Celebrity chef Rick Stein says he and ex-wife Jill, who remain business partners, ‘try to avoid confrontation’ and do not tend to talk every day about the Stein empire
Rick Stein has talked about a difficult balance he has to strike while running his business empire which grew out of Padstow in Cornwall when The Seafood Restaurant opened in 1975.
Rick, 79, originally launched his business with his now ex-wife Jill and the pair continued to work together even after their divorce following Rick’s affair with Sarah Burns. Rick’s 32-year marriage to Jill Stein ended as a result in 2002, whilst Sarah would later became his second wife in 2011.
Jill and Rick had three children together – Jack, Edward, and Charles – who have joined Rick’s business, something which he openly says he likes. However, it is the dynamic with his ex-wife that Rick admits gives more cause for thought.
In an interivew with the Times, he was asked about what it was like running such a massive venture with one’s ex-wife, and whether it was easier than when they were married.
Rick, who has also presented several cooking programmes, acknowledged the question wasn’t straightforward, but revealed that he and Jill actively avoid meeting and that he discusses his restaurants far more with Sarah, who he calls Sas.
He explained: “That’s a difficult one. The thing is, we just try to avoid confrontation. So we don’t tend to communicate on a daily basis at all. In fact, I communicate with Sas much more about this business than with Jill, because Sas has a background in hospitality.”
However, this doesn’t mean Jill doesn’t have an opinion on the business, given she spent around three decades helping it to grow alongside managing front-of-house duties and Rick’s brand whilst he was away working.
Alongside working with his ex-wife, Rick spoke enthuasiastically about how much he enjoys having his three sons working for his company.
He added: “That loyalty is so important. Of course mistakes are made, but the commitment of everybody is never in question. That’s really what family businesses can be all about.”
Rick isn’t the only member of his family to have spoken about how the business has changed over the years.
In a separate interview with the Times, Jill, who also continues to share credits on the cookbooks addressed the early days of their empire and how much life changed when Rick started appearing on television.
Explaining how he went from an almost unknown to a household name Jill, who met Rick in Cornwall in 1968, said: “They didn’t really know what Rick looked like because he was always in the kitchen.
“I was the front of house, so all the customers knew me and Marie, the local girl who worked for us. The two of us did it together. Once he got on TV, then of course the whole thing changed.”
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