INTERVIEW WITH CHEF JAMES MARTIN

The name of the game

For the fifth consecutive year, chef James Martin is hosting ‘The Investec Enclosure’ restaurant at The Game Fair. The hugely popular event is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year when it returns to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 July. As well as designing the game-based menu, James will be mingling with diners during both breakfast and lunch service. A familiar face on TV, the 50-year-old Yorkshireman regularly appears on ITV’s This Morning as well as hosting his own weekly show James Martin’s Saturday Morning. A huge exponent of cooking with game, James tells us why The Game Fair is such a good fit for him.

You have been attending The Game Fair as a punter for the past couple of decades. What do you enjoy most about the event?

Almost every aspect of country life is represented at The Game Fair so there is a lot to get round and see. The organisers are good at keeping the content fresh so no two years are ever the same. Last year I spent a lot of time in the LAPADA tent looking at art and antiques. I bought some huge copper bowls for my garden which take four men to lift. I am now growing vegetables in them and they look fantastic. I always really like seeing the birds of prey up close and of course the working dogs. I learnt how to fly fish on the river Test during lockdown and it has become one of my favourite hobbies so I will also pay the Fishing Village a proper visit. I also like Gunmakers’ Row – walking the full length of it is always on my to do list!

Tell us more about your passion for fly fishing.

I first tried trout fishing a couple of years ago when Formula 1 boss Ross Brawn introduced me to it. He lives close to me in Hampshire so it was easy to meet on the river Test. On my first outing with him I realised quickly that I had made a rookie error by wearing suede shoes – they were ruined by the end of the day but it didn’t put me off. The river is so tranquil – I regularly spot wildlife that I would not see if I was just walking the dog. Just recently I planned to go fishing for an hour or so but I ended up staying the entire day. I get in the zone and forget about everything else. I love the challenge of it – it’s me against the fish. I did try salmon fishing once – I spent four days on the River Tay in Scotland but I did not catch anything. I was wading in 5ft of fierce water wearing a lifejacket. For me, tranquil trout fishing suits me better.

Do you spend lots of time in the countryside?

I like the city but I’m a country boy at heart because I was brought up on a pig farm. Farming, food and countryside is in my blood. I’ve always been passionate about the countryside and I’m quite fortunate to live just outside of Winchester in rural Hampshire so we’ve got outdoor space right on our doorstep.

Tell us about your working cocker spaniel, Cooper.

Cooper has been in training with Jason Mayhew for five years. I’ve always been fascinated by man’s ability to train dogs. When I was a young kid, there was a gamekeeper in my village who used to look after the Castle Howard estate and he had an immaculately trained gundog called Jett. I was always so impressed by him. He would just sit there, without a lead and just wait for his owner to return. Now I finally understand what it takes for that bond to happen. I love picking-up on local shoots with Cooper. His special move is a 400-yard blind retrieve. He’ll also sit on a riverbank all day long watching me bother fish. He’s everything I ever wanted from a dog. Last year we took part in ITV’s The Pet Show which saw Cooper compete in an agility course, and he is still top of the leaderboard. At The Game Fair I take part in a display in the main arena with Jason to showcase gundog training. Last year Cooper was a little distracted by the crowds of people watching and the horse poo that the local hunt had left behind!

Where else do you enjoy spending time outdoors in the UK?

Scotland is one of my favourite places on earth, it really is. Orkney, Shetland and the Highlands, any opportunity that I can get to go up there I go because it’s just spectacular. The west coast of Scotland is also amazing. Anybody who knows me knows that I love Scotland. I also love the New Forest, it’s beautiful. A chef mate of mine Gareth Ward has an amazing Michelin-starred restaurant called Ynyshirin in Mid-Wales and I love to walk up Snowdonia when I visit, it’s wonderful.

What do you particularly enjoy about the larder of the British countryside?

I think we’ve got one of the greatest larders in the world. We’re fortunate enough to be on an island surrounded by water. From Scotland’s seafood – like scallops in Orkney, right the way down to Cornwall with Cornish sardines. I think there’s such a variety there and meat is exactly the same because of the topography of the land. You’ve got amazing beef up in Scotland, amazing lamb from Wales and then there’s fantastic garlic on the Isle of Wight. We have such a variety of weather north to south. I think that’s what makes Britain unique. As a chef you’ve got so many seasons, from the Jersey royal potatoes to Scottish raspberries – and of course game.

How often do you try to incorporate game into the dishes you cook in restaurants/at home?

When it is in season, I use it all the time. I use masses of feathered game and people know that I probably promote it more than anybody on television. Every week I’m cooking with pheasant, partridge, grouse and guinea fowl. I’m a big fan of it because I was brought up on it and I was surrounded by it. I think there’s a real myth surrounding game and a lot of people don’t necessarily understand it. I think a lot of that is just about education and where I stand in terms of what I do for a living, hopefully I can teach the public there is something else out there. I have been working with Wild & Game to help them develop their recipes so we constantly get given little tasters and testers. I cook it a lot, frozen spatchcocked partridge on the BBQ is delicious in the summer. If you marinade it with a bit of yoghurt and some spices and put it in a tandoor, that’s my kind of thing.

You’ve been announced as the host for The Game Fair restaurant ‘The Investec Enclosure’ for the fifth consecutive year. What keeps bringing you back to the event?

I have been attending The Game Fair for 20 years, so it is amazing to now be involved professionally. My day-to-day restaurant is usually a 100-seater so to walk into a marquee where you’ve got 300 covers in the middle of a field, that’s something very different indeed. I remember one of the times I attended The Game Fair I parked my motorhome in what I thought was next to the restaurant. When I woke up there were dozens of horses all around me. It was quite a surreal moment while I was still blurry eyed!
It’s an amazing event and the food is an essential part of it but it’s one of many parts that make it a very special show. The restaurant is in a great location as it’s at the epicentre of where things happen which is a cool place to be. I’ve worked with James Gower, The Game Fair’s Managing Director, for years and he really has faith in letting me just crack on. You’ve only got to go to The Game Fair once to see why it’s so special.

What can visitors expect to see on the menu this year?

We are going to do a bit of everything. Last year the fish and chips was super popular so that will most certainly be back on the menu. Partridge is always a winner and we’ve got a great supplier for that with Wild & Game, whose gamebirds are certified by British Game Assurance so they have the highest welfare standards. I used to go to The Game Fair as a punter and just have a wander round and now to see it on the other side and see all the infrastructure and planning that goes into it, is amazing. It’s great to be involved and hopefully for many years to come we can build up something really special.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I really want a tractor. Not to plough a field, I want to drive it to my local pub the Wonston Arms with Cooper and park it outside.

To experience The Investec Enclosure, you can purchase one of three available VIP packages starting from £99 per person which includes entry to The Game Fair.