James Martin has spoken about his unbreakable bond with his pet dog, Cooper, as he prepares to host The Investec Enclosure restaurant at The Game Fair next month.
As well as designing the game-based menu, the James Martin's Saturday Morning presenter will be mingling with diners during both breakfast and lunch service – and not only that, he is bound to bring his cocker spaniel along with him.
"Cooper has been in training with Jason Mayhew for five years," he explained. "I've always been fascinated by man's ability to train dogs.
"When I was a young kid, there was a gamekeeper in my village who used to look after the Castle Howard estate and he had an immaculately trained gundog called Jett. I was always so impressed by him. He would just sit there, without a lead and just wait for his owner to return."
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Speaking about his bond with Cooper, James added: "Now I finally understand what it takes for that bond to happen. I love picking-up on local shoots with Cooper. His special move is a 400-yard blind retrieve.
© Sue Worrall"He'll also sit on a riverbank all day long watching me bother fish. He's everything I ever wanted from a dog. Last year we took part in ITV's The Pet Show which saw Cooper compete in an agility course, and he is still top of the leaderboard.
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"At The Game Fair I took part in a display in the main arena with Jason to showcase gundog training. Last year Cooper was a little distracted by the crowds of people watching and the horse poo that the local hunt had left behind!"
James, 50, is also a proud owner of a Lhasa Apso called Ralph, both of whom he shares with his TV producer girlfriend Louise Davies.
On how he enjoys spending time outdoors in the UK, James revealed: "Scotland is one of my favourite places on earth, it really is. Orkney, Shetland and the Highlands, any opportunity that I can get to go up there I go because it's just spectacular.
© Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock"The west coast of Scotland is also amazing. Anybody who knows me knows that I love Scotland. I also love the New Forest, it's beautiful. A chef mate of mine Gareth Ward has an amazing Michelin-starred restaurant called Ynyshir in Mid-Wales and I love to walk up Snowdonia when I visit, it's wonderful."
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Of his love for the countryside, James – who resides in Hampshire – said: "I like the city but I'm a country boy at heart because I was brought up on a pig farm. Farming, food and the countryside is in my blood. I've always been passionate about the countryside and I'm quite fortunate to live just outside of Winchester in rural Hampshire so we’ve got outdoor space right on our doorstep."
For the fifth consecutive year, the celebrity chef will return to The Game Fair. The hugely popular event is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year when it returns to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 July.
