Chef loved by Nigella Lawson who wrote a cook book for cancer patients reveals he launched his career after winning £28,000 on a £1 bet weeks after his mother died of disease
- Chef Ryan Riley, 25, London, launches first cook book ‘Life Kitchen’ tomorrow
- Cook counts likes of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Sue Perkins among fans
- Told £1 bet allowed him to move to London from North East and launch career
- Wrote book for cancer patients after mother’s taste was affected by treatment
A chef beloved among celebrities has revealed how he was able to launch his career after winning £28,000 from a £1 bet – three weeks after his mother died of cancer.
Ryan Riley, 25, from London, launches his first cook book ‘Life Kitchen’ tomorrow, which is aimed at people living with cancer, whose sense of taste has been affected by their treatment, after seeing how his own mother Krista’s tastebuds changed as she underwent chemotherapy.
The cook, who counts the likes of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Sue Perkins among his fans, appeared on Lorraine today, where he revealed that his win meant he was able to move to London from the North East and begin his career as a chef.
Chef Ryan Riley has revealed how he was able to launch his career after winning £28,000 from a £1 bet three weeks after his mother died of cancer
The 25-year-old chef counts the likes of Nigella Lawson (pictured) , Jamie Oliver and Sue Perkins among his fans
He said: ‘Just three weeks after my mother died, I won £28,000 at the casino, on a £1 side bet. I was really depressed, I didn’t have any money. I wanted to go out with my friends, and I got that off £1.
When quizzed by host Lorraine Kelly on whether the money allowed him to pursue his dreams, he said: ‘It allowed me to move to London and get a house, I would still be in the North East.’
After moving to London, the chef was able to open a street-food stall with his best friend, and has since launched Life Kitchen, a project that also offers free cookery classes for cancer patients to help them taste again after chemotherapy.
Methods used in the book involve intensifying notes of certain flavours such as umami and including ingredients such as aged cheeses, mushrooms and soy sauce
‘When my mother died, I was her carer for a while and I was thinking “What can I do to give back? ” And Life Kitchen was born out of that’, said Ryan.
He explained how it is a little-known fact that people undergoing cancer treatment often lose their taste, and revealed many are just ‘glad someone is doing something’.
‘Life Kitchen’ tomorrow, which launched tomorrow, is aimed at people living with cancer whose sense of taste has been affected by their treatment
He said: ‘Even the people with cancer don’t even talk about it together, it becomes kind of an insular issue.’
‘I think people are just glad someone is doing something. ‘It’s about getting people together, giving them the opportunity to do something together. I think this book would have been a real grounding moment in a difficult time.’
Ryan revealed that people undergoing cancer treatment react differently to tastes.
Methods used in the book involve intensifying notes of certain flavours such as umami and including ingredients such as aged cheeses, mushrooms and soy sauce in recipes.
His recipes include Pineapple tacos with prawns, chilli and lime, charred sweetcorn salad with a chilli and lime oil and Caramelised mango, chilli and lime.
The cook said that the book is about people ‘enjoying’ food again, rather than focusing on nutrition, and made sure Life Kitchen was ‘accessible’.
‘Life Kitchen, we’re not medical, we’re not nutritional, we’re about enjoyment, said Ryan, ‘I’ve had people cry when they try this food. This book is really accessible and easy and I’m really proud of it.’
The cook insisted that the book is about people ‘enjoying’ food again, rather than focusing on nutrition, and made sure Life Kitchen was ‘accessible’