A strange phenomenon has occurred in Britain in recent years. It’s been a gradual process, but one that has steadily gathered momentum, and now what was once just a casual interest in the occasional cookery programme is best described as a national obsession. TV cooking; we simply can’t get enough of it. But while we sit glued to our screens on a Saturday morning absorbed in the excitement of breakfast TV, is our enthusiastic viewing actually encouraging us to rise from the sofa and make an omelette of our own?
“I would like to think so,” Prue Leith, author, restaurateur, and one of three judges on The Great British Menu, tells Suite101, “but the sceptic in me says that TV cooking has become more of a spectator’s sport. The likes of Nigel Slater, Michael Caines and Nigella Lawson make fantastic viewing, but when it comes to getting Brits actually back into the kitchen it’s more likely to be Delia Smith who achieves it because she’s tapped into the public’s desire for high quality convenience.”
Celebrity TV Chefs
However, whether it’s a Pot Noodle or a plate of crab and ginger dumplings that take our fancy, there is an undeniable resurgence of tasty British fare, and no programme exemplifies this point better than The Great British Menu. Touted as the crème de la crème of TV cooking, it pits some of the UK’s most talented chefs against one another in a bid to produce a modern take on local, traditional dishes.
“The whole point of the programme is to find the most skilled and innovative chefs in the country who put both their passion and personality into cooking,” says Prue. “We as a nation enjoy so many diverse types of cuisine these days that we’re really looking to see if there actually is a clear definition of what British food is now.”
Perhaps best known as a cookery writer, Prue is a lady of many talents, most of which relate to food. Having trained at Cordon Bleu in London, Prue went on to launch her own catering business, Leith’s Good Food. In 1969 she opened her now world-famous and Michelin-starred restaurant, Leith’s, in Kensington Park Road, London, but Prue put much of her efforts into the launch of her School of Food and Wine, which she opened in partnership with Caroline Waldegrave in 1974.
British Food Through the Ages
Ironically, the same irritations that inspired Prue to open her cookery school some 30 years ago, as well as her charitable training restaurant, the Hoxton Apprentice, still crop up. In 1974 it was bewilderment at the fashion for carving radishes into roses, and turnips into chrysanthemums, and in today’s world the new trend for decorative foam is met with an equally frosty reception. “I don’t understand why we need something on our plate that looks like scum!” she says.
Since being awarded an OBE in 1989, Veuve Cliquot Business-Woman of the Year in 1990, and seven honorary degrees or fellowships from UK universities, it’s clear that Prue has been recognised by the food world as one of their own. Previously a cookery columnist for a variety of national newspapers, Prue has also written 12 cookery books, three novels and has been a television presenter. But with so many strings to her bow, if limited to just one vocation what would Prue herself choose?
“Oh, I’d definitely write novels,” she says, without hesitation. “It’s one of three reasons why I agreed to be a judge on The Great British Menu. Firstly, it’s a great way of showcasing Britain’s underrated talent. Secondly, I wanted to bring the importance of local produce and local suppliers to the fore. But thirdly, I thought if I raised my profile, a few more people just might want to by my novels!”
Julia Brandon - I am the editor of the Natural Beauty Yearbook, a trade publication aimed at retailers, which covers trends and product developments in ...
