Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TUM ON YOU LIONS
Former team chef on
ENGLAND’S World Cup hopes in Qatar could hinge on two unlikely ingredients – scrambled eggs and rice pudding.
They are the foods captain Harry Kane and fellow goal ace Raheem Sterling like to dine on before games, ex-three Lions personal chef Tim De’ath reveals.
Tim, 53, tells how the players are fuelled at tournaments by bespoke meal plans – complemented by crucial shipped-in home comforts.
He said: “Harry is so good with his diet and is pretty old school.
“Pre-match he always liked scrambled eggs on toast.
Raheem would come up and say,
‘have you got any rice pudding?’
“I used to make it with semi-skimmed milk instead of cream, but try and make it taste as nice as possible.” England arrived at £150-a-night Souq Al Wakra Hotel on Tuesday. They will stay there for more than five weeks if they make the final on December 18.
Tim said: “If there’s a chance to win a World Cup, it’s this one. Gareth Southgate is the best in the business at getting a team to come together and food plays a huge part. A football army marches on its stomach.”
Tim was the FA’S head chef for 11 years spanning five major tournaments, cooking for the likes of David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.
He said: “I wouldn’t say life at a World Cup is like a prison camp but you’re locked away in a bubble.
“It’s what you make it inside the camp – if the camp’s not right, it will impact how they perform. Gareth
will try to make it a home away from home for players and staff. They are likely to have mattresses and duvets like the ones at home.”
Tim worked with Southgate for three games before retiring in 2017.
He said: “Gareth is a genius at getting everyone together. We dressed the tables properly like a fine dining restaurant with flowers.
“We had a philosophy of no music and no phones. All the phones were taken off them on their way in which
I think was a good thing because it makes people interact.
“As head chef I went out probably eight or nine days before the team. The food would already be there so I would put it in a locked container.
“The meat and fish will be from preapproved and tested local suppliers. We would take Malden sea salts, ground black peppers, spices and comforts like custard, Jaffa Cakes, Haribos to boost the mood.”
One thing that will be taken very seriously in Qatar is the possibility of food poisoning. Tim said: “The threat of food poisoning is always there.
“There will always be someone in the kitchen to make sure nothing is tampered with and hygiene is at a top level. FIFA will randomly take food samples during the tournament.”
Players are also likely to be banned from eating at souks or supermarkets.
Tim says the players will “live for their food” and will get a daily menu first thing in the morning.
Under him, there were 35 salads, a pasta station, a stir-fry and grilled chicken section and a fresh smoothie section. A BBQ is set up outside.
Tim said: “Meal times are all about keeping people interested. We had BBQS and the dining room changed into a trattoria for Italian night.”
Tim added: “The fact the current players can stay in one hotel could help them to do really well. Gareth is such a great tournament manager that this year could be our time.”