TV chef Gino D’Acampo recalls his best and worst travel adventures

‘I spent a week of my honeymoon on a cruise ship and it was a nightmare’: TV chef Gino D’Acampo recalls his best and worst travel adventures

By Claire Webb For The Daily Mail

Published: 17:02 EDT, 3 April 2020 | Updated: 19:04 EDT, 3 April 2020

TV chef Gino D’Acampo

So which destination is the Italian chef’s favourite?

Here he talks about his most memorable meal – a meat barbecue in Cavallo Island – why a cruise is his idea of holiday hell – and more…

Your most memorable place?

Mexico — it reminds me of the south of Italy. The food is incredible and the people are insanely helpful. You can see their joie de vivre.

What would you bring back?

The heat.

Can’t travel without?

My manbag. Every man should have one. And if it’s a long flight, I make sure I’ve downloaded a few episodes of Only Fools And Horses.

• Wheel-y impressive! Inside the world’s largest bike garage -… Which is YOUR favourite? Nasa is running an… Think YOU could win Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020?… From an abattoir to a giant knitting machine, the…
• Remarkable flight-tracking images show how the skies above… Britons reveal the top 50 things that make them proud to be…

Earliest holiday memory?

When I was eight years old, my mum and dad took me skiing in Valle d’Aosta in northern Italy. I’m not usually a huge fan of snow or cold places, but I loved the fact that we were together as a family.

Favourite hotel?

I really like a UK chain called Dakota Hotels. The staff are super-helpful and the decor is modern, but not too modern. They use a lot of dark colours.

Most memorable meal?

Every summer I sail to a small island called Cavallo, which lies between Sardinia and Corsica. There is a hilltop restaurant with a 360-degree view and the most fantastic dry-aged meat, which they cook on a proper wooden barbecue.

Every summer Gino sails to a small island called Cavallo, which lies between Sardinia and Corsica

Where feels most like home?

The UK. I’ve lived in this country for more than 25 years, so I’ve spent more time here than in my native Italy. To me, this is home.

What’s holiday hell for you?

A cruise. I spent a week of my honeymoon on a cruise ship and it was a nightmare. Never again.

Favourite place in the UK?

I love Manchester. It’s a super-cool city and its famous rain is part of the charm. When it’s hot and sunny, though, it doesn’t really feel like Manchester — if that makes any sense at all.

• Gordon, Gino Fred: American Road Trip is on Thursdays at 9pm on ITV.