SEASONAL
Sweet baby James
With fame at his fingertips, but no delusions of grandeur, James Martin tellsHaute Cuisine he has his feet firmly on the ground INTERVIEW: RACHAEL LLOYD
S
tar chef James Martin definitely has a flamboyant streak. He has a love of Ferraris and a tendency towards trophy women – one of his former dates is James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and his girlfriend, Sally Kettle, is a former
Miss England. He has a prodigious TV career, fronting shows such as Saturday Kitchen. He’s also one of the few chefs who can boast having kitchens at sea – on board the Ocean Village 1 and 2 cruise liners – as well as a deli in Winchester called Cadogan & James, lucrative kitchenware deals… And did we mention he’s written seven bestsellers? But beneath the flashiness is an amiable
Yorkshireman who feels blessed. “I have no delusions of grandeur,” says James, 38. “I’d rather spend a weekend in a muddy old field rallying in my old Mini and eating hotdogs with a load of mechanics than be wined and dined in five-star hotels. Besides, my mother would pull me up straight away if I got on my high horse.” For James, a bonus of being at home is the opportunity to tinker
grandfather, a keen cricketer, wasn’t too keen on James’s culinary aspirations… “In a Billy Elliot way, I wasn’t meant to do cooking. My grandfather used to say I should get a proper job and play cricket or rugby. But I started washing pots and pans in kitchens as a young lad and I knew that’s where I wanted to be. “I got my first chef’s jacket at nine and in my teens I’d come to
‘I’D RATHER EAT A HOTDOG IN A
WINED AND DINED FIELD THAN BE
IN FIVE-STAR HOTELS’
with his £60,000 classic car collection. “Some people collect marriages and divorces – I’ve got a Ferrari,” quips James. “My cars are my luxuries and my reward to myself. Trust me, I know how lucky I am. I try to be as grateful as I can for everything. Life is delicious.” James grew up in Malton, North Yorkshire. His father was a catering manager and his mother worked in a clothes shop. His
London for the summer and do work experience in big restaurants. I had nothing back then – no money, no car. I’d cycle to work and slog it out, but I loved it. “By the time I was 22 I was head chef with my
own restaurant in Winchester. The fact is, I never wanted to be famous. I’m a workaholic. I was on a cruise ship in Italy recently, overseeing 200 covers a night in the restaurant. I’m always cooking.” James says his love of food comes from
growing up on a farm where there was always
plenty of delicious produce. “We bred pigs, cattle and chickens,” he says proudly. “My Dad was a good cook and Mum still does the best roast dinners ever.” So what advice does he give kitchen novices who aspire to
cooking well? “Buy great ingredients – and try not to balls it up,” he says with a laugh. “Don’t get carried away with presentation – let the natural flavours do the work.” Turn the page for a delicious example of James’s no-frills cooking…
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