Home is …
Brook Green in west London, although at the moment I’m in North Kensington with my girlfriend while my flat is being done up.
What was your first job?
Selling fitted bedwear in Harrods — I was 17. I absolutely hated it, though I did become an expert in knowing the difference between king and queen. And you could have a kip in the storeroom when no one was watching. I also remember that repellent man Al Fayed walking with a phalanx of bodyguards, obviously on the look-out for young women. I was always terrified, he would probably have had me shot. I just tended to hide when he was on his walks. Back in the cupboard for another nap.
Where would you recommend for a first date?
Probably somewhere like the French House in Soho. It’s small enough you can get to know each other but not so tiny that you’re there cheek to jowl. It’s brilliant, classic French cooking — and romantic, particularly at lunch.
Which shops do you rely on?
Number one is Olympia Foods, my local newsagents and grocers. It’s possibly the greatest corner shop in the world — they sell everything from San Marzano tomatoes to scampi fries to Private Eye. Then Fortnum & Mason for tea and coffee. Hatchards, too. The second-hand book selection is pretty good. HG Walter, the butcher, and La Fromagerie.
Best meal you’ve had?
The best meals are always with good friends. I’d rather have a Boots meal deal with friends than a kilo of caviar with bores. But you can rarely go wrong at The River Café, especially if someone else is paying.
What would you do if you were Mayor for the day?
If I was being serious, I’d do something about the night-time hospitality industry. Otherwise, I’d install machine guns at the top of every Tube escalator to ensure no one stands on the left.
Who is the most iconic Londoner?
Fay Maschler, because she’s the doyenne of all food critics. What she doesn’t know about London restaurants isn’t worth knowing.
What’s the best thing a cabbie has ever said to you?
Sometimes they say something like, “You’re him, aren’t you?” and I say: “Him?” They go, “You know, that posh fella …” They can never remember my name, and why would they? I love London cabbies.
Have you ever had a run-in with a London police officer?
Ah, yes, in a misspent youth … when I was 17, 18, 19 … I spent a night in the cells for various rave-related mischief.
Where do you let your hair down?
Funnily enough, these days it’s probably Hyde Park or 1Rebel for Pilates. Things have certainly changed a lot. Although sometimes it’s still Quo Vadis, at the bar.
Who do you call when you want to have fun?
I suppose it would be Mark Hix, Bill Knott, Ewan Venters. Because they understand the absolute joy and importance of a long lunch.
Biggest extravagance?
Probably buying books. First editions, second-hand … I can’t stop. I go to a lot of charity shops or, if I’m feeling particularly flush, Peter Harrington [on Dover Street].
What’s your London secret?
There’s a Thai restaurant called Fitou in North Kensington. I’ve got to know the chef there, she’s a lovely lady. And there’s another — 101 Thai Kitchen in Hammersmith. It’s a case of getting to know the chef for the best in London. But I also love the Prince Charles Cinema — the cult cinema which stays open all night sometimes, absolutely brilliant.
What are you up to at the moment for work?
I’m touring the country with my new book, Cooking & the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III. Writing, I get stuck down rabbit holes of research. I think Edward VII was one of the great gourmands of all time; he didn’t drink much, but he had this huge appetite for incredibly rich food. A gastronomic hero.
What do you collect?
Aside from the books, obscure Italian horror films from the Seventies and Eighties.
Who is your hero?
People like Simon Hopkinson, Alastair Little and Rowley Leigh, and I’d put Ruthie Rogers in there too, purely for how they changed the way we all eat in London.
Cooking & the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III is out now (Octopus, £30)
