Never mind a dash of white wine or an extra pinch of salt, the secret ingredient that Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein, Keith Floyd, Elizabeth David and a host of other famous cooks share is in their star sign – Capricorn.
Researchers at online grocery retailer Tesco.com, who have a series of celebrity chefs’ recipes on their website, studied the star signs of 100 of the UK’s and world’s most famous cooks and chefs – from the first ever celebrity chef, Auguste Escoffier onwards – and discovered that almost a FIFTH (18) were Capricorns, almost double the next most popular signs, Cancer and Pisces (11).
According to astrology Capricorns are the highest-achiever in the Zodiac. Other famous foodies born under the star-sign include the pioneer of nouvelle cuisine Alain Chapel and Wolfgang Puck, chef and owner of the world’s most famous A-list restaurant, Spago in Beverley Hills. Even in Japan, which now has more Michelin stars than any nation, their two most famous TV chefs, Chen Kenichi and Rokusaburo Michiba are both Capricorns.
Pisceans may be a distant equal second, but Barry McGuigan, the former boxing champ turned chef on TV’s Hell’s Kitchen can consider himself among good company with Fanny Craddock, Jean Christophe-Novellii and Mrs Beeton, author of the Victorian classic, Mrs Beeton’s Cookbook.
Further down the list, Scorpio Gordon Ramsay is aligned with the UK’s first ever TV chef, Marguerite Patten and Auguste Escoffier.
Leo’s are the least represented in the cookery zodiac with just three chefs, although they do include the world’s most famous home economist, Martha Stewart and British celebrity chef Brian Turner.
According to Mandy Minichiello of Tesco.com, “We were amazed to see just how unevenly weighted the star signs of celebrity chefs were in favour of Capricorn. If that’s your star-sign it could be that you have a glittering culinary future. Novice Leo’s, meanwhile, can visit the recipes on our website, click to buy the ingredients to get started and maybe have a Capricorn on standby should they need a helping hand.”
Results (according to number of celebrity chefs) – including a selection of key names:
18 - Capricorn – Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein, Keith Floyd, Nick Nairn, Elizabeth David (seminal cookery writer), Hugh Fearnley-Whittngstall, Bernard Loiseau (former 3-star Michelin-starred chef), Wolfgang Puck (chef and restaurateur, Spago, Beverley Hills), Alain Chapel (pioneer of nouvelle cuisine)
11 – Cancer – Clarissa Dickson-Wright (Two Fat Ladies), Anthony Bourdain (chef and broadcaster), Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray (both River Café), Anne-Sophie PIc (first female 3* Michelin chef since 1950’s)
11 – Pisces – Fanny Craddock, Mrs Beeton, Ainsley Harriot, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Anton Mossiman, Barry McGuigan (ex-boxer and Hell’s Kitchen winner)
10 - Taurus – Gary Rhodes, John Burton-Race, Anthony Worral-Thompson, Ken Hom, Ferran Adria (Head Chef, El Bulli), Phil Vickery (TV chef), Jennifer Ellison (actress and Hell’s Kitchen winner)
9 – Scorpio – Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc, Margueritte Patten (first ever UK TV chef / home economist), Auguste Escoffier (gastronomic legend), Robert Carrier (TV chef), Michel Bras (3* Michelin chef), Adele Silva (Hells Kitchen runner-up)
9 – Gemini – Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Heston Blumenthal (Fat Duck and TV chef) Sophie Grigson (cook and writer)
8 – Aries – Joel Robuchon (3* Michelin Chef) Jennifer Paterson (Two Fat Ladies), Pierre Gagnaire (3* Michelin chef)
7- Aquarius – Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet), Prue Leith, Tom Aikens, Paul Bocuse (3* Michelin chef), Matthew Fort (cook and food writer)
5 – Virgo – Michael Barry (TV chef – BBC’s Food and Drink), Mario Batali (Italian-American celeb chef and restaurateur)
5- Sagittarius – Marco Pierre White, Alain Senderens (3* Michelin chef)
4 – Libra – Albert Roux (La Gavroche)
3 – Leo – Brian Turner, Martha Stewart (US celeb chef and home economist)
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