Interview: Gary Rhodes

It seems top restaurateurs are making allowances for the credit crunch and accommodating those slimmed-down wallets. Rhodes' own flagship restaurant, Rhodes24 in the former Natwest tower in the City, has experienced a downturn.

He said: "I think people are being a little bit more cautious. We've found lunchtimes in the City have been hit. Instead of doing 70-80 covers], we're doing 60-70 and sometimes 50. That's still pretty good but it does affect everybody quite hard.

"But people still want to come and eat, so it's for us as chefs to respond. We're now introducing different plats de jour lunches at a better price for everybody because we feel we've got to respond to the customer needs.

"In a situation like this we've got to adapt our menus so we can still give them the pleasure of eating out but at something that's far more competitive and compatible with what they can afford."

The alternative, of course, is to eat in and Rhodes was at Waterstone's in Jubilee Place mall to promote his new cookbook, "Gary Rhodes 365", which gives a recipe for every day of the year, most of them simple to prepare.

He said: "There are dishes you can put together in 10-15 minutes, and there are others - big one pot dishes - that you put in the oven, forget about for an hour or two and you've got the most succulent dish to offer at the table.

"I want to take the headache away from cooking. I went through a stage in my first cookery books where basically you wanted more show-off recipes from your restaurants and that's when it becomes too coffee-table like.

"That was because you were more concerned about other chefs buying them than perhaps the real public.

"I like people to use my books as guidelines. If you think 'I don't eat that fish' but you like the garnish that goes with it, then be inventive. Try some grilled chicken.

"That's how you get your mind active. Don't be forced into following every ingredient and every recipe."

Rhodes revealed there is a fierce rivalry between chefs when they bring out their books, although sometimes that is a healthy thing.

He said: "I think there is. You can read cookery books - I'm not going to mention any names - but I've looked through a few and thought I know where he got that recipe from because that was one of my old ones.

"But you can see they've thrown a whole new style into it but then I believe cooking is for sharing. That's what it's about.

"It's about sharing recipes. That's why we go out and eat in all these kinds of restaurants. Sometimes you'll find inspiration from something you've eaten.

"I love collecting cookery books, I've got about 2,500 at home. and quite often I don't want to use their recipes because I've got my own style.

"But I might see just one dish and think 'I like the concept there and I know what I'd do' and before you know it you've got a totally different dish. But it sparked something off in your mind and that's what I love."

Rhodes has had a long tv career, making his first appearance in the mid-1980s alongside the legendary Keith Floyd, and he is very much a subscriber to Floyd's philosophy of making food fun.

He said: "I loved his books. Saying don't worry about the measurements is absolutely right.

"I had the great pleasure of cooking with him in one of his series, "Around Britain", and I loved it.

"Then, when he was going around France, I thought it was absolutely fantastic. He was a true old entertainer, someone who loved food, and loved the simplicity of food, and showed it off.

"That's very much what I'm trying to do with this book. I'm saying here's some fantastic flavours you've got happening.

"It might look involved but that's probably the simplest thing - like a bit of tomato, shredded fennel and olives, a dressing with a bit of dill in it, and a bit of pan fried fish.

"You can do that with any fish, with a piece of mackerel it would be sensational. It gives people ideas. Simple things."

The 48-year-old has had a busy year, including a brief stint on top telly hit Strictly Come Dancing. Voted off after three shows Rhodes admitted it made running a restaurant kitchen seem a doddle.

He said: "It's quite incredible the training you have to do. All the years I watched it I thought 'I can do better, it's easy'. How wrong I was. It was so difficult.

"I can be running a hotplate in the kitchen and have food coming from all angles and somehow put them together because that's something I know, I've been doing it for over 30 years.

"But doing that for just two and a half weeks and having never danced like that before in my life, I suddenly realised it was very difficult, but great fun."

And he thinks it will be a four-way fight for the coveted crown between Cherie Lunghi, Lisa Snowdon, Austin Healy and Tom Chambers.

He said: "It's going to be a tough one. If you look at the guys obviously Austin is going to be in there and also Tom.

"The lady who really stands out, certainly with the ballroom, is Cherie. She's a lady with such elegance and beauty.

"Lisa seems to be getting better as well so it'll be interesting to see who gets through to the final.

"And will John Sargeant make it? Who knows? But he certainly creates a smile."

Rhodes is due to return for the end-of season finale, although he acknowledged his skills might be a bit rusty.

He said: "I'm going back to do the last show and possibly the Christmas special as well, which is all good news.

"I'm looking forward to doing the last show, though whether I'll have time to train for it, we'll see. I'll probably let down the whole squad yet again.

"Maybe I'll do my own dancing technique, although I don't think that'll go down too well."

What Rhodes is definitely doing next is opening a new restaurant in Christchurch in Dorset before heading off to the Caribbean in the New Year to record his latest tv series.

And this is clearly a man who, even after 30 years in the business is still passionate about food.

"Yes," he said. "That hasn't gone away at all. I absolutely love it, absolutely love it."