Lord Floyd is way out in front in my opinion as the best, the worst has to be beautyand the feast, what is that all about!!

Paul Rankin is fab - he and Ainsley Harriott are a great combo on Ready Steady Cook (when it happens!). He winds everyone up - namely Ainsley - who I also have great respect for. Even during the most nail-biting, 'cringe-factor-100' (aka THE OFFICE) akward moments, Ainsley maintains his professional poise and gets on with the job. Paul is Paul. What you see is what you get - with a little bit of edge....just great. I love the tension he creates....great stuff! Paul Rankin should feature in every episode!.

i like nigella and nigel slater i think their passion for the food really stands out. i think this comes out most when you read their books more its more conversational than just a straightforward recipe and really give a feel of what the dish is supposed to be no matter how basic.

have to say gary rhodes bugs me - too smug and why why soooo much salt in everything

I like Baines who is on GFL sometimes, I think he is into asian ingredients, and makes food with different flavours. He is quite good looking too.

Nigella cooks more for the ordinary mum, housewife, and would like to see her more on TV now days.

I miss Jamie Oliver as well but I know he is very busy now days.

Keith Floyd is the master but I expect he is retiring soon.

I could sit and watch the Australian chef Bill Grainger all day. I also like Paul Hollywood and Simon Rimmer and Nigel Slater and Jamie because he is so passionate about his food. Can't stand Tamsin & Nigella, mainly because of their hair. Surely basic kitchen hygiene says it should be tied back out of the way. I used to like Gino di Campo but think he getting a bit big-headed. Seems to be on the tele too much these days.

I suppose it's a bit rude to slate the ones you don't like as opposed to praising the good ones.....................but.
Danny Boom, Jamie wannabe (even got the VW camper)
Beauty and the Feast.........Puhleeeeeaaaase
Nancy Lam..............screeches like a chainsaw
Jeanne Rankin...............WHY? get a job, or watch telly
As for Gary Rhodes, looks too much like Bart Simpson.


I always thought that Celia B B was a bit..........but she has obviously decided that becoming a bit of TV totty will get her on the box more, revealing, or tight tops are obviously IN with her, it works for me, go Celia go.

My fav chef has 2 b Nigella Lawson, she is idol.

my favourite chef is jamie oliver because his cooking is just so simple he doesnt faff about a lot with things with ainsley and rick stein a close second and third coz i love fish

My favourite chef at the moment is Brian Turner, only because he and Jenny are brilliant when the're on together. I think some of the things on Great food (Live and Bites) are starting to get a bit too fancy. I cook all sorts of things ( including "Foreign Muck" as my husband politely calls it) His likes are bangers and mash etc. I also love Nigella and have all her books(all great recipes and a brilliant read) I prefer the chefs to just do the recipes not all this showmanship as in Hi Lo Club, although I like Silvano Franco and like her cook book.I really like the Mary Berry programme just for that reason. Anyway I suppose were all different......

I think Nigel Slater has to be my favourite. He is just so passionate although I also love Rick Stein and Gordon Ramsay. I would prefer Nigella if she didn't make so much innuendo to the camera as she cooks. I find it very irritating.

My favourite chef is Rick Stein, he is so passionate about British food and the producers.

I agree with Michaela1987 I can't stand Tamasin, I wish she would tie her hair back her food must be full of it

is it just me or is anthony bourdain totally cool? i've just finished reading "kitchen confidential" and "a cooks tour" of his, and his series, also called "a cooks tour" was very addictive, now its not on anymore
i love him, and i also love jamie, but who doesnt?
i cant stand tamasin, or sophie grigson.

Hello I am new to this but I like Ross Burden his knowledge is unfounded when it comes to food

Me I love most of them but AWT is the one I would love to cook with. They all have some great things going for them.
The ones I cant stand are Tamsin, yes the hair, and Richard Corrly and his mate who's name ecsapes me but they always use to be together on Ready Steady Cook.

James Martin and Paul Rankin

Top of my list are Nigel Slater and Nigella

thank you to foodiejess i will keep a look out for the book.

"The Best" chefs are Ben O'Donoghue, Paul Merrett and Silvano Franco. I tend to like her recipes best out of the three of them as I love the way she uses short-cuts - washing pickled onions to put in a beef pie - well, why not? There is a book with all of the recipes in the series in it which I when the series was first on. Should still be in print if you're interested though - it was only a couple of years ago.

does anybody know the name of the chaps that cook on "the best" cookery program. They made a lovely white chocolate dessert with strawberries and i cant remember the ingredients .

I used to think no one could beat Wozza in the chef stakes, but I'm sorry, Paul Hollywood really does it for me. The man is lovely. More please.

Oh! And of course, JENI makes it all fantastic!

I have to say, I love any chef who can produce good food. BUT current fav has to be Gino! He is brilliant. Makes me laugh and, boy oh boy, is he CUTE! All helps! Always love Jamie, Wozza, Scrumptious James Martin and Nigella is a star! Find Gary Rhodes bit earnest sometimes. Only complaint I can make. Please UKTV Food ...... KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
XXXXXXX

I forgot Gino - alimento fantastico!

Being new to chatting here I have to say, I love ....

Nigella - amazing sexy food, not afraid to try anything new but happy to celebrate old favourites, seriously the best pavlova recipe ever (and the size of my hips says I know!), good ideas - wish she'd been cooking when I was 18 I'd be "chef-ing not teaching!"

Paul Hollywood - those hands, the beard, the bread, the pastries, the voice.

Silvana Franco - sometimes we all need to use convenience food, thanks Silvana!

Nigel Slater - his mashed potato made me into a new woman!

Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall - any man who will put up with what he has put with for that show ........ well, need I say more?

Rick Stein - made us all find our food heros - what a brilliant celebration of British food - Welsh Cawl & Penclawdd cockles with laverbread! Yum!

Jamie - took all of the unnecessary mystique away and told everyone "if you like the taste it's great food" and of course there's his little pots of chocolate with lemon polenta cookies

Simon Rimmer - stop, listen to him deal with a sassy woman like Jeni! And his food's not bad either!

AWT - fantastic food, easy to follow recipes - "he the man"!


On the other hand - Delia - Tamasyn DL - The Rankins (well her with the annoying voice specifically) - Gary "too complicated for real people" Rhodes - Keith Floyd - Nancy Lam (Why does her husband put up with her?) - they all make me switch off!

Likes....

Jamie - Makes food funky and fun - did a lot to revitalise
interest in cooking, especially amongst youngsters,
and dispels the myth that it's womans work! Wish
he'd quit the ad's though - the more recent ones
do nothing for his image.

Nigella - Passionate about food and finger lickin' good - doesn't give a xxxx if her hair does get in
the soup!

Delia - No nonsense, explains the basics, just good
sensible approach to how it should be done.
Recipes great and very reliable.

Nigel Slater - Wow! Makes even chips look interesting.
Same passion for food as Nigella - makes you want to run out and buy the
ingredients to start cooking straight
away.

James Martin - New ways with old ingredients. Very
watchable.

Jeni Barnett - Not strictly a chef, but she is mad as a
hatter and makes me laugh so deserves a
mention nonetheless.

Dislikes....

Tamsin Day Lewis, Gary Rhodes, Ainsley, whatsername with the big earrings, and a few others who's names I can't recall because they don't interest me enough to be bothered. Can't stand them, incredibly irritating, make me want to turn the telly over when they are on!

Worrall Thompson would have gone into the dislikes catagory until recently, but his new series is slowly changing my mind, shows his mistakes as well as his triumphs so can't be all bad. Therefore, for the time being he is in my neutral section.