Wikipedia

Delia Smith

For the United States Attorney, seeDelia L. Smith.

Delia Ann SmithCHCBE(born 18 June 1941) is an Englishcookand television presenter, known for teaching basiccookeryskills in a direct style. One of the best-known celebrity chefs inBritish popular culture,Smith has influenced viewers to become more culinarily adventurous.[1][2]She is also notable for her role as Honorary Life President (with her husbandMichael Wynn-Jones)[citation needed]ofNorwich City,where she was previously the Joint Majority Shareholder alongside Wynn-Jones from 1998 to 2024.[3]

Delia Smith
CHCBE
Delia Smith (right) with her husband
Born
Delia Ann Smith

(1941-06-18)18 June 1941(age 83)
Woking,Surrey,England
OccupationTV chef
Spouse
​
(m.1971)​

Early life

Born to Harold Bartlett Smith (1920–1999), an EnglishRAFradio operatorand tool salesman, and a Welsh mother, Etty Jones Lewis (1919–2020),[4]inWoking,Surrey,her parents divorced when she was 15 years old and her brother was aged 7.[5][6]Smith attendedBexleyheath School,leaving at the age of 16 without any qualifications.[7][8]Her first job was as a hairdresser; she also worked as a shop assistant and in a travel agency.[9][10]

Cookery career

In 1962 at age 21, she started work in a small restaurant inPaddington,washing dishes before moving on to waitressing, then helping with the cooking. She started reading English cookery books in theReading Roomat theBritish Museum,trying out the recipes on aHarley Streetfamily with whom she was living. Her next job was at Carlton Studios in London, where she prepared food for studio photography.

In 1969 Smith was taken on as the cookery writer for theDaily Mirror'snewly launched magazine. Their deputy editor wasMichael Wynn-Jones,whom she later married. Her first piece featuredkipperpâté,beef in beer andcheesecake.She baked the cake that was used on the cover ofThe Rolling Stones' albumLet It Bleed,[11]which she later recalled was in response to a request was for "a gaudy cake" that had to look "really horrible."[12]In 1972 Smith started a column in theEvening Standard.She later defected to the rivalEvening News,but she returned tothe Standardwhen that newspaper bought outthe News.She wrote for both for 12 years; later she wrote a column for theRadio Timesuntil 1986.

Smith's first television appearances came in the early 1970s, as resident cook onBBC East's regional magazine programmeLook East,shown onBBC OneacrossEast Anglia.Following this, she was offered her own cookery television show,Family Farewhich ran between 1973 and 1975.

Smith became a recognisable figure amongst young people in the 1970s and early 1980s when she was an occasional guest on the BBC's Saturday morning children's programmeMulticoloured Swap Shop,giving basic cooking demonstrations.

In Taiwan, Smith was compared to Taiwanese chefFu Pei-mei,and she was called the "Fu Pei-mei of England".[13]

Her 1995 bookDelia Smith's The Winter Collectionsold 2 million copies in hardback, becoming the fifth biggest-selling book of the 1990s.[14]

In 2003 Smith announced her retirement from television. However, she returned for an eponymous six-part series airing on the BBC in Spring 2008. The accompanying book, an update of her 1971 best-sellerHow to Cheat at Cooking,was published in February 2008, again becoming a best-seller.

In 2010 she appeared in a five-episode series,Delia through the Decades,with each episode exploring a new decade of her cooking.[15]Also in 2010, Smith andHeston Blumenthalwere signed up to appear in a series of 40 commercials on British television for the supermarket chainWaitrose.[16]

In February 2013 she announced that she had retired from television cookery programmes, and would concentrate on offering her recipes online.[17]

Smith has twice been the guest forBBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs:first on 5 June 1982, when her choices included "The Sound of Silence"byPaul Simonand "Llef"byRhos Male Voice Choir,and again on Christmas Eve 2023, when her choices included "This Woman's Work"byKate Bushand "Happy"byPharrell Williams.[18]

The "Delia effect"

It has been claimed that Smith's television seriesDelia's How to Cookled to a 10% rise ineggsales in Britain and her use of ingredients such as frozen mash and tinned minced beef and onions, or utensils such as anomelettepan, could cause sell-outs overnight.[19]This phenomenon, dubbed the "Delia effect", was most recently seen in 2008, after her bookHow to Cheat at Cookingwas published. Her fame (and her relatively uncommon name) has meant that her first name has become sufficient to identify her to the public and the "Delia effect" has become a commonly used phrase to describe a run on a previously poor-selling product as a result of a high-profile recommendation.[20]

Business interests

From 1993 to 1998 Smith worked as a consultant forSainsbury's.In May 1993 she and her husbandMichael Wynn-Joneslaunched New Crane Publishing to publish Sainsbury's Magazine; the company also published several of Smith's books forBBC Worldwide.Although Smith and Wynn-Jones sold New Crane Publishing in 2005, Smith continues to be a consultant for Seven Publishing which now publishes the magazine.

Football

Smith has developed other business interests outside of her culinary ventures, notably a majority shareholding of 53%[21]in the football teamNorwich City,with her husband. Both Smith and Wynn-Jones were season ticket holders at Norwich and were invited to invest in the club, which had fallen on hard times. She has had a significant impact on improving matchday catering standards and food revenues, only stepping back from day to day responsibilities on reaching the age of 70.[22][23]

In February 2005, Smith attracted attention during the half-time break of a home match againstManchester City.At the time Norwich were fighting an ultimately unsuccessful battle against relegation from thePremier League,and to rally the crowd, Smith grabbed the microphone from the club announcer on the pitch and said: "A message for the best football supporters in the world: we need a12th manhere. Where are you? Where are you? Let's be 'avin' you! Come on! "Norwich lost the match 3–2.[24]Smith denied suggestions in the media that she had been drunk while delivering the speech though she did concede that "maybe in the heat of the moment I didn't choose the best words".[25][26]

In 2008, it was reported that Smith had rejected an offer from Norfolk-born billionairePeter Cullum,who wished to invest £20 million in the club, but wanted Smith and the other shareholders to relinquish their holdings. Both Smith and Cullum denied this offer had been made, with Smith telling the football club's AGM that she and her husband would be "very happy to stand aside" as majority shareholders if someone came along with an offer to buy them out.

In August 2011, Smith announced that, anticipating her 70th birthday, she was stepping down from her catering role at Norwich City'sCarrow Roadfootball ground: "It is now time for a fresh approach and a younger team who, I am confident, will take the business even further."[27]

Smith & Wynn-Jones's twenty-eight years of involvement with Norwich City came to an end on 23 October 2024, when the club's other shareholders approved a deal that allowed Norfolk Holdings, a business group lead by the American businessmanMark Attanasiothat previously purchased a 40.4% stake in the club in April 2024, to increase their stake in the club to 85% and take majority control, with Smith and Wynn-Jones's shares decreasing to 10%. As part of the deal, Smith and Wynn-Jones also agreed to stand down from their roles as club directors and become honorary life presidents of the club.[28]

Honours and awards

Already anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE), Smith was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire(CBE) in the2009 Birthday Honours,"in recognition of... [her] contribution to television cookery and recipe writing".[29]

In 1996, Smith was awarded an honorary degree by theUniversity of Nottingham,a fellowship fromSt Mary's University College(a college of theUniversity of Surrey) and a Fellowship from theRoyal Television Society.In 1999 she received an honorary degree from theUniversity of East Angliaand in 2000, a fellowship fromLiverpool John Moores University.

In 2012 Smith was among theBritish cultural iconsselected by artistSir Peter Blaketo appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bandalbum cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of the last six decades.[30]

She was appointedMember of the Order of the Companions of Honour(CH) in the2017 Birthday Honoursfor services to cookery.[31]

Personal life

Smith was baptised in theChurch of England,and attended aMethodistSunday School,aCongregationalistBrowniegroup and later a Church of England youth group. At the age of twenty-two, she converted toCatholicism.Her first two short religious books,A Feast for Lent(1983) andA Feast for Advent(1983), are readings and reflections for these seasons. In 1988 she wrote a longer book on prayer,A Journey into God.[citation needed]

Smith became friends with the Catholic art historianSister Wendy Beckett,selecting Beckett's book,100 Best-loved Paintings,in her second appearance onDesert Island Discsbroadcast in December 2023, four decades apart from her first invitation, in 1982.[5][6]

In 2012 Smith criticisedatheism,stating that "militant neo-atheists and devout secularists are busting a gut to drive us [religious people] off the radar and try to convince us that we hardly exist."[32]

Publications

Cookery books

  • How to Cheat at Cooking(Ebury Press,1971)
  • Family Fare(BBC Books,1973)
  • Recipes from Country Inns and Restaurants(Ebury Press, 1973)
  • The Evening Standard Cookbook(Thames & Hudson,1974)
  • Country Recipes from Look East(BBC Books, 1975)
  • More Country Recipes: A Second Collection from Look East(1976)
  • Frugal Food(1976) (Re-issued in October 2008)
  • Cakes, Bakes & Steaks(1977)
  • Delia Smith's Book of Cakes(1977)
  • Delia Smith's Cookery Course(3 volumes: 1978, 1979 & 1980)
  • One is Fun(1986)
  • Complete Illustrated Cookery Course(1989) (ISBN0-563-21454-6)
  • Delia Smith's Christmas(1990)
  • Delia Smith's Summer Collection(1993)
  • Delia Smith's Winter Collection(1995) (winner of the 1996British Book of the Yearaward).
  • Delia's How to Cook—Book 1(1998) (based on the television series)
  • Delia's How to Cook—Book 2(1999)
  • Delia's How to Cook—Book 3(2001)
  • The Delia Collection(2003) (several themed volumes)
  • Delia's Kitchen Garden: A Beginners' Guide to Growing and Cooking Fruit and Vegetables(2004)
  • The Delia Collection – Puddings(2006)
  • Delia's Kitchen Garden(February 2007) (BBC Books –ISBN978-0-563-49373-0)
  • How to Cheat at Cooking(February 2008) (Ebury Press–ISBN978-0-09-192229-0)
  • Delia's Happy Christmas(October 2009)

Religious and spiritual works

  • A Feast for Advent(Twenty-Third Publications, 1983)
  • A Feast for Lent(Bible Reading Fellowship, 1983)
  • A Journey into Prayer(Catholic Truth Society, 1986)
  • A Journey into God(Harper & Row,1988)
  • You Matter: The Human Solution(Mensch Publishing, 2022)[33]

References

  1. ^Christopher, David P. (2015).British Culture: An Introduction.Routledge. p. 187.
  2. ^"Television chefs stir appetite for culinary change".The Guardian.10 November 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 15 June 2018.Retrieved18 March2017.
  3. ^"First Team Staff - Norwich City".canaries.co.uk.Retrieved28 March2021.
  4. ^"Profile Delia Smith: Simmer gently. Do not boil".Independent.co.uk.23 October 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2016.Retrieved26 August2017.
  5. ^ab"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Delia Smith".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 29 December 2023.Retrieved29 December2023.
  6. ^ab"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Delia Smith, CH, CBE, cookery writer and broadcaster".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 26 December 2023.Retrieved29 December2023.
  7. ^Lezard, Nicholas (11 December 1999)."Profile Delia Smith: Simmer gently, do not boil".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2016.Retrieved13 November2016.
  8. ^"Delia Smith: Television cook and food writer".cooksinfo.Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2016.Retrieved13 November2016.
  9. ^"Delia Smith: her journey to delicious success".Yours.24 January 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 16 July 2022.Retrieved16 July2022.
  10. ^Ewing, Interview by Sarah (4 June 2022)."Why Delia Smith gets up at 5.45am"– via thetimes.co.uk.
  11. ^Wyman, Bill (2002)Rolling with the Stones,p.357, DK ADULT,ISBN0-78-948967-8
  12. ^"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs - 11 things we learned from Delia Smith's Desert Island Discs".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 26 December 2023.Retrieved26 December2023.
  13. ^King, Michelle T.(Spring 2018)."The Julia Child of Chinese Cooking, or the Fu Pei-mei of French Food?: Comparative Contexts of Female Culinary Celebrity".Gastronomica.18(1): 15–26.doi:10.1525/gfc.2018.18.1.15.JSTOR26362502.- Cited: page 15 (PDF p. 1/12).
  14. ^"Cookson first – but who's that at No 2?".Guardian.4 February 1999.
  15. ^"Delia cooking through the decades".BBC News.10 February 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 23 January 2010.Retrieved13 January2010.
  16. ^Wallop, Harry (3 March 2010)."Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal to star in Waitrose ads".The Daily Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 7 March 2010.
  17. ^Usborne, Simon (5 February 2013)."Delia Smith goes digital – but who else is on the menu?".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 25 September 2015.Retrieved26 August2017.
  18. ^"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Delia Smith, CH, CBE, cookery writer and broadcaster".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 26 December 2023.Retrieved26 December2023.
  19. ^"Delia Smith: The original influencer?".20 November 2019.
  20. ^"Delia's flour power".BBC News.25 November 1998.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2004.Retrieved29 July2008.
  21. ^"Company Details".Norwich City.Archivedfrom the original on 29 December 2023.Retrieved29 December2023.
  22. ^Buckley, Will (12 May 2002)."Delia's winning recipe".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved29 December2023.
  23. ^"Delia Smith given outstanding achievement accolade at local food awards".Norwich City.Archivedfrom the original on 29 December 2023.Retrieved29 December2023.
  24. ^"Norwich 2–3 Manchester City".BBC Sport.28 February 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 5 February 2006.Retrieved21 January2009.
  25. ^"Delia: I wasn't drunk".Manchester Evening News.30 June 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 21 April 2013.Retrieved24 June2010.
  26. ^"Delia defends half-time outburst".March 2005.
  27. ^Grimmer, Dan (11 August 2011)."Delia Smith steps down from Norwich City catering role".Eastern Daily Press.Archivedfrom the original on 16 December 2017.Retrieved15 December2017.
  28. ^"Club Statement - October 23, 2024".Norwich City F.C. 23 October 2024.
  29. ^"No. 59090".The London Gazette(Supplement). 13 June 2009. p. 8.
  30. ^Davies, Caroline (2 April 2016)."New faces on Sgt Pepper album cover for artist Peter Blake's 80th birthday".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 5 November 2016.Retrieved18 March2017.
  31. ^"No. 61962".The London Gazette(Supplement). 17 June 2017. p. B26.
  32. ^Ward, Victoria (14 March 2012)."Video: Melvyn Bragg attacks Richard Dawkins' 'atheist fundamentalism'".The Daily Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 16 March 2012.Retrieved2 March2020.
  33. ^"Delia Smith: 'The world is in chaos... but together we have such power'".TheGuardian.6 March 2022.
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