| Who says men can’t cook? Not only are some of the world’s finest culinary artisans cut from the same cloth as Adam, but many combine the role of kitchen tyrant with that of being a loving Dad too. Gents we salute you… and is there any chance of some seconds? |
| 1. Jamie Oliver |
Once renowned for his naked cheffing about, now he’s advising the government on what they can do with their turkey twizzlers. Jamie puts his love of food and skill in cooking it down to his upbringing among the hungry punters of his parent’s Essex pub, The Cricketers in Clavering. Whether his mashing and straining of the English language, and taste in ‘great music to cook to’ has the same origins, we don’t know. One thing’s for sure though, if cooking’s in the Oliver jeans then his kids – Daisy Boo and Poppy Honey – will be a big hit with school chums. But a living hell for the dinner lady.
Verdict: A pukka Pa |
| 2. Gordon Ramsay |
Synonymous with F words, it’s a wonder fatherof- four Ramsay has the time for Dad duties – he has his fingers in so many pies. He’s admitted the thought of attending a child birth could put him off sex for life and describes the labour ward as being akin to a room full of skinned rabbits. On the up side he’s banned his own kids from his restaurant – Claridge’s in London – so they don’t grow up as food snobs. Underneath that tough crust is a heart of gold though, as his marathon-running efforts in support of premature baby charity Tommy’s have shown.
Verdict: F--flaming marvellous. |
| 3. Ian Beale |
EastEnders stalwart Ian Beale, a fictional father of four, isn’t your ideal paternal role model. His first wife took out a contract on him. His second only agreed to marry him because he lied to her about his daughter’s terminal illness. His third discovered he’d been seeing prostitutes and his current spouse is unable to have kids after she was shot by Ian’s stepson. Throughout all this, food has remained constant in his life. From running Kath’s café to opening Beale’s Plaice, Ian’s your man for some Walford nosh.
Verdict: Battered husband. |
| 4. Frankie Dettori |
Not only is the diminutive Dettori a legendary jockey – with over 2,000 race wins in the UK alone – but he’s also a big fan of meal making. He’s even written down the recipe secrets of his family’s traditional Italian home cooking and packaged them – with the aid of Marco Pierre White – as a top-selling cookbook. The pair have also launched a highly successful restaurant franchise – Frankies – with branches in London, Shanghai and Dubai. It’s one way for the jockey to find a restaurant that’ll take him, the wife and all five of his offspring – Leo, Ella, Mia, Tallulah and Rocco – at short notice.
Verdict: Champion. |
| 5. Paul Newman |
Maybe it’s because he was born in a place called Shaker Heights. Or perhaps it’s the influence of his films, ‘Slap Shot’ and ‘Message in a Bottle’. Whatever the link there’s no doubting the fact the Oscar-winning actor has a knack for bottled genius. The profits from Newman’s Own sauces, launched in 1982, are all donated to charity, Paul’s philanthropy having raised in the region of $200 million. A father of five daughters he famously answered the question of why he’d never committed adultery with the line “Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?” Strange coming from a vegetarian!
Verdict: Saucy |
| 6. Marco Pierre White |
Famous for a temper that’ll turn any kitchen into a cauldron, Marco is admired by peers and critics alike for his culinary mastery and creative skills. He trained under Albert Roux and at just 33 became the youngest British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. But it’s Marco’s life away from the hot plates that has made this father of three such a darling of the gossip pages. Marriages to models, a gypsy offending non-PC approach to TV work, and a reputation for reducing even Gordon Ramsey to tears all make him a walking news story, and hero to many.
Verdict: Hot stuff |
| 7. Ainsley Harriet |
Among all the egotistical feuding of the nation’s TV chefs one man stands out as a Dad who has a good crack when cooking. “My aim is to make food fun,” insists Ainsley Harriot. Thanks to springboards like ‘Ready, Steady Cook’ and ‘Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook’ Ainsley has become a household name and international star who attributes his passion for pan work to his mother and her free-for-all feasts at their south London home. He now hopes to instill the same flame-grilled passion in his own children Jimmy and Madeleine.
Verdict: What is he like? |
| 8. Colonel Sanders |
They say all families have secrets and certainly that’s the case with Harland Sanders’ clan. He started cooking fried chicken for truck drivers at the petrol station he ran in Corbin, Kentucky in the 1930s. His recipe became so popular he was soon snapped up by a nearby motel and spent the next nine years fine-tuning his cooking. Sanders gave himself the title ‘Colonel’ as his business grew but in 1964 he sold his 600-outlet Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise for $2 million. He stayed with the firm as its front man until his death, aged 90. He left a secret to 11 herbs and spices that remains locked in a Kentucky vault to this day.
Verdict: Finger lickin’ father. |
| 9. Jonathan Ross |
We can’t say for sure how much time the BBC’s biggest earner devotes to “wustling up a wissotto”, but according to the great British public Ross is the ultimate example of a Dad who’s comfy in the kitchen. To mark national ‘Cook With Dad Day’ a British meat industry survey asked which celebrity Dad was most likely to conjure up something with his kids. Ross was top of the poll by a mile. He may well be a great cook but a recent failure to stomach stirfried maggots during a cooking demo on his show suggests he’s no fan of really wild dishes.
Verdict: Wustic. |
| 10. Gary Rhodes |
A product of a Kent catering college, Gary’s brand of effortless British-style cooking has earned him a healthy crust along with many an admiring female fan. These days the iconic spiky hair is gone – though his ability to make meals, write best-selling cookbooks, and run successful eateries whilst spending quality time with sons Sam and George remains. He claims to have achieved many personal ambitions through being a chef including cooking for Princess Diana, Jordan’s F1 racing team and his beloved Manchester United. Not all at the same time though.
Verdict: Found in the freezer. |
