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Jean Christophe Novelli

Not often have I had the pleasure of sharing lunch with an award-winning chef, let alone one who apparently has the ability to make women swoon at the flick of his whisk'. But fortunately today was my turn to meet Jean-Christophe Novelli, winner of four Michelin stars and voted the world's sexiest chef' in a recent poll.

We meet inside an upmarket restaurant in central London, where I find Jean-Christophe almost on the edge of starvation. He tells me he's been out all morning promoting his new book, Everyday Novelli, and simply hasn't yet found the time for a break.

So how could I possibly turn down his invitation to share a fillet of sea bass - one of his favourite dishes, he tells me.

"I love seafood," he continues in his simmering French accent. "I love working with scallops, oysters, anything that is fresh. That's what's important to me."

I begin to notice that Jean-Christophe's dark brown eyes light up with enthusiasm whenever he speaks about food, something he has held a passion for since he was young.

The Hertfordshire resident tells me: "I was very fortunate to be brought up in an environment where food was not something you just put in your mouth, because you have to do that.

"Food was an exchange, a communication, an expression. With food, I can really understand the five senses."

Not only was Jean-Christophe exposed to the traditions of French cuisine as he grew up, but his Italian grandparents also often visited - and whenever they came, they brought food.

The chef's new book is out now

"They didn't have money to spend on Cartier, Rolex, or any of these other luxuries, so they instead brought chocolate, or bread, or a dish they had cooked the night before," adds Jean-Christophe.

Nurtured since his youth, Jean-Christophe's passion for food has gone from strength to strength and it shows in his latest collection of recipes.

Featuring everything from weekday breakfasts to indulgent Sunday brunches, quick lunches and impressive dinner party dishes, Everyday Novelli is perfect for the food enthusiast.

"The whole idea is that anyone can follow the recipes," explains Jean-Christophe. "I'm talking to people who are very willing, very excited and very much passionate about food. If you are, then this book is the mirror for that passion."

Jean-Christophe's career began aged just 14, when he decided to leave school and become a baker in his home town of Arras, in northern France. He tells me he "had to do something more exciting" than just academics and found that whenever he stepped into a kitchen.

Five years later he became the private chef to Elie de Rothschild, before moving to Britain at the age of 22.

Mentored by award-winning chef Keith Floyd, Jean-Christophe took care of his pub and restaurant, the Malsters Arms in Totnes, while Keith was away filming his television shows.

By 1996, Jean-Christophe opened his first restaurant, Maison Novelli, in Clerkenwell, which was quickly followed by a succession of others in London, as well as in South Africa and France. But the expansion proved too much and within three years Jean-Christophe was bankrupt.

"I took the biggest challenge and I lost everything," reflects Jean-Christophe. "It's very hard, because you have to go through a lot whenever you open a restaurant, and you don't always get the results straight away."

But his salvation proved to be just around the corner. Three years ago, Jean-Christophe bought a 14th Century farmhouse near Luton and opened Novelli Academy. Within months, the cookery school had attracted acclaim from critics and proved popular with the public.

His personal life also went on the up and up: he is recently engaged to Michelle Kennedy and the couple are expecting a baby later this year.

Jean-Christophe, who has a 20-year-old daughter, Christina, from a previous marriage, says he is "thrilled".

He adds: "I've got a feeling it'll be the best day of my life."

Now with a new book out and possible new projects on the horizon, what's next for Jean-Christophe?

"Well, whenever I finish one thing, I always want another challenge," he tells me. "That's why I am who I am, I like to keep busy. For me, it's the only way to live."

Everyday Novelli by Jean-Christophe Novelli is published by Headline, priced £20. Available at all good bookshops/

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