Clodagh McKenna: I always get up at 6am on holiday. I love the calm The Times Margaret Hussey my hols Clodagh McKenna: I always get up at 6am on holiday. I love the calm The Irish chef on the most underappreciated Italian region, the wildness of Naples, the precision of Japanese food and the French family that inspired her love of cooking Clodagh McKenna had a memorable tom yum soup in Thailand getty images Margaret Hussey Monday October 19 2026, 5.00am BST , The Sunday Times Listen 0:00 / · 6:28 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save T he chef and author Clodagh McKenna, 51, grew up in Cork, Ireland, where she trained and worked at the Ballymaloe Cookery School. After building up a television career in Ireland she moved to the UK in 2016 and is a regular cookery presenter on ITV's This Morning . She married the Hon Harry Herbert, 67, the son of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, at the Highclere Estate, his ancestral home, in August 2021. McKenna is stepmother to his three grown-up children. The couple live on a 300-year-old farm in Hampshire. My love of food began when I did my first French exchange aged 12. I went to Rennes, Brittany, and had this immediate immersion in a really traditional French family. Most commented 1 Trump claims to be 'negotiating peace' as rift with Zelensky deepens Russia-Ukraine war 100 comments 2 Third of investors ready to stop UK spending after budget Politics 56 comments 3 Douglas Dunn obituary: Scottish poet and academic Obituaries 7 comments 4 The beauty expert's all-time favourite hair products Beauty 7 comments 5 'We're 34 — we can't wait to start being landlords' Property & Home 3 comments The mum was an amazing cook and we are still in touch. At my 50th birthday party last year she gave a speech where she said she knew at the age of 12 that I was going to be a chef. She said I used to stand beside her and put my hand in the pocket of her skirt so I could follow her around the kitchen while she cooked. McKenna's love of food started in Rennes Alamy I was supposed to be there for two weeks and then she phoned my mum and said, “We love Clodagh. She can stay here for the whole summer.” And so I did that every summer pretty much until I was 18. I used to holiday with them around France. We went to Biarritz, Lorient… and we would always be camping, which was so exciting for me. I was the luckiest girl in Cork. Top stories 1 Caitlin Moran: People hate me, my hair, my face, my feminism Life 2 16 of the best safaris in Africa Africa 3 13 of the best affordable hotels in New York New York City 4 The Marylebone pop-up for Christmas-maxxers LUXX 5 The best luxury gifts for Christmas 2026 LUXX Growing up in Cork, we used to holiday in Lahinch, this beautiful town in Co Clare on the coast of the west of Ireland. My father was a golfer so he used to play in a competition called the South of Ireland Men's Amateur Open Championship and we had a family holiday at the same time. That was basically my childhood. Ireland until 12 and France until 18. Advertisement I really like to research before I go away. On my last trip to Rome I got in touch with restaurant critics that I have known throughout my career to find out the top restaurants. There was one restaurant that I never would have found otherwise, Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia. It's this old Jewish Italian restaurant. When I walked in the door, the grandmother was beside the till, comparing all the artichokes, because it was artichoke season. I ate osso bucco there and it was one of the best dishes I have ever had in my life. Top stories 1 Caitlin Moran: People hate me, my hair, my face, my feminism Life 2 The beauty expert's all-time favourite hair products Beauty 3 Tony Hadley: Fans still threw their knickers on stage after I became a dad Parenting 4 New The ten companies fund managers think will make them billions Saving & Investing 5 New 'Mum is dating a fraudster. What can I do?' Family Finances I really try to connect with people who have the same passions when travelling. About three years ago my husband, Harry, and I went to Thailand and at this small family-run restaurant had the most amazing tom yum soup. It was so good I asked if there was any way they could teach me how to make it. They said, “Of course, you can go to our auntie's house.” She was the head chef. They gave me directions to this little village in Koh Yao Noi island and Harry and I headed off on our rented motorcycle, me hanging off the back. I spent the day cooking with her. She showed me how to make the delicious soup, green curry paste from scratch and coconut milk. Harry filmed it and we sent all the footage to This Morning and I did a piece on it when I came back. My takeaway from that was to always connect with wherever you are going. You get to experience all these different layers of culture when you go to someone's house. And even though this lady didn't speak any English, we had the most amazing connection. I love getting up really early in the morning and that doesn't change when I am on holiday. I usually wake up at about 6am. I just love the calm and the early morning light. When I was in Jaipur, India, last year, we stayed in Rambagh Palace. I remember waking up and hearing the sounds at the beginning of the day in the city, the peacocks wandering around outside, and the scents and smells. Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, India I always bring a really nice scented candle and pillow spray away with me. As a chef, my sense of smell is very acute. I really dislike synthetic smells. I relax so much better with gorgeous natural smells and fresh air coming in. I've got my own scented candles — three different scents of Seville orange marmalade, fig tatin and vine roasted tomatoes. Read more 13 of the best places to visit in Thailand 11 of the best restaurants in Rome Explore our full travel guide to India I'm adventurous with food and love visiting food markets. We spent a week in Jaipur because there was so much to see. I took my husband to get some street food and there was this massive queue for lassi drinks. They let me jump in behind them to see how they were making it. The father was making clay pots in the back and his six-year-old son was passing them down to his grandfather, who was pouring the lassi into it. When we got back, my husband said that was the best experience because he felt at one with everybody. As well as being husband and wife, we are best friends. We love experiencing everything together. Advertisement I would love to take Harry to Naples with me. I used to live in Italy and I went down to Naples on a three-day trip about 12 years ago. I love the busyness on the streets, the jazz clubs at night. There is a feeling of wildness there. I know the restaurants in London are great at doing pizzas but actually nothing beats a slice of street pizza in Naples. It's dripping with grease and it's so bad for you, but you are on holiday. My favourite hotel on the Amalfi coast is Borgo Santandrea — the hotel is built into the coastline so the views out to the sea are amazing, the food is sensational and the interiors are so chic. When the chef lived in Turin, she worked at Slow Food Getty images When I lived in Italy, I worked at Slow Food and lived in Turin. It has a great cinema culture and all these amazing big palatial piazzas. Piedmont is so undiscovered and unappreciated. The Langhe wine region is one of the most incredible destinations if you are a wine lover, like I am, with all these little hilltop villages where you can drink barbaresco and barolo. The food scene is incredible too, with the speciality vitello tonnato and anything with truffle in Alba when it's in season. I love the precision of Japanese food, the beauty of it, the amount of time they spend on one tiny little dish. So I really want to go to Kyoto. I would like to go for three weeks, so I need to get some time off. Clodagh at Home by Clodagh McKenna (Kyle Books ￡26) is out now. The television series Clodagh: Cooking At Home is at midday on Saturdays on ITV1 or ITVX Inspired? Our in-house agency Times Holidays can help you book your own, fully customisable trips Travel newsletter Your weekly round-up of the best travel inspiration, guides, hotel reviews and advice from our experts. 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