After Dinner Speakers: Alistair Little, Norman Cook, Mike Brearley

He may be self-taught, but Alistair Little's cookery has been a major catalyst in the evolution of modern British cuisine. As a boy, Alastair travel widely across Europe because his father was a naval officer. It was his travels that ignited his passion for food. Unusually though, he didn't study cooking formally, preferring to read archaeology at Cambridge. After university, he returned to the kitchen and learned his trade at the Zanzibar wine bar. He became head chef at L'Escargot and the legendary 192 Kensington Park Road, before setting up his own eponymous restaurant in Soho in 1985. This soon became known as one of the great London eateries. In 1995, he set up a second restaurant in west London, also called Alastair Little. He now divides his time between his restaurants, teaching cookery in Italy and appearing on television shows such as Ready, Steady, Cook and MasterChef. He has also written a number of books reflecting his personal style, including Soho Cookng and Alastair Little's Italian Kitchen.