Celebrity chef James Martin has revealed that his frequent gardening habit often makes him the target of jokes, but he swears by its ability to help him “switch off”. In a recent interview with the Telegraph, the former Saturday Kitchen presenter confessed that he becomes irritable if continuous rain prevents him from tending to his garden.
James, who tends to his garden up to four times a week, admitted that people tease him about his obsession. He said: “I’ve got a John Deere sit-down lawn-mower with headlights and people take the mick out of me because I might mow the lawn four times a week.” He continued, “If we’ve had non-stop rain and I can’t cut the grass, I get p****d off. But I also think mowing helps me switch off. I can have a crazy day at work, but I’ll come home and happily get on my mower at midnight.”
James believes that maintaining a garden is beneficial, especially for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition he suspects “most chefs probably do” have. He stated that gardening “keeps you busy”.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, the ideal lawn-mowing frequency varies depending on the season and grass growth rate. James, who grows his own fruits and vegetables, has shared pictures of his extensive garden, featuring his soil beds. He boasts an impressive outdoor kitchen showcased on This Morning, complete with a wood-fired oven and ample storage.
He once confessed to a fiery gaffe at his abode involving his DIY Italian pizza oven gone awry.
Recounting the blaze incident on the Grilling podcast with Simon Rimmer, he shared: “I set my side of my house on fire. That was a good one because… I mean, I love builders and particularly… a certain group of Irish builders, who are fantastic, that decided to build an Italian pizza oven roof.”
With a tinge of irony, he noted: “Instead of having metal, [they] built it out of wood, which is quite handy.”
Continuing the tale, Martin described the chaotic outcome: “Next minute, there was an almighty bang. It was like, honestly, it was [a] huge explosion, and you get bits of lamb chops, pork chops, sausages flying over the top of this house. It was massive.”
Fortunately, no harm befell anyone during the accident, and Martin light-heartedly mentioned that his relatives were quick to salvage the fallen feast to carry on with their social event.