What does Christmas mean to you?
I love it; I’ve always loved it. There’s usually a moment mid-December when you suddenly get that wave of festive feeling and then you’re engulfed by it. It’s a very important part of the year when that sense of celebration, feasting and enjoying life sets in.

What’s your ideal Christmas day?
When my kids were little and I was surfing regularly we’d always go for a surf on Christmas morning. Now I get up early to get the turkey or goose on – my sons are usually a bit behind after going out on Christmas Eve! Then we kick off at half past nine with breakfast and a glass of champagne, open presents at about half past ten, and go to the pub about 12, where there’s always a fabulous atmosphere. Then all being well the turkey or goose is nipping along nicely in the oven, and we sit down to lunch until about half three. Afterwards I love to walk off all the food while it gets dark.

Will you be in Australia this Christmas?
I will, I spend every other Christmas there. We still have turkey and roast potatoes so it doesn’t feel that dissimilar, even if it is 40 degrees outside. Some families in Australia have salads and prawns, but my fiancée Sarah’s family is quite traditional. I haven’t got them onto goose yet, but I’m working on it.

How do you relax? 
I don’t really, which probably sounds like a terrible admission of emptiness! I do quite a lot of DIY, especially on the house in Australia, which I find terribly relaxing, and I’ve become quite good at it. There’s a tremendous satisfaction in achieving what I’ve set out to do. And swimming, I swim every day in the sea, it’s not much fun in the winter but I quite like stealing myself to get in really cold water, it sets me up for the day.

What do you like doing when you’re in Cornwall in the winter?
Cornwall in the winter is Cornwall back to normal. I like going for walks, I like going to the beach when it’s really rough; I used to take Chalky out. I love going into pubs with just the locals, they’ll probably be a bit rude to me – they call me “Steiner”, but they’re tough and that’s what I like. There’s still an element of Padstow that is pretty untamable, and long may it survive.

If you were to compare yourself to a fish what type would you be?
That’s a good one! I’d probably say a John Dory because a lot of people say John Dory are ugly but I think they’re puzzled, plus it’s the logo for our restaurant.

Do you have a personal philosophy that you live by?
It’s probably the total realisation that comes with age that nothing’s perfect, all you can do is accept imperfections and do your best. You need to be slightly understanding about the limitations of everything in life, and remember to laugh.

You now own four restaurants, a delicatessen, a patisserie, a seafood cookery school and forty hotel bedrooms, do you feel proud of your achievements?
I do actually, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to feel satisfied with what you’ve done, but I think what’s more important is that there’s so much more one can do. I’m in the position where I can take a step back and see what having good staff is all about, you take them on board, and then they start to help you to go even further. That’s very exciting at the moment, just working with people with good brains and good skills, and having a very friendly relationship with them, that’s the real reward.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?
Having three lovely, reasonably adapted sons. Apart from that, probably attaching some sort of gravity to the quality of our food in Britain.

Looking back, is there anything you wish you’d known before you entered the food industry?
I suppose I wish I knew how much bloody hard work it was! But there is something very special about catering, you work very hard, unsociable hours, but on the other side there’s endless gossip and partying, and you get very close to your colleagues because you’re all in it together. When it’s going well, it’s a real euphoria.

Are there any sacrifices you’ve had to make for your career?
There’s an awful lot of ordinary life you miss, it’s the same with any career where you have to train or rehearse all the time. Sometimes you feel you’re so bound up in this little world and you say, ‘Is this it?’ To be honest I think my work is one of the reasons my marriage broke down – we ended up not treating each other as husband and wife, it was just the business all the time. But I’m quite happy with how everything’s turned out really, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work in the kitchen, but also do things like the Food Heroes campaign, and travel to South-East Asia and make films about stir-fries!

You’ve just opened ‘Rick Stein at Bannisters’ in Australia, has it always been an ambition to open a restaurant there?
Not really, I’ve had this growing affection for Australia, particularly because Sarah’s Australian, but also because I enjoy their outlook on life as much as I enjoy life in Cornwall really. The restaurant is really exciting for me because Mollymook has a lot of similarities with Padstow, so it’s like trying to recreate the same elements that worked there, but the other side of the world.

What are your future aspirations?
More of the same really, my sons and I are keen not to have my name as a brand. We’ve always done things we’re passionate about and that we really enjoy. The idea of taking my name and selling it all over the country is not what we want; I mean how much money do you really need? That’s my aspiration, to stay serious about what I do and not get overtaken by all the rest of it. Sounds a bit too good to be true!