Alastair Hendy

‘Bearing in mind that a word doesn’t exist to describe what he does, and in a publishing world that prefers its talent to have one definable skill, Alastair Hendy the writer-cum-cook-cum-stylist-cum-photographer-cum-designer could best be described as a human magazine..’

Neale Whitaker, editor of Vogue Living.

Voted ‘World Best Food Journalist’ and ‘World Best Food Photographer’ at the World Food Media Awards (and for two consecutive years), Alastair Hendy is a leading figure in his profession and a well-established name in the food and lifestyle world. ‘I’m a great fan of his work, both the recipes and the fantastic photography,’ says UK cookery doyenne Delia Smith. ‘And he also cooks like a dream,’ says the BBC’s Olive magazine, ‘To find one individual that excels in all areas of the food media world is not the norm. He is a rare talent.’

Alastair Hendy is acknowledged as having an all-encompassing professional expertise in all areas that make up food publishing. Sharing his combined award-winning expertise in food and recipe writing, cooking, food styling and photography is another of his passions and, if you choose to do one of our workshops, you will learn much from the course you pick.

Click here to listen to Alastair Hendy speak on Radio 4’s Four Thought programme about food waste and our loss of food culture, broadcasted November 2020.

Chef

Starting his cooking career at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant, Alastair is also a chef. In those early days, he appeared on TV’s Masterchef. At weekend lunchtimes during the summer, he now chefs at his own restaurant in Hastings High Street, A G Hendy & Co.

Food and travel photography

Shooting food and travel stories is also part of Alastair’s business. An inveterate traveler, he spends much time eating, scribbling and photographing his way around the globe – something which is reflected in his eclectic cooking style. ‘He is a passionate traveler and has a superb eye for capturing the mood of a country through detail, and working it seamlessly with local home food,’ says Neal Whitaker, editor of Vogue Living, ‘his images are exquisite, and he is the most forward-looking food stylist in the UK.’

Magazine work

Alastair has edited the food pages of Red and Livingetc magazines. For some time, he also acted as an editorial contributor to leading publication, Australian Vogue Entertaining and Travel. Alastair was the cookery writer for the Sunday Times’ Style magazine for three years and is now a regular contributor to the Mail On Sunday, Olive magazine, Italian and Australian Marie Claire, the Saturday Telegraph magazine and Martha Stewart Living: ‘It’s a Vermeer!’ Martha exclaimed, when choosing one of our Alastair’s images as the front cover of her magazine.

Author

Alastair is author of eight cookery books, notably Food From Our Travels: Asia and the British food modern classic, Home Cook.

Both Home Cook and Food & Travels Asia were listed in the Independent’s ‘50 Best Cookbooks in publication’, Alastair being the only author to have two books listed.

More recently, in May 2020, the Deputy Editor of the Financial Times, Tony Tassell, wrote in the FT that Food & Travels Asia was his number one cookbook of all time.

Sample Food & Travels Asia by clicking here

Get a taste of Home Cook by clicking here

Brand consultant

Ocean Spray, Carluccio’s and Marks & Spencer are some of the food brands that have engaged Alastair as a consultant. He is one of Marks & Spencer’s key food packaging photographers.

Television presenter and teacher

He has presented a 20-programme cookery series for television and is often asked to do food-related radio interviews and cooking demonstrations. Alastair also lectures on food-related writing and publishing, regularly co-tutoring Arvon Foundation writing courses.

Designer and retailer

Alastair lives in a converted warehouse space in Shoreditch, London, designed by himself, which has been featured in various programmes on BBC television and in many books, newspaper supplements and magazines throughout the world. His more recent interiors projects are the restoration of his various Grade ll Listed properties in Hastings, UK, including his store and restaurant A G Hendy & Co.