James Barber (March 23, 1923 – November 29, 2007) was a Canadian cookbook author and host of The Urban Peasant, a CBC cooking show.

After serving in the Royal Air Force in World War II, he immigrated to Canada in 1952, working as an engineering consultant before becoming a theatre critic in Vancouver.

[1][2] From the 1992 to 2000, Barber hosted The Urban Peasant,[3][4] a cooking show that aired on CBC and was syndicated in more than 120 countries.

[5] Barber was known as an "effusive" host who injected "saucy banter" into his program, which featured simple dishes prepared unpretentiously.

Following his retirement, Barber lived on a farm in the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island, and married his longtime companion Christina Burridge after a 20-year courtship.