Rick Stein
The TV chef, 77, on how open heart surgery cured his aches and pains, coming to terms with his dad’s suicide, and his new UK tour
You had open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve in 2022. Are you still feeling the benefits?
It sounds like a cliché, but it really did give me a new lease of life. Before the op, I was getting pains in my legs, backache, neck ache and God knows what else. I went to chiropractors, physios and acupuncturists, but nothing seemed to work. After I had the new valve, all the aches and pains disappeared. It shows you what a central part the heart plays in your day-to-day life. It’s not just breathing... it’s everything.
When did you realise there was a problem?
In 2018, I’d been for lunch with a mate of mine, we were walking back to the car park and he was really struggling. Not long after, he had a heart attack and died. Obviously, I was shocked, but that turned to worry a few months later when I was also struggling on a morning walk with my sons. So, I took myself straight off to hospital, they did some tests and the results weren’t great.
You didn’t go straight into surgery?
No, I was looked after by a cardiologist for four years and given increasingly stronger drugs that kept things ticking along. In 2022, he said, ‘It’s time for the op and it won’t be keyhole... we’re going to unzip you.’ The procedure left me a bit sore, but I was listening to some music while I was recovering and Steve Winwood’s Back in the High Life Again came on. I remember thinking, ‘Yes, let’s make this a new start. Rick’s back!’
You’re keen on butter and cream. Have you had to change what you eat and the way you cook?
Well, yes and no. I still use butter and lard but I’ve cut down on red meat and my portions are smaller. Having the op has certainly not altered my love of food. I’ve got a new series of Rick Stein’s Food Heroes [currently on iPlayer], where we travel around the UK trying to gauge where British food is today. Yes, we talk to British chefs about fish ’n’ chips and roast beef, but British tastes now include Indian, Nepalese, Thai, Korean, Italian. Food breaks down barriers, it brings us all together.
No plans to retire then?
No, of course not. I love what I do. I love travelling, meeting people and talking to them about food. I love being in the restaurants, seeing the kitchen in full flow. I’ve just written a book [Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers], filmed the TV series and I’m about to go out on tour in the UK.
Will you be cooking on stage?
I’ve done that in the past and, although I enjoyed the experience, I realised that people were just as interested if I was telling stories and talking about my life. So, that’s what I’m doing – what it’s like running a restaurant, countries I’ve visited, peopl
