Saturday Kitchen
Encyclopedia
Saturday Kitchen Live is a 90 minute cookery programme, which is broadcast live on BBC One
on Saturday mornings. It is currently presented by James Martin
; previous presenters have included Antony Worrall Thompson
and Gregg Wallace
. The programme is currently produced by Cactus TV
(perhaps best known for the Richard & Judy
show on Channel 4
). The programme has also aired on RTÉ One
in Ireland
on Saturday mornings, the episodes shown are several months old.
, were presented by a then relatively unknown Gregg Wallace
with a different celebrity chef each week. As a BBC
production for the Open University
, the programme had an educational remit and a relatively low budget, showing clips of the likes of Keith Floyd
and Rick Stein
from the BBC Archives
to fill time.
, helming the show. The format was revamped and, in a bid to secure higher ratings, the programme was switched from BBC Two to BBC One, which had traditionally shown children's programmes in this slot since the early 1970s, a move which courted some controversy. Saturday Kitchen gained a more entertainment-based approach, with the focus moving away from simple suppers and snacks to more aspirational food with an increasing number of new chefs appearing, many of whom were Michelin
-starred.
Until June 2006, the show was produced by Prospect Pictures
with each show featuring two guest chefs who demonstrated how to cook a dish of their choosing. The guests and main presenter would also pitch another dish, each to be voted on by the audience by telephone - the winning chef cooked the dish at the end of the show. Worrall Thompson recorded a running total of the number of shows he won on the show by using fridge magnets
.
scheduled a similar cooking show in exactly the same time slot as Saturday Kitchen. Worrall Thompson defected from the BBC to present the show, which was titled Saturday Cooks! and also made by Prospect Pictures. The format was almost identical to the old style Saturday Kitchen format, but with different theme music and a different set. Both Saturday Kitchen and Saturday Cooks! started at the same time of day and ran for the same duration, although ITV later rescheduled Saturday Cooks! to noon.
With Worrall Thompson presenting the rival show, the BBC recruited James Martin
as the new presenter and revamped the format once again, switching their choice of independent producer to Cactus TV. The show currently features a Heaven and Hell element, in which a celebrity guest describes their most beloved and loathed foods, and the viewers vote for which recipe based on each James Martin will cook at the end of the show. This idea was also borrowed for ITV's Sunday Feast
the week before the first Cactus-made Saturday Kitchen aired but 3 weeks after the official launch of Saturday Kitchen, where the idea was first announced.
Sunday Feast was axed following an unsuccessful run of only 10 shows.
In February 2007, Saturday Kitchen was accused of misleading viewers to phone in to an apparently live segment, which was found to have been pre-recorded a week earlier. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/02_february/28/kitchen.shtml
As well as cookery, the show features a regular wine tasting element, featuring wine experts such as Olly Smith
, Tim Atkin
, Peter Richards, Susie Barrie and Susy Atkins. Almost half the show's length is made up of edited versions of food shows from the BBC archives including, amongst others, MasterChef, Keith Floyd
, Antonio Carluccio
, Rick Stein
and Delia Smith
. These elements are used at frequent intervals throughout the show to facilitate clean-up and "resetting" of the studio kitchen.
Since its launch the show's viewings figures have increased dramatically. At launch it received 1.2 million viewers but now reaches nearly 3 million viewers. It reached a peak of 2.7 million on 9 January 2010.
The "Saturday Kitchen Cookbook with James Martin" was published by BBC Books in July 2007.
In May 2008 chef John Torode
joined the Saturday Kitchen team as Guest Presenter in James Martin's absence.
James Martin was replaced as presenter by Matt Tebbutt
in October and November 2009 for two weeks.
The current record holder is Paul Rankin
with a time of 15.12 seconds.
A small number of the show's guests are regulars on Ready Steady Cook
, including Ready Steady Cook's host Ainsley Harriott
.
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on Saturday mornings. It is currently presented by James Martin
James Martin (chef)
James Martin , is an English cook who first appeared on television in 1996.-Television career:...
; previous presenters have included Antony Worrall Thompson
Antony Worrall Thompson
Henry Antony Cardew Worrall Thompson is a British celebrity chef, television presenter and radio broadcaster.-Biography:...
and Gregg Wallace
Gregg Wallace
Gregg Allan Wallace is an English writer, media personality and former greengrocer, costermonger and farmer. He is probably best known for co-presenting MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals on BBC Two and BBC One along with John Torode, where he is referred to as an...
. The programme is currently produced by Cactus TV
Cactus TV
Cactus TV is an English based television show production company.They produce the shows Richard & Judy for Watch, and "Saturday Kitchen" for BBC One.-Company:...
(perhaps best known for the Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
show on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
). The programme has also aired on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on Saturday mornings, the episodes shown are several months old.
Beginnings
The first programmes, starting in January 2002 and shown on BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, were presented by a then relatively unknown Gregg Wallace
Gregg Wallace
Gregg Allan Wallace is an English writer, media personality and former greengrocer, costermonger and farmer. He is probably best known for co-presenting MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals on BBC Two and BBC One along with John Torode, where he is referred to as an...
with a different celebrity chef each week. As a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production for the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, the programme had an educational remit and a relatively low budget, showing clips of the likes of Keith Floyd
Keith Floyd
Keith Floyd was a British celebrity chef, television personality and restaurateur, who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and travel...
and Rick Stein
Rick Stein
Christopher Richard "Rick" Stein OBE is an English chef, restaurateur and television presenter. He is currently the head chef and co-owner of "Rick Stein at Bannisters" at Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia, owns four restaurants in Padstow, a fish and chip shop in Falmouth, Cornwall and has...
from the BBC Archives
BBC Archives
The BBC Archives are collections documenting the BBC's broadcasting history.- Overview :The archives contain 1 million hours of media material dating back to the 1890s, with early material on wax cylinder. With other materials such as photos and written documents the archive contains 11 million...
to fill time.
2003–2006: the Worrall Thompson era
The first series with Gregg Wallace had been deemed a success, and Saturday Kitchen was relaunched as a major BBC brand. Wallace, at the time relatively unknown, was replaced with an established celebrity chef, Antony Worrall ThompsonAntony Worrall Thompson
Henry Antony Cardew Worrall Thompson is a British celebrity chef, television presenter and radio broadcaster.-Biography:...
, helming the show. The format was revamped and, in a bid to secure higher ratings, the programme was switched from BBC Two to BBC One, which had traditionally shown children's programmes in this slot since the early 1970s, a move which courted some controversy. Saturday Kitchen gained a more entertainment-based approach, with the focus moving away from simple suppers and snacks to more aspirational food with an increasing number of new chefs appearing, many of whom were Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
-starred.
Until June 2006, the show was produced by Prospect Pictures
Prospect Pictures
Prospect Pictures is an independent TV production company specializing in factual programming from daytime features to cinema documentaries.Founded in 1988, Prospect built its reputation through being one of the UK ’s largest suppliers of lifestyle and cookery programming, most notably with ITV1's...
with each show featuring two guest chefs who demonstrated how to cook a dish of their choosing. The guests and main presenter would also pitch another dish, each to be voted on by the audience by telephone - the winning chef cooked the dish at the end of the show. Worrall Thompson recorded a running total of the number of shows he won on the show by using fridge magnets
Refrigerator magnet
A refrigerator magnet is an ornament, often whimsical, attached to a small magnet which is used to post items such as shopping lists or report cards on a refrigerator door, or which simply serves as decoration. Refrigerator magnets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including but not...
.
June 2006 to date
In June 2006 ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
scheduled a similar cooking show in exactly the same time slot as Saturday Kitchen. Worrall Thompson defected from the BBC to present the show, which was titled Saturday Cooks! and also made by Prospect Pictures. The format was almost identical to the old style Saturday Kitchen format, but with different theme music and a different set. Both Saturday Kitchen and Saturday Cooks! started at the same time of day and ran for the same duration, although ITV later rescheduled Saturday Cooks! to noon.
With Worrall Thompson presenting the rival show, the BBC recruited James Martin
James Martin (chef)
James Martin , is an English cook who first appeared on television in 1996.-Television career:...
as the new presenter and revamped the format once again, switching their choice of independent producer to Cactus TV. The show currently features a Heaven and Hell element, in which a celebrity guest describes their most beloved and loathed foods, and the viewers vote for which recipe based on each James Martin will cook at the end of the show. This idea was also borrowed for ITV's Sunday Feast
Sunday Feast
Sunday Feast is a cookery show on British television channel ITV. The show's hosts are Andi Peters and Anneka Rice. Their two resident chefs, who alternate week by week, are Ed Baines and Paul Merrett....
the week before the first Cactus-made Saturday Kitchen aired but 3 weeks after the official launch of Saturday Kitchen, where the idea was first announced.
Sunday Feast was axed following an unsuccessful run of only 10 shows.
In February 2007, Saturday Kitchen was accused of misleading viewers to phone in to an apparently live segment, which was found to have been pre-recorded a week earlier. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/02_february/28/kitchen.shtml
As well as cookery, the show features a regular wine tasting element, featuring wine experts such as Olly Smith
Olly Smith
Olly Smith is a TV presenter, wine expert and newspaper columnist. He is the presenter of The Secret Supper Club for Channel 4, Iron Chef UK for Channel 4 and regularly appears on BBC1's Saturday Kitchen, BBC Breakfast, Great Food Live, Food Uncut "Fern" and Taste, and formerly presented the...
, Tim Atkin
Tim Atkin
Tim Atkin is a British Master of Wine, and wine correspondent of several publications.-Career:Atkin has published columns in The Observer, Observer Food Monthly, Off Licence News, Woman and Home, The World of Fine Wine, The Economist. Between 2000 and 2003 Atkin was editor of Harpers Wine and...
, Peter Richards, Susie Barrie and Susy Atkins. Almost half the show's length is made up of edited versions of food shows from the BBC archives including, amongst others, MasterChef, Keith Floyd
Keith Floyd
Keith Floyd was a British celebrity chef, television personality and restaurateur, who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and travel...
, Antonio Carluccio
Antonio Carluccio
Antonio Carluccio, OBE OMRI is an Italian chef, restaurateur and food expert, based in London.-Biography:Antonio Carluccio was born in Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, Italy. His father was a stationmaster, and he moved with his father's job when he was young and grew up in Piedmont...
, Rick Stein
Rick Stein
Christopher Richard "Rick" Stein OBE is an English chef, restaurateur and television presenter. He is currently the head chef and co-owner of "Rick Stein at Bannisters" at Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia, owns four restaurants in Padstow, a fish and chip shop in Falmouth, Cornwall and has...
and Delia Smith
Delia Smith
Delia Smith CBE is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills. She is the UK's best-selling cookery author, with more than 21 million copies sold....
. These elements are used at frequent intervals throughout the show to facilitate clean-up and "resetting" of the studio kitchen.
Since its launch the show's viewings figures have increased dramatically. At launch it received 1.2 million viewers but now reaches nearly 3 million viewers. It reached a peak of 2.7 million on 9 January 2010.
The "Saturday Kitchen Cookbook with James Martin" was published by BBC Books in July 2007.
In May 2008 chef John Torode
John Torode
John Torode is an Australian-born British celebrity chef specialising in Australasian food. He runs Smiths of Smithfield and several other restaurants scattered throughout London's Smithfield market....
joined the Saturday Kitchen team as Guest Presenter in James Martin's absence.
James Martin was replaced as presenter by Matt Tebbutt
Matt Tebbutt
Matt Tebbutt is a chef based in Wales, UK and is a well known food TV presenter. Born in High Wycombe in 1973, Matt Tebbutt moved to South Wales at the age of six months and so considers himself an honorary Welshman...
in October and November 2009 for two weeks.
The Omelette Challenge
Each week the guest chefs are challenged to cook a three-egg omelette as quickly as possible.The current record holder is Paul Rankin
Paul Rankin
Paul Rankin is a Scottish born, Northern Irish celebrity chef from Ballywalter, County Down, Northern Ireland. Born in Glasgow, Scotland his parents moved back to Ballywater, where he grew up. This was stated when he was the subject of an episode of a short programme named Proud Parents on Channel...
with a time of 15.12 seconds.
Guests
Guest chefs who have appeared on Saturday Kitchen include:- Rachel AllenRachel AllenRachel Allen is an Irish celebrity chef, known most widely for her work on television and as a writer.-Career as chef:...
- Jason AthertonJason AthertonJason Atherton , is an English chef. He was the Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay's Michelin starred Maze in London until 30 April 2010.-Biography:...
- Mary Berry
- Frank BordoniFrank BordoniFrank Bordoni is a British celebrity chef and member of the Guild of Food Writers.Frank Bordoni was born in Windsor, Berkshire and had a formal, classical French training. In 1989 he was awarded a Roux Brothers Scholarship, and went to work for Albert Roux at Gavroche. He was a finalist in the...
- Martin BlunosMartin BlunosMartin Lauris Blunos is a British TV chef. Blunos earned two Michelin Guide stars for each of his two restaurants.-Early life:...
- Momma Cherri
- Richard CorriganRichard CorriganRichard Corrigan is an Irish chef born in Dublin but raised in Ballivor, County Meath.Corrigan achieved a Michelin Star in 1998 and has been awarded many other culinary accolades, including Outstanding London Chef at the London Restaurant Awards. He is Chef/Patron of Corrigans in Mayfair...
- Alan CoxonAlan CoxonAlan Coxon is a TV Chef and British television presenter. He presented ITV1's The Mint as a stand in for the first few weeks of broadcast. He has a recipe book called Ready in Minutes: The Cookbook.-Career:*Coxon's Kitchen College...
- Gino D'AcampoGino D'AcampoGennaro "Gino" D'Acampo is an Italian chef, television personality and winner of ITV's 2009 series of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here. D'Acampo lives in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
- Jill Dupleix
- Bill GrangerBill GrangerBill Granger is a self-taught cook, restaurateur and food writer, based in his native Australia, but also working internationally.-Career:In the late 1980s, Granger relocated from Melbourne to Sydney to study art. He found inspiration in the city's lifestyle, light and harbour views. He worked...
- Sophie GrigsonSophie GrigsonHester Sophia Frances Grigson is an English cookery writer and celebrity chef known as Sophie Grigson. She has followed the same path and career as her mother, Jane Grigson. Her father was the poet and writer Geoffrey Grigson.-Life:...
- Ainsley HarriottAinsley HarriottAinsley Harriott is a British celebrity chef and television presenter.-Early career:Trained at Westminster College of Catering, Ainsley obtained an apprenticeship at Verrey's restaurant in the West End and later worked as a commis chef...
- Ken HomKen HomKen Hom OBE with ancestry from Taishan, Guangdong is a notable Chinese American chef, author and British television-show presenter. In 2009 he was awarded by HM The Queen with an honorary OBE for ‘services to culinary arts’...
- Atul KochharAtul KochharAtul Kochhar is an Indian-born British chef. Born in Jamshedpur in northern India, Kochhar was trained and worked at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi.-Biography:In 1994, he was appointed head chef at the Tamarind restaurant, in Mayfair, London...
- Emma Lewis
- Reza Mahammad
- Manju MalhiManju MalhiManju Malhi is a British-born chef and food writer, specialising in Anglo-Indian cuisine. She was raised in North West London where she grew up surrounded by Indian culture, traditions and lifestyles. However, she spent several years of her childhood in India where she explored and experienced the...
- James MartinJames Martin (chef)James Martin , is an English cook who first appeared on television in 1996.-Television career:...
- Paul MerrettPaul MerrettPaul Merrett is a chef and TV personality based in Godalming who is known for being a frequent guest chef on Saturday Kitchen, a resident chef on Sunday Feast, and starred in The Best along with Silvana Franco and Ben O'Donoghue. Paul Merrett owns and runs the Victoria Pub and Dining Rooms in Sheen...
- Jean-Christophe NovelliJean-Christophe Novelli-Life:Born in Arras, Northern France, in 1961, in a family with Italian roots, Jean-Christophe Novelli left school at age 14 and worked in a bakery before, at the age of 20, becoming a personal chef to the Rothschild family....
- Ben O'DonoghueBen O'DonoghueBen O'Donoghue is an Australian chef and television personality. Currently he is one of the hosts and contestants of The Best in Australia airing on LifeStyle Food.-Early years:...
- Merrilees ParkerMerrilees ParkerMerrilees Parker is a British celebrity chef and TV presenter. She is mainly known for presenting television programmes combining food and travel as well as various more traditional cookery programmes...
- Jo Pratt
- Jun TanakaJun Tanakawas a poet in Showa period Japan.Tanaka was born in Hiroshima and was a graduate of Waseda University. Together with Satomi Ton, Yoshii Isamu and Kume Masao, he helped establish the literary magazine Ningen ....
- Paul RankinPaul RankinPaul Rankin is a Scottish born, Northern Irish celebrity chef from Ballywalter, County Down, Northern Ireland. Born in Glasgow, Scotland his parents moved back to Ballywater, where he grew up. This was stated when he was the subject of an episode of a short programme named Proud Parents on Channel...
- Shaun RankinShaun RankinShaun Rankin is the Michelin-starred chef of the Bohemia restaurant in St Helier, Jersey.-Career:Rankin has said that he always wanted to be a chef, and set out to become one at the age of 14...
- Gary RhodesGary RhodesGary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....
- Simon RimmerSimon RimmerSimon Rimmer is the resident chef on BBC2's Something for the Weekend, which first aired on Sunday 8 October 2006, and is also the face of cooking video website, Eat The Chef. He is married with two children...
- Mike Robinson
- Michel RouxMichel RouxMichel Roux is a French-born chef and restaurateur working in Britain.Born in Charolles, Saône-et-Loire, Roux moved to Paris with his family after the war, where they set up a charcuterie...
- Michel Roux, Jr.Michel Roux, Jr.Michel Roux Jnr , is an English two-star Michelin chef at the London restaurant, Le Gavroche.-Biography:...
- Silvena RoweSilvena RoweSilvena Rowe is a British chef, food writer, television personality and restaurateur.-Biography:Rowe was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria to a Bulgarian mother and a Turkish father. Rowe's father, who was a newspaper editor of the largest Bulgarian newspaper, Bulgarianised his name due to Bulgaria's...
- Curtis StoneCurtis StoneCurtis Stone is an Australian celebrity chef, author and television personality, nicknamed "The Quiet Terminator" by fans following his performance on The Celebrity Apprentice 3.-Background:...
- Matt TebbuttMatt TebbuttMatt Tebbutt is a chef based in Wales, UK and is a well known food TV presenter. Born in High Wycombe in 1973, Matt Tebbutt moved to South Wales at the age of six months and so considers himself an honorary Welshman...
- John TorodeJohn TorodeJohn Torode is an Australian-born British celebrity chef specialising in Australasian food. He runs Smiths of Smithfield and several other restaurants scattered throughout London's Smithfield market....
- Brian TurnerBrian Turner (chef)Brian Turner CBE is a British chef, based in London. He has appeared as a cook on BBC2's Ready Steady Cook since 1994 as well as presenting other cookery programmes.-Career:...
- Lesley WatersLesley WatersLesley Waters is an English celebrity chef. She regularly appears on such cookery programmes as Ready Steady Cook, and is currently one of the featured chefs on This Morning....
- Bryn WilliamsBryn WilliamsBryn Dwyfor Williams is a chef originally from Dinbych , North Wales. He is the head chef and sole proprietor of Odette's Restaurant, Primrose Hill, London...
- Ben Baxter
- Aiden Byrne
- Tom Kime
A small number of the show's guests are regulars on Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook was a BBC daytime TV cooking programme it first debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last edition was broadcast on the 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host...
, including Ready Steady Cook's host Ainsley Harriott
Ainsley Harriott
Ainsley Harriott is a British celebrity chef and television presenter.-Early career:Trained at Westminster College of Catering, Ainsley obtained an apprenticeship at Verrey's restaurant in the West End and later worked as a commis chef...
.