Playing the game

Marco Pierre White leaned forward and whispered: "You see that's what makes it all worthwhile, seeing people enjoying themselves."

The new owner of The Talkhouse in Stanton St John, the legendary chef, and now restaurateur, is sat quietly at a table by the bar, cigarette permanently in hand, his mobile ringing constantly, looking suitably dishevelled as he tries dish after dish brought out from the kitchen for his approval.

Marco may not cook the food any more, having hung up his chef's whites in 1999 when he achieved his three Michelin stars, but he still knows what's what and his reputation lives on, unassisted by the usual media tools.

"I'm not flash, I don't try to be a celebrity but everyone thinks I'm so important and do you know why that is? Because they don't know anything about me. I don't do TV, go to the right parties or get pictured in magazines.

"I employ my PR to keep me out of the spotlight. Everyone knows my name but no one knows what I look like, right? I like my privacy," he said, his eyes burning intensely.

We have met to discuss The Talkhouse the latest string to his ever-expanding bow. But dig deeper into his business dealings and he gets fidgety and elusive, a trait which has brought many journalists to their knees.

But then Marco doesn't think what he does with his money is anyone else's business, and although critics have made wild estimations of his fortune, ranging from £50m to nearly broke, he's not giving anything away, and is amused by the interest.

"It's all a game really isn't it? I leave home at 9am to go to work and when I come home I leave work behind.

"Maybe my philosophy isn't what you would expect because there really is more to life than just work. But, how seriously do you have to take it all? I might not even be here tomorrow.

"But life is about taking risks, and you can't knock someone who has a go. But I try not to take things personally. Life is a jigsaw it's about tears and laughter. Who wants to be Mr Safe? If you choose to be in business then you choose to take the risks involved, but they don't keep me awake at night."

One thing's for sure, Sweeney Todd would have trouble producing enough pies for Marco to keep his fingers in, and he lets slip that on top of his London restaurants, next week he's opening 200-seater venues in Shanghai, Las Vegas and Dubai, as well as buying up freehold pubs to put the Marco stamp on.

"I want to open between ten and 20 pubs in the next five years a new pub concept if you like," the 45-year-old said matter-of-factly. "I do things because I like doing things."

The Yewtree Inn near Newbury was first on the MPW pub map and is already a great success, with The Talkhouse looking set to follow suit. With MPW chefs and management already in place there, the changes are instantly recognisable as soon as you put your fork in your mouth.

From kipper pate or herring appetisers to pork belly and rib eye, finished off by trifle and rice pudding, it's traditional British comfort food with a posh twist.

"It's rather selfish really because these are all the things I like eating," Marco grinned.

And the prices are also a surprise. There's a £12.50 two-course lunch Monday to Friday and Sunday supper, and a £14.95 Sunday lunch.

"The days of dictating to people about money are over," he told me, when I remarked on the reasonable prices. "People now dictate what they want to spend. They are tired of spending big money in restaurants. And if they want gastronomy they can go up the road to Le Manoir.

"But I like to think that The Talkhouse will be more like a neighbourhood restaurant because, even though I've taken over, it's not really mine pubs belong to the locals who go there, and you have to make changes that don't offend them."

Marco doesn't like the term gastro pub'; he thinks it conjures up images of elevated prices, and pretensions. He prefers the term eating house' and it's rather touching that, considering his international business empire, he cares so much about this Oxfordshire pub.

But then it's this attention to detail, perfectionist streak, drive and ruthless ambition that have always stood Marco in good stead.

From the moment he started cooking aged 16, to being the first British chef to achieve three Michelin stars, he has been intensely focused.

And while Michelin stars are a huge achievement even now, in those days, when British cooking was still in the Dark Ages, it was little short of a miracle. Not bad for an "uneducated boy from Leeds".

But in typical Marco fashion, instead of milking his newfound fame, he quit the kitchen and now only cooks for his children.

"I went after the three Michelin stars and lived that life, but when I left for work in the morning my children were asleep and when I returned they were already in bed. But I proved my point.

"So when I got my three Michelin stars I had three options to carry on and be a prisoner, to live a lie, charge high prices and pretend to cook or to hand them back, face unemployment the next morning and live my life, so that's what I did.

"But there was never any fear of the unknown. People who fear the unknown just tolerate existence but I saw it as a way of having more opportunities a life in the kitchen is so limiting.

"I'm just glad I'm not on the runway any more where I've got two stars and am fighting for my third."

Not that it was necessarily an easy transition. As famous for his fiery temper, feuds and unpredictable temperament, Marco has three wives under his belt and despite avoiding the spotlight, his name is rarely out of the papers.

But he insists that his wife of 14 years Mati has tamed him and speaks often and fondly of his three children, two of whom are at school in Oxfordshire, despite the family living in London.

His hobbies also take up more of his time these days. "Shooting, hunting and fishing, now that's when I start getting serious," he laughed and became terribly animated about a stalking' estate in the New Forest he's toying with buying.

His social life is also busy and he mentions Madonna and Guy, Rowan Atkinson and Raymond Blanc (Marco spent a year at Le Manoir before he achieved the three Michelin stars) fondly when recounting anecdotes, none of which I'm allowed to print. At least 90 per cent of what Marco says is "off the record". For someone so confident, he's mighty suspicious and every time I note something down he asks what I'm writing.

"When you've been involved in as many libel cases as me, you become very careful about what you say and to whom," he said defensively.

Which makes it even more surprising that Marco's autobiography is about to be published. So why bare his soul now? He paused for a while, choosing his words carefully. "When you have been given a talent in life I think you have an obligation and moral duty to share it.

"And as integrity is very important to me I share a large part of my life with people in the book but not all of it. That can come in volume 2 after my death," he laughed.

"But I'm still in the ring and I've got three beautiful kids and a beautiful wife who's Spanish and very fiery and I love her. I think life is very simple. I'm here to guide, educate and love my children and I'm in the business of selling fun food is a by-product. Just remember it's all a big game and that's what makes it exciting," he added.

And with that he winked at me, glanced at his watch and signalled to his driver to bring his silver Range Rover round before dashing off to whatever's next in the pipeline. Marco Pierre White had left the building.

Former owner, Gareth Lloyd-Jones, who sold The Talkhouse to his pal Marco tells me it was purely my doing after I wrongly reported in Limited Edition last year that Marco Pierre White was already the owner.

Not that I blame myself for the inaccurate report having been reliably informed by the manager at the time that Marco was the new owner.

But it turns out that, the manager, who unsurprisingly didn't last long, put two and two together when he saw Marco eating there regularly and made five.

Anyway, after the incorrect ownership was declared, Marco thought he might as well buy it anyway, if everyone already thought he had, and hey presto, Stanton St John has a new celebrity chef on its hands.