Doyen of food Rick Stein is a man for all seasons

Rick Stein, doyen of food writers, restaurateurs and celebrity chefs, is too long in the tooth to try to impress, the way so many do. There’s no need to plug product or stay on message; he’s reached a stage where he’s beyond all that. There’s a TV show and book, of course, though it barely gets a mention. There are so many other interesting things to discuss.

Stein is a remarkable man; a cook who flunked his exams at school before knuckling down and successfully studying English at the University of Oxford. He endured awful personal tragedy, not least the suicide of his father. Stein was 18 when his father leapt from a Cornish cliff.

For a while, Stein focused on a putative career as a nightclub DJ. Indeed, Stein’s entrepreneurial flair was evident in those early days as he converted a mobile disco in Padstow into a nightclub. The music was good but the freeze-dried curries were better. For a while, the place ran successfully, though eventually fighting fishermen caused its closure. Music, however, runs in the family and Stein’s nephew is the DJ and music producer Judge Jules, a former recipient of DJ Mag’s Best DJ In The World title.

Stein has close links with the West Midlands. One of his pals, the Michelin-starred cook Shaun Hill, used to run The Merchant House in Ludlow. Stein was a visitor there, making a TV show while walking through the town with his beloved dog, Chalky. On other occasions, he’s made numerous visits to Birmingham to feature at the BBC Good Food Show.

He’ll be back in Birmingham when it hits the Second City between November 28 and December 1. Stein will line up at the event’s chef demonstration stage alongside such big names as Mary Berry, Tom Kerridge, Michel Roux Jr, James Martin, The Hairy Bikers, Ainsley Harriott and Nadiya Hussain. Curiously, cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham will also be along for the ride. Beefy has an enviable wine collection and has his own collection of wines. But we digress.

Rick last visited Birmingham about 10 years ago and is looking forward to his return almost as much as his fans. “I did the NEC for about 20 years and can’t quite remember why it stopped but it did. It was just a great part of the autumn. November had to be the NEC. I particularly like Birmingham because I got so used to places in Birmingham when I was doing the show. We always used to go and eat out in Birmingham and around.”

Ludlow also holds fond memories. Stein was a visitor when it enjoyed its brief golden era of Michelin success. Three restaurants – including Shaun Hill’s Merchant House – held stars simultaneously, making it the most successful town outside London. “I used to go to Ludlow a bit because Shaun was a good friend of mine. I loved going over there.”

Stein leads a remarkable life. There are restaurants dotted here and there, with scores of staff to support. He regularly writes cookery books and presents new TV shows. There is a huge amount of charity work, too: Stein is a patron of the Padstow Youth Project and works with other organisations that represent fishermen, those with dyslexia and more. No two days are ever the same.

“Life is a bit varied,” he says, ever the master of understatement. “A typical day will all depend on what I’m doing. Today, for instance, I’m in Padstow so I started the day with a swim. It was quite funny. I rather startled a mum and her kids on the beach because they couldn’t believe I was going into the sea in those temperatures.

“But there’s a tiny beach surrounded by rocks that’s very beautiful. The mum said to me it looked like a little Greek Island. I told her not to be silly. Greece is never this cold.