A MasterChef judge left everyone speechless yesterday, as he popped into a local pub for some food.
John Torode, who has presented the hit BBC show since 2005, took staff and customers by surprise yesterday when he visited the Oak Inn at Staplow.
The famous chef and his actress wife, Lisa Faulkner, dined in the popular Herefordshire establishment, with John opting for a veggie pie, and Lisa deciding on the fillet of mullet-market fish.
The landlord, Chris Howell, said that the judge just "walked through the door" and his head chefs, Leo and Iveta were left stunned when they came out to meet the VIP guest. Mr Howell said the chefs were left in awe of the BBC star, and it was like "meeting the King".
Mr Howells said that it was quite the come-down from the celebrity visit, with the team having to "come back down to earth" with 80 covers to serve.
The famous couple's impromptu visit came at exactly the right time according to Mr Howell, as the pub was fully booked for the evening!
Mr Howell added that the celebrity chef and his wife fully enjoyed the meal, awarding "full marks" to the chefs.
Torode has written several cookbooks and appeared on ITV’s This Morning in the late 1990s before taking over as a MasterChef judge alongside Gregg Wallace. In 2023, he was awarded an MBE for his services to food and charity.
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