Simply DELICIOUS

Ainsley Harriott on how lockdown inspired his new back-to-basics series

- CAREN CLARK

AINSLEY’S FOOD WE LOVE

NEW SATURDAY / ITV / 11.35AM / EP 1 of 10 / COOKERY

Many of us have been craving comfort food during lockdown – more banana bread, anyone?! So who better than perennially cheerful chef Ainsley Harriott to help us rustle up delicious dishes that evoke fond memories of gentler times?

In Ainsley’s Food We Love, a fun new show for Saturday mornings on ITV, the 63-year-old will be adding his own twists to much-loved recipes from decades gone by.

Each week, fellow chefs including Aldo Zilli, Brian Turner and Bake Off2016 champion Candice Brown also share quintessential cuisine from their own kitchens. Meanwhile, a celebrity guest will join Ainsley in the studio – while maintaining social distancing, of course – to chat about their favourite food and make a meal that has special meaning for them.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Ainsley tells TV Times more about the series and also shares with us his recipe for a mouth-watering garlic-and-herb flatbread…

What was your inspiration for this show?

We wanted to remind people about these classics. Throughout lockdown, retro food has come back in vogue. Everybody wanted to cook those things that reminded them of yesteryear. It’s more than just a meal, it’s about the memory attached to it and that’s lovely. You might remember your dining-room table with the plastic tablecloth, or your mum in a certain apron. Although my mum hated cooking in the early days – she’d say, ‘There’s too many pots to wash!’

Each episode has a different theme – tell us more!