Gino D'Acampo has been all over our TV screens on This Morning, Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip, and most recently on Gino's Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make – but the chef has also been busy launching his brand-new book and seasonal menu at his popular Luciano restaurants.
The father-of-three sat down with HELLO! over his new warming winter dishes and masterful wine pairings for an open and often hilarious chat about his family life, the reason he didn't really want to marry his beloved wife, his friendship with Gordon Ramsay and more.
Keep scrolling to discover what the passionate foodie has been up to and his exciting plans for 2023.
WATCH: Gino D'Acampo surprises wife with vow renewal
Gino D'Acampo on family life with wife and three kids
What's your favourite dish from the seasonal menu?
"It's very difficult for me to tell you my favourite dish because every day my palate changes… it's easier for me to tell you which one is my favourite child than my favourite dish."
Who's your favourite child?
"My daughter. I don't care about the other two," he jokes.
© Photo: InstagramGino has a special bond with his daughter
It was very romantic of you to arrange a vow renewal, are you always such a romantic?
"I don't think that I am romantic at all. But it depends on what YOU classify as a romantic. If you think that 'romantic' is somebody who brings flowers, or brings chocolates or renews their vows. Well, I am not romantic.
"But if you think that someone could be also romantic by washing my wife's car every week, by making sure that there is always petrol in her car so that she doesn't have to get out and put in her own petrol… I always charge a toothbrush because she doesn't. Yes, and I always fold her pyjamas under her pillow when she gets up because she doesn't.
READ: Gino D'Acampo shares cheeky shirtless photo with wife Jessica's 'romantic' gift - and fans react
MORE: Gino D'Acampo reveals reason why he declined to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace
"Now which one is more romantic? Somebody brings you flowers that eventually are going to die. Or if I make sure that your toothbrush is charged so your teeth will always be healthy?"
Well, that transcends romance, that's true love.
"SEE! I tell people that I don't like buying flowers, I hate buying flowers because eventually, they're going to die!"
Okay so forget about romance then...
"What do you mean forget about romance?!"
What's the biggest true love gesture that you've ever made for your wife?
"The biggest true love gesture... It was to get married. I did NOT want to get married. Nothing to do with love. I don't understand the concept of marriage. I don't need another human to give me a piece of paper to tell me that now I'm bonded with this woman for the rest of my life.
"But at the same time, I remember my wife always talking about marriage. She told me the way she wanted to get dressed, the kind of rings she liked too. She was so much into this 'marriage thing' that I think it would have been really unfair for me not to do it."
To deprive your wife of her wedding dream?
"Yes, to deprive this woman of that I thought it would have been unfair. [I did it] as a gesture of love, to show her my love.
"In fact, I don't wear the rings, never did. I said to my wife: 'I would marry you and I would go through everything you want me to go through like a good boy, I won't say anything. But don't ask me to start to wear wedding rings or doing the wedding anniversary or - I just won't do it!'
"Like Valentine's Day. Would you want me to go out there to get a card and get flowers to show you my affection? No, thanks babe, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to cook whatever you want."
© Photo: Instagram"Sicily - my favourite place on earth"
RELATED: Gino D'Acampo trades Hertfordshire mansion for Italian villa this summer – photos
Gino D'Acampo on Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix
What about your friend Gordon Ramsay? Does he ever invite you to his home for dinner?
"No, because we tend to go to restaurants when we are out. None of us wants to do it because that's our job.
"This is one annoying thing, I never ever get invited around for dinner by anyone anymore. Of all my friends that I know nobody ever invites me for dinner because people think that it is always about the food. And I always say: 'Look, you really think that I'm coming to your house to taste your food?'"
Gino earnestly adds: "I tell them, 'I come to your house to spend time with you. Not for your food so even if you do fried egg on toast I don't care.'"
Who do you think gets the most attention when you're going around with Fred and Gordon?
Without a moment's hesitation, Gino exclaims: "By far, Gordon. Oh, first of all, Gordon is well known worldwide also, because he tall, and he's got the spiky blond hair. It's quite difficult to miss him from far away", he mischievously adds.
Is Gordon Ramsay a softie in real life?
"He's the most generous, caring yet harsh man that you can meet. He's incredible. See with Gordon, me and him, we are like, completely the opposite kind of character. He goes one hundred miles an hour. I go one mile. Right. So even when he walks if he walks, he doesn't walk, he runs, boom-boom-boom! It's like being on a treadmill."
SEE: Gordon Ramsay shares exciting news with fans - but did you spot his sweet faux pas?
Gordon recently opened a pizza restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, in Edinburgh. Did you give him any advice on that?
"We respect a lot of what we do, we are very different in character, and we open different kinds of restaurants. Um, he knows where he stands with me with Italian food, and I know what he stands for with all the other food that he does..." But something major happened in October, Gino reveals: "Although I had to tell him off a couple of days ago when I found out that he puts pineapple on pizza!
© Photo: InstagramAttention to detail is everything at Luciano
"He posted something on social - that he didn't know that his own pizza places had started to put a pineapple on a pizza. So, he did one of those TikToks. And I picked it up and I thought, 'Oh no don't tell me that you're putting pineapple on pizza!' So I went online and I went to see his menu and it was in there! And I went to one of his pizza places and there WAS pineapple on his pizza!
"I called him immediately", Gino looks deadly serious and continues: "You don't really want to hear the conversation because it was a swearing conversation, one after the other, between me and him."
MORE: Gordon Ramsay shows his softer side – and fans love it
Gino D'Acampo on his exciting restaurant launch plans
What is next for Gino's restaurants?
"A big opening in Leeds!" Gino bursts with pride: "Now, I actually can say that. And one in Manchester too!"
Gino continued: "There will be a big restaurant Leeds, and the biggest restaurant in Manchester. I will have the biggest Italian restaurant in Manchester. It's on three floors with a balcony and terraces all over the place. A huge site."
© Photo: InstagramLook out for new restaurant openings in 2023
The new restaurant sounds stunning, when can diners visit Gino's?
"Maximum, by April next year. I think we will open for spring /summer."
You've transitioned your favourite dishes from your book, Gino's Italy: Like My Mama Used to Make, to your home and to your restaurant. What can your diners expect when they come to Luciano's to try the new seasonal menu?
"Well, first of all, everything is very different between spring and summer. The colours are different, and the way we cook is different in the autumn-winter. Because you can imagine in spring and summer, everything is fresher, everything is colourful. And so we do very little cooking in spring and summer and we just sear things or grill it or something like that. Winter comes and colours are completely different. Everything is brown, red, you know, dark in colour. And cooking is different because it's colder. We tend to do things like slow-cooked beef or pork that we cook for 8 hours, you know, a bolognese that you cook for 8 hours. Everything that takes more time and is more of a home comfort."
To discover Luciano's menus and dine in London and Newcastle visit lucianobyginodacampo.com
Shop Gino's book Gino's Italy: Like My Mama Used to Make at Amazon
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