Image by Mohamed Hassan (via Pixabay)
In the UK, the first cooking show began in 1946 with Philip Harben’s 10 minute long show aptly named ÔÇÿCookery’, making lobster vol-au-vents in the first episode. Over the years, we’ve seen many famous faces come and go on our TV screens, including the likes of Fanny Cradock, Delia Smith, and the beloved Mary Berry. However, some of the chefs we still see on TV today, like Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, began in the ’90s, alongside iconic competitions such as MasterChef. So, here’s a look back at some of my favourite cooking shows from the 1990s…
1. Ready Steady Cook
One of the most iconic shows from the 1990s has got to be Ready Steady Cook. There’s nothing more entertaining than watching two celebrity chefs trying to cook a meal with a random ┬ú5 worth of ingredients bought by two members of the public, especially when Ainsley Harriott is hosting. The two teams, known as the ÔÇÿred tomatoes’ and ÔÇÿgreen peppers’ then cook their dishes, and the audience voted for their favourite dish to decide the winner.
Although it did start in the 1990s, the episodes I remember watching were with Ainsley Harriott, who hosted from 2000-2010. Some of my favourite celebrity chefs included Gino D’Acampo, Phil Vickery and James Martin. After being off our screens for 10 years, it was recently revived last year with Rylan Clark-Neal as the new host. I’m yet to watch an episode of the new series, but like many things, I have my doubts as to whether it will match up to the original.
2. MasterChef
Starting in 1990, MasterChef has been a big part of many foodie’s entertainment, with series running almost every year since it began. In the original series of the competition, amateur cooks took part to try and win the title of the ÔÇÿMaster Chef’, with nine rounds before three semi-finals, and then the final. Each round saw three contestants makes a three-course meal in two hours, which were judged by a different professional chef and celebrity.
Lloyd Grossman (yes, he isn’t just the man who makes sauces, and no, I didn’t know this either) was the original host until 2000. The series ended after one season with Ghary Rhodes hosting, and then began again in 2005 after a revamp to try and boost dwindling viewing numbers. John Torode and Gregg Wallace are the presenters and judges that make MasterChef what it is today, and I think the format which involves a larger variety of tasks than the original series makes for much more interesting viewing.
There’s been many spin-offs of the original series, including Junior MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, all three of which are entertaining shows in their own right. MasterChef now broadcasts in 60 countries, so it is clearly a cooking show that has stood the test of time.
3. Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook
Nothing says ’90s cooking show quite like Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook, which again features the wonderful Ainsley Harriott. As the name suggests, two people compete against each other, one of which can’t cook and one of which won’t cook. A chef would guide them through a dish step-by-step, which caused enough mayhem in itself. After following along, the two nominees for the competitors tasted the food blindfolded to decide which dish is best. When the result ended in a tie, the chef would decide on a winner.
There was criticism that the show was a rip off of Ready Steady Cook, and it clearly wasn’t as big of a hit as it only ran for 2 seasons before finishing in 1996. Regardless, if you need some old school entertainment then I highly recommend giving it a watch- it’s worth it for Ainsley Harriott.
4. The Naked Chef
The Naked Chef began right at the end of the ’90s in 1999, with Jamie Oliver gracing our screens at just 23 years old. It ran until 2001 with three Christmas specials, and was praised for inspiring men to get in the kitchen. The Naked Chef brought a freshness to cooking shows, with camera close-ups and a much more relaxed style that were not used as often previously. I love the personal touch in every episode, as Jamie cooked for different people such as his colleagues, his girlfriend, and his nieces.
It’s fair to say that Jamie Oliver has had his share of struggles over the years, including taking away our generations beloved Turkey Twizzlers, and Jamie’s Italian collapsing into administration in 2019. However, the fact that he has presented over 25 cooking series such as Jamie’s Meat Free Meals and Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast shows that he has also had many successes. I love to make so many of the meals from his TV shows and cookbooks, and over the years he has definitely inspired many people to get cooking new and exciting dishes, including myself.
