Publishing Proposal: The Works of Dave Sargent
For Consideration by Leading UK Publishers
- A Private Table (Available)
- A Journey to a Private Table (Forthcoming, Q4 2025)
Author: Dave Sargent
Date: 11th February 2025
What if a cookbook could transport readers through time?
A Private Table introduced the world to the art of private dining, blending fine dining recipes with intimate storytelling—selling 500+ copies in its first year, entirely independently. Now, Dave Sargent is preparing to take readers even deeper with A Journey to a Private Table, a unique blend of memoir and culinary storytelling that explores the dishes that have shaped his life.
This proposal presents two key opportunities:
- Expanding the reach of A Private Table through retail partnerships and potential reprints.
- Publishing A Journey to a Private Table with a leading UK publisher, ensuring it reaches a wider national and international audience.
Dave Sargent is a rising star in food publishing, and this is the perfect opportunity for a publishing house to establish a long-term partnership with an author who has proven demand and commercial viability.
Dave Sargent is a private chef based in Bude, North Cornwall, known for delivering high-end, bespoke dining experiences for clients across the UK. Over the past three decades, he has worked in top-tier restaurants and exclusive private dining settings, developing a reputation for exceptional culinary craftsmanship and warm, engaging hospitality.
Key Highlights:
- ✔ 30+ years in fine dining and private cheffing.
- ✔ 500+ copies of A Private Table sold independently, a strong self-publishing achievement.
- ✔ Established personal brand—respected in luxury food experiences and private dining.
- ✔ Distinct storytelling style—his books explore food as memory, experience, and connection, not just recipes.
- ✔ Strong public engagement—Dave is available for media interviews, book signings, and live cooking demonstrations.
Dave’s ability to engage audiences beyond the page makes him a fantastic author for media, events, and retail collaborations, ensuring longevity beyond a single book release.
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-3999-6447-0
Publication Date: October 2023
Retail Price (RRP): £20
Publisher: Self-published (via Chef Sargent, Bude, Cornwall)
Genre: Cookbook / Food Memoir / Lifestyle
Synopsis & Market Fit:
A Private Table blends fine dining recipes with personal stories from Dave’s career as a private chef.
The book offers insight into the world of private dining, helping readers bring restaurant-quality food into
their own homes while also exploring the intimate, often unseen world of bespoke culinary experiences.
Proven Success & Retail Expansion Opportunity:
- 500+ copies sold independently—outperforming industry norms for self-published books.
- Strong candidate for broader retail distribution, with potential in:
- Waterstones, WHSmith, and major booksellers.
- Luxury lifestyle and gift markets (Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods).
- Independent bookshops & food-specialist retailers (Books for Cooks, Borough Kitchen).
- Potential for a new, expanded edition in late 2025 to coincide with the launch of A Journey to a Private Table.
With a publishing partner’s distribution and marketing support, A Private Table could reach a significantly wider audience.
Format: Hardcover
Projected Retail Price (RRP): £25
Planned Release: Late 2025
Genre: Food Memoir / Cookbook / Lifestyle
Concept & Vision:
While A Private Table focused on bringing the private dining experience into the home,
A Journey to a Private Table takes a deeper, more personal approach, showing how food memories shape our
identity and relationships with others. These books stand on their own, but together, they create a full-circle
reading experience—one showcasing the art of professional dining, the other exploring the deep emotional
connection we all have to food.
That’s what this book is about—food that tells a story. It’s not just about recipes; it’s about the dishes that shaped my life, the ones that made me who I am. If it sparks a memory for someone else, then I’ve done what I set out to do.”
— Dave Sargent
Projected First-Year Sales Expectations:
- Given that A Private Table sold 500+ copies independently, we project that A Journey to a Private Table—with publisher backing—can comfortably achieve first-year sales of 3,000+ copies, with strong potential to reach 5,000+ through targeted marketing and retail placement.
- First print run recommendation: 5,000 copies, with potential for a second print based on demand.
- Aligns with the expected sales figures for debut cookbooks by emerging authors in the UK.
We are seeking a publishing partner to:
- Publish A Journey to a Private Table as a lead 2025 title, positioning it as a premium narrative-driven cookbook.
- Expand the reach of A Private Table through retail partnerships, reprints, and increased distribution.
- Leverage Dave Sargent’s growing presence to establish a long-term publishing relationship, ensuring continued sales and future book projects.
Future Publishing Opportunities
Beyond these two books, Dave has the potential for future titles covering topics such as the art of private
dining, ingredient-led storytelling, and the behind-the-scenes world of fine dining. We see this as the beginning
of an exciting long-term publishing partnership.
- Sample chapters from A Journey to a Private Table
- Full manuscript of A Private Table
- Detailed book proposal and marketing outline
To summarise, this proposal presents:
- A highly promising author with a strong professional background and an engaged audience.
- A self-published title (A Private Table) that has already proven demand, with 500+ sales.
- A forthcoming book (A Journey to a Private Table) that taps into a growing market of food memoirs and experiential cookbooks.
- A dual-book opportunity that could lead to a long-term publishing relationship.
We welcome the chance to discuss this in more detail and explore how we can work together.
Best regards,
Dave Sargent
Executive Chef