James Martin (chef)


James Martin is an English chef and television presenter, best known for his television work with the BBC and ITV.
Martin presented the BBC cookery series Saturday Kitchen from 2006 until 2016, before leaving the BBC.
More recently, Martin has presented James Martin's French Adventure, Saturday Morning with James Martin and James Martin's American Adventure for ITV.

Early life

Martin's family were farmers on the Castle Howard estate and he helped his mother in the kitchen, which started his interest in cuisine. He lived in Welburn, attended Amotherby School in Malton and Malton School.

Career

Early career

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.
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.
After this he spent two years as a Pastry Chef at Chewton Glen Hotel.
At the age of 22, Martin set up the Hotel du Vin in Winchester as Head Chef.

Television

He first appeared on television in 1996 with programmes including James Martin: Yorkshire's Finest, 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.
In 2007, he starred in a BBC Two series named Sweet Baby James in which he focused on desserts, puddings and cakes.
Martin appeared on Blue Peter in April 2007 on Can You Cook It? as a judge choosing the new Blue Peter "Junior Chef".
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. He filmed a 30 part series for the BBC in 2007 called Eating with the Enemy which was broadcast in July and August 2008.
In September 2011, James was tasked with revamping the menu and catering facilities at Scarborough General Hospital, for Operation Hospital Food for the BBC. The show was recommissioned for a second and third series which were shown on BBC One in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
In December 2012, 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.
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.
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.
In July 2013, 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, 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, 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.
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.
In February and March 2016 Martin toured his first live show around the UK entitled 'Plates, mates and automobiles'.
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. 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.

''Strictly Come Dancing''

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.
WeekDanceScoresResult
1Waltz 22 Safe
2Quickstep 29 Safe
3Tango 28 Safe
4Paso Doble 29 Safe
5Viennese Waltz 29 Safe
6Jive 20 Safe
7Waltz 32 Safe
8Samba 20 Safe
8American Smooth 28 Safe
9Foxtrot 33 Eliminated
9Rumba 22 Eliminated

Journalism

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 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.

Restaurants

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.
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.
In September 2013, 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.

Cookery School

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

Personal life

Martin's interest in performance cars was reflected by his entry of a 1948 Maserati A6GCS into the 2008 Mille Miglia. He failed to complete the televised race, withdrawing because of a dropped valve and broken crank. In 2009, Martin gained a private pilot licence. Martin has two dogs named Cooper and Ralph.
Martin has been in a relationship with his long-term girlfriend Louise Davies since 2011. James met TV producer Louise on Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Martin raced in the 2013 Masters Series in an Appendix K 1964 Mini Cooper S. On 23 June 2013 he took his first race win at the Brands Hatch Mini Festival, becoming the 2013 Champion of Mini Festival.
Martin also raced a "works" GT Aston Martin at the Aston Martin Centenary Festival in July 2013 where he achieved a position of 9th out of 30 racers. His love of all things fast continued when he qualified as a helicopter pilot.

Awards and honours

In 2010, Martin was awarded the title of Honorary Professor by the University of West London, London School of Hospitality and Tourism along with Michel Roux, Raymond Blanc and Anton Mosimann.
On 10 June 2013, Martin was honoured with The Craft Guild of Chefs Special Award. In 2015 he was named ‘TV Personality of the Year’ at the Fortnum & Mason Awards. James was inducted into the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers at the International Cheese Awards 2016.

Filmography

;Television
YearTitleRoleNotesChannel
2005Strictly Come DancingContestantFinished fourth placeBBC One
2006–2016Saturday KitchenPresenterBBC One
2007Sweet Baby JamesPresenter1 seriesBBC Two
2007Blue Peter: Can You Cook It?JudgeCBBC
2007The Great British Village ShowPresenter1 seriesBBC One
2007James Martin's Christmas FeastsPresenter1 seriesUKTV Food
2008Eating with the EnemyPresenter1 seriesBBC Two
2011–2014Operation Hospital FoodPresenter3 seriesBBC One
2012Racing Legends: Jackie StewartPresenterOne-off episodeBBC Two
2013United Cakes of AmericaPresenterGood Food
2013The Roux ScholarshipJudgeWatch
2013The Great British Budget MenuPresenterOne-off episodeBBC One
2013James Martin's Food Map of BritainPresenter1 seriesBBC Two
2013Junior Bake OffJudge1 seriesCBBC
2014–2016James Martin: Home ComfortsPresenter4 series BBC Two
2014Operation Meet the StreetPresenter1 seriesBBC One
2015The One ShowGuest presenter3 episodesBBC One
2015The BoxPresenter1 seriesBBC One
2016This MorningGuest presenterITV
2016James Martin's Christmas with FriendsPresenter2 episodesFood Network
2017James Martin's French AdventurePresenter1 seriesITV
2017—Saturday Morning with James MartinPresenter1 seriesITV
2018Walks with My DogCo-presenter1 episodeMore4
2018James Martin's American AdventurePresenter1 seriesITV
2019James Martin's Great British AdventurePresenter1 seriesITV
2019James Martin's Sunday SelectionPresenter1 seriesITV
2020James Martin's Islands To HighlandsPresenter20-part seriesITV

Books