Fergus Henderson

Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things. ”

I'm like a kid in a sweet shop every day. It's slightly cringey how much fun I have. ”

I've probably got lots of heroes. One is a chap called Charles Campbell - he is a wonderful chap. We cooked together in a nightclub in Notting Hill. He told me brilliant stories of food and life and generally put me on the right track. ”

A pig's trotter is a fantastic thing. The first night of my honeymoon in Paris, my wife fell asleep in her steak tartare, so my trotter kept me company. ”

My first proper kitchen was this funny little club that we set up in Mercer Street in Covent Garden. It got shut down. Then I worked at a club in Notting Hill. ”

Porridge and the urban lifestyle don't mix well. ”

Nose-to-tail eating is not a bloodlust, testosterone-fueled offal hunt. It's common sense, and it's all good stuff. ”

I had a holiday job in a kitchen, but I think we'll draw a polite veil over that. There was nothing joyous or creative about it. And none of this helped my studies. ”

I think tripe is maligned. It's wonderful stuff, but everyone goes 'urgh.' You have to wash and then cook it, very gently braise it, for eight hours. It uplifts you but steadies you at the same time. ”

What worries me is that, because of the amount of media coverage of food, Britain seems to have become a foodie nation - but I'm not sure it actually has. I'm not sure there's been a huge change in the pantry at home or what we cook for supper. ”