A biography for Marco Pierre Whitehasn’t been written yet.
“I don't believe I've ever truly been in love because I don't believe that I've known myself well enough in the past to allow someone to love me.”
“Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was a lad. From then on, he lived in fear that death was just around the corner, and he set about programming me to work hard and bring in some cash.”
“My grandfather, father, and uncle were chefs, and my other uncle was a butcher.”
“I'm naturally an introvert.”
“The pressure of TV can force people to do odd things.”
“I love working. I love doing things. I don't like sitting.”
“Cuisine Nouvelle was just a concept, and one which, crucially, the English managed to get wrong. I mean, if you run a restaurant, you've got to feed people, not make pretty little pictures on plates to make up for your lack of ability.”
“I think what you got to do is to create an environment which people wish to sit in. You have to create a menu which is interesting to people. You have to create food which is delicious and affordable. I think that's what's important.”
“Can you imagine, I lost my mother at age six? My childhood ended then.”
“I was racially discriminated against for years as a child in Leeds because I was an Italian.”
“Once you accept and understand yourself, you do things for the right reasons, not the wrong ones, rather than being fuelled by your insecurities.”
“I like my mind being stimulated. I like discovering new concepts.”
“I wouldn't want to be in one room, 20 hours a day, 52 weeks a year, with four white walls and a stove. I think it stunts your growth as a human being.”
“Rudeness is not having fun, and if it is, it's at the expense of another person.”
“Restaurants should be democratic; you shouldn't be made to feel privileged for getting a table or being lectured by the waiter.”
“Whether dealing with children or chefs, they are all giant babies in need of nurturing.”
“As far as I am concerned, ambition is the most dangerous occupation in the world. I have never been ambitious, or if I have, it's only been by default.”
“I was brought up on a council estate. I know what it's like to be poor.”
“My children are, without question, the most wonderful thing. I've learnt more about myself through my children than any other experience in my life.”
“Anybody who thinks they're the perfect parent is a fool.”