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Crossroads chef Shughie inspired me to cook...
WHEN I ask TV's cheeky chappie Kevin Woodford about his inspiration for becoming a chef, his response comes as something of a surprise.
I am expecting him to name a culinary legend – Anton Mosimann perhaps.
What I am not expecting is for him to say it was a character from the long-running TV soap, Crossroads Motel – chef, Shughie McFee.
"I think it was the chef's hat that did it. I liked the idea of the uniform. It was a simple as that," he laughs.
"But I'd watch crossroads every day and I loved it when Shughie came along. Word has obviously got around about this now because when I was lucky enough to be the recipient of the This Is Your Life red book, who should come out from behind the screen than actor Angus Lennie who played the role. He was a lovely chap and he even brought the hat with him."
Kevin is now a household name thanks to hit shows such as Ready Steady Cook and Can't Cook, Won't Cook, which enable him to do what he loves best – demonstrating and passing on his skills.
And that's why, he reveals, he is looking forward to heading to Calderdale and taking centre stage at Halifax's Food and Drink Festival.
"I love Yorkshire because of its fabulous ingredients and I'm really excited about the prospect of cooking with them," he says.
Kevin will be demonstrating on both days and his menu will include succulent lamb, reared by the Burdass farming family in Driffield, which he will prepare with a lavender flower crust, and a Thai-inspired fish dish with coconut rice.
"I love the fusion of flavours between the east and west. That is something that really excites me," he says, revealing that his world travels are behind the inspiration for many of his dishes.
Born in Douglas on the Isle of Man – his present home today – Kevin's career started out when he trained as a chef in some of the country's finest eating establishments, including The Dorchester hotel in London.
His training continued in France before moving into education as a lecturer in professional cookery, working at some of the country's top colleges.
Kevin, who celebrated his 59th birthday last week, was just 32 when he was made head of department at Granville College, Sheffield, and it was because of this he was invited to appear in a regular spot with BBC Radio Sheffield.
"One day a producer from BBC Radio Two was driving up to Leeds and channel-hopping when he caught me rabbiting on. He was looking for someone to screen test for a new programme called The Reluctant Cook and that was it. He rang me and I was offered the show," Kevin recalls.
In the meantime, however, Kevin joined This Morning and became a regular member of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan's team of presenters and his career as a TV celebrity chef escalated.
"Before all of that I was heading for an academic career really because I do love teaching. I love passing on the skills and especially to young people. To see them consumed by a passion for cooking is still something that thrills me today – that's why I shall be looking for a young person when I come to Halifax, who I hope will help me with the demo," he says.
"But I enjoy the TV work and I especially love that moment when someone produces a bag of ingredients and you have to think fast to make something from it, as we do in Ready Steady Cook."
He talks of the challenges of a programme like Can't Cook, Won't Cook and says it still amazes him when he comes across someone who really has no idea about cooking.
"You do wonder how on earth they manage. I remember one chap who was called Albert and he had reached the age of 82 without making so much as a cup of tea all his life," he laughs. Kevin's diary is as packed as ever with projects including a television cookery show for children, Planet Cook, as well as running a luxurious boutique style hotel, Birchfield House, on the Isle of Man, with his wife Jean.
Consultancy work also takes up a great deal of his time and in August, along with fellow celebrity chef Lesley Waters, he will be heading off on a cruise with the MV Spirit of Adventure where the two will be demonstrating to passengers. Another TV programme, this time with musician Rick Wakeman, star of the recent Grumpy Old Men series, is also planned.
"It will be called The Rock Star And The Cook on Tour and it will be two grumpy old buggers moaning on about music and food. It will be a great chance to carry on discovering more about food, flavours and recipes, a real passion of mine," he says.
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Weather for Halifax
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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