FOOD & DRINK Martin is keeping it sweet
He may be a familiar face on TV, but James Martin has no appetite for showbiz lifestyles. Chefs should stick to cooking, he tells
Gemma Dunn
TV presenter, restaurateur, bestselling chef and one-time Strictly semifinalist, blue-eyed-boy James Martin certainly doesn’t do things by halves – and the tradition continues with his latest cookery book, Sweet.
“Every single dessert was shot at my house, and made and plated by me,” reveals the 43-year-old Yorkshireman. “My agent was shouting and screaming as they had to take three weeks off, but what with celebrating 20 years in the business, I knew we needed to do this.”
Following on from 2007’s hugely popular Desserts, Sweet looks set to re-establish Martin as the king of puddings, with over 70 recipes, from simple classic bakes and family favourites, to lavish showstoppers and – wait for it – an all-important troubleshooting section (hallelujah!).
“People always say, ‘I do this but this always goes wrong’, and the first thing I would say is buy quality ingredients. It can only be you or the ingredients that are the problem, so if it’s the ingredients, change it.”
With a culinary career that spans two decades, perfectionist Martin has a finger in many pies – but it was his stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 that landed him his biggest gig to date, as host of BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen.
And despite 10 years of 4am starts and 6am rehearsals (“I have a big can of Red Bull and two eye drops before I go live”), his passion for the weekend show remains. “I love it and everything it represents. You’re giving chefs that hardly ever cook on TV the opportunity to show their restaurant and skill-set off. Their reputation is on the line, so it’s a huge pressure for them. “Me? I’ve got the best seat in the world, as I get to be a commis chef in the best restaurants in the world without having to go to them.”
As for the pressure that comes with presenting, Martin is confident, yet unassuming.
“I would rather do live than pre-recorded; there’s nowhere to hide and I like that. I don’t have any adrenaline – nothing. The buzz is the excitement of the show, or maybe it’s the Red Bull that’s kicking in...”
While Martin is happy to be ogled on screen, he’s equally content cooking undercover in his popular restaurant, James Martin Manchester, and has no qualms admitting he would happily revert back to the role should his fame game be up tomorrow.
“The public will make its own decision, and that’s it. If they stop watching me, I’m quite happy to go back home and carry on working, because I’ve had a whale of a time for the last 20 years. I feel very privileged to do it, but when your time’s up, your time’s up.
“Food has been at the start and it will be at the end – the bit in the middle is all fluffy clouds, but it’s all that fluffy stuff that people enjoy.”
If you fancy trying out some of Martin’s sweet treats – from the privacy of your own kitchen – here are three recipes from his new book to whet your appetite...
Sweet by James Martin is published by Quadrille, priced £20. Available now.