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Graham Tinsley at Llangollen Gardening Show
One of the star chefs from ITV's hit series Taste The Nation is planning a new mission in North Wales.
Royal favourite Graham Tinsley will be recreating dishes from the TV show as a way of tickling the taste buds of visitors to this summer's Gardening Show at Llangollen.
In the past, Graham - who's also manager of the Welsh Culinary Team - has woven his magic at a number of royal households, including St James Palace and Clarence House.
But Graham is currently matching wits and recipes with the likes of Anthony Worral-Thompson, Nick Nairn, Ed Baines and John Burton Race in the popular TV show.
Graham, chef/director of Conwy's Castle Hotel, captains the Welsh sides from Denbighshire and Monmouthshire as they take on teams of amateur cooks from around the UK.
Fans of the TV show can see Graham performing live at The Gardening Show at the Royal International Pavilion at Llangollen in June.
"I adore doing the TV series, it's fantastic. We have loads of fun," he says.
Highlights of the show for Graham have been meeting the contestants and the other chefs, especially Rosemary Shrager, who he says is "absolutely lovely".
"I hadn't met any of the celebrity chefs before but I felt as though I knew them because they're on TV all the time and have lots of cookery books.
I was the only one there who hadn't had a TV programme," says Graham, laughing to himself.Having his own dressing room and a runner at his beck and call to get him coffee and whatever else he may need came as a "strange sort of reality shock".
During intervals in filming, the cast and crew eat at the studio canteen and it is not unusual for Graham to see stars from other shows eating there as well, which he finds a little surreal but fun.The TV series showcases the best of regional ingredients as the teams are inspired by local recipes and traditions.
Graham has recently returned from Scotland with the Junior Welsh National Culinary Team, which he manages, where they competed in the World Culinary Grand Prix.
The team of five Welsh chefs, all under 25, won a gold medal and finished fourth overall.
The Welsh National Culinary Team as a whole, comprising of both the senior and junior teams, is also involved with catering for the Royal Family, says Graham, who has been to Highgrove House, St James Palace and Clarence House to cook for various functions.
"Prince Charles is patron of the Welsh National Culinary Team," explains Graham. "Every time he comes to Wales, we do the functions."
Last year the team cooked the dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Prince Charles being appointed Prince of Wales. The dinner, held in the Grand Hall at Caerphilly Castle was a triumph for the team.
However, Graham still makes time to work in his own kitchens at the Castle Hotel and Nant Hall in Prestatyn, where he has worked for the past eight years and is the chef/director.
"I've been a chef for 35 years and love it," he says enthusiastically. "You have to be very passionate about food."
"We make sure we source as many local products as possible. Our butcher is right across the road from the hotel and we use a good variety of local lamb, beef and pork."
Graham says because Conwy is on the coast, he has access to a lot of fresh fish and shellfish and also to specialist foodstuffs from the countryside: "I try to source bespoke items like honey - they produce a lot in North Wales," Graham says, adding they also buy local products such as cheese, Welsh yoghurt, clotted cream and ice-cream. He says it appeals to tourists who like the fact they are buying local products.
"Also, it's good to support the local community," says Graham, who was awarded the MBE by the Queen two years ago for services to the food industry in Wales.
Graham is looking forward to the Gardening Show where he'll be doing cooking demonstrations.
Graham, who made his Llangollen debut last year, is delighted to be back: "I thoroughly enjoyed the show," he says: "One of my hobbies is gardening and because you're stuck inside a kitchen all day, it's nice to get out in the garden.
"I'll be making dishes from the TV series and handing out recipes. If people like the TV series and the dishes in it, it would be nice for them to come along and see how they're made, and taste them as well."
The Gardening Show has been called the garden party of the year by both exhibitors and visitors. In addition to the cooking demonstrations, there will be stunning horticultural displays and stylish outdoor living displays.
The show will be held at The Royal International Pavilion showground on the weekend of June 6 and 7, so pencil it in your diary now to make a bee-line for Llangollen.
In the meantime, Graham has just jetted off to Croatia to meet with chefs from all over Europe at the annual European Chefs Conference. With so many pots on the boil, it seems Graham Tinsley is not always ‘stuck inside a kitchen' after all.
Llangollen Gardening Show, Royal International Pavilion showground June 6-7; details www.thegardeningshow.co.uk
