Celebrity chef Gary Rhodes is such a control freak that he refuses to fly on
no-frills carriers, because they don’t tell passengers where they can sit
before they get on the flight.
“I’ve never been on easyJet or
Ryanair and I never will,” he says.
“I’m a chef and I have to be organised, because everything is in the
preparation. It all has to be right and that’s the way I am in life. On a
Sunday, I will make sure all my clothes are right for the week, with suits
pressed and shirts ironed. When I go on a flight I like to know what seat
I’ve got on a flight. Also, the way they speak to guests is not on. If you
look at that (easyJet) programme ‘airline’, people arrive five minutes late,
it’s not their fault because of the traffic, and they’re not allowed on. If
someone had an appointment at 8.30pm in one of my restaurants and turned up
at 8.35pm and were refused entry, they would freak out.”
Rhodes, 47, first appeared on TV nearly 20 years ago and has enjoyed
considerable success as a presenter, chef and author. He currently has two
restaurants in London, one in Dublin, one in Grenada and two on the P&O
Cruises ships, Arcadia and Oriana. He travels all over the world
appearing on television, researching products and conducting cookery classes.
Are you very demanding on business trips?
I need certain things. I am meticulous and, in a hotel, I must have a full
size ironing board and iron in the room. I’m talking full size and a proper
iron, not one of these minuscule travel jobs. I also like a decent size
bathroom and a separate shower. I hate some of these glossy modern wash
basins with nowhere to put your toiletries; it drives me mad when designers
don’t think of the customer. I like an old fashioned resin or marble style
sink with a little bit of space to put my toiletry bag. I want a decent
bedroom with a plasma TV and the hotel must have a gym because I go six
times a week. But there are certain hotels that I really like. The ITC
Sheraton in Delhi is simple but great and the newly-refurbished Cumberland
Hotel in London is excellent.
Do you complain if the service is poor?
I do, but it’s not because I’m being the big ‘I am’ celebrity. I think if you
charge a lot, you have to deliver. If I’m with my wife Jennie or our two
teenage sons, they will say ‘please, leave it’, but I’m not having it if
something’s not right.
Marco Pierre White also works with P&O. Is there some rivalry there?
We work on different ships, so we’re completely separate. But it’s no secret
that we don’t get on. It dates back to an incident a long time ago. The
thing I would say about Marco is that he is the greatest British chef we’ve
ever known. I have eaten some of the most unbelievable dishes in his
restaurants. But maybe he’s not the greatest person. Let’s leave it there.
Do you enjoy working at sea?
I get seasick! When I recently went on board Oriana, I needed an injection
because I could feel myself going. It was a case of send me to the medical
centre, down with my trousers, and that was it! But most of the time I have
chefs on board who I can trust to keep up the standards.
Who do you fly with?
