A Life in Food: The Story Behind Our Cookbook

From family favourites to much-loved signature dishes, food has always been at the heart of Red Carnation Hotels. Our new cookbook, A Life in Food, brings together the recipes and stories that have travelled from the Tollman family table to our hotel dining rooms, and can now become part of life in your own kitchen.Created by Vicki and Brett Tollman, the book is a heartfelt tribute to their parents, Beatrice and Stanley Tollman, whose love of food and generous hospitality helped shape the collection guests know today.Beatrice and Stanley Tollman - Foodies at HeartA family’s love of foodFor Beatrice and Stanley, a good meal brought people together. Their happiest moments were often shared around a table, welcoming family and friends, exchanging stories and enjoying dishes they loved.Their travels introduced them to new flavours, ingredients and ways of cooking. Recipes were discovered, perfected and shared, becoming treasured favourites in the family home. As their hotel collection grew, many of those dishes found a place on our menus, bringing that same personal approach to the experience of our guests.A Life in Food gathers these recipes alongside the memories behind them, reflecting the warmth, curiosity and passion that Beatrice and Stanley brought to their lives and their hotels.Familiar favourites across our collectionFrom the UK and Ireland to Geneva and South Africa, many of the recipes in the book have been served as signature dishes at Red Carnation Hotels over the years. They have become guest favourites, associated with memorable stays, family celebrations and the pleasure of returning to a familiar table.Today, our Executive Chefs and their teams continue to prepare many of these dishes across the collection. Each connects the individual character of our hotels with the family traditions that unite them: care in the kitchen, generosity at the table and the pleasure of making people feel welcome.For guests who already have a favourite, the book offers an opportunity to learn its story. For those yet to try the dishes, its pages provide an introduction to the food and people behind our menus.Dover sole, one of the much-loved dishes featured in A Life in Food.Bringing a little of your stay homeA memorable meal can remain with you long after a holiday ends. A Life in Food invites you to return to those flavours at home, recreating dishes enjoyed during your stay and sharing them with the people around your own table.The recipes offer a connection between time spent in our hotels and everyday life at home. A dish first enjoyed on your travels might become a favourite for a family lunch, a dinner with friends or a celebration of your own.As Vicki and Brett hope, these recipes will bring as much happiness to other homes as they have to theirs.Supporting our next generation of chefsThe cookbook also invests in the future of food at Red Carnation Hotels. Proceeds from its sales will go towards the Red Carnation Chef Fund, supporting the development of the next generation of chefs within our culinary teams.Every purchase will help carry Beatrice and Stanley’s passion forward, supporting the people who will create memorable dining experiences for our guests in the years to come.Your own copy of A Life in FoodTo order your own copy of A Life in Food, priced at £30, complete our order enquiry form and our team will be in touch directly to discuss your order.We hope these recipes bring as much happiness to your table as they have to ours. Take a look at some of the dishes featured in A Life in Food below.

A Life in Food: From Our Family Table to Yours