GOOD to KNOW

YOUR MONTHLY ENTERTAINMENT ROUND-UP

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Phil Vickery

The TV chef, 61, lives on a farm in Buckinghamshire with his dogs.

WAKE UP I get up early, 5am, and listen to Steve Allen on LBC. I’ve always woken up early, even as a kid – I have to be up and doing stuff.

MORNING If I’m not filming for This Morning, I’ll go to Costa and sit there with a cappuccino. I check my emails and write a list for the day. I then go back, feed the animals and walk my dogs.

BREAKFAST I’ll have porridge and fruit. I’m at an age where I do try to be careful what I eat, but I find I’m always hungry an hour later!

WORK I go into the office around 9.30am. I have an office at home. I have two kitchens – one used to be a family kitchen, but it’s just me now [Phil split with wife Fern Britton in 2020]. I use one as a development kitchen, so I can shut the doors and experiment with new recipes.

LUNCH Normally, I’ll have a light lunch around 11.30am, maybe boiled eggs and salad or rice cakes and houmous. In the winter, I’ll have soup – I quite like a bit of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup.

AFTERNOON After lunch, I’ll have a nap – just 15 minutes. It’s something I’ve done from when I was cooking full-time professionally, as I’d be working split shifts with late nights. Afterwards, I’ll do something on the farm – there’s always fences to fix or hedges to cut. I love being able to spend time outside.

EVENING I tend to finish outside about 4.30pm, then I’ll have a cup of tea. I go to the pub almost every evening around 6pm, and have a catch-up with the lad who works with me on the farm.

DINNER Around 7.30pm, I’ll cook a nice dinner. I haven’t had a takeaway for years. I buy top-quality and eat healthily, with lots of vegetables. I’ll buy things like fresh swordfish, and my friend rears chickens, so I might buy one of them and it will last me for four meals.

BEDTIME I record a lot on television and watch a lot of football, but, normally, I’ll be in bed by 9.30pm. The only time I can read is in bed – I like food science books. Then I’ll find I’m asleep by 10.30pm.

✢ Phil Vickery’s latest book, The Canny Cook (£16.99, PB, Kyle Books), is out now.