Toast

TOAST is everything Nigel's mother makes in the kitchen. All other cooking attempts end with burnt tins, failed cakes and squishy vegetables. So it doesn't help that Nigel secretly studies cookbooks under the duvet. When Nigel's mother dies, the boy suddenly finds himself alone with his father. Until Mrs Potter appears, the new cleaning lady. And an exceptionally good cook. To Nigel's horror, Mrs Potter wraps her creations, especially her lemon meringue cake, around his father's finger. But Nigel learns to cook too. Cooking soon becomes the decisive weapon in his father's battle for favour, but he of all people falls by the wayside in this battle. TOAST tells the story of Nigel Slater's childhood and youth in England in the 60s and 70s. Nigel Slater is a celebrated cookbook author and TV chef in his homeland, who is put on an equal footing with Jamie Oliver. "Nigel is a bloody genius," says Jamie Oliver. Based on the autobiography of Slater (in Germany under the title: Half Portion. How I discovered my passion for cooking), Billy Elliot screenwriter Lee Hall and director SJ Clarkson created an enchanting piece of cinematic magic reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's THE FABULATORY WORLD OF AMELIE. They are supported by Freddie Highmore (CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) as Nigel Slater and the great Helena Bonham Carter (THE KINGS'S SPEECH) as Mrs. Potter. TOAST was shown with great success in the Culinary Cinema series and as part of the Berlinale Special at the Berlinale 2011. The book to the film by Nigel Slater: Half Portion - How I discovered my passion for cooking.