Kimiko Barber left her native Japan to go to an English boarding school in 1972, and quickly realised that she would have to recall her gradmothers' cooking skills if she was to survive. After over ten years working in finance in Tokyo and London, a chance visit to Books for Cooks, a mecca for foodies, inspired her to change her career and focus on cooking and entertaining. Kim now inspires others with her demonstrations of Japanese and Asian cooking at Books for Cooks, Notting Hill, London.
