Books by Nell Gifford

Nell Gifford grew up in Oxfordshire, spent her gap year in America and participated in her first circus there. She went to university at Oxford, doing more stints in circuses along the way. After graduating, she built a 1930s-style circus from scratch in 2000 with her husband Toti. They turned a dilapidated wagon into their home, launched Giffords Circus, and it is now about to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The on-site restaurant, Circus Sauce, is run by head chef Ols Halas. Ols joined the circus in 2013, after stints in a ski resort and various pub and restaurant kitchens. Every day at Giffords, he and his team serve dinner to guests in a vaudevillian circus tent. The menu changes weekly, inspired by the local produce, and the restaurant is visited by celebrities and repeat customers all through the circus tour.