Matt Tebbutt explains what makes Wales so special

Matt Tebbutt chats to GBF about passion, produce and PGI protection

A champion of seasonality and locally-produced foods, Matt Tebbutt is best-known for his aim to ‘highlight rather than hide’ the culinary treasures to be found in Britain. As a presenter of TV shows such as Saturday Kitchen, Food Unwrapped and Market Kitchen he travels the globe hunting for fine food, but as an honorary Welshman his love of the country’s foodie offerings knows no bounds. As viewers of his shows, readers of his books and visitors to his restaurant will know – this is one chef whose adoration of an afternoon spent foraging in the countryside is second to none!

Food has always been a big part of family life for me. I’ve always been interested in it and my parents were quite foodie. They didn’t force it on me, but they wanted me to try new things. Growing up we travelled in our caravan – as a lot of people did in the seventies – to France, where I remember eating really interesting food, like snails and really good fish soup with croutons. Things like that stay with you, so I’m trying to recreate that with my kids at the moment.

I call myself an honorary Welshman. I wasn’t born in Wales but moved here when I was three months old. I’ve now got two little kids who I consider to be Welsh. It’s my adopted country and a beautiful place to live. The produce is brilliant, but people have been bad at spreading the word. The Welsh must be very modest, because when you go elsewhere you’ll know you’re in an area of good food as people will be shouting and raving about it.

Welsh lamb’s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status is a badge of honour and quality. It means the whole of the EU recognises it as something special. It allows people to see what goes on behind the scenes, and the farmer to know that all their hard work and effort is being rewarded. I think British people always knew Welsh lamb is a brilliant product, and the PGI helps the rest of the world see it in the same way.

My ideal dish is a really good piece of meat or fish cooked beautifully and simply. I’m not into tricks and foams – there’s nothing nicer than a piece of grilled meat with some great seasonal produce. Well-judged cooking with really fresh ingredients, cooked simply with good company and good wine constitute my ideal meal.

Seasonality and traceability have always been important to me. When you’re slap-bang in the middle of the countryside, why would you buy from anywhere else? When you’re cooking with just a few ingredients, where your meat comes from is 90% of the finished dish – if meat or fish is good you don’t have to do much to it. It’s a way of being part of the local community by buying from and having a relationship with them, and knowing how much effort the guys put into farming – when it’s chucking down with rain, they’re out there looking after the animals.

We’re all much more aware of where their food comes from these days. During the past couple of years farmers’ markets have become more popular, which has filtered down to the big supermarkets. Up until recently you didn’t get 28 day-hung beef or meat that was sourced from a particular farm. It’s important that you have communication between the meat counter and the customer, and that they know where the food they’re eating comes from.

We’re out in the country, so it would be madness not to make the most of our local hedgerows. At my restaurant The Foxhunter we host foraging trips, so people can escape the city and go on a lovely, educated jaunt through the country. Rather than the kids spending the morning on their iPads, they go for a nice walk that they find fascinating. It’s a case of getting out there, filling your basket and cooking what you can find. You get a real sense of satisfaction, and food doesn’t get fresher!