Steins talk Marmageddon and other vital topics

During his book signing at the Hungerford Bookshop, Rick Stein took a few minutes out to talk to Townsite about local produce and other important issues.

With the recent launch of Rick Stein Marlborough, the celebrated chef is becoming something of a local fixture and his son Jack, who is in charge of buying for the restaurants, is keen further his connections with local producers. 'We like to take our staff out and visit local suppliers to enhance their product knowledge and develop a real connection with the food they serve in the restaurant' , he says. Already Jack is sourcing locally and says of his job, 'The biggest part of my job is to respond to samples until I find the best. I never stop looking.'

Rick Stein also discussed Brexit and the brief spat between Unilever and Tesco which threatened the availability of some of our best loved brands, including Marmite. The nation breathed a sigh of relief when the food giants reached an accord. 'I quite like Marmite' says Stein, 'and it makes a very good vegetable stock. If you add a spoonful when simmering vegetables you get a really great flavour.'

Although Stein was disappointed by the Referendum result, he concedes that the plunging value of the pound will benefit local food producers: 'Restaurants are very lucky in that respect, in that nearly all our produce is local, or at

With Alice King, author

least British and so we are unaffected by the rising price of imports. As far as food producers go, they can only benefit as their produce will become far more competitive.'