Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins, announced on July 15 the launch of a new cookbook imprint in partnership with Studio Ramsay Global, Gordon Ramsay's television production company at Fox Entertainment. Bite Books will debut with Ramsay’s Idiot Sandwich: 100+ Recipes to Elevate Your Sandwich Game, slated for global publication on September 30. The imprint has not yet set number of books planned per year.
HarperCollins described the new imprint as a “key strategic step in Fox Entertainment’s expansion of Bite,” a food brand and entertainment platform launched by Fox and Ramsay in May. Bite Books will serve as Bite’s “official publishing hub” with a planned mix of “author-led titles, broadcast and digital series tie-ins, and all-new publishing originals,” according to the publisher.
“Cookbooks spark kitchen creativity, ultimately bringing us together for life’s most memorable celebrations of food, family and friendship,” said Studio Ramsay’s chief creative officer Lisa Edwards in a statement. “With its accessibility, irreverence and innovative recipes, Idiot Sandwich is a terrific, new go-to kitchen essential, as well as the perfect launching point for Bite Books and our partnership with HarperCollins.”
The launch reflects cookbook publishers’ growing focus on leveraging the fanbases of viral creators and licensed content. HarperCollins described Ramsay’s Idiot Sandwich as the “official cookbook companion to his epic viral meme.”
