Matthew Fort has been the Food and Drink Editor at the Guardian since 1989. He has also written for Esquire, The Observer, Country Living, Decanter and Waitrose Food Illustrated. In 1992 he won the title of Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year and, in 1993, Glenfiddich Restaurant Writer of the Year, as well as The Restaurateurs' Association Food Writer of the Year. He was Glenfiddich Cookery Writer of the Year in 2005.

He has written three books on food, the third of which, Eating Up Italy, was the Guild of Food Writers Book of the Year in 2005, and his fifth, Lunching with Leopoldo, about Sicily is due for release in 2008. One of his greatest passions is Italy, which he visits every year.