Loose Women star Judi Love made an emotional admission as she reflected on working with the late Chef Dom Taylor in a new heartbreaking tribute four months after his sudden death. The award-winning cook, who famously won Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef, was also the resident Chef on the comedian’s weekly podcast, Our Table with Judi Love. Throughout the series, Dom provided Caribbean-inspired fine dining and dishes, which impressed the likes of chef Michel Roux Jr., Ravneet Gill, and restaurateur Mike Rei, and were the focus of his restaurant, The Good Front Room, which he opened earlier this year. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Express, Judi candidly admitted it was “difficult” to talk about Dom before adding: “We’re missing him daily; he was a beautiful person; he was the light in the room. He articulated himself so, so well; he had this beautiful tone to his voice, and he was funny, caring and just really talented and loved by many.”
Reflecting on how their collaboration came together, the 46-year-old recounted: “I went to his Good Front Room, when he had it at the Langham, and the food was outstanding. I always thought, ‘My God, if I ever did anything with food, I’d love to work with him,’ so when the day he said ‘yes,’ I was just like …’ Judi then became emotional as she praised the late chef, adding: “The food he made was just exceptional.”
In July, Dom’s death was confirmed by his team at his East London restaurant, The Good Front Room (TGFR). The statement read: “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the sudden passing of our founder, Chef Dom Taylor.
“Dom was a visionary whose bold, joyful approach to celebrating the Caribbean cuisine of his childhood brought a fresh and exciting voice to London’s restaurant scene. His passion, talent and generosity touched so many people, and his legacy will continue to inspire those who had the privilege of knowing him and experiencing his food.”
They continued: “He will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone whose lives he touched during this incredibly difficult time. We kindly ask that everyone respects the privacy of Dom’s loved ones at this time.
“The Good Front Room will remain open as we honour Dom’s legacy and continue the work he was so passionate about. We appreciate your understanding and support during this difficult period.”
At the time, Judi took a moment to pay tribute to the restaurateur during an episode of Loose Women. The ITV panellist shared: “Life has its highs, and it has its lows, and one of the lows that’s just happened over the weekend is that I lost a dear friend and a colleague, Dominic Taylor.
“He was and is a phenomenal chef. He was the chef on my show, Our Table. I remember first meeting him and tasting his food, and it was amazing; it was a dream to work with him, so when he said yes, that he would do my show, I was beyond happy.
“The way he speaks, the way he articulates himself with passion, and that was his thing; his passion was about Caribbean food, and he has changed the trajectory of Caribbean food.
“There are sometimes negative connotations about it not looking pretty; he’s taken it to a level of being fine dining, and that is something we will never forget that he did for us.”
This comes as Judi partnered with Halfords on their campaign to tackle our Wheel Life Worries, following research revealing that 13% of Brits fake car knowledge with mechanics and nearly half delay repairs, costing an extra £190 on average.
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Dining and Cooking