Born in 1972, James Martin is from North Yorkshire, grew up on a farm and said he discovered his love of cooking when he helped his mother in the kitchen as a child. His father ran the catering business at Castle Howard in Yorkshire, and when he was just twelve years old.
James Martin has been on our television screens since 1996, presenting a whole series of cooking shows. He started with his own TV Show James Martin: Yorkshire’s Finest. James Martin has a large following who enjoy tuning in to his weekend cooking show, James Martin’s Saturday Morning. The celebrity chef seems like a nice, down-to-earth guy who happens to cook on TV – you can imagine having a good time with him in the pub!
James lives in a mysterious village in the countryside, which, if you look at his Instagram photos, is totally idyllic. Recently, the star posted a snapshot of his huge garden overlooking picturesque fields. Until 2019, James lived in the village of Stoke Charity in Hampshire, which is six miles from Winchester.
Life Journey of James Martin:
James’ passion for food began when his father took on the role of catering manager at the Castle Howard estate. When he was 13, a trip to the south of France in a lorry gave me the opportunity to experience good food and wine in some of the best chateaux in France. he was hooked!”
James worked as a kitchen porter in a restaurant when he was just 10 years old. He posted a photo of himself in that role on his Instagram page, writing, “An old picture from long ago, but the beginning of my journey into the kitchen. KP for a job at age 10 until I got my first white jacket and apron… great memories.”
James began his hospitality education at Scarborough Technical College in 1988; he was “Student of the Year” three years in a row. “I pretty much owe my entire career to lead instructor Ken Allanson,” James says on his website. “He has managed to keep me humble and inquisitive while building my confidence and belief in myself. I went from the bottom of the class to number one; from the guy who would never amount to anything to the guy to watch.”
After studying gastronomy, James trained at Hostellerie De Plaisance in Saint-Émilion, France, and then worked at the 3-Michelin-starred Maison Troisgros restaurant in Roanne, France. He then landed a job at Anthony Worrall Thompson’s restaurant One Ninety Queen’s Gate in Kensington, London. In 1993, he became junior pastry chef at Chewton Glen, and two years later, at the age of 21, he moved to the Hotel Du Vin in Winchester as head chef.
The chef opened James Martin Manchester at Casino Manchester235 in 2013, which was included in the Sunday Times Top 100 Restaurants list in 2015/2016. in 2017, James opened The Kitchen cooking school and restaurant in Chewton Glen. He also operates the James Martin Kitchen chain at Stansted Airport, Lakeside, Manchester Piccadilly Station, and Glasgow Airport.
Television career Of James Martin:
James’s television career began in 1996 with The Big Breakfast and Ready, Steady, Cook. Over the next ten years he went on to film shows including:
• Kids Eat the Funniest Things
• Fifty Ways to Feed Your Lover
• For Better, For Worse
• Simply Fish
• Scouting About
Entertaining with James:
- Use Your Loaf with Paul Hollywood
- Master and Servant with Antony Worrall Thompson
- Why Weight
- Kitchen Invaders
- Housecall
- Good Food Live
- Delicious!
- James Martin Sweet
- Yorkshire’s Finest
- Out of the Frying Pan
- Too Many Cooks
- Castle in the Country
- Digs Deep
James suffers from dyslexia, a common learning disability that can cause problems with reading, writing, and spelling. The chef recently told guests on his show TV, “I failed mostly because I’m dyslexic”.
James published his first cookbook, Eating in with James Martin, in 1998.
James has written 20 best-selling cookbooks and his autobiography, Driven. Some of his books include Fast Cooking: Really Exciting Recipes in 20 Minutes, James Martin’s American Adventure and James Martin’s Great British Adventure.
In 2010, James was awarded the title of Honorary Professor by the University of West London, London School of Hospitality and Tourism, along with Michel Roux OBE, Raymond Blanc, and Anton Mosimann OBE.
In 2013, James was honored with the Special Award from the Craft Guild of Chefs. The Special Award is given to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry, and James was commended for his dedication.
James likes to spend his hard-earned money on his hobbies and interests, especially his car collection, which includes a Chevrolet Courvette, a Lotus 340R, a 1948 Maserati and two retired Formula One engines. James gets involved with CarFest and the Dine and Disco for BBC Children in Need every year.
