The Belle Hotel
By Craig Melvin
The story of two Michelin star-crossed lovers set at a Brighton hotel run by three generations of one family.
Unbound Exclusives
About the book
The Belle Hotel is the story of one hollandaise and two Michelin star-crossed lovers. It is set over three generations of one family at a Brighton hotel that's the seaside hangout for actors, artists, rockstars, politicians and dirty weekenders.
The book opens on the worst day of chef Charlie Sheridan's life, the day he's about to lose the two loves of his life: the Brighton hotel his grandfather started in 1973 and his long-suffering girlfriend, Lulu. It then takes us through the next four decades, from the training of a young chef in the seventies and eighties, through the hedonistic nineties when Charlie wins and then loses his Michelin Star, to the credit crunch and the worst day of Charlie's life. We also follow the career and love life of his childhood sweetheart, Lulu, as she makes her way in the great restaurants of London; Quaglinos, The Savoy Grill and The Wolseley before being drawn back to Belle Hotel, Charlie and the catastrophic effect of family secrets.
The book contains over thirty original recipes and receipts from Belle Hotel's four decades. Think of it as three books for the price of one: a novel, a cookbook and a how-to (and how-not-to) guide to opening a hotel and restaurant.
If you've ever wanted to know what it's really like shooting for a Michelin star and you love an off-beat, bittersweet and salty love story, then this is the book for you.
"A great read" Matt Haig
"Charm, elegance and wit... a foodie One Day." The Big Book Group
