Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott visited two Morrisons stores in Stockport on Thursday, August 20, as part of his tour across the north of England, handing out free couscous samples and surprising one lucky customer at each store with a £100 Morrisons voucher.
The Ready Steady Cook star, known for BBC cooking game shows Can't Cook, Won't Cook and Ready Steady Cook, spent the afternoon outside the Bredbury Morrisons, signing photographs, taking selfies and even FaceTiming a fan's sister. Earlier in the day, he had visited the Denton Morrisons store.
Diplomatic Answers and Northern Charm
When asked which town was his favourite, Harriott gave a diplomatic response, saying "I liked meeting people at both." The chef, who hails from Paddington, London, spends a lot of time in the north of England with his partner in Chester, and revealed his current favourite spot there is the Sticky Walnut Bistro, a Modern European restaurant run by Gary Usher.
Harriott admitted he likes the north of England, where people tend to make more chat than down south, particularly in Yorkshire, where people call him "love."
Career Advice and Culinary Passion
Appointed MBE in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts, Harriott began his career as a chef at the age of 17, but said his cooking journey started long before that.
"It's a matter of patience," he said. "If you want to have a career in the catering industry, you have to make sacrifices. If you're going to go into working in a restaurant, there's going to be lots of unsociable hours. And maybe not start with great money."
He continued: "But if it's your passion, there's nothing greater. Now let's think about jobs that people do. They're not going to get an accolade or appreciation till the end of the week, end of the month or maybe even the end of the year. With food, every dish that goes out there is an appreciation, a buzz. You put something on a plate, you've served it, you put it in front of them. They get the dish and you get the feedback, they loved it. Is there anything better?"
He added: "It lifts your spirits."
Asked what his favourite thing to cook is, Harriott gave another diplomatic answer: "My favourite thing to have is people around my table. I've been cooking professionally since I was 17 and before that my mum encouraged us all to cook. The greatest satisfaction I have is having people around the table."
Charity Donations and Tour Dates
Ainsley Foods Company is donating £3,000 worth of food across each of the three regions on the tour, via charities supported by Morrisons which help support community organisations across the north.
The tour, which makes up part of Ainsley Foods' 'Where's Ainsley?' campaign, will see Ainsley visit two Morrisons stores in Lancashire on Friday, August 21 - Leyland and Preston.
Ahead of his tour, Ainsley said: "I'm looking forward to getting out and meeting shoppers in Yorkshire, Manchester and Lancashire. There's nothing better than chatting about food, sharing a few recipe ideas and hopefully putting a smile on people's faces. Come along, say hello, try our delicious couscous and who knows... you might even leave with a little surprise!"
Mike Benton, MD at Ainsley Foods Company, said: "We're passionate about bringing people together through great food, and we're delighted to be supporting local communities alongside our Where's Ainsley tour. By donating £3,000 worth of food in each region we visit, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the fantastic food banks and community organisations making a difference every day."
