A Cumbrian chef has worked alongside Jamie Oliver to help him launch his new range.
Peter Sidwell, of Keswick, was invited to Frankfurt by cook alongside Jamie at the global launch of Big Love tableware.
Peter said: “I’ve cooked with a lot of chefs, but we’ve never crossed paths. He’s premier league level and I do look up to him. When I was asked, I thought wild horses wouldn’t stop me.
“We’re very similar – similar age, passionate about food and ingredients and our styles are similar.
“There was a pressure to do a good job, but I wasn’t nervous. I was quite excited. He’s the best at cooking and the best at engaging with his audience.”
Peter, who published his most recent cookbook Peter Sidwell’s Kitchen in September, works with global brands mainly from his bespoke Keswick studio.
He was delighted to be asked to cook alongside Jamie and the pair swapped books – and signed them for each other.
Peter added: “He loved the book, loved the images and the eclectic mix of recipes. I spent a lot of time with his team too and have been invited to spend some time with them at Jamie’s HQ too.
“He’s exactly like he is on the TV, a nice bloke and down to earth.
“It was an honour to be invited and I’ve invited him to visit the Lake District – although he is quite busy!”
Peter, who made his first TV appearance 15 years ago, creates and presents a weekly cookery show on YouTube, which has over 200,000 viewers – and he said he wasn’t sure if he was going to publish another cookbook, but he said his viewers asked for it and so Peter Sidwell’s Kitchen was born.
His YouTube show was a result of lockdown, when he said he and his team decided to lean into digital fully, rather than dabbling as they had before.
Peter has been in the food and drink business for 30 years, and has appeared on shows including Channel 4’s Lakes on a Plate and Amazon Prime Video’s Taste of the Lakes, as well as at live events such as the BBC Good Food Show.
Peter said: “My style is all about ingredient-led cooking meaning I often start with an ingredient that I want to cook or that’s at its best. It’s crafted with modern cooks in mind.”
