Rick Stein

Of German descent, Christopher Richard Stein was born on 4 January 1947[2] in Churchill, Oxfordshire, to Eric and Dorothy Stein.[3] He was born and brought up on a farm.[4][5][6]

Stein was educated at Wells Court, a preparatory school just outside Tewkesbury,[7] then Wells House, the Court's bigger sister-school at Malvern Wells, and then Uppingham School. He took A-levels in English, history and geography, but failed all of them. He moved to a cram school in Brighton, gaining E grades in English and history.[8]

Stein partially completed a hotel management traineeship with British Transport Hotels at its Great Western Royal Hotel in Paddington.[9] He worked there as a chef for six months. Distraught by his father's suicide, at age 19 he went to Australia, where he worked as a labourer in an abattoir and as a clerk in a naval dockyard. He travelled to New Zealand and Mexico around that time to "take some time out".[10]

Being on his own, he read widely, reflected on his attitude to education, and applied successfully to New College, Oxford, where he earned an English degree in 1971. Shortly after that, he moved to Padstow.[11]

Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant, Padstow

After graduating, he converted a mobile disco in Padstow, which he had run as a student, into a quayside nightclub with his friend, Johnny. It became known for its freeze-dried curries. However, the nightclub lost its licence and was closed down by the police, mainly due to frequent brawls with local fishermen. The pair still had a licence for a restaurant in another part of the building, so they continued with that to avert bankruptcy.[10][11] Stein ran the kitchen using the experience he had gained as a commis chef. Eventually he converted it into a small harbour-side bistro, "The Seafood Restaurant", with his first wife Jill in 1975.[12] As of 2015, his business operates four restaurants, a bistro, a café, a seafood delicatessen, a pâtisserie shop, a gift shop and a cookery school.[13] In 2007 threats against Stein's businesses were made by Cornish nationalists.[14] His impact on the economy of Padstow is such that it has been nicknamed "Padstein".[15]

Stein's Patisserie in Padstow

In 2009 Stein made his first acquisition in the nearby village of St Merryn, 3½ miles from Padstow, taking over the Cornish Arms public house on the village's outskirts, intending to keep it as a traditional Cornish pub.[16]

In October 2009, Stein and his future second wife (fiancée at the time), the publicist Sarah Burns, opened "Rick Stein at Bannisters" in Mollymook, Australia. Stein said at the time of opening, "Ever since a memorable weekend eating Pambula oysters and flathead in Merimbula in the sixties, I've had the image of the clean blue sea and sweet seafood of the South Coast fixed in my head so when I was introduced to Mollymook about six years ago I knew that one day I would open up a restaurant celebrating local fish and shellfish but keeping it really simple."[1]

Rick Stein's Café in Padstow

In 2018 Rick Stein opened up a second “Rick Stein at Bannisters” in Salamander Bay, Port Stephens with his second wife Sarah Stein. Stein has become a popular television presenter on food programmes. After appearing once as guest chef in Keith Floyd's 1985 series Floyd on Fish and in his 1986 series Floyd on Food, he was offered the chance to present his own series – like the "travelogue" style of cookery show pioneered by Floyd – on BBC television, using Floyd's producer and director David Pritchard. This was to cause some rivalry, even feud, only resolved shortly before Floyd's death. His shows have included Rick Stein's Taste of the Sea, Fruits of the Sea, Seafood Odyssey, Fresh Food, Seafood Lovers' Guide, Food Heroes, French Odyssey, Mediterranean Escapes, Far Eastern Odyssey, Rick Stein's Spain and Rick Stein's India. In the last five series, he set out in search of the best in the region's foods.[17] Until 2007, Stein was often accompanied by his Jack Russell terrier, Chalky.[18]

Much of Stein's television work has been released on VHS tape or DVD, but the BBC have yet to release some of the early pioneering series. Since late 2018, however, much has been licensed to the Good Food cable TV channel, where it has been broadcast with some heavy editing (and therefore omitting up to 20% of the original broadcast footage) to allow for the inclusion of adverts.

A book has accompanied each series, and his book English Seafood Cookery won the Glenfiddich Award for Food Book of the Year in 1989. Stein was awarded the OBE in the 2003 New Year Honours for services to tourism in Cornwall[19] and the CBE in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to the economy.[20]

22 June 2020, it was confirmed that Stein's restaurant in Porthleven, Cornwall would close permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant had been closed since March 2020.[21] Acclaimed celebrity chef Michael Caines will take over the restaurant.[22]

Stein at a 2006 cookery demonstration in Melbourne, Australia

In 1965, when Stein was 18, his father, a retired managing director of The Distillers Company, killed himself by jumping from a cliff, near the family's holiday home at Trevose Head, after suffering from bipolar disorder.[23][24][25]

Stein met his first wife Jill Newstead[26] in Padstow. They married in 1975 and set up their restaurant and hotel business. Stein has three sons with Jill: Edward, Jack and Charles who are involved in the family business.[27][28]

He met Sarah Burns, 20 years his junior, in Australia in 1997, when she was a publicity manager for Australia Gourmet Traveller magazine.[29][30] He and Sarah had a five-year affair before Jill found out and then divorced Rick in 2007,[31] but agreed to continue to run the business together.[32] Rick and Sarah married on 7 October 2011.[29][30]

Stein has a brother, John, and a sister, Henrietta.[33] He also has a half-brother, Jeremy, his mother's son from her first marriage.[33] He is also the uncle of DJ and music producer Judge Jules.[34]

• English Seafood Cookery, 1988 (Glenfiddich Cook Book of the Year 1989)
• A Beginner's Guide to Seafood, 1992 (Chapter 4 Marine Cuisine Guides)
• Beach to Belly, 1994 (foreword)
• Taste of the Sea, 1995 (André Simon Cook Book of the Year 1996)
• Good Food Award Best Cookery Book, 1995/1996
• Rick Stein Fish, 10 Recipes 1996
• Fruits of the Sea, 1997 (ISBN 0-563-38457-3)
• Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey, 1999 (ISBN 978-0-563-38440-3)
• Rick Stein's Seafood Lovers’ Guide, 2000 (ISBN 0-563-48871-9)
• Rick Stein's Seafood, 2001
• Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, 2001 – winner of category: Best Seafood and Fish in English; Best in the World Fish and Seafood (German translation – Gold medal – Gastronomische Akademie Deutschland 2003)
• My Favourite Seafood Recipes, 2002 (Marks and Spencer cookery book)
• Rick Stein's Food Heroes, 2002 (Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2002 – winner of category: Best Local Cookery Book – winner of category: Best Cookery Book of the Year in Great Britain)(Jacob's Creek World Food Media Awards 2003 – Silver for best hard cover recipe book)
• Rick Stein's Guide to the Food Heroes of Britain, (ISBN 0-563-52175-9) 2003 (Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2003 – winner of category: Best Guide)
• Rick Stein's Food Heroes, Another Helping (ISBN 0-56348-752-6), 2004
• Rick Stein's Complete Seafood (ISBN 1-58008-568-7) winner of the James Beard Foundation Award 2005 for Cook Book of the Year
• Rick Stein's French Odyssey (ISBN 0-56352-213-5), 2005
• Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes (ISBN 0-563-49366-6), 2007
• Rick Stein Coast to Coast (ISBN 9781846076145), 2008
• Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey, (ISBN 1-84607-716-8), 2009
• My Kitchen Table: Rick Stein's 100 Fish and Seafood Recipes (ISBN 9781849901581), 2011
• Rick Stein's Spain (ISBN 9781849901352), 2011
• Rick Stein's India (ISBN 978-1849905787), 2013
• Under a Mackerel Sky: A Memoir (ISBN 0-09194-991-2), 2013
• Rick Stein's Long Weekends (ISBN 978-1785940927), 2016
• The road to Mexico (ISBN 978-1785942006), 2017
• Rick Stein's Secret France, (ISBN 978-1785943881) 2019

• Floyd on Fish, BBC TV, 1985 (Stein's first television appearance – Floyd called him Nick several times)
• Floyd on Food, BBC TV, 1986
• Farmhouse Kitchen YTV up to 1990
• Taste of the Sea, BBC TV, 1995 (Glenfiddich TV Programme of the Year Award, Good Food Award Television Cookery Programme of the Year). 6 episodes
• Fruits of the Sea, BBC TV, 1997 (Silver Medal World Food Media Awards Adelaide 1997). 8 episodes
• Great Railway Journeys, BBC TV 1999 (Los Mochis to Veracruz)
• Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey, BBC TV, 1999 (Bronze Medal World Food Media Awards Adelaide 1999). 8 episodes
• Fresh Food, BBC TV, 1999. 6 episodes
• Personal Passions, BBC TV 1999
• Food & Drink', BBC TV, 1999 (Gold Award for Best Television Food Segment Within a Show – World Food Media Awards Adelaide 1999)
• Rick Stein's Seafood Lover's Guide, BBC TV, 2000 (Glenfiddich TV Programme of the Year Award 2001). 8 episodes
• Jacob's Creek World Food Media Awards – Silver for best Television Food Show
• Friends for Dinner, BBC TV, 2000
• Rick Stein on Fishing, ITV, 2001
• Rick Stein's Food Heroes, BBC TV, 2002 (Jacob's Creek World Food Media Awards 2003 – Gold for Best Television Food Show). 10 episodes
• Rick Stein's Food Heroes, Another Helping, Series 1, BBC TV October 2003. 6 episodes
• Rick Stein's Food Heroes, Another Helping, Series 2, BBC TV February 2004. 8 episodes
• Rick Stein's Fish Love, UKTV Fish August 2004
• Rick Stein's French Odyssey, BBC TV May 2005. 10 episodes
• Cabin Fever (Behind the scenes, and the making of Rick Stein's French Odyssey) BBC TV Autumn 2005 - single 30 minute episode.
• Rick Stein's Food Heroes Christmas Special, BBC TV December 2005. 2 half hour episodes, also aired as a 1-hour programme.
• Betjeman and Me: Rick Stein's Story, August 2006
• Rick Stein and the Japanese Ambassador, BBC Two, 2006
• Rick Stein in Du Maurier Country, BBC Two, May 2007
• Fishy Treats and Simple Eats, Japanese Food Network, Autumn 2007
• Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escape, BBC Two, 8 August 2007. 6 episodes
• Rick Stein's Memoirs of a Seafood Chef, BBC Two, 7 January 2009
• On 16 February 2009 Stein was featured in an episode of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? genealogy documentary series.
• Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey, BBC Two, July 2009. 6 episodes
• Rick Stein's Christmas Odyssey, BBC Two, December 2009
• Rick Stein's Food of the Italian Opera, BBC HD, June 2010
• Rick Stein's Cornish Christmas, BBC Two, December 2010
• Rick Stein's Spain, BBC Two, July 2011. 4 episodes
• Rick Stein Tastes The Blues, BBC Four, November 2011
• Rick Stein's Spanish Christmas BBC Two, December 2011
• Rick Stein's India, BBC Two, June 2013. 6 episodes
• Rick Stein's German Bite, BBC Two, August 2013 (Also referred to as The German Odyssey)
• Rick Stein: From Venice to Istanbul, BBC Two, August 2015. 7 episodes
• Rick Stein: Australia episode of A Cook Abroad, BBC Two, 2 March 2015
• Rick Stein's Taste of Shanghai, BBC Two, February 2016
• Rick Stein's Long Weekends, BBC Two, May 2016. 10 episodes
• Rick Stein's Road to Mexico, BBC Two, November 2017. 7 Episodes
• Rick Stein's Secret France, BBC Two, Autumn 2019. 6 Episodes
• Pointless Celebrities, BBC One, 28 November 2020[50]
• Rick Stein’s Cornwall, BBC Two, January 2021. 15 Episodes[51]

• Rick Stein Cooks Fish (1997 VHS, re-issued as a bonus on Seafood Odyssey DVD)
• Rick Stein's Taste of the Sea (1999 VHS release of 1995 broadcast)
• Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey (1999 VHS & 2005 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Seafood Lovers Guide (2001 VHS)
• Rick Stein's Food Heroes (2003 VHS & 2005 DVD. DVD release also includes the 6 episodes of Rick Stein's Food Heroes, Another Helping, Series 1.)
• Rick Stein's French Odyssey (2007 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes (2009 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey (2010 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Spain (2011 DVD)
• Rick Stein's India (2013 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Venice To Istanbul (2015 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Tastes of the World: From Cornwall to Shanghai (2016 DVD - a compilation of 6 individual broadcasts: Rick Stein's Taste of Shanghai, Rick Stein's German Odyssey, Rick Stein & The Japanese Ambassador Rick Stein Tastes the Blues, Rick Stein's Taste of the Italian Opera, Rick Stein's Cornish Christmas)
• Rick Stein's Long Weekends (2017 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Mexico (2018 DVD)
• Rick Stein's Secret France (2019 DVD)

For the restaurant:

• RAC/Sunday Times Taste of Britain Best Restaurant Award 1984[52]
• Decanter Magazine Restaurant of the Year 1989[52]
• The Good Hotel Guide Cesar Award 1995[52]
• Egon Ronay Guide Restaurant of the Year 1996[52]
• Hotel & Restaurant Magazine Seafood Restaurant of the Year 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2003[52]
• AA Award – English Seafood Restaurant of the Year Award 2002[52]

For the man:

• The Good Food Award Television and Radio Personality – 1995/1996[52]
• The England for Excellence Awards – Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award – 1988–1998[52]
• Caterer and hotelkeeper 1999 Chef Award – Chef of the Year The Catey Awards[52]
• AA Guide Chefs' Chef of the Year 1999–2000[52]
• Waterford Wedgwood Hospitality Award – 1999[52]
• The Glenfiddich Trophy – 2001[53]
• The Cornwall Tourist Award – A special award for outstanding services to Cornwall 2002[52]
• OBE – 2003 New Year Honours: For services to tourism in Cornwall[54]
• CatererSearch 100 – 14th most influential chef in UK in 2005[55]
• In 2012, Stein was among the British cultural icons selected by pop artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of the last six decades.[56]
• 5 July 2016, Rick and Jill Stein received the Special Award at the prestigious Catey Awards, for their more than 41 years of outstanding contribution to the hospitality industry.[57]
• CBE – 2018 New Year Honours: For services to the economy[58]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rick Stein.

• Official website
• Rick Stein at IMDb
• Interview with Rick Stein – RadioLIVE New Zealand, June 2010.