Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course, currently being served up by Channel 4 at the slightly odd time of 5pm on weekdays, is a timely reminder that before Ramsay started swearing at people for a living he was actually a pretty good TV chef. At the height of his powers he was among the best on the box; spicing up the sometimes sterile atmosphere of small-screen kitchens with his brash style and appealing recipes.
The best TV chefs manage to balance the demands of entertainment and education – but, most importantly, inspire viewers to cook new recipes, think differently and more adventurously about food, or just greedily admire the artfully shot dishes. So here is our shortlist of top television cooks: let us know if we missed out any essential ingredients in the comments section.
Delia Smith
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
Modern TV cooking too often revolves around impossibly glamorous people gliding around impossibly glamorous kitchens before presenting impossibly glamorous plates of food. But Delia has never been about that: always focusing on skills and dishes for home cooks – she would probably object to her inclusion here, on the basis that she is a cook rather than a chef – a point exemplified by her decision to help us master the basics of egg boiling when most chefs were busy cooking up ever more spectacular dishes in a bid to attract audiences.
Jamie Oliver
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
His success has long since made him a target for critics who suggest he's all style over substance, but the Naked Chef can still be regarded among the greatest TV chefs. Yes, the mockney banter and impossibly trendy settings sometimes grate – but when he first appeared Oliver's shows breathed fresh life into the genre with their whirling camera work, off-camera banter and groovy soundtracks. His subsequent shows have remained ahead of the curve and only underlined Oliver's popularity.
Madhur Jaffrey
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
Madhur Jaffrey was the woman who introduced Britain to Indian cuisine in the early 80s, helping to transform us into curry lovers. But it wasn't just her food that was groundbreaking, but her presenting too. As a trained actor Jaffrey was comfortable and confident in front of camera, a relaxed yet authoritative presence who was a world away from Fanny Craddock's staccato voice that had previously set the tone of TV cookery.
Keith Floyd
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
Part of Floyd's appeal lies in the fact that he cooked outside the confines of a TV studio – whipping up a culinary storm over open fires or on the decks of a rickety old fishing boats. As a result his series was as much travelogue as culinary treat. Ever the entertainer, the late, great chef could be relied upon to the enliven proceedings by bantering with locals, chastising long-suffering cameraman Clive and regularly indulging in liberal gulps of the local tipple.
Nigella Lawson
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
Her series have perhaps unfairly always been seen as more aspirational rather than instructional: Nigella at home in her large, beautiful kitchen, inviting us in to her impossibly well-stocked pantry, then whipping up supper for an ever-changing cast of guests. But underneath the glamour, the midnight snacking and the suggestive scripts lies a domestic deity whose down-to-earth approach has often won over the most sceptical of audience members. Happily, she she's currently back on screens with Nigelissima – even if viewers' reactions have been somewhat mixed.
Rick Stein
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
Rick Stein is the lovable uncle of TV cookery. Warm, friendly and distinctly unfussy; his demeanour is a lot like his food – which invariably leaves you slobbering at the telly. He's inherently likable too, which, when added to his passion for poisson and the tangential rambles that typically punctuate his programmes, provides a surefire recipe for on-screen success.
Honourable mentions
Heston Blumenthal
Blumenthal's intricate recipes certainly aren't for the faint of heart but his on-screen adventures still make for compelling viewing.
Graham Kerr
A forebear of Floyd's eccentric episodics, the Galloping Gourmet was as indulgent as his calorie-filled food during his 70s heyday.
The Swedish Chef
His recipes might have been all but incomprehensible, but The Muppet Show's utensil-waving gastronome is still one of the most entertaining TV cooks ever.
