Rick Stein's formative years were shaped by the Oxfordshire farm he was brought up on and his family's much loved holiday home in Cornwall. His father's suicide when Stein was 18 precipitated his escape for two years to Australia, as he stuggled to find his place in the world. However, after graduating from Oxford, success followed hoplessness, and his hugely impressive career as a restaurateur and entrepreneur was followed by those of broadcaster, food champion and writer.