Yorkshire


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="788" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/41-author-pic-788x1024.jpeg" alt="Richard Nicholson " class="wp-image-8491" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/41-author-pic-788x1024.jpeg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/41-author-pic-231x300.jpeg 231w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/41-author-pic-768x998.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/41-author-pic-1182x1536.jpeg 1182w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/41-author-pic-1577x2048.jpeg 1577w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/41-author-pic-scaled.jpeg 1971w" sizes="(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-despite-being-a-tv-farmer-and-cookbook-writer-you-trained-in-graphic-design-when-did-your-love-of-cooking-emerge-nbsp">Despite being a TV farmer and cookbook writer, you trained in graphic design &#8211; when did your love of cooking emerge?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I remember enjoying a couple of home economics lessons in my early years at secondary school and coming home and asking mum if she would show me how to make a spaghetti Bolognese. Back then, more than 45 years ago, that was probably seen as the height of sophistication in the kitchen-certainly in our farmhouse kitchen. Mum rustled up some dried pasta, a garlic clove, an ancient bayleaf and some tinned tomatoes and showed me how to put them together. After that my interest grew and I read lots of cookbooks and watched the early TV chefs avidly. In my late teens mum packed me off to art college with a Ken Hom wok set&nbsp;and my food adventure properly began. </p>



<p>I’d buy pork from the butcher on Hessle Road in Hull and marinade it in soy sauce, ginger and garlic. I’d fry it up with so many vegetables that the wok would almost overflow. As a result my stir fry didn’t cook quite as quickly as I’d have liked. I’d serve up far too large a portion to some hapless young lady that I was trying to seduce with my cookery skills, and they’d have to apologise for leaving three quarters of it. I’ve always believed in generous servings, and I still struggle to reign in my portion sizes.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-you-sum-up-your-cooking-style-food-philosophy">Can you sum up your cooking style/ food philosophy?</h3>



<p>I believe in using good quality fresh ingredients and treating them simply using classic flavour combinations. I love to cook with robust flavours, herbs, spices, chilli and citrus. I’m not really someone who follows recipes slavishly and l always look to add a twist of my own. Sometimes I have to rein things back, tell myself that good things sometimes take time, and remind myself to keep things simple. For me, food is therapy, and being creative in the kitchen is the simplest of pleasures that can create the most memorable of times.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ever-cooked-for-anyone-famous-nbsp">Ever cooked for anyone famous?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Jules Hudson, presenter of <em>Escape to the Country</em> and <em>Springtime on the Farm</em> sampled some of the dishes from my cookbook at one of our <a href="https://www.cannonhallfarm.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cannon Hall Farm </a>Supporters&#8217; Days recently. He seemed to be really impressed! He’s a keen cook himself and gave me his recipe for sausage casserole that I cooked on one of our farm shop Facebook lives. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-biggest-cooking-mistake-nbsp">What&#8217;s your biggest cooking mistake?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I sometimes wonder if the mistakes are why my loyal band of Facebook followers watch my weekly live Cannon Hall Farm Shop cooking demos. It’s rare that I practice anything, so there have been quite a few mistakes and the sound of a smoke alarm is nothing unusual. Most recently I spilt my hollandaise sauce and then broke a glass while trying to resurrect it with my hand blender. At that point I gave up and decided to serve up my new potatoes, asparagus and poached eggs minus the sauce!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-tired-starving-and-impatient-what-do-you-cook-for-dinner">You’re tired, starving and impatient: what do you cook for dinner?</h3>



<p>I’d look no further than gammon and eggs, with air fryer chips if I have the time.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-a-favourite-chef-nbsp">Do you have a favourite chef?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>As far as TV chefs go, I can’t look any further than Keith Floyd, he was a force of nature who inspired a generation of cooks with charismatic, wine fuelled joie de vivre. Another chef who I’ve found fascinating is Marco Pierre White. He’s an intense character, full of wisdom where food, process and ingredients are concerned. He’s mesmeric to watch and carries himself with self-assured aloofness. I remember attending a Premiership football club’s end of season dinner where Marco was the executive chef. The room was filled with millionaire footballers signing autographs, but the person that turned most heads, as he stalked across the room, like a big cat prowling the Serengeti, was Marco Pierre White.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-cookbook">What&#8217;s your favourite cookbook?</h3>



<p>I judge a good cookbook by the number of food splatters on the pages and pencil notes in the margins. For me that means <em>Delia’s Complete Cookery Course</em>. She sold a lot of copies for a reason. The dishes all work, and they’re not so complicated that you get confused with the processes, which can happen with some Michelin starred chef’s books.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-type-of-cuisine-nbsp">What&#8217;s your favourite type of cuisine?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Italian food is my favourite, particularly when eaten in Italy. This is largely because it involves the simple treatment of superb ingredients. They really understand the field to fork ethos in Italy and are much more connected to the land than we are here in the UK. They value the provenance of the ingredients and treat them with respect.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-best-meal-you-ve-ever-had-nbsp">What&#8217;s the best meal you&#8217;ve ever had?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I have very fond memories of a seafood platter of perfectly cooked crab, lobster and mussels smothered in creamy garlic sauce that I ate in a pub in Portpatrick around 20 years ago.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-kitchen-gadget">What&#8217;s your favourite kitchen gadget</h3>



<p>I suppose my hand blender is the one that gets used most but I love my big heavy pestle and mortar too. It seems able to extract flavours that the hand blender just can’t.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-a-favourite-yorkshire-restaurant-or-cafe">Do you have a favourite Yorkshire restaurant or cafe?</h3>



<p>Many Yorkshire folk will be surprised to hear this, but I take a trip over the border into Lancashire to visit my favourite hotel and restaurant, Northcote. Chef Lisa Goodwin Allen serves up Michelin starred excellence over five courses with lots of tasty little extras. Lisa never fails to deliver menus filled with flavour and sophistication and the hotel is owned by a Barnsley couple. I’ve also attended a couple of their cookery courses, which are excellent.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-are-your-favourite-local-markets-and-suppliers-nbsp">Who are your favourite local markets and suppliers?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Barnsley market is an institution. One of oldest markets in the country tracing its origins back to a royal charter bestowed by Henry III in 1249. The market has always been rich with characters, but with the passage of time some of those local legends have now passed away. Albert Hirst was a famous butcher who produced amazing pork pies and black pudding. Albert was also credited with the invention of the Barnsley chop which was served up to The Prince of Wales at the official opening of Barnsley Town Hall in 1933. <br><br>The market is a bit posher now, and in its latest incarnation it has lost a few of its rougher edges but among the butchers and fishmongers on the market you’ll find venerable local traders such as <a href="https://www.theglassworksbarnsley.com/tenants/pats-for-pants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pats for Pants</a>, who have provided huge bloomers and structurally impressive brassieres to successive generations of formidable Barnsley ladies. Sadly, George the Sock Man has now retired but E B Price &amp; Son are still there, offering tasty fruit and veg alongside newcomers like The Mediterranean Deli with their excellent olives, pickled garlic and tzatziki.</p>



<p>A favourite farm shop supplier is <a href="https://www.yorkshiredamacheese.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yorkshire Dama Cheese</a> from Sowerby Bridge, which is run by Syrian refugee, Razan Alsous. It produces excellent halloumi style cheese, and I use the chilli version in my prawn quesadilla recipe in the cookbook. I love it when food products from different parts of the world come together and work so well.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="789" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/MF_11-789x1024.jpg" alt="Richard Nicholson " class="wp-image-8492" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/MF_11-789x1024.jpg 789w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/MF_11-231x300.jpg 231w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/MF_11-768x997.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/MF_11.jpg 986w" sizes="(max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-your-favourite-things-to-eat-when-you-re-on-holiday">What are your favourite things to eat when you’re on holiday?</h3>



<p>If I’m near the sea I love a seafood platter. I like to eat whatever the locals are eating, unless it’s insects. I draw the line at insects. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-ingredient-and-why-nbsp">What&#8217;s your favourite ingredient and why?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>That’s probably garlic because of its versatility. Roasted garlic can be mild and creamy, crushed garlic pungent and intense and roughly chopped garlic has a nutty quality. I love the springtime when bunches of wild garlic grow in profusion along the banks of the little stream that runs a few yards from the front door of the old miller’s cottage that I call home.&nbsp;The flower buds, pickled in cider vinegar, are a particular favourite of mine and I use them to add bursts of flavour to pasta and salads.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-think-is-the-most-overrated-dish-ingredient">What do you think is the most overrated dish/ ingredient?</h3>



<p>Gold leaf on food. It tastes of nothing and is purely for show. What is the point?&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-recipe-in-the-cookbook">What&#8217;s your favourite recipe in the cookbook?</h3>



<p>My chicken, smoked bacon, mushroom and asparagus risotto is really tasty and something I make all the time.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="788" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/RN4-788x1024.jpg" alt="Richard Nicholson" class="wp-image-8493" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/RN4-788x1024.jpg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/RN4-231x300.jpg 231w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/RN4-768x998.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/RN4-1182x1536.jpg 1182w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/06/RN4.jpg 1478w" sizes="(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-your-best-cooking-tip">Tell us your best cooking tip</h3>



<p>Keep a powerful blowtorch handy in the kitchen. Many of the cheaper ones designed for kitchen use aren’t up to the job but a good one will come in handy for removing the skins of peppers and tomatoes, adding a crunchy sugar topping to your crème brûlée, or a crispy skin to a fish dish.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-three-dishes-every-home-cook-should-master">What are the three dishes every home cook should master?</h3>



<p>The ability to cook a good risotto is invaluable. Once you’ve worked out the basic technique you can vary the ingredients to suit your taste.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Learn how to cook a good stew! Shin of beef is my personal favourite. Dust the meat in seasoned flour and brown, remove from the pan then sauté vegetables, herbs and garlic before adding back the meat, wine and stock. Then cook low and slow over several hours in a Dutch oven. Serve it up with buttery mashed potato.</p>



<p>Another option that offers infinite variety and the option to use up leftovers is a good pie. With the advent of frozen pastry it doesn’t need to take long. Mum’s Christmas leftover turkey and ham pie has always a favourite in our house over the festive period. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://merch.cannonhallfarm.co.uk/product/cannon-hall-farm-a-yorkshire-kitchen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cannon Hall Farm Cookbook is out now</a></strong><br><strong><a href="https://yorkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/reader-treats/win-a-family-ticket-for-four-people-to-cannon-hall-farm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Win a Cannon Hall family ticket </a></strong></p>



<p><strong>IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</strong></p>



<p><strong><a href="https://yorkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/restaurants-bars/whats-cooking-ruth-hansom-of-hansom-restaurant-wine-bar-bedale/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What&#8217;s cooking? Ruth Hansom of Hansom Restaurant &amp; Wine Bar, Bedale</a><br><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/best-cookery-schools-uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simmer down: The best cookery schools across the UK</a><br><a href="https://yorkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/muddy-meets-marcia-hutchinson/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muddy Meets: Marcia Hutchinson</a></strong></p>


What’s cooking: Cannon Hall Farm’s Richard Nicholson

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