Lets raise a glass to Keith

He was the Oliver Reed of the kitchen and one of the first faces I can remember seeing on the TV cooking programmes when I was growing up. Flambeing steaks in brandy while swigging it, frying an ostrich egg in the middle of a field full of ostriches and cooking in a ship's galley on very rough seas with plates and pans sliding all over the plate.
He was a loveable rogue, a bit of a toff in an endearing way, with a cravatte and a big glass of red in his hand.
He produced over thirty cook books with recipes from around the world and starred in 18 different tv series, you couldn't fault his cooking skills on screen and the rapport he had with producer David Pritchard and cameraman 'Back to me' Clive was legendary. The progammes also invariably had a Stranglers soundtrack as he was a big mate of the lead singer Hugh Cornwell.
The things he wasn't very good at were running restaurants and staying in marriages, numerous business ventures went down the pan, including one in which he had allegedly personally guaranteed a £36,000 drinks bill. He later found a spell in Thailand to be more productive.
He was also married 4 times, each ending in divorce.
Think I might just raise a glasss to Keith tonight!
Cheers Keith