In the bleak Christmas following his mother's death, the young Nigel Slater sought refuge in food.

Sugar mice, pink wafers and mince pies helped him survive. So too did his Aunt Elvie who, against the wishes of his father, encouraged Nigel to cook.

Eating for England, the successor to his highly acclaimed memoir Toast, is part food memoir, part collective memory bank of a nation's taste. Using the book as source material along with further conversations with Nigel, dramatist Sarah Daniels has written a playful reimagining. A grown up Nigel - played by Julian Rhind Tutt, looks back on his childhood while caring for a now elderly, yet ever sparkling, Aunt Elvie, played by Celia Imrie.

Rich with sounds of the kitchen and recorded on location, with a cameo performance from Nigel himself.

What drives a cook to write about food? Why is there such a powerful link between memory and what we eat? And why is reading about food so irresistibly appetising?

In this opening episode, Nigel reflects on sugar mice and the bleak Christmas just after his mother's death, when Aunt Elvie helped him through.

Aunt Elvie......................Celia Imrie
Nigel Slater...................Julian Rhind Tutt
Tony..............................Adrian Scarborough
Young Nigel...................Isaac Whitmore

Dramatised by Sarah Daniels
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore

Director: Polly Thomas

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2014. Show less