James Martin ‘not just a guy that cooks on TV’ says Tom Kerridge

Tom Kerridge spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk just over a year ago about his friend James Martin, who he thinks is “bigger and better” than ITV’s Saturday Morning might indicate to viewers.

Tom, 48, is one of the UK’s most well-known chefs, having starred in shows like The Great British Menu, MasterChef, and Saturday Kitchen alongside James, 50.

When asked by Express.co.uk who surprised him the most out of all the chefs we’ve seen him work with on TV, he explained why James is “different” to how he seems on our screens.

“I mean, I’ve known him for a long time, but everybody sees James Martin as this guy that cooks on TV, but actually James’ cooking skills are phenomenal,” he revealed.

“It really is first rate. He’s an exceptional – not just TV cook – but chef.

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“As a guy that cooks, his food knowledge is outstanding.

“So, you know, he’s bigger and better than I think Saturday morning TV allows you to think.”

Tom continued: “He’s been on our TV screens for over 20 years, you know, and so many people recognise him for that role.

James now presents Saturday Morning with James Martin on ITV and has also hosted other cooking shows abroad, such as James Martin’s French Adventure (2017) and James Martin’s American Adventure (2018).

Meanwhile, Tom is the proud owner of The Hand & Flowers and The Coach pubs, both of which have been awarded Michelin stars.

The famous food expert, who also opened up his first London restaurant at Corinthia Hotel in 2018, also spoke about his Christmas range of canape recipes, which he created in partnership with Carr’s crackers at the time.

To view the full recipes from Tom Kerridge in partnership with Carr’s, visit the Carr’s Pinterest page (@carrs_uk) or stay tuned to the Carr’s Instagram page (@carrs_uk) for any upcoming recipes.