The celebrity chef explains his reason for giving up alcohol more than a decade ago, saying he would not have made it to his half-century had he carried on drinking
Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has candidly spoken about his fear of dying before reaching 50 due to his drinking habit.
In a revealing discussion about his battle with alcohol, the 51-year-old shared how he came to the realisation he needed to quit drinking or risk shortening his life.
Speaking on the We’re Not Getting Any Younger podcast with Lisa Snowdon and Andy Goldstein, Tom reflected on his decision to stop drinking more than a decade ago because of health concerns.
The chef admitted it was his fear of not making it to 50 that prompted him to make the life-altering decision to quit alcohol.
He said: “We’re like halfway there and you’re like… well, it is halfway to death if I live to 80. But where I am at the minute, I ain’t going to make 50.
“I’m absolutely loving the way that I’m living, but I can’t [carry on]. It is going to end and it will all end really really badly, so I just stopped.”
Now, 11 years sober, the celebrity chef looked back on his old habits: “On a quiet day, so I would work and I wouldn’t have my first drink until we sent the last main course, so say 10pm, but then I’d have a pint of Negroni easily.”
After starting his evening with a pint of the cocktail, Tom revealed how he would continue to drink heavily throughout the night, consuming between eight and 10 “strong pints of lager” followed by “half a bottle of gin” once he got home.
After giving up alcohol because he was concerned about his mortality, Tom has impressively managed to shed 12 stone over the past decade, thanks to dietary changes and doing more exercise, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Tom’s career has been nothing short of remarkable. After refining his culinary skills in various restaurants, he opened his first establishment, the Hand and Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, in 2005. It proudly holds two Michelin stars. Two decades on, he has opened an additional six venues.
While his restaurants have been hugely successful, Tom is perhaps best known for his regular appearances on television. He has featured prominently on a range of cooking shows, including the Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen.
