Renowned TV chef Rick Stein is well known for his culinary empire, which includes a string of successful restaurants, shops, and hotels across the UK and abroad.
Trips to Cornwall as a child inspired Rick Stein to start his business empire and opened a number of businesses across Cornwall, Winchester, Sandbanks and Barnes in London as well as Rick Stein at Bannisters locations in Mollymook and Port Stephens, Australia.
At the grand age of 77, Rick Stein has etched his name into the annals of British cuisine through his exquisite dining experiences, a smorgasbord of bestsellers and his foray into television as a celebrated presenter. Away from the TV screen, Stein splits his days among the fast-paced life in London, the serene Cornish coast, and the sunny expanses of Australia, reports .
But away from the television limelight, what do we know about his career, time away from TV and his family life?
Early life of Rick Stein and his restaurant empire
Rick Stein shared memories of his youth in Cornwall in Rick Stein’s Cornwall. He recalled how trips to Trevose Head as a child may have inspired his seafood empire (Image: BBC)
Rick Stein was born on January 4, 1947 in Churchill, Oxfordshire and was raised on a farm. After being educated at a prep school outside Tewkesbury, Malvern Wells and Uppingham School,
He partially completed a hotel management traineeship with British Transport Hotels at its Great Western hotel in Paddington, London, before taking an English degree at Oxford.
In the aftermath of his father’s tragic suicide, a young 19 year old Stein embarked on an Australian adventure, finding himself working both as a labourer in an abattoir and as a desk jockey in a naval dockyard.
After his worldwide travels, Rick returned to Padstow and launched a quayside nightclub famed for its freeze-dried curries and notorious brawls, leading to its shutdown by the police within a year. Stein transformed this venue into the quaint Seafood Restaurant in 1975.
The establishment was soon accompanied by a cafe in 1995, St Petroc’s Bistro and hotel in 1997, followed by a deli in the late ’90s. The empire expanded with the Padstow Seafood School and Stein’s Gift Shop in 2000, St Edmund’s House for accommodation in 2001, a patisserie in 2003, and a fish and chip shop in 2004.
Death of Rick Stein’s father and family heartbreak
In 1965, Rick Stein’s father Eric took his own life at a cliff near the family’s holiday home on Trevose Head, a National Trust beauty spot in North Cornwall.
Eric, who had bipolar disorder, had just retired from his role as Managing Director at Distillers Company – then involved in the marketing of controversial birth defect drug Thalidomide.
Rick later discovered he had made several attempts to take his own life before this. He had never been close with his father. “I suspect that if he had survived until I was in my twenties, our relationship would have improved,” Stein told the Independent.
Distraught by his father’s sudden death, Rick went to where he worked in an abattoir and in a naval dockyard before taking some time out by travelling to New Zealand and Mexico. But it wasn’t until he reached his 70s that Rick revealed he had finally forgiven his father for what he did.
He told the in 2020: “The suicide of a parent is a kick in the teeth. But I have to say that latterly – and I never would have believed this – I’m much more aware of my father’s positive side.
“The older I get, the more I want to be like him. I’m so much older than he was when he died. But there you go. You know, I think I have probably forgiven him.”
Inside Rick Stein’s relationships and children
Rick Stein and second wife, former publicist Sarah Burns (Image: Getty Images)
Upon returning from his travels, Rick met his first love, Jill Newstead, in the quaint town of Padstow, Cornwall, during the early 1970s. Their union in 1975 coincided with the opening of The Seafood Restaurant, a modest bistro by the harbourside which not only endures to this day but also laid the foundation for the Stein culinary dynasty.
Together, they welcomed three children into the world: Jack, who has carved out his own reputation as a chef-director and television personality; Ed, who oversees various facets of the Stein business; and Charlie, who holds the role of co-director within the family enterprise.
However, after 27 years of marriage, it was revealed that Rick had been engaged in an extramarital affair with Sarah Burns, his Australian publicist, who is two decades his junior.
Despite the distance, Rick astoundingly kept his affair with Sarah hidden from Jill for an entire five years; she only pieced it together after stumbling upon a mountain of international phone bills. The secret came tumbling out in an explosive fashion as both Rick and Sarah felt the sting of Jill’s wrath, publicly shamed with slaps to their faces in a bustling eatery.
Top Cornish chef Jack Stein pictured with his equally-famous dad Rick (Image: IMMEDIATE PR)
Reflecting on the scandal in 2013 with the Mirror, he said: “The business was eating us alive. What happened had nothing to do with Jill. It’s more to do with the nature of the restaurant business – it’s just so bloody demanding.”
Rick lamented the all-consuming nature of their professional life, confessing, “It takes over your life and our lives didn’t exist outside it. The more successful we got, we had to keep the restaurant going all year and then we didn’t go away on our holidays.”
“We didn’t have a life outside the business and we kind of fell out of love. I’d never [been unfaithful] before and I certainly won’t do it again, that’s for sure. I’m just so happy now. Obviously, it’s not great for the person who has been left, but it’s not great for you either.”
Desperate for redemption, Rick pleaded with Jill for forgiveness, but to no avail. He returned to Sarah and the pair tied the knot in 2011. He splits his time between London, Australia, and Cornwall.
Despite the tumultuous past, Rick maintains an amicable relationship with Jill, who continues to be an integral part of his culinary empire.
Rick Stein’s health problems as he thought about death ‘big time’
TV star Rick Stein has revealed he knew how important a recent heart operation was when the doctor told him ‘you could die, or you could have the op’ (Image: James Murphy/PA)
In 2022, celebrated chef Rick Stein battled with unexplained breathlessness for several years until his cardiologist warned him that his aorta was on the brink of failure.
Stein faced a stark reality, needing open heart surgery to survive, with only medication able to postpone the inevitable procedure temporarily.
It was during a routine check-up in 2022 when Rick Stein received the decisive advice from his specialist: “And then, a bit over a year ago, he said, ‘You’re going to have to have the op.'”.
After his successful surgery at the prestigious Royal Brompton Hospital, Rick reflected positively on his recovery: “But to be honest, having had the operation and recovered, the improvement in my health has left me tremendously optimistic.”
Despite acknowledging the limitations of age, he remains upbeat about life’s prospects: “Even though at my age and with the normal realities of life I’m not going to last that much longer, I think as long as you’ve got your health and you’re optimistic generally and enjoying your life, you don’t tend to ponder too much about how little life you’ve got left.”
Post-surgery, Rick was tenderly cared for by his second wife Sarah Burns affectionately known as ‘Sas’. Once recuperated, he dived back into overseeing his culinary empire and television projects.
Rick Stein’s idyllic Cornish lifestyle
TV star and celebrity chef Rick Stein pictured at the Harbour in Padstow (Image: SWNS)
According to , Stein and his wife Sarah typically share their time between the sun-kissed climes of Australia and the UK. Many of Stein’s television programmes have been filmed within his own residences, including his coastal haven in Padstow.
The coastal town hosts four of Stein’s dining establishments: The Seafood Restaurant, St. Petroc’s Bistro, Stein’s Fish & Chips, and The Cornish Arms.
Stein is often found at his home in Padstow, and it’s not hard to see why. His home boasts a lavish nautical-themed kitchen with a large island and porcelain worktops, as well as a cosy living room complete with a beige sofa and an extensive bookcase.
In a previous chat with CornwallLive, Stein revealed that he “always” comes back to Cornwall, despite his global travels.
He shared: “For years I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world but I always come back to Cornwall. The county’s renowned for its rugged coastlines and sweeping beaches but there’s so much more to Cornwall.
“As a child, I remember the thrill of crossing into Cornwall. It felt like stepping into a magical land. I want to show people what this place means to me.”