Ainsley Harriott

“We were brought up with having a love of your garden, having somewhere you can go in, it's your little sanctuary, you can go there and you can switch off.”

“A lot of people go for the serious angle because, ultimately, that's what it's all about. But it doesn't necessarily mean that's the only way of cooking.”

“If you want to go way way back, then I'm Scottish. My great great grandfather was Scottish, James Gordon Harriott, and a white Scotsman too.”

“We've become lazy and a bit spoilt and we want our food quickly and easily.”

“When we talk about foodies, we're talking about less than five per cent of the population who eat nicely. For most people it's just fuel: 'I gotta feed the kids.'”

“With me, you know what you get - approachable food.”

“To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is also important. A dish doesn't necessarily need to be hot, but spice is important to the flavour.”

“To be honest, 'Ready Steady Cook' was a great opportunity, but I did compromise myself. I was stood there quizzing chefs on what they were doing when I knew exactly what they were doing and why.”

“I like introducing people to new dishes and new flavors.”

“All the time I'm trying to evolve, I'm trying to do different things, bring new flavours to people, not just put my name on the something for the sake of it.”

“Our house was always full of friends and family and we would all sit down to enjoy my mum's Caribbean food, which was always a generous and shared experience.”

“I'm so fortunate that I've chosen the right career path. Yes, perhaps I could have been out there with my own restaurant earning a load more dosh, but television has been good to me.”

“I do feel that over the years from watching programmes that tell people 'you're not good enough,' I just don't like it.”

“Think about your first kiss - if you did it and it was bloody awful, you might not do it again. It's the same with cooking - you start off gradually, you get your confidence, and you build on that. Don't be too adventurous to start with - learn how to cook one dish well.”

“I'm always interested in cooking and helping to bring people together.”

“It's quite true to say that if you work with marvellous fresh ingredients, the simplest dish is taken to another level.”

“I think anything is good that introduces food to people and brings food to people.”

“I used to take vitamins, but I think diet is the most important thing. If you have a good diet, there's no need for that stuff.”

“My children are enthusiastic about food, it's great when you see them with girlfriends or boyfriends and they talk about food in a knowledgable way.”

“Everywhere I have gone in the world, even though we don't speak the same language, food is the same language.”