Barber worked as an engineer before becoming a food critic for The Province. He immigrated to Canada in 1952. His lifelong interest in food and writing and his increased knowledge in these areas naturally led him to become a cookbook author. Following his retirement, he spent his remaining years on his farm in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. He amassed a collection of over 1300 cookbooks in his lifetime.[1]
Barber was married twice and fathered five children; 3 sons and 2 daughters. Barber died on 29 November 2007, at his farm of natural causes while sitting at the dining room table reading a cookbook with a pot of chicken soup simmering on the stove.[2] He was 84 years old and was survived by his wife and five children.
Peasant's Choice: More of the Best from the Urban Peasant Recipes from the Popular Television Cooking Series (1995 Hasting House Publishing ISBN0-8038-9370-1)
Peasant's Alphabet: More of the best from the Urban Peasant (1997 Urban Peasant Productions ISBN0-9698398-4-7)
Cooking for Two: The Urban Peasant (1999 Macmillan Press ISBN0-7715-7634-X)