We know that you lot love lists... so we figured why not give more of the good stuff? Magnificent 7 is just a collection of anything that tickles our fancy. Be it facts, anecdotes, silly things or even in this case a tribute. Raise your glasses to Floyd..
Dear Gastronaughts (Floyd’s word describing those passionate about food),
Keith Floyd was undeniably one of the first chefs to take cooking shows to a new level. He brought in a sense of adventure whipping up dishes anywhere and everywhere around the world. He made cooking exciting and yet attainable for the home chef. Floyd was best known for his animated presenting style, quirky dress sense and ever-present glass of red wine and this is why we wanted to pay a little tribute to him by cooking up 7 Floyd facts for you to enjoy:
One: Floyd’s career didn’t start out in the kitchen…far from it!
He was first an army officer then a journalist…he soon moved closer to the kitchen by becoming a dishwasher, then a bartender where I reckon he fell in love with booze, and finally a cook eventually turned restaurateur.
Two: This eccentric chef wrote at least 25 books and yet never read or kept any of them. In one instance he was asked to prepare a dish from one of his books but could not remember any of the recipes, so he sent his friend out to buy one of his books just to be able to recreate the dish.
Three: Interestingly enough, Floyd was a big fan of the punk band ‘Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine’ whose lyrics dealt with unlikely pop themes such as child abuse, corrupt landlords, and AIDS.
Four: Floyd’s first show was a 10-minute cooking slot that appeared on a regional strand of the BBC in 1985. It attracted 10,000 viewers’ calls asking for recipes and for more of the unconventional chef. This led to him producing 19 series for the BBC and Channel 5 from every corner of the globe over the next 15 years.
"7 magnificent cheers to Floyd!"
Five: Floyd was a fan of hearty home cooked comfort foods.
When asked in 2007 what his ideal ‘last supper’ would be he responded with:
- Starter: Cornish Lobster
- Main: Roast leg of Welsh Spring Lamb, Onion Sauce, New Potatoes, Runner Beans and Broad Beans
- Dessert: Scottish Raspberries and Cornish Clotted Cream
All of this prepared for him by Albert Roux and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
Six: His shows rarely took place in anything that could be classified as a studio.
Floyd could be found in all sorts of locations hovering over a portable gas stove of course always with a glass of wine in hand. At the time this sort of show was unheard of, he was the true rebel chef. Here are a few clips of his show that we like:
Keith Floyd cooking Toulouse Cassoulet on a football field:
Keith Floyd cooking fish stew for Dan Luger and Joe Roff:
Keith Floyd cooking duck for Matt Dawson:
Seven: Floyd’s last show was ‘Floyd’s India’ in 2001 where he enjoyed a variety of authentic Indian dishes often without an alcoholic beverage in hand. It was quite unusual hearing Floyd sing praises on the virtues of lassi, coconut water and nimbu pani for a change.
The flamboyant Floyd captivated the hearts of many and we surely will miss his boozy culinary adventures. So lets raise our drinks and 7 cheers…to Floyd!
Page 1 of 1
You must be logged in to post comments
Join the conversation. We love to hear your views.
.JPG)
You must be logged in to post comments