Russell Norman is an author, restaurateur and broadcaster. He is the founder of the award-winning restaurant BRUTTO in London and co-founder of the POLPO group of restaurants and SPUNTINO restaurant and bar. His first book "POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts)" won the inaugural Waterstones Book of the Year prize in 2012. His second book "SPUNTINO: Comfort Food, New York Style" was published in September 2015 and won the Guild of Food Writers Award in the Food and Travel category. In 2014 he presented The Restaurant Man, a six-part prime-time documentary for BBC2. He is a contributing editor at Esquire Magazine. His third book, "VENICE: Four Seasons of Home Cooking" saw him return to the city of his original inspiration to immerse himself in the food culture of genuine Venetian residents. Russell spent 14 months in a humble flat in the Castello district, shopping, cooking and writing through four seasons. He said of the experience: "I exiled myself in the world's most beautiful city for over a year in order to learn to cook like a 90 year-old Venetian granny." His most recent publication “BRUTTO: A Simple Florentine Cookbook” charts the creation of the smash-hit trattoria of the same name in London, winner of two Michelin Bib Gourmands, and showcases 130 authentic and exciting recipes from Florence and Tuscany.