a truly global journey, from Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico to India, Morocco and Eastern Europe, exploring home kitchens, family traditions and the forces that shape how and why we eat today. The drink books offer an equally compelling range, charting drinking cultures past and present. From beer in Ireland and the evolving world of sustainable wine, to deep dives into whisky, tequila and mezcal, as well as focused studies of Beaujolais, California and Lebanon, these titles capture the diversity, history and craftsmanship behind what we drink, and how those traditions continue to change.
The shortlist will be announced in January and the awards will take place in February. Each year the entries are whittled down to two main winners: one for food and one for drink. Two further awards, the John Avery Award, in honour of a former trustee, and the Special Commendation Award are given at the discretion of the trustees.
The longlisted food books for 2025 are:
- All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now by Ruby Tandoh, Profile Books
- Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria by Ozoz Sokoh, Artisan
- FUSÃO: Untraditional Recipes Inspired by Brasil by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Books (Penguin Random House)
- How the World Eats: Where Our Food Comes From and Why It Matters by Julian Baggini, Granta
- Indian Kitchens: Treasured Family Recipes from Across the Land by Roopa Gulati, Bloomsbury Publishing
- Kapusta: Vegetable-Forward Recipes from Eastern Europe by Alissa Timoshkina, Quadrille
- La Mesa Mexicana by Rosa Cienfuegos, Smith Street Books
- Lugma: Abundant Dishes and Stories from My Middle East by Noor Murad, Quadrille
- Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking by Richard Hart, Hardie Grant Books
- The Heart Shaped Tin: Love, Loss, and Kitchen Objects by Bee Wilson, Fourth Estate
- The Irish Kitchen by Cherie Denham & Andrew Montgomery, Montgomery Press
- The Moroccan Cookbook by Ghillie Basan, Lorenz Books
- The Science of Fermentation by Robin Sherriff, DK
- Yatra: A Culinary Journey Across India by Rohit Ghai, Nourish
The longlisted drink books for 2025 are:
- Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland by Dr Christina Wade, Nine Bean Rows
- Rooted In Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine by Jane Masters MW & Andrew Neather, Académie du Vin Library
- Tequila, Mezcal & More by Anna Bruce, Octopus Publishing Group
- The Story of Whisky by Charles MacLean & Gavin D Smith, Pavilion
- The Whiskey Bible by Noah Rothbaum, Workman
- The Wines of Beaujolais by Natasha Hughes MW, Académie du Vin Library
- The Wines of California by Elaine Chukan Brown, Académie du Vin Library
- Wines of Lebanon: The Journey Continues by Michael Karam, Librairie Antoine
Food Assessor Rowley Leigh
Rowley was a chef for 40 years, working for the Roux brothers and then one of the founding partners of the ground-breaking Kensington Place and subsequently at Le Café Anglais in Bayswater. He has written two cookery books, No Place Like Home and A Long and Messy Business.
Drink Assessor Alice Lascelles
Alice is a contributing editor at the Financial Times and writes the drinks column for the FT's HTSI magazine. She is the author of three books including the best-selling The Martini: The Ultimate Guide to a Cocktail Icon which was named 2024 BBC Food Programme Drinks Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the 2024 André Simon Awards.
Nicholas Lander, Chair André Simon Food & Drink Book Awards