Giffords Circus Cookbook
Winner of the Guild of Food Writers General Cookbook Award 2021
"One of the most memorable and enjoyable restaurants imaginable." – Gastronomica
"Utterly brilliant, fun, uplifting show." – Dara O'Briain
"Absolutely beautiful and fun and heart-stopping. See this!" – Dawn French
Giffords Circus has been touring the south of England every summer since 2000. It is a traditional village circus with a uniquely British flavour, blended with extraordinary acts from all over the world. Their restaurant Circus Sauce is headed by chef Ols Halas and seats circus goers in a beautifully decorated tent on site. They offer a new menu every week and use seasonal and local produce from the surrounding area. They serve freshly baked bread, roast chicken and truffle suet pudding, smoked ham hock in pastry, dressed crab with samphire, queen of puddings, mounds of Eton mess, and lots more, with some guests returning several times in the summer to experience a new menu within familiar surroundings.
This extraordinary book is a celebration of the food that brings the circus and its audience together, alongside the story of the circus itself and its vibrant community. Full of colour, personalities, stories and images of the circus and its slow journey through the English summer countryside, the book's 100 recipes are nothing but delicious, joyful and hearty.
Nell Gifford grew up in Oxfordshire, spent her gap year in America and participated in her first circus there. She went to university at Oxford, doing more stints in circuses along the way. After graduating, she built a 1930s-style circus from scratch in 2000 with her husband Toti. They turned a dilapidated wagon into their home, launched Giffords Circus, and it is now about to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
The on-site restaurant, Circus Sauce, is run by head chef Ols Halas. Ols joined the circus in 2013, after stints in a ski resort and various pub and restaurant kitchens. Every day at Giffords, he and his team serve dinner to guests in a vaudevillian circus tent. The menu changes weekly, inspired by the local produce, and the restaurant is visited by celebrities and repeat customers all through the circus tour.