‘There’s much more to barb
WHO WOULD willingly put themselves in the shoes of a pub or restaurant owner right now? But you couldn’t meet a more affable and positive chef than Tom Kerridge. Even over Zoom his friendliness and ease before a camera suggest why he’s been so successful on TV, with numerous food/ cooking formats along with shows that encourage us to eat better.
We chatted about his new TV barbecue series two days before the Michelin-starred chef’s pubs and restaurants re-opened to customers. Kerridge runs, among others, the celebrated Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, the only pub in the UK with two Michelin stars.
“We’ve been looking forward to this, and we’re ready and raring to go,” he tells me, the familiar sounds of a restaurant in the background. “The staff can’t wait to get back to serving people and making sure that they come and have a lovely time.we’re desperate to get open.”
He’s in no doubt that the Government made the right decision. “For me, this is the right time to reopen. For us, it’s a great time for us to get out and find that market.the sooner we can open, the sooner we can see the landscape moving forward. For us that’s really, really important.”
The “landscape”, as it turned out, wasn’t so great. Last weekend, 27 people who had booked to eat at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, at London’s Corinthia hotel just off Trafalgar Square, failed to turn up. Kerridge caused a stir in the media, calling it “selfish” and “disgraceful”.
He has no idea what the future holds. “Your guess is as good as mine,” he says in his warm,west Country burr. “We’ve got seven food and beverage outlets and each one has its own idiosyncrasies and its own challenges.we will just move forward as much as we can.”
Kerridge is incredibly focused yet self-made. Brought up on housing estates in Gloucestershire, his parents divorced when he was 11. He found his way into food by having to cook for his younger brother while his mother was at work. But he didn’t go straight to catering college from school.the stage drew him and he was in the 1991 Christmas special of Miss Marple: They Do Itwith Mirrors for the BBC. Other roles followed, but when he turned 18 cooking emerged the winner for him – all thanks to bad boy chef Marco
Pierrewhite’s groundbreaking book, White Heat. Kerridge then finally went to catering college in Cheltenham.
But Marco was not the only inspiration. “Rick Stein has always been incredible. He’s been on the TV for about 25 years. He was always full of enthusiasm and travel, great cookery, and just a fantastic chef and brilliant restaurants, so Rick, for us, has always been – TV wise – brilliant. “Marco Pierre White, though, was the first British chef to get Michelin starred and White Heat was a seminal moment in British cookery. This guy was incredible. He turned chefs into rock ’n’ roll creatures. He showcased it as an industry that is really cool and great to be a part of.”
Tom has now met and cooked for both his mentors. “Yes I have, and they are fantastic, amazing individuals who are incredibly inspirational.”
Talking of inspiration, Tom is hoping to persuade us to take a new look at our barbecues with his show, rich with recipes.