I have to admit my childish excitement and pleasure with the BBC series Kitchen Secrets. The Restaurant is fun, it touches on the potential that two people may have, I try and see past the TV magnified car crashes, and choose a pair who are unpolished gems. I have done this throughout my career without the glare of the cameras. I have forgiven many a young cooks howling mistakes because I see in them a passion, a commitment and a vision. I persevered for a very simple reason, I was once them. Dear reader, you may be shocked to hear, that I did not come fully formed out of the free range organic egg. Yes I had the greatest inspiration and teacher in Maman Blanc, but let us say that I am relieved that there were no cameras following me round in my early days.

So back to reality, back to what I love best, back to my roots; back to the kitchen. To be given a pulpit by the BBC to preach and teach what I love best is an absolute joy.  To do so in my little paradise of Le Manoir is nirvana. (Who could fail to enjoy the combination of paradise and nirvana!)

In a way there are no secrets in a kitchen, it is simply a combination of passion and alchemy, except that unlike alchemy we have found the formula for transmuting base products into gold. The real aim of the program is a bit like a meal, simple easy recipes as starters, robustly technical ones as main courses and crowning glory desserts where you skills shine.

With my sorcerer’s apprentice Adam, our aim in making the program was to blur the lines between levels of expertise. In a professional kitchen you do not start on day one making Soufflé of Cornish gill-net Dover Sole with ginger and grapefruit, you’d be lucky to peel a potato. I started washing up and watching. Why should a professional cook be any different to all of you out there. As my mother never fails to remind me, simplicity sometimes is best, it is the only way to properly pay due respect to a fine ingredient. Picking wild mushrooms with my father so that my Maman Blanc could sauté them in a bit of butter, garlic and parsley is still hard to beat. I found that cooking programs on TV were one thing or another. Either they were very basic or they were aspirational. This is fine for either group, but I thought it somehow missed some fundamental truths about cooking:

One: If you practice you will get better
Two: Sometimes you need to keep it simple

So don’t panic if you think that some of the recipes are beyond your capabilities, they are not. And if you have become such a foodie that you will only cook dishes that will “épater les tourists” (amaze the tourists) stop and listen to my mother, many a great chef I know relishes a simple bacon sandwich. Either way please do not sit and simply watch, go into the kitchen and get cooking.

Have I let the cat out of the bag? Are there kitchen secrets? Not really, like the alchemists, chefs tend to keep recipes and potions close to their hearts but our “dark art” should never become like that of the magician where revealing the trick leads to a life time of shame. In my kitchen every new acolyte is welcome and when they become wizards it just means I have to up my game. After all I have a position to maintain.