Eat well for less guru Chris Bavin
With a new book of the hit series Eat Well For Less out now, presenter Chris Bavin chats about family and new adventures
He’s one of the BBC’s busiest new stars, helping thousands save money on food with his tips on Eat Well for Less; rubbing shoulders with Mary Berry, as a judge on Britain’s Best Home Cook and travelling the country presenting Britain in Bloom, but Chris Bavin is determined to keep his feet firmly on the ground.
Chris still can’t quite believe he’s moved into a career he never dreamt of doing, but the affable 38-year-old says his wife Millie and their two sons will always come first.
“Not for one second did I have a secret desire to be on the telly,” admits Chris who, before landing a job on Eat Well for Less, imported fresh produce and ran his own Naked Grocer store. “It did not cross my mind for a split second! But now I am involved, it is lovely. But family time is the most important thing. Children grow up so quickly and every minute is a joy.” And spending time planning the Bavin family meals for the week is also something he tries to do together with his wife. It’s crucial, he explains, if you want to try to save money on your food bill and it’s one of the many amazing tips Chris has learnt while hosting the show, Eat Well for Less.
“I am often asked how we can save money,” he says. “Planning is key – nobody sets out to overspend or waste food. We all have the best intentions but sometimes, life gets in the way. But if you don’t know what you are cooking, you don’t know what you are buying and that’s how your food bill goes up. If you sit down as a family and decide what you want to eat, then you can cross off those ingredients you already have in the house and you will save time and money.
“People say they don’t have time to plan but how many hours do we waste saying ‘what shall we have for tea?’ “And what I love about Eat Well for Less is it is also encouraging you to sit down as a family, turn off your phones and spend time together. There is something so lovely about that.”
But does he practise what he preaches at home? “I have a five-yearold who wants to get down from the table halfway through dinner,” says Chris, laughing. “And the phone is such an intrusive thing now, but I am trying
to mindfully move away from it. We do try to eat together when we can. That said, we are not the Waltons! It’s real life and real life is sometimes difficult!” Incredibly passionate and enthusiastic about wanting to cut down our food bills, it’s no surprise that the BBC decided to ask him to also be a judge on this year’s search to find Britain’s Best Home Cook. Working alongside Claudia Winkleman and Mary Berry was, Chris says, a total honour. He admits: “I loved being a judge. We weren’t overly critical. I think the word ‘legend’ gets banded around a lot, but when it comes to Mary she really is! Despite her success, she is still really humble and frugal. She is the queen of the kitchen. Claudia is the very best TV presenter and Dan Docherty is an amazing chef. I learnt lots.”
He says he’d love to do another series of Britain’s Home Cook and reveals he would be up for doing Strictly Come Dancing if he got the chance. “I haven’t been asked but it would be an awful lot of fun,” he says.
Chris’s zest for life is very infectious and with a new series of Britain in Bloom also in the pipeline, his diary is looking incredibly busy for the rest of this year. He says his wife and children have been hugely supportive despite suddenly been flung into the public limelight. “
We are all enjoying the adventure together,” he says. “I can remember walking into the newsagent’s with my son and I was on the front cover of a lot of the magazines. He just looked at me in a bit of confusion, but he loves it. I am obviously, however, not as big an appeal as Lego or Paw Patrol!
“I am writing a new family cookbook at the moment and my son has been helping test the recipes. He’s a little foodie in the making!” Given he has achieved so much already, does he feel proud? “Human nature is such that you don’t look back to pat yourself on the back,” he replies. “You are always looking at what is next.
“I am really interested in food and consumer issues. I want to do TV projects that help people. The health of our nation isn’t very good and I’d like to do something about the state of the High Street. We might rely on the internet – and I totally get it – but when the day comes that there are no shops any more, that would be really sad.
“But you know? I just feel really lucky to be working with such incredible people, doing different things every day. It’s a joy of a job. It doesn’t feel like work. I know I am very lucky.”
■ to catch up with the latest series of eat Well For Less go to bbC iPlayer
‘Human nature is such that you don’t look back to pat yourself on the back. You are always looking at what is next…’