Marcus Wareing shares ‘nostalgic’ memories of school dinners and high tea (Photo: Plimsoll Productions)
The celebrity chef recently retired from the culinary frontline after 35 years on the job, marked by the closure of his restaurant at the Berkley Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge on December 26 last year. Marcus Wareing’s impressive career has seen him take on many roles beyond restaurateur.
One of his most famous TV ventures began in 2014 as a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals. Recently, the Michelin-starred restaurateur delves into life “from field to table” in his BBC documentary series Marcus Wareing’s Tales from the Kitchen Garden (2022).
Set on her smallholding in East Sussex, the culinary icon from Southport documented the evolution of her kitchen garden, collaborating with British producers, farmers and gardeners who inspired her along the way.
Other BBC programs such as Marcus in the Med, introduced this year, and Simply Provence (2023), showcase the best of French and Mediterranean cuisine. The 54-year-old’s latest projects mark the start of a new chapter, with the chef admitting he “wanted a change in life to do different things”.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, the father-of-three recalled British classics after retiring from the brutal pressures of the high-profile restaurant industry. Marcus emphasized his commitment to simplicity in the kitchen and shared his honest thoughts on fish and chips and what we can learn from our European neighbors at school dinners.
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Marcus Wareing met his wife Jane met Jane while working at Gravetye Manor where he was second chef (Photo: Getty)
Reflecting on his much-loved ‘chippy tea’, Marcus revealed: “I remember, you know, fish and chips for me were soggy chips, simple fish, delicious with malt vinegar and hard peas, at home.”
Around 20 years ago, a chef would have agreed that fish and chips “was fantastic value”, but rising costs are increasingly pricing out customers. According to the latest industry report from the KFE Fish & Chips Survey 2024, the average price of a ‘usual’ fish and chips meal across the UK is £10.88.
Fish and chip shop owners are saying the same as they watch their margins shrink with a bag of chips now at their highest price for almost 50 years. Marcus explained that while he got “an enormous amount of satisfaction eating them” in the past, chip tea isn’t something he enjoys today as a homegrown, whole foods advocate.
However, the celebrity chef praised the translation of a simple dish in restaurant dining. He said: “You could go to fine dining restaurants, like I remember going to Caprice and Ivy in 2013, about 20 years ago. And you had fish and chips on the menu; they were upscale, beautiful. !”
Marcus, Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace judged on the BBC’s hit show Masterchef (Photo: Getty)
Marcus added: “So, I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks about fish and chips, it’s a staple in this country, it’s something we do very well because of the seasons. It’s kind of become part of our culture.”
As for school dinners, another mainstay of old-school British cuisine, the cookbook author and TV personality suggested there’s something to be said for their state in the UK. Speaking about his experience in France while filming the BBC series Simply Provence, Marcus expressed his shock at the differences in school dinner provision.
While visiting a school in the south of France, a British chef helped prepare a three-course lunch for students and said the “content” of the meals was excellent. He elaborated that it wasn’t just the amount of food that surprised him, but that it was “beautifully done, and there was a lot of community involved, including the farming community.”
Marcus noted the fascinating addition of lobster bisque to an incredibly nutritious meal, and suggested that the real lesson for UK schools is using ingredient by-products to feed children on a budget. He explained: “The central government does not tell them [the school in France] what to do It’s a community that works with the school.”
He continued: “To a French kitchen, bisque is no different than making it into a soup. It doesn’t mean they go and buy a lobster. It’s just a by-product of the lobster. A lesson for us here in cooking in England. Simple as fish, some fish from the sea to the kitchen. “
Marcus’ own experience of school dinners is representative of many Britons who grew up in the 1980s. He gave a damning description of his school meals in Merseyside, comparing the food offering to a “prison” offering.
He told Express.co.uk: “We had a canteen that did chips, pink custard and buns. My mum gave me £2.50 every week – we had to pay for our lunch and she gave me five 50p.” But the accomplished chef, who earned his first Michelin star aged just 26, revealed he “never spent that money on lunch, ever”.
The 54-year-old said: “I just put it on my bills, my post office account and never ate lunch. It [the canteen] always consisted of chips and large burgers – horrible, horrible. And even I saw it then, I just went home to eat something. I’ll tell you what, I’ve made a lot of money over the years.”
Marcus Wareing is an ambassador for P&G Professional, maker of Fairy, Flash and Ariel Professional. P&G Professional has launched Fairy Professional Platinum Washing Up Liquid and Platinum Plus dishwasher capsules, aimed at hospitality professionals working in commercial kitchens.
