Matt Tebbutt reveals personal sacrifice with wife after 'relentless' time running pub

BBC Saturday's Kitchen Matt Tebbutt
-Credit: (Image: BBC)


Saturday Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt has reflected on a tough choice he and his wife Lisa faced, as they gave up running the Foxhunter Inn in Monmouthshire, Wales, after 14 years due to its "relentless" demands while Matt balanced a demanding television career.

The couple decided to step away from their pub as exhaustion set in. Speaking with the Western Mail, Matt shared: "It was a very different sort of relentless business. We didn't take a break."

Despite their picturesque allure, the BBC presenter highlighted the intense upkeep required for rural pubs. His latest cookbook, 'Pub Food', draws inspiration from regional Monmouthshire ingredients and past offerings at their former establishment.

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Nonetheless, Matt voiced concerns about the plight facing UK local pubs, citing a "really s*** time" for many, according to the Express. He discussed pressing issues like inflated prices, energy bills, food costs, and staffing dilemmas.

The 50 year old chef emphasized the urgency of preserving these community hubs, saying: "They're shutting by stupid numbers per week. It's something worth trying to save."

Matt urged the public to support their local watering holes, remarking: "People need to remember that they're not always going to be there. And if you've got a good one then go and support it. They are one of the last great melting pots in life."

He also mentioned that pubs offer him a reality check, where fame is inconsequential.

"I will disappear on a Friday and go and do Saturday Kitchen. And then I'll meet some quite famous faces sometimes, get back to the pub (near his home in Monmouthshire) and nobody gives a monkeys."

"You can be in the same place with very wealthy people and farmers, and the guy who empties the bins, all on the same level, and you're having a chat - there's very few places you can do that anymore."

"Then if you throw good beer and conversation in the mix, and good food, I think they're special places."

Catch Matt Tebbutt on Saturday Kitchen today (September 21) at 10.30am on BBC One, where he'll be joined by culinary luminaries Nadiya Hussain and Sophie Wyburd, as well as Pointless quizmaster and author Richard Osman.