Dame Denise Lewis: ‘I love an apple crumble – just don't talk to me while I enjoy myself'

The Guardian

22-03-2025

I was a naughty athlete. Ask Daley [Thompson] and Linford [Christie]: they didn't drink, and they still don't drink. Not a drop passes their lips. Those are the consummate athletes. I was a mischievous athlete. You know the little miniature bottles of Drambuie? My roommates would notice at the end of a competition that Lewis would have a little Drambuie. Delicious! But when I won the gold medal [at the 2000 Olympics] I actually had a bottle of bubbly for that. My roomies must have thought it was going to happen, so they had a little bottle for me.
My early memories are of food associated with my heritage and my mum: a lot of big flavours, a lot of curry chicken. One dish I can actually taste in my mouth now is snapper, which is a very popular fish in the Caribbean. Especially on Good Friday – we only had fish, so she would prepare whole snapper in a pan, with onions, peppers, a lot of black pepper and fish seasoning. It was just heaven. Whether you ate it hot or cold, that snapper would just be exquisite.
My mum worked two jobs, but we'd stock up at the weekend and she was probably batch-cooking a bit. So up early to the market and on the bus, because my mum didn't drive. I was part of a team: Mama and I carried the bags – I think that's where my early weight-training days came into play. We'd go to the big marketplace in Wolverhampton: the butchers, fresh produce, that fresh fish smell. I hated the smell, but looking back, I didn't realise how blessed we were really.
It's well documented: I love an apple crumble. An apple crumble, with cinnamon and custard – mmmm! Just don't talk to me while I enjoy myself.
My boys are 18 and 16, 6ft 4in and 6ft 2in. They're big boys, and you can't shop enough. They'll go through half a pack of bacon and four eggs, and that's just one of them. I'm like, 'Have you seen the price of eggs?' So now I keep the really good eggs for myself, but I literally have to squirrel them away. I hide my Burford Browns in the top cupboard. He'll probably read this now and know where they are. But we have talked about it in jest: let's get some chickens, because this is the only way we're going to stave off that insatiable appetite.
I had the privilege of being a guest judge on Great British Menu. Oh. My. Goodness. I was so excited. I don't think they even got the words out before I was like, 'Yeah, I'm there.' You think you can cook until you see a professional. It's all in the sauces, isn't it? It's just genius.
If I'm cooking, I love a little G&T, prepared well. It's an occasion, so the cucumbers will go in, lime, a little bit of music. It's not just flung in the glass. You know everyone's got their stock of really nice glasses they don't really use? I bring mine out for the G&T. It's my moment, my time, the G&T moment. How often are G&T moments? This is not a therapy session. And you don't need to know. As and when.
I know I look well. But definitely my body has changed. It's not as lean as it used to be, but that's OK, because I'm not training for a purpose any more. I'm not trying to be the best athlete in the world.
When you retire, there is an element of blowout, because I lived a very routine, meticulous but not obsessive lifestyle: sleep, food, rest, recovery, all part of the big game. And, naturally, you can't sustain that to the levels you used to do, and I wouldn't want to. So I'm glad I had that period [after retiring] where I danced with the devil for a bit. I delved into the fun side of food, which is great.
FoodOxtail with rice and peas, the Caribbean dish. It's just divine and very comforting. And, actually, we talk about the importance of collagen: back in the day, that's where you'd get your collagen, by sucking that bone dry. So I'd say there's health benefits.
DrinkMy go-to is a cup of herbal tea. It's the last thing I have at night, no matter where or what time I come in.
Place to eatIt's closed now, but I remember having a really fantastic taster menu at Maze, Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. That was exquisite.
Dish to makeI've cooked a lot of salmon, and I've got that down pat. Just pan-fried salmon, very easy, but the key with fish is not to overdo it, so it's still succulent. Some wilted spinach, a little squeeze of lemon at the end and maybe a herb salt. I feel very saintly when I've done that.
Adaptability: Seven Lessons for Success in a World of Competing Demands by Dame Denise Lewis (Piaktus, £25) is out now