James Martin is back on our screen this weekend in another episode of James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV. Chef and TV presenter James, 52, began his career in Saint-Émilion, France where he trained at Hostellerie De Plaisance.
He then became a Pastry Chef in in Hampshire before appearing on TV for the first time in the 1990s. Back in 1996, he presented the programme James Martin: Yorkshire’s Finest, which particularly emphasised Yorkshire cuisine, before going on to present Ready Steady Cook and The Big Breakfast.
From 2006 until 2016, he presented the popular BBC cookery series Saturday Kitchen. Since 2017, he has presented ITV show Saturday Morning with James Martin, as well as other shows for the network like James Martin’s Great British Adventure, James Martin’s Islands To Highlands and James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, The Daily Express reports.
Away from the screen, James keeps his life relatively private. But he has given us glimpses into his stunning countryside home in Hampshire, occasionally on social media and on TV.
His property sits on 1.5 acres of land and has seven bedrooms, as well as an outdoor kitchen and a greenhouse. The TV chef also films episodes of his Saturday morning ITV show from his home, in an incredible kitchen which he has set up inside his garage.
His outdoor cooking area has a huge wood-burning pizza oven, a huge island and green industrial-style lamps. The chef’s green greenhouse has a special meaning.
He said previously: “When I bought this house the very first thing I built was that greenhouse to remind me of my grandparents. My grandad was an amazing veg producer together with my uncle and that’s why I fell in love with food I think.
“I’ve still got tomatoes; I grow them every year to varying degrees of success.” Another image captures the acres of land surrounding the property.
It’s not clear exactly where the chef’s home is based but it’s believed to be close to his restaurant, The Kitchen at the famous Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in New Milton. Before moving to his latest property, Martin lived in a tiny hamlet just seven miles from Winchester called Stoke Charity in a seven-bedroom country mansion.
The former old dairy house was extensively redesigned and developed by the chef with the help of a renowned local architect. According to the Daily Echo, the county of Hampshire was previously named one of the “poshest Home counties.”
Homes in Hampshire don’t come cheap and had an overall average price of £407,741 over the last year, according to Rightmove, the Daily Express reported in 2024.
The majority of sales in Hampshire during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £644,153. At the tiime, terraced properties sold for an average of £315,793, with flats fetching £213,259.
Overall, sold prices in Hampshire over the last year were four percent down on the previous year and three percent up on the 2021 peak of £396,784. James Martin’s Saturday Morning airs today, March 22, on ITV at 9.30am.