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Rudy Millard interviews chef Gary Rhodes, who will be appearing alongside Rachel Allen, Ainsley Harriott, Gino D'Acampo,  Valentine Warner, James Martin and Thomasina Miers at Bristol Love Cooking festival, which comes to Colston Hall on 05 October.

Hi Gary. What made you first decide to cook professionally?

I started cooking from a young age and when my mother was out at work I started to become the main cook. I vividly remember the first time I cooked a Sunday lunch for my family and seeing their looks of delight as they tucked in made me realise there and then that I wanted to be a chef.

Where were you trained and how difficult was your training?

I was trained at Thanet College. The first year was a nightmare as I knew very little and struggled to match my peers. However, as the years passed I became more aware of the culinary skills and techniques needed and by the end of it, I was awarded chef and student of the year!

There seems to be a real home cooking movement growing. What’s the best piece of advice you would give a home cookery enthusiast?

Buy my books! Seriously, my best tip would be to keep food simple and cook with seasonal produce. Foods in season need little help and you can show off their great flavours easily.

Do you have a favourite gadget in the kitchen? Why?

It’s a little coffee bean grinder which is fabulous for crushing spices, peppercorns or making powders. You can make things as fine as you wish so it’s a great gadget.

What is your favourite food to cook with? Why?

There are too many to choose from but I do like bread as an ingredient because it is so versatile. It is a basic food but can be made into so many things such as Bread and Butter pudding, breadcrumbed to give a crunchy protective coating to meat, fish or vegetables or used as a thickening agent. And you can’t beat a fresh hot loaf of country bread spread with some homemade preserve.

Do you have a favourite cook book? Why would you recommend it to someone else?

My favourite cook book is one which is sadly no longer available called ‘Great Chefs of France’ published in 1978 and written by Anthony Blake and Quentin Crewe. It is a book that still inspires me today – the story of the greatest chefs in France that ever lived.

You can see Gary and friends demonstrate their craft at Bristol Love Cooking festival. Tickets for the event at the Colston Hall on Tuesday 05 October are available now from the Love Cooking Bristol website. Tickets start at £20 for one session.

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