Matt Tebbutt is heading out to sea on a culinary voyage round Scandinavia – but will he be able to resist the buffet?
Saturday Kitchen Live Saturday 10.00am BBC1
Ed Grenby - 21 June 2022
People of Norway, look to your pine trees! Matt Tebbutt is on the way, and last time he was in the country, he devoured a couple. “I can’t remember exactly where it was,” says the Saturday Kitchen Live and Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped star, “but it was in the deepest, darkest, farthest north. I was with this forager who was very into wild foods, and he showed me how you could eat the new buds on Christmas trees. Between us we munched a good few mouthfuls.”
It’s a wonder the Norwegian authorities are allowing Tebbutt back, but he’s earning his passage at least. This time he’s one of three celebrity chefs leading a special Culinary Stars cruise from Southampton to Scandinavia, alongside MasterChef ’s John Torode and Irish TV cook Rachel Allen – see right for more details. “I’ll be doing a couple of cookery demonstrations, Q&As, meet-and-greets,” says Tebbutt, “and also hoping to pick up a few new tricks from the fascinating places we’ll be visiting.”
The cruise has ports of call in Oslo, Copenhagen and the Danish port town of Skagen. “It’s a beautiful part of the world, and pretty cutting-edge in foodie terms at the moment,” enthuses Tebbutt. “Unfortunately I can’t go round the markets and pick up ingredients to feed the nearly 4,000 people on board the ship! But I’ll be looking at the techniques those Scandi chefs are using right now: I know foraging is big out there, and cooks are using wildflowers a lot, plus there’s a long tradition of open-fire cooking. I might not be replicating that bit on board, though: I’m not sure it’s a great idea when you’re standing on top of a million gallons of liquid petroleum fuel!” His other major worry is the buffet. “There’s a lot of food on a cruise ship, and I’m naturally very greedy so the buffet can be dangerous for me. I always start off trying to be healthy, but then it goes out the window,” Tebbutt admits. (“Not literally,” he adds hurriedly, as if the maritime pollution police might be listening.)
Tebbutt and his fellow passengers will have plenty of opportunities to burn calories as well as consume them on this cruise, though. Shipmates may well find the former restaurateur “doing a couple of laps of the upper deck in my shorts and vest to make up for the buffet”, but it’s the shore excursions that really get his blood pumping. “It’s really exciting to wake up in a new city, and so easy to get out beyond the port and the tourist areas and get a sense of where you are. You just have to wander off the main drag, to turn left when everyone else turns right. Street markets are a great place to start, and street food is always the best. If you only ever eat in upscale restaurants, you’ll find you could be sat in Bangkok or New York and you wouldn’t even be able to tell which city you were in from what was on your plate. “People are sometimes scared to eat on the street, but not only does it give you the true flavour of a country, it’s also often the safest stuff because the food is cooked fresh right there in front of you. And anything that’s deep-fried, as much of the world’s street food is, is always going to be fine. My wife and I were at a wedding in Marrakesh once. She had a salad in a smart restaurant and paid for it for days on end – it’s the water it’s washed in that you have to watch out for – whereas I ate in the market, stuff that was coming straight out of these boiling cauldrons, and I was absolutely fine. Though I’d probably need six laps of the upper deck to work that lot off.”
And will there be a rivalry with the other chefs on board the cruise, each trying to outcook – or perhaps out-eat – the others?
“There is a lot of rivalry between chefs, and there are plenty who take themselves very seriously. Those are often the ones who come on Saturday Kitchen once and never come back, or they cook for accolades and Michelin stars, and people who cook because they enjoy it and they like people and conversation and eating together. But Rachel and John are both really friendly and fun, so there’s no rivalry there.”
Nevertheless, Tebbutt is keeping his (recipe) cards close to his chest regarding what dishes he’ll showcase in his on-board demonstrations. “I haven’t decided yet,” he hedges, “but I’ll try to tailor it to our location. I won’t exactly be dangling a fishing rod off the back of the cruise ship, but it’s nice to have a sense of setting and local ingredients. That said, the main thing is to do recipes that people will want to go home and make themselves.” Probably no Christmas trees, then.
ED GRENBY
Culinary Stars Themed Cruise
26 August 2022, 7-Day Scandinavia on Enchanted Princess®
Princess is used to providing exceptional dining experiences, and this Culinary Stars cruise will be sure to offer something to tickle everyone’s taste buds. John Torode, best known as co-host and judge of BBC1’s MasterChef, will share his passion for British produce. Matt Tebbutt, a chef currently presenting BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen, will chat about his career in cooking. TV Chef and bestselling cookery writer Rachel Allen completes the culinary collection. Savour every moment on a cruise full of foodie favourites.
Culinary Stars Themed Cruise