Andre Simon Memorial Funds Awards

André Simon 2023 Shortlist Announced

Shortlist Awards 2023

The trustees for the André Simon Food and Drink Awards are delighted to announce the shortlist for 2023, the 45th year of the prestigious awards. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 29 April 2024

Each year, the André Simon trustees are guided by two independent assessors. This year's food assessor is Asma Khan, one of the UK's most prominent female chefs and the founder of the acclaimed Darjeeling Express, run by an all-female kitchen team. Award-winning author Dave Broom is this year's drink assessor. Dave won the André Simon John Avery Award for his book The Way of Whisky in 2018. His latest book A Sense of Place was named one of the Top Six Drinks Books of 2022 by The New York Times.


The shortlisted food books for 2023 are:
  • Brutto: A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook by Russell Norman, Ebury Press
  • Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking by Emiko Davies, Smith Street Books
  • The Korean Cookbook by Junghyun Park & Jungyoon Choi, Phaidon Press
  • Of Cabbages and Kimchi: A Practical Guide to the World of Fermented Food by James Read, Particular Books
  • Ravenous: How to Get Ourselves and Our Planet into Shape by Henry Dimbleby with Jemima Lewis, Profile Books
  • Rintaro: Food and Stories from an Izakaya in California by Sylvan Mishima Brackett with Jessica Battilana, Hardie Grant
  • What's Cooking in the Kremlin: A Modern History of Russia Through the Kitchen Door by Witold Szablowski, Icon Books


The shortlisted drink books for 2023 are:
  • How to Drink Australian: An Essential Modern Wine Book by Jane Lopes & Jonathan Ross, Murdoch Books
  • The New French Wine: Redefining the World's Greatest Wine Culture by Jon Bonné, Ten Speed Press
  • Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More by Danny Childs, Hardie Grant
  • Vines in a Cold Climate: The People Behind the English Wine Revolution by Henry Jeffreys, Allen & Unwin (Atlantic)


2023 Assessors

2023 Food Assessor Asma Khan. Azma Kahn "Trying to pick a shortlist for the André Simon awards from the wide range of cookbooks submitted this year has been a real challenge! I got to immerse myself in some amazing food stories. I learnt about different cuisines, unusual cooking techniques, fermenting and the value of nostalgia and memory in cooking. A lot of effort, blood, sweat and tears go into producing a cookbook and even though we had to pick just a few for the shortlist, every cookbook submitted to the awards is a winner. It was an honour to read them."
Image courtesy of Ursula Soltys

2023 Drink Assessor Dave Broom. Dave Broom "This was a strong year, notable for the number of books which took as their theme the state of a nation. With such big concepts, whittling it down was a tough assignment. I learned about the revitalisation of French wine, of the continuing evolution of Australia's wines, and was granted a look at the mechanics of how to start a country's wine industry (in this case, England's). Then there was a practical guide to foraging, fermenting, and creating great cocktails. As a writer, I appreciate the effort that goes into writing and producing a book. My congratulations to all who entered. It was a joy to read your words."
Image courtesy of Grant Anderson