Matt Tebbutt, the presenter of BBC's Saturday Kitchen, has made a major confession nearly a decade after taking over from James Martin. The 52-year-old chef, who has been a regular face on the show since March 2017, admitted he now finally considers himself a TV chef.
From Working Chef to TV Personality
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk at Jeremy Clarkson's FarmFest during the May Bank Holiday weekend, Tebbutt reflected on his journey. "I think it is fair to say now I am probably a TV chef. I originally started as a working chef doing all the hours for 14 years. That's a tough game. TV cookery isn't," he said.
He acknowledged the different pressures of television: "It comes with other pressures. There are time pressures. Conformity. I mean I've always been a chef but I think now it's veered into 'TV chef'."
Making Cooking Accessible
Discussing his role on the long-standing cookery programme, Tebbutt explained his philosophy: "My job is to make food and cooking look really accessible. We have our guest chefs on and they're the kind of the aspirational ones. My job is to do those dishes that people will look at and go 'I could get out of bed now and go to the supermarket and buy those ingredients and make that'."
He added with a chuckle, "Whether they do or not I don't know but it is there for them."
Supporting British Farmers
Tebbutt is passionate about the "farm to fork" approach, which was a key reason for his support of FarmFest. He appeared at the festival on Sunday, 24 May, where he delivered a cookery demonstration, gave a talk, and even judged the dog show, despite having two cats at home.
"It's absolutely [great] to be able to support British farmers at a time when the government isn't and to highlight [what they go through]," he said. Gesturing towards the nearby stalls, he added, "People who are committed to supporting farming and where the food comes from. It's marvellous. So if I can show support, I will."
Living in a rural part of Wales, Tebbutt sees the challenges farmers face daily. "You see it on a daily basis. You are in pubs with farmers chatting to them, and you know the sort of problems that they are trying to overcome right now, so it is great to support this."
Saturday Kitchen airs at 9am every Saturday on BBC One and iPlayer.
