CHANNEL 4’s Come Dine With Me has whetted people’s appetite for discovering their inner Jamie Oliver and entertaining at home.
Another winning feature of his meal was the minimal time he spent away from his guests in the kitchen.
“The only thing I had to do was roast the fish. If you’re a half decent host, you want to spend the time with your guests, give them a drink and talk to them, because they may not have been in your home before. Ask them questions about themselves.”
His method paid off.
“I got 39 points out of 40 – a score that nobody has come close to since.
“Before the show, I didn’t really realise how good I was. It gave me the confidence to make some key decisions.” First was to quit work as a customer services manager.
“I went to work in Spain for 18 months, learning the language and the cuisine.
“When I came back, I thought, I don’t want to go back to what I was doing before. I thought about going back to college and doing it that way but a friend put me in touch with Cameron Acott, at Parr Street Studios, who offered me a place in the kitchen at bar and restaurant Studio2.
He’s sticking close to his maxim of locally sourced food simply cooked, currently preparing the likes of Formby asparagus risotto and beef and Cains beer pie and loving every minute of his new career.
“Come Dine With Me was the turning point. It was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done.”