James Martin

James has made a great impact since he began to appear on television in November ’96 and has rarely been off screen since. He also has a bespoke kitchen design and manufacturing business in St Albans called Underwood Kitchens. Now 32, his love of food started very young and at the age of 5 he was to be found in kitchens.

James’ father ran the catering side of Castle Howard, and he was brought up in a farmhouse in Yorkshire. When only 12 years old he was able to say that he had cooked for the Queen Mother at Castle Howard! At 16 he began his formal training at Scarborough Technical College, where he was Student of the Year for three years running.

Antony Worrall Thompson noticed his work, and brought him to London to work in the kitchens of 190 Queensgate, followed by dell’Ugo. James toured France, working in the kitchens of some of the old chateaux, often cooking side by side with the mothers and grandmothers of the grand old families. Moving back to England, he worked at Chewton Glen in Hampshire for 2 years.

In 1993, at the tender age of 21, he opened the Hotel du Vin and Bistro in Winchester as Head Chef, where he changed the menu every day. Such was the success of the venture, that there was an eight-week waiting list for a table.

Since November 1996 his television career to date has included:

Stately Suppers

Strictly Come Dancing

Ready Steady Cook

Celebrity Ready Steady Cook

BBC Housecall

Kitchen Invaders

Out of the Frying Pan

Castle in the Country

Yorkshires Finest

Hell's Kitchen

Channel 4 Why Weight?