HAPPINESS ON A PLATE

Ainsley Harriott talks to TV Times about his new series and the life-changing power of mindful eating

- STEVEN PERKINS

AINSLEY’S GOOD MOOD FOOD

NEW SATURDAY / ITV / 11.40AM / EP 1 of 10 / COOKERY

When TV Times calls ever-chipper chef Ainsley Harriott to talk about his latest Saturday-morning show on ITV, Ainsley’s Good Mood Food, we’re expecting to hear about his heart-warming recipes and his tips on staying cheerful. What we aren’t prepared for, however, is for him to kick off our chat with an observation about his fingernails!

‘I’m just looking at my cuticles,’ Ainsley chuckles at the start of the call. ‘Because my hands are on TV, every time I look at them, I think, “Ooh, I need a manicure!” I haven’t been having them, because you’re so close to everyone, but I’m getting to the stage where I’d love to go for one – I love the little hand massage afterwards!’

As interested as we are in Ainsley’s grooming routine, we are actually ringing him to discuss the new series in which he rustles up a variety of dishes to lift the spirits, beginning with food inspired by the seaside, including, of course, fish and chips. Fortunately, Ainsley, 64, has plenty to say about that...

Tell us about your new series…

I wanted to get that good-mood feeling across to people, and this gave us an opportunity to get out there and meet producers who talk passionately about their produce.

I think generally we’re all just more in touch with our bodies, what we eat, what we’re putting in and where it comes from. It made it genuinely exciting – it’s not just about cooking the dish and making it look colourful, it’s about tasting right, and what food can do for you.