By Jamie Drummond
Seen by many as being Canada’s quintessential food writer, James Chatto has been entertaining readers with his personal brand of eloquent erudition since the late 1980’s. What sets his work apart from the writings of so many of the other foodster wordslingers is a sense of genuine warmth and humility which shines through each paragraph of his polished prose. Chatto also manages to avoid any sense of the magniloquent, a trapping that one could easily mistake for being inherent to the food writing profession.
I had been looking to interview James for quite some time, but what with his plate always being full (bad pun intended) our stars never did seem to align. Eventually, through good old-fashioned perseverance, Good Food Revolution managed to secure a timeslot with “The Man Who Ate Toronto.”
As witty and charming in the flesh as he is on the page, Ladies and Gentlemen of The Good Food Revolution, we bring you Mr. James Chatto…
As well as writing/editing for an wide array of publications James currently operates one of the most interesting blogs out there : www.jameschatto.com
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… and he has to admit that he found James’ book The Man Who Ate Toronto a thoroughly fascinating read. If you are any way interested in the history of the Toronto dining scene from the 1980’s until the present day you just have to pick this up. Were you aware that Joanne Kates had worked in the kitchens of the Windsor Arms? or that Winemaker Norman Hardie once had a penchant for Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc? Nope, neither did I!
