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Ben has been a chef since he was 18, developing a passion for food when he was a child. He has worked at some of the top international cookery schools and as a chef at functions in many prestigious hotels, including The Ritz and GeorgeV in Paris,The Dorchester and The Savoy. He ran his own street-food business for three years, Beppinos Pasta, and is also a presenter and an on-stage host at many cooking shows. He talks to Lynda Clark about his interesting and varied career, his regrets about not buying his own home and shares what food he loves to eat and cook At home with: Ben Harris
too long in one place.You need to gain lots of knowledge and experience along the way as essentially you are a food technician/ engineer. Anyone can produce a decent plate of food but to have something that is extra special you need to call an expert. For example if something goes wrong with your computer you need to ask somebody who specialises in tech to fix it. Chefs can always fix a situation and know how to cope when things don’t go to plan. FTB: Tell us a bit more about your street- food business? BH: It was called Beppinos Pasta. Obviously as my mum is Italian, pasta has always been a speciality. It was on the South Bank in London and was the first ever street food stand. I cooked fresh pasta on the spot and
How did you start as a chef? BH: My mum is Italian and is a chef so there has always been a great deal of love in the family around food. I had a difficult youth, but eventually sorted myself out and I tried to get into radio presenting, but I was always cheffing to support my radio career. I always advise students that the key to being successful is to work hard but not stay
FTB: Tell us about where you are currently living?
BH: I am currently renting in north London, which is a lovely area and perfect for families as it’s extremely safe. I have a very good landlord and I’ve been here about four years. As a chef I need a particular style of kitchen which has masses of space and an island in the middle.This place is perfect and I have a spare bedroom so can invite family over too. I have spent a lot of time in Spain over the years and I really regret not buying a home there.There was a lovely house there which was on the market for 60,000 euros and before Brexit it was easy to live there, but now the rules have changed and you can’t live in Spain for more than 90 days at a time within a 180-day period without a visa.The property I was interested in is now worth £140,000 so it is very frustrating.
“I WORKED FOR A YEAR AT JAMIE OLIVER’S FIRST RESTAURANT, FIFTEEN, WHICH WAS INCREDIBLY CHAOTIC AS EVERYONE IN THE KITCHEN WAS UNDER 30, BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME”
14 First Time Buyer August/September 2025
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