The Tate Cookbook

The Tate Gallery Restaurant was opened in 1972 in the beautiful room decorated by Rex Whistler with the legendary murals The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats. For over twenty years visitors to the Gallery have enjoyed the best of English and international cooking in these unique surroundings, and have sampled wines from its famous cellar. The Tate Cookbook is a celebration of the most popular dishes served in that period, which ended with the retirement of head chef Michael Driver in 1996.
Visitors in the early years came to enjoy traditional English fare, including Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding and Steak and Kidney Pie. Historic dishes like Veal Kidneys Florentine were adapted for modern tastes, and the later trend towards international cooking was reflected in, for example, Monkfish and Avocado Roulade with Chilli Salsa. Puddings included Poached Pear with Stilton and Walnut Stuffing, Old English Sherry Trifle and a wonderfully rich Eight Layer Chocolate Torte.
Following numerous requests from the public, The Tate Cookbook makes these popular recipes available for the home cook for the first time, illustrated with the finest images of food and festivity from the Tate collection.