A masterchef at Herts
Above: John Torode
MasterChef’s John Torode, who visited Hertfordshire to cook in the Celebrity Cookery Theatre at the Hatfield House Country Show, tells Kate Everett about his love of British food and his appointment as the new President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England
How old are you?
I was 43 in July.
Tell us about your family
I have two little ones full-time and two bigger ones who come and stay with myself and my wife Jess.
Any pets?
Pets? Oh no!
How long have you lived in the UK?
I arrived in 1990 and have loved every minute of it; it will be 18 years on September 25.
Where is your home?
The wonderful Streatham Hill, in central London, which is only seven miles from work, or a good 30 minutes by bike.
When did you start cooking and realise you wanted to be a chef?
I started cooking from a very young age but professionally I started my apprenticeship in 1982 – so 26 years ago. In Australia you do a four-year apprenticeship and it was only in the third year that I was allowed to go on the stoves; the rest of the time I did cold larder and preparation.
What is great about British produce?
It’s just brilliant but you guys have only just realised it. When I arrived all those years ago I was told that all British Produce was awful. The kitchen bought everything from France – it was nuts, all the seafood went to Spain and all the meat went somewhere else.
Tell us about your restaurants
I have Smiths of Smithfield which has four different floors serving something for everyone from breakfasts on the ground floor, to beautiful steaks with rooftop views across the city.
What are your signature dishes?
Smiths has various long standing dishes on the menu so we don’t really do a signature. We are known for the best steaks in the world, mostly traditional breeds but all British. We are huge fans of traditional breed meats.
Congratulations on your appointment as President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England
I’m delighted to have been asked. It’s a fantastic opportunity to link the current, high-profile interest in good food with the excellence of British farming. I know, from the work we do with our suppliers, that British food really is the best of the best.
What are your plans for the role?
I want to use my presidential year to shout about the excellence of British food from every available platform. The annual Royal Show is an event that genuinely showcases our food and drink producers. I am looking forward to working with the RASE and, with as many people as possible in the farming industry, to promote what I truly believe is some of the best food in the world.
What are your plans for the rest of 2008?
There is a lot going on. Celebrity MasterChef started on BBC1 on July 2 for four weeks – this time it’s tougher than ever! I’ve got a new book coming out, John Torode’s Beef in September and I am due to open a new restaurant later this year called The Luxe in Spitalfields. In between all of that we are currently filming the next series of MasterChef which transmits in the New Year so it’s all go!
And you will be cooking in Hertfordshire this month?
I’m really looking forward to coming up to Hertfordshire to cook in the Celebrity Cookery Theatre at the Hatfield House Country Show on August 17. I will be preparing a beef dish and we will have plenty of copies of the recipes for visitors to take away and try at home. The show offers a taste of the countryside close to London, and it’s a great opportunity for visitors, particularly families, to talk to the breeders and really understand where food comes from.
How do you relax?
I cook – how else?