‘ONE DAY I’LL COOK FOR FAMOUS PEOPLE’
Chef Biggie makes his mark on Channel 5 television show
A CHEF who runs his own takeaway business in Stoke-ontrent and South Cheshire has featured in the third episode of Big Brits Go Large.
The Channel 5 documentary looks at what life is like for plussized people in Britain.
Sunday night’s episode followed ‘Biggie’ – whose real name is Martin – and his dream of opening his own restaurant in Stoke-on-trent.
The 33-year-old owns Mr Bigz Flavours where he serves up a mix of authentic recipes from Zambia and Angola – a fusion which Biggie calls ‘Zamgolian’.
Biggie, who moved to the UK from Zambia aged 10, offers collections from Bentilee on Thursdays and Saturdays and also rents a kitchen at Bar 6, in Alsager, on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The documentary joined Biggie on a busy night in Alsager where he will serve around 70 people in just three hours.
Biggie said: “I’m also known as Mr Bigs, Mr Bigs’ flavours, DJ M Bigs, I’m plus size and proud, that’s all I am.
“My mum’s from Zambia, my dad’s from Angola, so put them together and I call it Zamgolian. It’s my own spice, it’s my own flair to things, and all that. When you eat it, you’re zesty, you’re cool, you’re a blast, you’re being Zamgolian. That’s what it is.
“One day I’ll be cooking for the most famous people. Next time you interview me, I’ll be like, ok, all right. ‘So you’re cooking for the Queen today?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, bruv! Lizzie loves my food!’ Come on!
“The dream is to open a big, nice restaurant in Stoke-on-trent as the HQ. That’s my dream. I don’t want to go through life and not leave a mark. It gets a bit overwhelming, a bit mad, but I like that sort of challenge.”
Biggie also employs two chefs who work in his rented kitchen space. To turn a profit, he needs at least 20 orders a night of his meal boxes, that go for £10 each.
Biggie added: “When somebody’s eating my food and they’re quiet, that’s when I know I’ve done it, bruv. I’ve done it! A busy day’s better than no busy day. That’s how I see it.”
In the episode we also met Biggie’s mum Eunice who says her son learned his cooking skills from her growing up. The tightknit family get together every Sunday to eat and drink.
Eunice, left, said: “We are Africans – we teach our children at a very tender age to start cooking. Their roots are very important. The foundation of the family is very important.”
She added: “He’s the best, because he’s learned from mum. Obviously I’m the best cook. You learn from Ramsay, I’m sure you’re going to be a good chef. So he’s so good because he’s learned from the best.”
We later see Biggie again working out at Colosseum gym, in Longton, with his friend Mark. Biggie opened up about namecalling when he was younger.
He said: “When I was at school, cos I’m a big guy, I would always get targeted. I think the only time I would say that I wanted to be smaller is when I was about 10 years old, going swimming.
“I learned from a very early age that instead of getting mad and frustrated with every namecalling or whatever, I just fire back with my quick-wittedness, I just bust a joke back.”