As Jay Rayner points out, his fan base is pretty varied. There are those who devour (pun intended) his broadsheet restaurant reviews, others who tune into his BBC R4 panel show or his podcast, and yet more who enjoy his expert opinions on Masterchef. This month, he’ll get the chance to eyeball them in person when he takes to stage at the Oxford Playhouse as part of his UK tour, Nights Out At Home. His latest book shares the same title, and both celebrate 25 years of award-winning writing about, experimenting with and enjoying food.
What can Oxford audiences expect from an evening in your company?
The first half is a performance, but the second half is a Q and A and I'm also doing shout outs to people for their own restaurant memories. We have a bit of tech that enables people to send me messages for the second half.
This is the second tour and I'm really looking forward to it. I came up with [the concept of] being interviewed ‘virtually’ by a dozen – maybe 15 – of my closest celebrity friends. And by friends, I mean acquaintances – people I could beg. It’s a journey through my life as a restaurant critic, but through the medium of, say, a dozen questions, starting with Stanley Tucci (What the hell I know about anything?); Rob Brydon, (Aren’t you just an insufferable snob?); Nigella (How'd you roast a chicken?). I’m not giving too much away, because the key lies in the answer.
Who makes up your typical audience?
Anybody who buys a ticket? Here's the curious thing, you'd assume that I'd have a type. But happily, because I'm a bit of a tart, I hit a variety of different places. There's a newspaper reading audience, there's the Kitchen Cabinet audience, which is Radio 4, but then there's also the Masterchef audience, which is extremely broad.
Your latest book, Nights Out at Home, includes your take on recipes from a wide range of establishments, from The Ivy to Greggs. I want to know; what is your favourite ‘posh food’ and what's your favourite…I can't think of the word…grubby eat?
As you know, [that] idea does bother me. My favourite is seafood, done very well. I would imagine myself at Bentley’s (Richard Corrigan's restaurant) eating oysters and lobster, and I'd be very happy. Probably with chips. Lobster and chips have always struck me as the perfect high low partnership.
Now the other question…I'm not sure I really distinguish in that way. There's a bit of me that's leaning towards just saying fried chicken.
Would it help if I re-phrased the second question as your favourite ultra processed food?
Again, I have a problem with that term, because processing is something we've done to ingredients throughout human history. Cheese is processed milk, and so forth. When I hear people talking about the phrase ‘ultra-high processed’ what I really think I'm hearing is a judgment being cast on people in socially excluded circumstances and on low incomes, because most of the people who rail against ultra-high processed food would never shop in those aisles anyway. But to engage with your question, I'm a bit partial to hash browns. I think you should always have a bag of those in the freezer.
How about your ideal dinner party: what would be on the menu, the playlist and who would be invited?
The main thing about dinner parties is too much cooking. When people invite you around for dinner, they come up with very grand plans – so grand they have no time to sit at the table. The advice I have always given is spread stuff out to start with (charcuterie, olives, whatever), ice cream to finish and in between, something that you've been braising for six hours, probably a British shoulder of lamb.
The playlist? There are so many jazz musicians who are the soundtrack of my working life and my writing life as well. I'd probably put on a brilliant jazz pianist called Gene Harris.
And then the guest list: this is funny as I just did a podcast called (I think) Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? So I can tell you, my fantasy dinner party was Ella Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, Peter Ustinov, Dita Von Teese and Balloo (Fictional was allowed.) Balloo the Bear from the Disney cartoon, not the original from Rudyard Kipling who is a bit censorious.
I thought Baloo and Ella Fitzgerald would be fun in the same room. You want Dorothy Parker, but only until the starters really, because after that she’d get drunk and maudlin, and Dita is fabulously entertaining; sharp, funny, clever, and brings the glamour that perhaps Peter Ustinov cannot provide.
As a food critic, what do you feel about trends?
One, I'm a restaurant critic, not a food critic. That's a different thing. I'm also a journalist, and as a journalist, we're constantly patrolling the waterfront. Trends are great; you want to see change. And generally, the market is very, very good at distinguishing rubbish from good.
How do you take criticism?
I'm fine with it. It's not always comfortable but I do a whole bunch of things that can be reviewed, and my bottom line is do not get overly buoyed by the good reviews. A good review of my book is helpful, but don't immediately decide [it] means you're a genius because somebody has said something lovely. And by the same token, if there are negative reviews, have a look at them: there's something in there. You think it's true? Act on it. Otherwise, don't. The personal stuff is horrible but that's not really criticism. It's just abuse, and distinguishing between the two is important.
Finally, I have to ask about your style. Is that something you’ve consciously honed over the years?
I live in fear of going pipe and slippers. I'm 58 years old, and you can either do corduroys and brown – you can go dull – or you can go magnificent. I know which one I'm trying for, whether I've achieved it or not I do not know. My father was a hell of a dresser and looked magnificent. I have a picture of him taken when he was 83 in a mustard waistcoat, staring down the camera. Also, I'm about six foot three, I'm a big man and you have choices, don't you? You can be embarrassed about who you are, or you can lean into it. I choose to lean into it.
Jay Rayner, Nights Out at Home, The Oxford Playhouse, Tuesday 6 May
Tickets and further information at oxfordplayhouse.com
