My life in travel Jay Blades
The Repair Shop host on food heaven in Barbados and his weakness for a traditional cream tea
WE NEVER WENT ON HOLIDAY WHEN I WAS A KID except to my grandmother’s house in Barbados with my mum and brother, aged eight. It was pretty boring, you just did what your parents said. You’d go to the beach when they said, you’d eat food when they said, and you’d listen to them tell old stories and have relatives around to squeeze your cheeks. But my grandmother ran a shop, so there were treats, and I do remember eating a lot of coconut sweet bread. You slather butter on the top and it’s lovely with a cup of tea.
THE MOST MEMORABLE MEAL I’VE HAD WAS IN TURKEY. My ex-wife was Turkish so she took me all over the country and we visited a remote village with a guide, who took us to his family home. They kept goats and grew grapes which they sold at market. He gave us two bags full of the sweetest grapes, and said his wife was preparing us some food. I was thinking, “OK, we’ll have a sandwich”, but she laid out a banquet of fresh salads, grilled meat, vegetables, dips and Turkish bread. They even gave me chips because I’m English! There were six of us but it could have fed at least 20. I felt humbled. They didn’t have much, so for them to feed us in such a lavish way overwhelmed me.
MY FAVOURITE CITY IS BATH because it’s so beautiful. I love the history, the architecture, but mostly it’s the fabulous tea rooms. You can’t beat a traditional afternoon tea – I drink about 10 cups of tea a day and have a very sweet tooth. My best one was at Fortnum & Mason. I was sitting next to this American guy and he kept getting refills and reloads. I thought, “Cor blimey, he must love it – he’s going to be spending a lot of money.” But when I got the bill, I saw it was an allyou-can-eat situation. I couldn’t believe
I didn’t know that! The next time I go, I’m not going to eat for two days beforehand.
MY 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER ZOLA IS MY FAVOURITE holiday companion. Every father needs that one-to-one time. It’s magical to see things through a child’s eyes. I took Zola to Barbados four years ago and she learnt how to relax, we had fun and she asked me a lot of questions about Caribbean culture. “Dad, why do people eat cow foot soup?” – that sort thing.
of
HOLIDAYS FOR ME ARE PURELY ABOUT CHILLING ON THE BEACH and listening to music – you don’t get to go to the beach that much when you live in Wolverhampton. Six years ago I was homeless and living in my car, but I’ve turned it all around. Last year I made seven shows and I now have my own production company. The past five years have been non-stop since I started hosting The Repair Shop, so I just need to relax. When I go to the Caribbean, my mum will want me to go round, but I just say: “If you want me, I’m at the beach.”
BAJAN FOOD IS HEAVEN. Just look for the long line of locals. There’s a department store, Cave Shepherd, where all the workers go for canteen-style Bajan cooking in the food court. It’s the best. My other favourite place is Mr Delicious, a street food van in Miami Beach. Their fried fish cakes with hot sauce and chicken and potato rotis are legendary. I also love flying fish cutters.
They’re Barbadian sandwiches made with Bajan salt bread. You’ve got to have a rum punch while you’re waiting, too.
MY FAVOURITE SPOT IN BARBADOS IS Oistins in Christ Church, at the harbour where the fishing boats come in. The music blares out and they have a fish festival every Friday. There’s a beautiful beach where you can walk into the crystal-clear, calm water and the fish will be swimming around your feet. Wow.
I LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF LUXURY ON HOLIDAY now that I’m doing well, but I don’t like to go overboard. I went to Crete with my partner Christine before lockdown. It was an all-inclusive resort and that’s fancy enough for me.
I SEE LONDON WITH NEW EYES these days. I grew up in the East End and we just went to Mare Street [in Hackney] to buy our clothes; we kept it
very local. When I was 16, I landed a job at a modelling agency in Bond Street, and those guys introduced me to a different kind of London, the little rough kid from Hackney in the middle of all this glamour. It was an education that I needed.
ON HOLIDAYS I ALWAYS WEAR linen shirts and trousers. I like to pay homage to the men of the Windrush generation. You can’t look snappy in a T-shirt.
IBIZA IS RIGHT AT THE TOP OF MY BUCKET LIST. Everyone raves about it and I’ve never been. I want to take Christine and stay somewhere very quiet up in the mountains. I did enough partying when I was younger, thanks.
by Jay Blades is published by Pan Macmillan at £16.99. Buy it now for £14.99 at books.telegraph.co.uk or call 0844 871 1514