I got into cooking quite late.
In my 50’s, I think. And the man on the right, is totally to blame. Keith Floyd.
I loved Keith. He was a very special man. He was the best. And still is, in my book.
His unique delivery made cooking fun. I was very taken with him and decided to have a go. I found it hard at first and made loads of mistakes.
But, I got better over the years and enjoy my cooking, especially when accompanied by a ‘slurp’ or two, as, of course, Keith always recommended.
Most of today’s TV chefs, owe him everything. He was a superb cook, but also a trailblazer, an innovator and a wonderful character. We will not see his like again.
Here’s what Marco Pierre White told BBC Radio, when learning of his death:
“Floyd “inspired a nation. The thing which is very sad is a little piece of Britain today died which will never be replaced. He was a beautiful man, his ability to inspire people to cook just with his words and the way he did things was extraordinary. If you look at TV chefs today they don’t have his magic. It’s a very, very, very sad day for my industry and secondly for a nation.”
I nearly had a chance to work with him in 2007, when a client of mine and good friend Ian Fairservice, was going to help Keith open a restaurant in Dubai. Ian knew how much I loved Keith – and asked me if I would be interested in helping with the marketing, including handling the copy and creative.
Obviously, I jumped at the chance. Sadly, Keith became unwell and the project never saw the light of day. He died two years later.
