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Glutton: The Multi-Course Life of a Very Greedy Boy
The hilarious memoir from comedian, Off Menu host and Great British Menu judge, Ed Gamble.
From a young age, Ed Gamble's immaculate bibs and extremely dirty nappies hinted at his capacious appetite. Before he could walk, Ed already knew that he preferred poached salmon to puree, that celery was a calorie-sapping waste of time, and that mashed potatoes should be made with lashings of butter.
Whilst he might ordinarily have been upset by the calls of 'precocious little sh*t' coming from his family, he was too busy stuffing his gob and staging rebellions against the patronising list of misery that is a children's menu.
In Glutton, Ed shares a relatable buffet of experiences and stories from a life lived through food. From the trials of being a diabetic with a sweet tooth to his teenage battles with obesity, to the joy of cooking and the power of food to bring us together, this is a wonderful, hilarious and heart-warming memoir of a delightful obsession.
From a young age, Ed Gamble's immaculate bibs and extremely dirty nappies hinted at his capacious appetite. Before he could walk, Ed already knew that he preferred poached salmon to puree, that celery was a calorie-sapping waste of time, and that mashed potatoes should be made with lashings of butter.
Whilst he might ordinarily have been upset by the calls of 'precocious little sh*t' coming from his family, he was too busy stuffing his gob and staging rebellions against the patronising list of misery that is a children's menu.
In Glutton, Ed shares a relatable buffet of experiences and stories from a life lived through food. From the trials of being a diabetic with a sweet tooth to his teenage battles with obesity, to the joy of cooking and the power of food to bring us together, this is a wonderful, hilarious and heart-warming memoir of a delightful obsession.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2023
152 people are currently reading
1114 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
October 30, 2023
A fun read from one of my top 10 favorite diabetic comedians! He's British, he loves food, he used to be a big boy, now he's a regular sized boy, and he still loves food!
You may know Ed Gamble as a Taskmaster champ, the Off Menu podcast cohost, a House of Games champ, a Taskmaster Champion of Champions loser (I mean, he really ate a dick), and other stuff!
I'm a fan. This book is solid. If you like Ed, you'll like this book. If you like British comedy, you might like this book. If you like Nish Kumar, you're all right in my book. He's in it, too! In fact, his conversation with Ed at the end of the audiobook is worth the price alone!
You may know Ed Gamble as a Taskmaster champ, the Off Menu podcast cohost, a House of Games champ, a Taskmaster Champion of Champions loser (I mean, he really ate a dick), and other stuff!
I'm a fan. This book is solid. If you like Ed, you'll like this book. If you like British comedy, you might like this book. If you like Nish Kumar, you're all right in my book. He's in it, too! In fact, his conversation with Ed at the end of the audiobook is worth the price alone!
August 2, 2024
Wanted to like this a lot more than I did. Love the Off Menu podcast & it often makes me laugh out loud. I was expecting more of these audible laughing moments, sadly this was not the case.
December 27, 2023
Very easy and affable read - reading it felt exactly like listening to a podcast, and I'm not entirely sure what I mean by that metaphor but I'd stand by it.
January 26, 2024
Did not finish. Read 3 chapters or so and now like him much less than I did when I started reading it. Not at all relatable and feels very performative.
February 12, 2025
If this book does not make you think about food and promoltly make you grab a snack(mine was a few digestives with a cup of tea in case you were wondering) we can't be friends !
Ed Gamble is one of my all time fave comedians and off menu podcast is hilarious! Soo I could not wait to read his 'autobiography'.
Whilst the book does not tell you much about Ed himself , I really enjoyed it! It's basically Ed love letter to food,dining and everything in between!
Ed Gamble is one of my all time fave comedians and off menu podcast is hilarious! Soo I could not wait to read his 'autobiography'.
Whilst the book does not tell you much about Ed himself , I really enjoyed it! It's basically Ed love letter to food,dining and everything in between!
November 7, 2023
3.5 stars!
I like Ed, both his stand up comedy and the Off Menu podcast really appeal to me, but this book felt a little bit performative/surface level. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think any author owes their readers some deep unprocessed trauma, and I understand the aim was to write a fairly lighthearted book about food, but it lacked a lot of grounding and often felt like a series of tangents that never quite got back to the point rather than a coherent work.
Still very enjoyable with some great hilarious moments, and I loved the chat between Nish and Ed at the end of the audiobook.
I like Ed, both his stand up comedy and the Off Menu podcast really appeal to me, but this book felt a little bit performative/surface level. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think any author owes their readers some deep unprocessed trauma, and I understand the aim was to write a fairly lighthearted book about food, but it lacked a lot of grounding and often felt like a series of tangents that never quite got back to the point rather than a coherent work.
Still very enjoyable with some great hilarious moments, and I loved the chat between Nish and Ed at the end of the audiobook.
October 10, 2023
I don’t consider myself a foodie, in fact, I’m probably Ed’s worst nightmare (a fussy fueller) but I loved this book!
A genuinely funny memoir about how Ed’s life revolves entirely around food. Grabbed a copy at the Cheltenham Festival and ate the whole thing up in a day and a half.
Would recommend getting some snacks in before you start - and some flammable cocktails too�
A genuinely funny memoir about how Ed’s life revolves entirely around food. Grabbed a copy at the Cheltenham Festival and ate the whole thing up in a day and a half.
Would recommend getting some snacks in before you start - and some flammable cocktails too�
November 20, 2023
This was so lovely and easy to listen to. Ed Gamble is obviously really funny and his narration, with the little extra audio details, made for a great memoir.
June 29, 2024
This is Comedian and host of the brilliant Taskmaster podcast and co-host of Off Menu: Ed Gamble's memoir, looking back at his life through food, but it's not just his eating habits and the food he loves that he shares, he does share details of his life, mostly surrounding food.
I really enjoyed this audiobook, all the additional bits really added to the atmosphere of Ed's life story to date, it was as you'd expect, hilarious, food centric and made me feel very hungry whilst listening to it, haha.
Having been a fan of Ed Gamble's since first seeing Almost Royal on TV, to following his comedy career and move into podcasts and television, it was an absolute delight to listen to this book.
Very entertaining, even when talking about his diabetes, but also quite reflective and honest, in how his approach to comedy and his diabetes has changed over time as he's grown and taken on others feedback.
Highly recommend the audio version of this book especially, to get the full experience.
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I really enjoyed this audiobook, all the additional bits really added to the atmosphere of Ed's life story to date, it was as you'd expect, hilarious, food centric and made me feel very hungry whilst listening to it, haha.
Having been a fan of Ed Gamble's since first seeing Almost Royal on TV, to following his comedy career and move into podcasts and television, it was an absolute delight to listen to this book.
Very entertaining, even when talking about his diabetes, but also quite reflective and honest, in how his approach to comedy and his diabetes has changed over time as he's grown and taken on others feedback.
Highly recommend the audio version of this book especially, to get the full experience.
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January 10, 2024
Love Ed, love food. However, around 70% of this book was him going off on a comedic tangent and although it was funny, there wasn’t a whole lot of substance.
February 2, 2024
Desperately wanted to love this :(
April 7, 2024
If you've nothing nice to say, say nothing at all as the saying goes. If you've not lived enough life, don't write an autobiography...
I'm such an Off Menu fan, but this was underwhelming.
I'm such an Off Menu fan, but this was underwhelming.
January 29, 2024
I always like a good food memoir. I love anything food wise, cooking, eating, restaurants, cooking shows and also reading about other food fanatics. Last year I read Stanley Tucci’s memoir and I loved it. When I saw that a judge in my fav tv series (great british menu) wrote a food memoir I knew I wanted to read it. The book is highly entertaining and funny. The writing and story line could have been better but even so really enjoyed it!
August 1, 2024
Very funny, but also interesting and tightly written. Somehow, impressively, manages to connect aspects of his life that are absolutely not about food to food. Also, it’s so nice to read about someone with a lifelong experience of various food-centred medical issues talk so positively and joyfully about food :)
May 11, 2024
rlly funny :)
March 23, 2025
3.5/5 - a quick, easy, mostly light and very funny read.
I didn't fully know what to expect from this book, but I think I wanted it to be less funny actually. The writing is very much like listening to Ed on Off Menu, or in any other kind of live / interview scenario - it feels like his own (very smart and witty) steam of consciousness as he talks about his relationship with food.
As a diabetic and foodie myself, I think I wanted and expected there to be more serious, memoir-esque moments. Not a lot of that here, although he doesn't shy away from sharing the occasional bit of introspection. But this is a comedy book first and foremost, with a healthy dose of food hot takes and just a few moments of regret.
A very enjoyable read if any of that sounds like your thing, or if you just like Ed or Off Menu or British comedy in general.
I didn't fully know what to expect from this book, but I think I wanted it to be less funny actually. The writing is very much like listening to Ed on Off Menu, or in any other kind of live / interview scenario - it feels like his own (very smart and witty) steam of consciousness as he talks about his relationship with food.
As a diabetic and foodie myself, I think I wanted and expected there to be more serious, memoir-esque moments. Not a lot of that here, although he doesn't shy away from sharing the occasional bit of introspection. But this is a comedy book first and foremost, with a healthy dose of food hot takes and just a few moments of regret.
A very enjoyable read if any of that sounds like your thing, or if you just like Ed or Off Menu or British comedy in general.
January 18, 2024
Really enjoyed this, and felt like I learnt so much about Ed, his life and his passion for food. And I really agree with everything he has to say about food haha!
March 31, 2025
I've been a huge fan of the Off Menu for the longest time, and I’m going to the live show next week, so decided it was perfect timing to tick this off my 25 in �25 list. I’m squeezing in as many food puns into this review as I can�
The book is a memoir serving up Ed’s love and relationship throughout all stages of his life with food, drink and weight, and the words are of course drizzled in his dry humour throughout.
This would normally be the kind of book I might read a few chapters of between other books. But I wanted to try and push through it to make sure I did complete before going to see the Off Menu Show. In this case I think I personally would have benefitted from reading this in smaller bite-sized chunks as I usually would on non-fiction reads particularly as this one is so one topic focussed.
Whilst I enjoyed it as a read,I wouldn’t exactly dish it out to anyone who isn’t already a fan of Ed and his work on Off Menu and Great British Menu. I found myself craving to know a bit more about Ed through the book as it’s very surface level information and many of the chapters felt like we were going off on tangents, which works in conversational setting like a podcast but not sure it felt quite as structured as it could have in book format.
The book is a memoir serving up Ed’s love and relationship throughout all stages of his life with food, drink and weight, and the words are of course drizzled in his dry humour throughout.
This would normally be the kind of book I might read a few chapters of between other books. But I wanted to try and push through it to make sure I did complete before going to see the Off Menu Show. In this case I think I personally would have benefitted from reading this in smaller bite-sized chunks as I usually would on non-fiction reads particularly as this one is so one topic focussed.
Whilst I enjoyed it as a read,I wouldn’t exactly dish it out to anyone who isn’t already a fan of Ed and his work on Off Menu and Great British Menu. I found myself craving to know a bit more about Ed through the book as it’s very surface level information and many of the chapters felt like we were going off on tangents, which works in conversational setting like a podcast but not sure it felt quite as structured as it could have in book format.
September 23, 2024
Too funny and relatable 😂🐷
December 30, 2023
Some of its humour is stretched out unnecessarily but the stories resonated with me a lot.
June 14, 2024
This is sooo millennial core and partly unbearable. I love Ed, I’ve been to his shows, watched his TV series appearances, and listened to his various podcasts for years and years. He’s a decent guy, but definitely better as a host and and interviewer than to be the one talking about himself. Either there’s a lot he’s hiding, or his life really has been so boring� either way, maybe now was not the time to write a biography, perhaps this could’ve been a podcast episode or two? I’m serious � I feel bad for giving a low rating considering it’s a biography but� it’s 90% cringe puns and a few facts about his life. Sorry Ed
November 1, 2023
Credit | Not what I wanted from it | How you feel about this is going to depend on what you want it to be. If you just want more of what Gamble provides elsewhere--in podcasts, stand-up, and panel shows--you'll likely be quite pleased with it. If you want a memoir, or to get beyond the public comedian, or to learn more about Gamble, you won't find those things here. Either way, get the audiobook. There's a trend moving through British comedians at the moment, of "memoirs" written through the lens of another topic. A life told through childhood television, a life told through a year of music, a life told through internet experiences, etc. This allows the writer to remain separate from the reader, not to get too personal, but still to encourage the parasocial fan by giving them a sense of solidarity ("I watched that show! He's just like me!" "I eat feta straight from the package, too! We would get along so well") without actually connecting. And I can certainly understand and appreciate the desire to keep a private life when you're in the public eye. But if you don't want to share your life, don't write a memoir. Not every marketing opportunity must be taken. Not every book has to be a memoir, or advertised as one. This was a nice couple of hours to listen to, but there's nothing here that I haven't heard him talk about before, so I paid to listen to this when I've heard it all for free in the past. The exception which also demonstrates this issue is the extra with Nish Kumar. Nish is actually telling stories from Ed's life, things they experienced together, and the joy of them discussing these things was more fun than the rest of the book. But at one point Nish uses Ed's dad's first name and says "now this will probably have to be cut" to which Ed replies "it's probably somewhere else in the book". Now, because I don't have a print copy, I can't search to confirm, but I don't think his dad's name *had* been mentioned anywhere. A memoir in which the subject's parent's name is intentionally omitted, despite being available online and when there's no estrangement? That's not a memoir. This is an extended podcast with a hefty price tag.
August 1, 2024
I love the Off-Menu podcast that Ed Gamble hosts with James Acaster, so began reading 'Glutton' with high expectations. Someone else described this book as 'light and frothy' and I can't put it any better than that.
Starting with the positives, this book was easy to read and Ed's love of food is infectious- it made me want to go and order every takeaway under the sun. He talks very candidly about his eating habits and body image, but balances this out with his trademark silliness/humour. Comedians writing books about their own lives through the vessel of something they are passionate about has become increasingly common but Ed has done so in a clever yet affable way.
My main gripe with this book was that it was very much like reading a podcast transcript- in my opinion it lacked substance and didn't feel enough like a 'memoir' for me. For example, I'd have loved to read more about his type 1 diabetes and how this affected his relationship with food. In hindsight, reading it as an audiobook would probably have been far more entertaining.
Overall, 'Glutton' is funny and light-hearted and you will enjoy it to some extent if you are a fan of Ed Gamble's work. However, some parts missed the mark for me. It is not a detailed memoir but rather a series of anecdotes, all of which feature food.
Starting with the positives, this book was easy to read and Ed's love of food is infectious- it made me want to go and order every takeaway under the sun. He talks very candidly about his eating habits and body image, but balances this out with his trademark silliness/humour. Comedians writing books about their own lives through the vessel of something they are passionate about has become increasingly common but Ed has done so in a clever yet affable way.
My main gripe with this book was that it was very much like reading a podcast transcript- in my opinion it lacked substance and didn't feel enough like a 'memoir' for me. For example, I'd have loved to read more about his type 1 diabetes and how this affected his relationship with food. In hindsight, reading it as an audiobook would probably have been far more entertaining.
Overall, 'Glutton' is funny and light-hearted and you will enjoy it to some extent if you are a fan of Ed Gamble's work. However, some parts missed the mark for me. It is not a detailed memoir but rather a series of anecdotes, all of which feature food.
February 28, 2024
I am quite a religious follower of the Off Menu podcast and tend to listen them on the day they are released, so when Ed announced that he was writing a book about his love of food I pre ordered it immediately (obviously on audio as he narrates it). I was, however, a little worried at the same time. My friend and I often talk about the podcast and how James and Ed seem to work best together (especially James). Unfortunately, for me at least, this much Ed was too much solo Ed. I didn’t find many of the stories all that funny, despite the entire book feeling like a very long stand up show about how much he liked to eat when he was overweight. My favourite part of the audiobook? When his friend Nish Kumar shows up for an interview. I was actually laughing during this, and they were talking about the same stories!
I’ll continue to listen to the podcast because I think he is brilliant on there � but this book was largely a miss for me. I don’t know how the “funny� influencer sections would even work on paper..
I’ll continue to listen to the podcast because I think he is brilliant on there � but this book was largely a miss for me. I don’t know how the “funny� influencer sections would even work on paper..
July 26, 2024
went from a 3 to a 4 in the final couple chapters because I really enjoyed how they wrapped everything together.
I enjoy Ed as a comedian and adore Off Menu and also I love food so was excited to read this. His voice came through loud and clear, and I really liked the whimsical tone and the silly level of humour - also I felt very enabled as a fellow foodie. My only hang-up was I think some chapters went on for too long, and things could have been tightened up a little. Saying that, after reading the digestif (final chapter) I recognise this was maybe an international move.
I enjoy Ed as a comedian and adore Off Menu and also I love food so was excited to read this. His voice came through loud and clear, and I really liked the whimsical tone and the silly level of humour - also I felt very enabled as a fellow foodie. My only hang-up was I think some chapters went on for too long, and things could have been tightened up a little. Saying that, after reading the digestif (final chapter) I recognise this was maybe an international move.
January 2, 2024
Reading this book straight after Christmas is both a good and bad idea. A great idea thinking about how to manage your food intake and what you probably should be eating. A bad idea when the advice is eat what you like, especially if it’s delicious. The stories throughout I loved as they were entangled with comedy. I won’t lie and say this book won’t make you feel hungry (maybe the bit about slow roasted pork will put you off) but the fact that I couldn’t put it down probably tells you all you need to know.
January 10, 2024
This is exactly what I expected from Ed Gamble and it was fabulous. Particularly loved the part he highlighted about loving being a fat person and how no-one in society is in a position to judge anyone for being fat. (Shout it from the rooftops hun!!) his relationship with food is great to hear about and throughout the anecdotes and inserts were so relatable. It was funny, light hearted and fantastically narrated with great audio clips and music. Solid 4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 20, 2024
I grew to like this book a lot more than I anticipated, Ed Gamble just talks about food. I know, shocker, but it did take a bit of time to get used to. However once you say to yourself "Okay, food memoir, let's go." It's actually very enjoyable for what it is.
Which is discussing what positions each cheese would have as a footballer, 4 pizza days, and just general silly bit funny anecdotes about the thing we all love, food.
Which is discussing what positions each cheese would have as a footballer, 4 pizza days, and just general silly bit funny anecdotes about the thing we all love, food.
March 20, 2025
I quite enjoyed this. Though not taking the usual format of a comedian's memoir, focussing more on Gamble's love of food than other aspects of his upbringing and life, I did feel it offered an insight into the chap, and also was witty and thought provoking in his frank and honest appraisal of his attitudes to food. Aware without feeling there was too much self-editing and revisionism, a few genuinely eye-opening moments within quite a lighthearted and pacy sort of narrative.
December 11, 2023
Really funny
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