Watts Cooking: Deliciously simple recipes to inspire home cooks

Product Information

Fast forward three-and-a-bit years and he became the first person in custody to get their bronze, silver and gold award. Each day we'll be sending you a selection of our top stories from across our county, as well as breaking news so you can be the first to know. When I left school [at 16] I felt completely lost, a little bit let down by the school to be honest. I just felt like I had no guidance on where to go," he said. The cost will always depend on a few different factors, for example how many people it’s for, what’s on the menu and the location.

Jon Watts - cooking is my passion About - Chef Jon Watts - cooking is my passion

When you go to school, you learn the subject and then the normal path is to then go to university and get a job and do this and do that. I think for a lot of those young people it leads to anger and frustration because they perhaps don't fit that mould. Cut the butter into chunks, place in a heat proof bowl along with the dark chocolate and melt it over a pan of simmering water until there are no lumps left, take off the heat and set aside to cool slightly.One of the components of the gold award is to learn a skill, and Jon opted for cooking as he was already working in the prison kitchen at the time.

Jon Watts Beef and Potato Curry - Chef Jon Watts

Long story short, 18 years old, ended up in prison with a six-and-a-half year sentence. At that point I'd very much thought that was my life over, that I was never going to achieve anything because that's what's built into you when you're going through school and stuff like that. But it was in prison that his life changed and he was given a second chance. He came across the Duke of Edinburgh Award and jumped at the chance to learn new skills and change his fortunes. Never stop believing in yourself," said Jon, who is hopeful of soon putting together a cookery book. "We as humans are all very powerful, every single one of us. We all have greatness inside of us.

Bake it for 25 minutes. If you poke a skewer into the middle it should be clean when it comes out. If not, return it to the oven. Add both of the sugars into a large mixing bowl then pour in the melted butter and beat together until it is smooth. He added: "I practised a lot. I went there the day before and I did live rehearsals and the producers were firing questions at me left, right and centre as well so I was almost used to it. This is something that I always knew would happen," he added, "but I thought it would be like I'll release a book and I'll be able to get myself on there. He's worked for Jamie Oliver's restaurants, earned a temporary catering contract for the X-Factor and even cooked for Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes on ITV's This Morning - 10 years to the day after he left jail.

Jon watts recipes ideas | recipes, food, latest recipe 37 Jon watts recipes ideas | recipes, food, latest recipe

He admits he had "no social life" as he'd often work elsewhere on his days off, such as spending time at Michelin star restaurants to give him an extra edge on his peers. A pinch yourself moment if there ever was one, and the appearance came 10 years to the day from his prison release.

I think when you're going through a time where you feel lost, I'd say just keep going one step at a time, believe in yourself and make it happen." If you take yourself away from that you can become incredibly successful. A lot of very successful people I've met in my life dropped out of school at 15, 16 and have been in trouble or their lives haven't gone the way that they're supposed to go. I think, at the end of the day, it builds character. I found myself hanging around with people that were involved in crime and all sorts of other nonsense and it sort of gave me a sense of belonging and a kind of purpose. News The St Albans chef who went from prison at 18 to cooking for Phillip Schofield on ITV This Morning I was practising the night before, I was making the dish at home and pretending I was talking so I wasn't going unprepared, but I've also done it in my head for the last seven, eight years. It didn't stop me being very, very nervous."