James Martin – 12 photos of North Yorkshire’s TV chef

From his culinary CV, it’s clear that James has been a boy wonder in the world of cuisine.

Brought up in a North Yorkshire farmhouse, his father Ian ran the kitchens at Castle Howard, where the young master Martin cooked for the Queen Mum at the tender age of 12.

At Scarborough Technical College (now Yorkshire Coast College), he was named top student three times.

Spotted by top chef Antony Worral Thompson, James was brought to London where his culinary career took off. By 22, he was running his own restaurant in Winchester. Two years later, he was a regular on the cook-against-the-clock TV show, Ready Steady Cook.

The Ryedale-born cook presented the BBC series Saturday Kitchen from 2006 until 2016, before leaving the BBC.

More recently, he presented James Martin’s French Adventure (2017) and James Martin’s American Adventure (2018) for ITV.

York Press: James Martin at a school cake saleJames Martin at a school cake sale

He has been hosting his popular ITV show Saturday Morning with James Martin since 2017.

James has published a wide range of cook books too – almost 30 to date, with the latest, James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, out at the end of this month.

He has been a restaurateur too, including spells in his home region with The Leeds Kitchen inside the Alea Casino in Leeds in 2011, while in 2012 he opened a restaurant inside The Talbot Hotel, Malton, North Yorkshire. The restaurant won a Michelin star at the end of 2012 and top praise from food critic Jay Rayner.

In September 2013 Martin opened his restaurant James Martin Manchester, specialising in modern British cuisine.

There are branches of James Martin Kitchen bakery and cafe located at Stansted and Glasgow airports and at Manchester Piccadilly Train Station.

Now aged 51, the celebrated chef is preparing to bring his autumn tour to York on Halloween.

York Press: The star signs books in Waterstones in York in 2008The star signs books in Waterstones in York in 2008

James hit the headlines earlier this summer when allegations of bullying emerged.

The chef later apologised for his rant on the set of an ITV show, after crew members accused him of ‘bullying and intimidating behaviour’.

And he also revealed that he has been having a series of treatments for skin cancer.

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