2024 marks 19 years for Ben Shewry’s Ripponlea fine-diner Attica, a restaurant whose legacy was built on imagination and creative fearlessness. It also marks the release of his second book, a memoir aptly titled Uses for Obsession. “Ultimately,” says Shewry, “this book is about using imagination and creativity to solve problems”.

Uses for Obsession is Shewry’s second book. Despite containing three recipes for Bolognese and the 10 commandments that make for a good one, Shewry insists it isn’t really about food. “It’s also about the search for the meaning in everything,” he says. “Really this book is not just about food; it is about an acute dislike of bullshit.”