Chef and TV presenter Tom Kerridge, 44, chats dramatic weightloss, becoming a dad at 42 and his favourite evening dish
The celebrity chef has lost 11st 7lb in recent years and is now working with a personal trainer to build muscle
I DON'T need to set an alarm.
My two-year-old son Acey wakes me and my wife [sculptor Beth Cullen-Kerridge, 47] at 6.15am.
I like to attack the day, so once I’ve showered and had a black coffee with a yoghurt I’ll head to the gym or go swimming.
I’ve lost 11st 7lb in recent years and I’m now working with a personal trainer to build muscle.
There’s no structure to my working week. Some days I’ll drop in to one of my three pubs in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, while on others I’ll be in London for filming, press interviews and book photo shoots.
Whatever I’m doing, I always ring my cooking staff to make sure they’re OK and there are no issues with customers or broken equipment.
I don’t sit down for lunch. The only exception is if I’m filming – the camera and sound crew belong to unions, so we have to!
Most of the time I’ll grab something on the go, like a hot dog made with proper sausages.
Every show I’ve filmed has been shot in a different kitchen we’ve rented out, and it can be a nightmare getting to know my way around it.
As well as being beautiful, it also has to be large enough to accommodate the nine-strong production team that the viewers never see.
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I try to test all recipes beforehand so they’ll definitely work first time – although pre-recording does give us the chance to make a dish look even more sumptuous.
I have always been very career-driven. I didn’t become a dad until I was 42, but I wouldn’t change that for the world. I try to get home for Acey’s bedtime at 6.30pm.
I help prepare his tea, watch him play, then get him bathed and tucked up for the night. Beth and I are fortunate we can spend quality time with Acey and give him an amazing life.
He comes everywhere with us and gets to hang out with me at my Michelin-starred pub – how cool is that? He’s also been to Dubai to see his mum install one of her sculptures in front of the opera house.
Since losing weight, I try to eat healthily. It doesn’t even feel like I’m on a diet any more because I’ve programmed myself to enjoy nutritious meals.
One of my favourite dishes to whip up in the evening is chopped salad sprinkled with fried chorizo, raw mushrooms, crumbled feta, tomatoes, peppers and olives. We’ll sit down to eat at 8.30pm while watching Grand Designs or Match of The Day, which I always record. I’m a huge football fan.
It takes me a while to wind down, particularly after filming. In the evenings I’ll grab a cold drink, some cheese and an apple before chilling out on the sofa for an hour. Bedtime is usually 1am and I’ll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
- Tom’s book Lose Weight For Good: Full Flavour Cooking For A Low-Calorie Diet (£22, Absolute Press) is out now.