Since John Torode arrived in the UK aged just 26, some 23 years ago, the culinary scene has transformed itself beyond recognition.

“In 1991,” the MasterChef host tells FPJ, “restaurants were stuffy and lacking in fun. It was a culture shock when I first came here. Over the years, all that has changed.” It wouldn’t be overdoing it to suggest the Australian has played a huge part in that evolution – a constant force in what many have termed ‘the great food revolution’ of recent years.

After spending time as a celebrity chef on ITV’s This Morning – he left the show over a difference of opinion and had seemingly packed in TV work – Torode went on to become a restaurateur at Smiths of Smithfields.

He’s incredibly proud of what the establishment achieved in a short space of time – responsibility of food sourcing and produce, yet ultimately a base for a trendy, youthful project in keeping with Farringdon and surrounding areas.

And to further cement his position as a top chef, he also seized an unexpected return to our TV screens to work on the relaunched MasterChef, in 2005.

Rapidly approaching its 10th anniversary, the BBC series is a culinary tour de force. Sure, there are dozens of foodie programmes on British television, and the show’s intention is perhaps more about taste and presentation, rather than food provenance, but it remains the big one – the X Factor of the culinary world, and a franchise replicated across the globe.

But that doesn’t mean Torode isn’t still passionate about fresh ingredients. How could he not be – after all, he remains excited about the energy and flavours of all food, even if much of his craft comes from nouveau and French cuisine. He and stable mate GreggWallace, a partner whose rise from the market stall is well documented, still enthuse about the importance of fresh ingredients.

“I recently visited Leicester, home to the largest indoor market in Europe, to promote the practice of buying local, fresh produce. It was a great experience, and an important one, because I think there’s this horrible middle-class image to the sourcing of absolutely fresh fruit and vegetables, perhaps because the assumption is that non-supermarket or farmers’ market produce is more expensive.

“That doesn’t need to be the case – the fresh produce revolution isn’t and shouldn’t be led by chefs in their kitchens, it’s led by local traders informing and educating mums and dads and people at home passionate about what they’re making and the provenance of ingredients.

“And this is such a lovely way to go about buying food,” he continues. “People really should care about it, because they’re putting it in their mouths. If you buy food this way, you get to see the ingredients, you actually get to talk to someone about what you’re buying.

“And it doesn’t just end at fresh produce. I also love the butchers inside, the spice stalls. The meat guys, in particular, are amazing – it’s nice to go somewhere where it’s not just big trays full of mince. It’s actually good-quality meat of various different cuts. You talk to your butcher and buy what you like.”

Torode’s Good Food Shows offer a similar ethos. He and Wallace pitched up in Birmingham for five days towards the end of last year, then visited London. “We got a fantastic reaction from people, which was lovely, and it’s the place you really learn what consumers want. I think some chefs have big ideas and almost a selfish way of telling people what they should be eating. But with a live show you’re left in no doubt what people want!

“And we’ve moved on so quickly as an industry. I really think this has been forgotten, and it’s something that should actually be celebrated. I remember when myself and [food critic] Jay Rayner put organic food to the test in the Observer almost 10 years ago by sampling the organic ranges of various supermarkets. The results weren’t universally positive, but I know that if we performed a similar study now things would be very different.

“Of course, that does put a lot of pressure on our independent producers and retailers, but food is surprisingly versatile against economic conditions, and I’m constantly impressed by the creativity and versatility of people who are passionate about food.

“And that’s how our local producers can always stay one step ahead, by being creative and by trying new things,” Torode claims. The supermarkets, for all their power and might, go for safe bets – it’s their huge scale that means they have to. Local producers can test markets and tastes and flavours with relatively low risk. And that means a great opportunity to stay as the ‘go to’ resource.”

Aside from fresh ingredients – and while a little natural ability doesn’t go amiss – Torode says much of it is down to hard work and self-belief. “The challenge for any chef is having belief in your ability,” he says. “You need to worry less about what other people say or think about you. Of course, take criticism and listen to it, but go with what you are passionate about and let the creativity flow.”

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