They are frequently overlooked in discussions of great Australian authors, but Aussie chefs and home cooks keep significant parts of book retail upright. The best-selling Australian books have been cookbooks for many years, and 2025 is proving no different.
Contemporary cookbooks have become close cousins to art and photography books in the 21st century, demanding a mix of high-level graphic design and photography skills. This began in the early 2000s when a wave of new celebrity chefs from the UK (Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay) triggered a surge in food publishing.Â
