James Martin is a British celebrity chef and television presenter. He is best known as the presenter of the BBC cookery series ‘Saturday Kitchen’ and the ITV cookery series ‘Saturday Morning with James Martin’. Although this celebrity chef is now well-known, there are still many James Martin facts that people do not know.
Here, we look at James Martin’s net worth, his family life, and his career both on television and before becoming famous. We have also thrown in a few bonus facts about James Martin that you might find interesting.
31 James Martin Facts Your Probably Did Not Know
As one of our favourite celebrity chefs, we thought you might enjoy reading some James Martin facts that you might not know. Below, you will find facts about James Martin that relate to his personal life, his career as a chef, and his television career. There are also facts about James Martin’s net worth, his hobbies, and his other business ventures.
James Martin Facts About His Personal and Family Life
- He is a Yorkshire Man
Where is James Martin from? He was born in Malton, North Riding of Yorkshire, on 30 June 1972. He grew up in Welburn and attended Amotherby School in Malton, followed by Malton School.
2. He Learned His First Cooking Skills on a Castle Estate
When he was growing up, his parents were farmers on the Castle Howard estate. His mother spent a lot of her time cooking, and Martin enjoyed helping to create meals for the family. Also, his father was head of catering services on the estate, and James Martin would often help. It was through spending time with his parents that James Martin learned his first cooking skills and developed an interest in food.
3. He Was Student of the Year Three Years Running
James Martin was the star student when he studied catering at Scarborough Technical College. For three consecutive years, James Martin was named Student of the Year, says Wikipedia.
4. James Martin’s Girlfriend is Producer Louise Davies
Many people wonder, who is James Martin’s wife? However, the celebrity chef has never married. James Martin’s girlfriend is producer Louise Davies. Martin met Davies in 2011 when he appeared on an episode of ‘Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’. Although he is very committed to Louise, James Martin says that the thought of getting married does not interest him.
5. Does James Martin Have Children?
James Martin does not have any children. In interviews, he has said it is because he has devoted all his time and energy to his career. Matin described the sacrifices he has made as one of the downsides of being so career-focused.
Facts About James Martin’s Career as a Chef
6. He Studied in France
After spending three years studying catering at Scarborough Technical College, James Martin continued his culinary education in France. He underwent culinary training at the Hostellerie De Plaisance in Saint-Emilion.
7. James Martin’s First Job Was Also in France
Following the completion of his culinary training in France, James Martin went on to get his first job in a kitchen in the country. James Martin’s first job was working at Maison Troisgros, a 3-Michelin star restaurant in Roanne, France.
8. James Martin Worked for Anthony Worrall Thompson
When James Martin returned to the UK, he worked for fellow celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson. He joined the staff at Worrall Thompson’s restaurant ‘One Ninety Queen’s Gate’ in Kensington, London.
9. He Has Worked as a Pastry Chef
As James Martin now has bakeries, it is hardly surprising to learn that he has experience of working as a pastry chef. He was the pastry chef for two years at Chewton Glen Hotel, which is a five-star hotel and spa on the edge of the New Forest National Park.
10. Martin was a Head Chef at 22
It can take many years of experience to land a job as a head chef, but this was an accomplishment James Martin had achieved by the age of 22. Although he was only in his early twenties, he was appointed the head chef at Hotel du Vin in Winchester.
His Career as a Celebrity Chef
11. He First Appeared on Television in 1996
James Martin first appeared on television in 1996, when he presented ‘James Martin: Yorkshire’s Finest’. The focus of this series was Yorkshire cuisine, and he filmed it in various locations across Yorkshire. In the same year, Martin also appeared on ‘The Big Breakfast’ and ‘Ready Steady Cook’.
12. He Was a Judge on Blue Peter
Although you might not associate James Martin with children’s television programs, he appeared in ‘Blue Peter’ spin-off series in 2007. He was a judge for the show called ‘Blue Peter: Can You Cook It?’, which was a competition choosing a Junior Chef for ‘Blue Peter’. It is not the only time he has been a judge, as he was also a judge on television competitions twice in 2013. The competitions for which he acted as a judge were ‘The Roux Scholarship’ and ‘Junior Bake Off’.
13. James Martin Presented ‘Saturday Kitchen’ for 10 Years
One of the James Martin facts that most people know is that he was the presenter of ‘Saturday Kitchen’. However, you may not realize that he presented this series for ten years. He began presenting the series in 2006, and he left in 2016. The reason he quit the show is that he saw a magazine boss Dominic De Sousa drop dead in front of him. It made him reassess his life, and he realized he needed a change.
14. He is Famous for Presenting ‘Saturday Morning with James Martin‘
James Martin is currently most famous for presenting ‘Saturday Morning with James Martin’, which is aired on ITV every Saturday morning. He began presenting this series in 2017, just after he quit ‘Saturday Kitchen’.
15. Martin Has Presented Multiple Other Cooking Shows
Although he is best known for presenting ‘Saturday Kitchen’ and ‘Saturday Morning with James Martin’, he has also presented multiple other cookery series. Just some of these include ‘James Martin’s American Adventure’, ‘James Martin’s Great British Adventure’, James Martin’s Sunday Selection’, and ‘James Martin’s Islands to Highlands’.
James Martin Facts About His Other Television Appearances
16. He Competed in Strictly Come Dancing
James Martin stepped out of his comfort zone of the kitchen and onto the dancefloor when he was a contestant in the popular dancing competition series ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2005. His professional dancing partner for the series was Camilla Dallerup. Despite a lack of dancing experience, James Martin did well in the competition. His elimination in the ninth week meant that he finished in the fourth position in the competition.
17. Martin Was a Guest Presenter on The One Show
James Martin has also done a stint of co-presenting ‘The One Show’ with Alex Jones. He presented multiple episodes of the popular BBC One show in 2015.
18. He Co-Presented a Show Called ‘Walks with My Dog’
James Martin’s love of dogs is evident, and it even runs into his professional life. He was the co-presenter of a program called ‘Walks with My Dog’. It aired on More4 for just one episode in 2014.
19. James Martin Has Co-Presented ‘This Morning’
Along with the many cooking shows James Martin has hosted, he has also co-presented the popular morning magazine series ‘This Morning’. His first appearance was alongside Ruth Langsford in April 2016. In June of the same year, he returned to present an episode with Holly Willoughby. Martin the co-presented the show throughout the summer of 2016 with Anita Rani.
James Martin’s Other Business Ventures
20. He Wrote a Newspaper Column
Like many other celebrity chefs, James Martin has written a newspaper column. However, he differs from other celebrity chefs who write about food and cooking. Martin’s column in ‘The Mail on Sunday’ was not about food, but about motoring. He wrote his motoring column until 2013.
21. James Martin is a Restaurateur
Since 2011, James Martin has been a restaurateur. He opened his first restaurant, ‘The Leeds Kitchen’, in 2011 inside the Alea Casino, Leeds. However, both the casino and the restaurant closed in 2013. His second restaurant opened in The Talbot Hotel in 2012, and it was awarded a Michelin star in the same year. Martin left this restaurant in 2015. James Martin’s third restaurant ‘James Martin Manchester’ opened in 2013, and the menu consisted of modern British cuisine. He also has four branches of ‘James Martin Kitchen’, which are bakeries and cafes. These are in Manchester Piccadilly Train Station, Debenhams at intu Lakeside, Glasgow Airport, and Stansted Airport.
22. He is a Cookery Teacher
One of the James Martin facts that many people do not know is that he is a cookery teacher. He teaches at The Kitchen- Cookery School at Chewton Glen. It is both a cookery school and a relaxed dining restaurant that is in New Milton, Hampshire.
Facts About James Martin’s Hobbies and Interests
23. He is a Petrolhead
One of James Martin’s greatest passions is cars, so he is a die-hard petrolhead. He is particularly interested in performance cars. He entered the 2008 Mille Miglia in a 1948 Maserati A6GCS. Unfortunately, he failed to complete the televised race due to a broken crank and a dropped valve. In 2013, he raced in the Masters series in an Appendix K 1964 Mini Cooper S. In the same year, James Martin took his first race win when he took part in the Brands Hatch Mini Festival. He won the title of 2013 Champion of Mini Festival. He then raced in the Aston Martin Centenary Festival, also in 2013, driving a works GT Aston Martin. Out of 30 racers that entered the competition, James Martin finished in the 9th position.
24. He is a Qualified Pilot
A fact about James Martin that many people do not know is that he is a qualified pilot. He gained his private pilot license in 2009. He has since gone on to become a qualified helicopter pilot. It shows that he is passionate about anything fast with an element of danger.
25. He is an Animal Lover
James Martin has a softer side as he is an animal lover. He is the proud owner of two dogs called Cooper and Ralph. The celebrity chef often shares photographs of his beloved dogs with his followers on his social media accounts.
26. He is a Keen Gardener
According to Good Housekeeping, James Martin is a keen gardener. He likes to share photographs of the plants in his garden on his social media accounts.
27. What is James Martin’s Favourite Food?
James Martin admits that he is a fan of anything unhealthy, and he has a particular penchant for sticky toffee pudding. However, his idea of food heaven is eating fresh crab or langoustines.
Other James Martin Facts
28. James Martin’s Net Worth is £3.8 Million
According to Smooth Radio, James Martin’s net worth is £3.8 million, which is approximately $5 million. He has accrued most of his wealth by working as a celebrity chef and television presenter. However, he has also made money through his various other business ventures. Unfortunately, he does not yet have a big enough bank balance for inclusion in our list of the richest celebrity chefs!
29. James Martin Upset Cycling Enthusiasts
Although James Martin has a relatively clean-cut image, he has caused controversy during his career. In 2009, Martin wrote in his newspaper column that he hated cyclists. Martin also claimed that he would deliberately drive an electric car close to cycling groups to startle them. Following his comments, he received criticism from various cycling groups. Professional cyclists Stuart O’Grady and Bradley Wiggins also criticized Martin’s remarks. James Martin later apologized for his statements.
30. He is an Honorary Professor
Another of the James Martin facts that most people do not know is that he is an Honorary Professor, a title that he was awarded in 2010 by the University of West London. He is the Honorary Professor of the university’s London School of Hospitality and Tourism. Other famous chefs awarded this title are Michel Roux, Anton Mosimann, and Raymond Blanc.
31. James Martin is an Award-Winner
Throughout his career, James Martin has won multiple awards. His first award was The Craft Guild of Chefs Special Award in 2013. He then won as the TV Personality of the Year Award at the 2015 Fortnum &Mason Awards. At the 2016 International Cheese Awards, the Guide Internationale des Fromagers inducted James Martin.
We hope you have enjoyed reading our James Martin facts!
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