How do you unwind at the weekend?
I've got back into tennis recently. Given my age, I like to take care of myself. To be honest, I don't like going to the gym and prefer to be productive. So I enjoy cycling and pottering around the garden. We live in an apartment, in an old Georgian house near Stormont with a three-acre shared garden. I spend a lot of my time at the moment brushing up leaves. I also work on the window boxes and planting herbs. My background is Michelin-starred restaurants but recently I've got into baking my own bread. Sourdough is wonderful.
What do you recall most about weekends growing up?
I grew up in inner-city Belfast in a two-up, two-down in Donegall Road, brought up by my single mum. I was the youngest and we all had to learn to fold our own clothes and get ourselves off to school. Weekends were family time. My mum Margaret would make a trip to Sawers at the weekend. She loved food and cooking and that's what's behind my interest. I remember mum buying snails and she always cooked on a Saturday. On Sunday, she always did a roast and we had to sit round the table and we would have extended family over. We'd have meat sandwiches later.
Friday night or Saturday night?
I'm Saturday night as I now get Saturday night off. It started in my early 40s – up to then I'd been working on Saturdays since I was about 16. I love going out and staying home. Because of where we live, people congregate and you might have a drink of wine, light a fire outside, play kids' games. It's very social.
Do you have a must-listen weekend radio show?
For my sins, I'm a massive sports fan. I love Radio 5 Live and Talk Sport if I am in the car as there's nothing better than people having a good rant.
Favourite eatery – or is it a takeaway?
We're having a big expansion of takeaway meals this year with Mournes and La Taqueria doing added-value meals where you get the ingredients delivered, with instructions and a video showing you how to cook the meal. It's not just me – there's my chef Ian Hunter, so people don't get sick of looking at me. You can get our paella kit in a box with rice and seafood, all fresh so there are no issues. We also do a Thai seafood curry kit.
Is Sunday still special?
Yes, without a doubt. Even though the restaurants open on Sunday, it is a day of rest. It's one of those times you sit down and say, let's find out what people are doing and ring up family. I'd contact my brother and three sisters or my daughter who's at uni in Manchester. I always make a brunch, with sourdough of course. We have two meals and in the evening settle down on Sunday night to watch a movie.
How do you feel on Sunday evening about Monday morning?
I used to have that 'I haven't done my homework' feeling but now I say 'I'm going to take on the week'. Because you're captain of the ship, you have to drive it hard.
