TV Chef Keith Floyd was born in Somerset, in 1943, and was educated at Wellington School. He started work after school as a journalist, but decided to join the army, after watching the film "Zulu", somehow, a very Floyd kind of thing to do. He joined the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment as a 2nd lieutenant.
It was in the Army that he developed an interest in food, persuading the cook in the officer's mess to allow him to experiment with haute cuisine dishes, rather than the traditional roast meal. He had a flair for cookery and after he left the army went into the restaurant trade, starting small as a barman, dishwasher and, later, sous chef.
By 1971, at the age of 28, he owned three restaurants in Bristol, and it was a chance meeting with a BBC TV producer in his bistro in 1984 which led to his first TV appearance, an 10 minute slot called "Floyd on Fish". This was so well received that the BBC phoned him shortly after, offering him the chance to make a series on the subject.
Floyd's ebullient, extravagant nature made him popular, and his shows were characterised by a combination of professionalism in his cooking and an engaging amateurism in the style of programme making. His camera-man was always actively involved in the shows, as Keith beckoned him closer to shoot the food in all its stages, while the chef himself enjoyed several "quick slurps" from a large goblet of wine as the show progressed. In fact, whether it was true or not (and rumour indicates it was) Floyd always appeared at least half drunk – but he was always affable. It's interesting to note that one of his books is called "Floyd on Hangovers"
At one point, Floyd sold up all his restaurants, and spent 2 years cruising the Mediterranean with friends on his boat "Flirty", before brief excursions into the import/export trade, where he dealt in wine and antiques.
After these ventures he opened a restaurant near Avignon in France, then in 1991 he opened Floyd's Inn in Tuckenhay, Devon. This establishment ran for five years, before he sold up amidst rumours of bankruptcy and moved first Kinsale in Ireland then in 1997 to Marbella, where he and his wife Tess now live.
He has presented 17 TV series, provided the voice for a cartoon, and written 20 books. Of course, most of the books accompany the series and outline the recipes, but he has also written an autobiography. He has also done advertisements for Kellogs All-Bran – a remarkably healthy and wholesome choice, given his cholesterol-loaded recipes and love for wine.
TV
- Floyd On Fish
- Floyd On Food
- Floyd On France
- Floyd On Britain And Ireland
- Floyd's American Pie
- Floyd On Oz
- Far Flung Floyd
- Floyd On Italy
- Floyd On Africa
- Best Of Floyd
- Floyd Uncorked
- Floyd On GMTV
- Max Bear (voice, children's cartoon series)
- Floyd's Fjord Fiesta
- Floyd Around The Med
- Capital Floyd
- Floyd's India
Books