James Martin (chef)

Martin studied catering at Scarborough Technical College, where he was named Student of the Year for three years running. He trained at Hostellerie De Plaisance, Saint-Émilion, France. He then worked at the 3 Michelin star restaurant Maison Troisgros in Roanne, France before moving on to join the staff of Anthony Worrall Thompson's 'One Ninety Queen's Gate' restaurant in Kensington, London.[3][4]

Martin subsequently moved on to Alastair Little in Soho, London, 2 Michelin star restaurant The Square in Mayfair, London and another 2 Michelin star restaurant, Harvey's, in Wandsworth, London.[3]

After this he spent two years as a Pastry Chef at Chewton Glen Hotel.[5]

At the age of 22, Martin set up the Hotel du Vin in Winchester as Head Chef.[3]

He first appeared on television in 1996 with programmes including James Martin: Yorkshire's Finest (set in various Yorkshire locations with an emphasis on Yorkshire cuisine), Ready Steady Cook and The Big Breakfast.

Martin co-presented BBC Food's Stately Suppers with Alistair Appleton, and then appeared on the Channel 4 programme Richard & Judy, where he would visit a member of the public in their own home who had been nominated to be cooked a 'comfort food' meal. From 2006 until 2016, he was the presenter of the BBC One show Saturday Kitchen.[6]

In 2007, he starred in a BBC Two series named Sweet Baby James (named in reference to the James Taylor song) in which he focused on desserts, puddings and cakes.[7]

Martin appeared on Blue Peter in April 2007 on Can You Cook It? as a judge choosing the new Blue Peter "Junior Chef".[8]

In June and July 2007, he appeared co-hosting The Great British Village Show on BBC One. He finished off the year with a series on UKTV Food called James Martin's Christmas Feasts.[9] He filmed a 30 part series for the BBC in 2007 called Eating with the Enemy which was broadcast in July and August 2008.[10]

In September 2011, James was tasked with revamping the menu and catering facilities at Scarborough General Hospital, for Operation Hospital Food for the BBC.[11] The show was recommissioned for a second[12] and third series [13] which were shown on BBC One in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

In December 2012,[14] James presented Racing Legends: Sir Jackie Stewart, a one-off special on BBC Two. Martin interviewed Sir Jackie Stewart, about his life and career whilst the pair drove through the Alps in a De Tomaso Pantera supercar. He also drove his Tyrrell Formula One car around the Monza race circuit.[15]

In February and March 2013 Martin presented United Cakes of America. The fifteen episode series saw Martin travel 634 miles along America's East Coast, sampling 234 cakes and five bags of pretzels.[16]

In June 2013, The Roux Scholarship was shown on Watch. Martin joined the judging panel along with other celebrity chefs including Rick Stein, Raymond Blanc and Angela Hartnett.[17]

In July 2013,[18] Martin appeared alongside Angela Hartnett and Richard Corrigan on BBC One on a special edition of The Great British Menu entitled The Great British Budget Menu. The show aimed to highlight food poverty and involved the chefs cooking nutritious meals on a budget.

In September 2013,[19] the programme James Martin's Food Map of Britain aired on BBC Two. There were 10 episodes with each focusing on a different region of Britain. James investigated the produce of each area and cooked two dishes per episode. Since 2013, he has been a judge on Junior Bake Off on the CBBC channel.

In February 2014,[20] based in his kitchen at home in Hampshire, he presented a series called James Martin: Home Comforts on BBC One. Many of the dishes were inspired by memories of his childhood in Yorkshire, and the programme also featured many local small-scale food producers and cooks.

In October 2014, James presented a new daytime show for BBC One called Meet the Street. The show aimed to unite communities and reduce loneliness. In 2015, he guest presented numerous episodes of The One Show with Alex Jones. In 2015, Martin presented The Box, a daytime cookery series for BBC One.[21]

In 2015, while attending the BBC Good Food Middle East Awards in Dubai, Martin witnessed the death of magazine boss, Dominic De Sousa. He had just moments before been chatting to De Sousa, and then witnessed him getting up and suffering a fatal heart attack. This event had an effect on Martin and had a part in him later deciding to leave '"Saturday Kitchen.[22]

In February and March 2016 Martin toured his first live show around the UK entitled 'Plates, mates and automobiles'.[23]

In April 2016, Martin guest presented an episode of This Morning with Ruth Langsford. He returned to guest present a second episode in July 2016, this time with Holly Willoughby. Throughout the summer of 2016, Martin co-presented This Morning every Friday alongside Anita Rani. Beginning in January 2017, Martin presented his own daytime ITV series called James Martin's French Adventure.

Since September 2017, Martin has presented Saturday Morning with James Martin, a Saturday morning cookery show for ITV.[24] During June 2018-July 2018, ITV aired James Martin’s American Adventure, the chef travelled across America, West to East from LA to New York on a culinary journey in this 20-part series.[25]

In 2005, Martin was partnered with Camilla Dallerup in the third series of Strictly Come Dancing. The couple finished the show in fourth place after being eliminated on 10 December.

Until 2013 Martin wrote a motoring column for UK newspaper The Mail on Sunday.

In 2009, Martin wrote in his column that he hated cyclists, and deliberately took pleasure in scaring them by driving an electric Tesla Roadster (2008) in a manner that startled a cycling group, forcing them off the road. Following criticism from cycling groups and professionals such as Bradley Wiggins and Stuart O'Grady, he apologised for the statements. Complaints said that the driving was illegal and dangerous.[26][27]

Martin opened his restaurant, called "The Leeds Kitchen", inside the Alea Casino in Leeds in 2011. The casino, and with it the restaurant, closed in March 2013.[28]

In 2012 he opened a restaurant inside The Talbot Hotel, Malton, North Yorkshire. The restaurant won a Michelin star at the end of 2012. In June 2013 it was reviewed by food critic Jay Rayner for The Observer who described his meal there as "three beautifully poised, close to faultless dishes". James left The Talbot in February 2015.[29][3]

In September 2013,[30] Martin opened his restaurant James Martin Manchester, specialising in modern British cuisine.

There are four branches of James Martin Kitchen bakery and cafe located at; airside at Stansted and Glasgow airports, inside Debenhams at intu Lakeside and at Manchester Piccadilly Train Station.[31]

James teaches at The Kitchen – Cookery School at Chewton Glen, a cookery school and relaxed dining restaurant in New Milton, Hampshire.[32]