My Haven GIORGIO LOCATELLI

The Michelin-starred chef and former judge on the BBC’S Family Cooking Showdown, 56, in his kitchen in north London

1 FLAVOUR SAVER

This recipe book by Pellegrino Artusi from 1910 changed my life. In the 1980s I was being bullied and working 18-hour shifts in top-end Paris restaurants, where a plate of spinach cost as much as I got paid per day. I stuck it out for three years, but I returned to Italy, miserable, not wanting to be a chef any more. One day, I went to the library and this book was staring at me. Artusi travelled Italy, meeting people who told him their recipes and stories – it made me realise I can interpret food my own way.

2 CULINARY ART

This painting is by my friend Paul Simonon, the bassist of The Clash. He gave it to me in 2015 after I was in a music video for his group The Good, The Bad & The Queen, in which I’m cooking eggs. To my left, on the trunk, is a piece of visual art by Dinos Chapman, which he gave to me as a gift. He made a stove out of plastic and then set fire to it – he called the piece Giorgio, You’ve Blown Up The Kitchen… Again.

3 BROTHERLY LOVE

My only brother Roberto, an electrical engineer, was older than me and died aged 53 from cancer in 2014. This was his favourite blue wax jacket. His wife hated it because of the smell it gave off and handed it to me after his funeral saying I was the only one who liked it. Roberto was bigger and stronger than me, and always defended me. He loved motorbikes and among my happiest memories are of us driving our bikes round sharp bends over the Italian mountains. I have his BMW motorbike in Italy and I wear his jacket even though it’s too big for me. They both make me feel closer to him.

4 WALKING TOGETHER

Chef Antonio Carluccio was larger than life. He made his own walking sticks and he carved his signature, a little mushroom, at the top. This present from Antonio reminds me of him. After I met him in 1984, we did projects together and he mentored me. Two weeks before he died in November 2017 I cooked him his favourite: anchovies with green sauce. I never thought he’d die, he was so energetic. Chefs can pretend to be indestructible.

5 MY SUPER SON

This photo of our son Jack was taken in Sicily, which we all love, and it reminds me of a lovely day with friends and family on my wife Plaxy’s 50th birthday. Everyone dressed up which is why he’s in a kimono and hat, and it took him hours to perfect this photo using a timer and a fast shutter. He’s now 32 and works as a fashion video photographer, while our daughter Margherita, 24, is a waitress in Australia. They’ve both inherited their hard work ethic from us.

6 NATIONAL PRIDE

I received this Cavaliere award for Outstanding Representation of Italian Culture in the World in 2017 – it’s the equivalent of a knighthood. My grandfather got one for heroism during the First World War. They can remove it if you misbehave and people took the mickey saying I got Silvio Berlusconi’s award, after his was taken away from him. I spend a lot of time promoting Italian culture through food, and I feel proud to do this job.