Chef Serves up a Warning

Ex-Celebrity Chef, Michael Quinn MBE, visited Doncaster College for the second year running to give a talk to around a hundred Hospitality and Catering students warning about the dangers of alcoholism and drugs and how to avoid them.

Michael knows to his cost the damage that alcohol can do and his talks deliver a hard-hitting no holds barred message, one aimed at prevention rather than cure.

Michael was known as the ‘Mighty Quinn’ and with a Michelin star already to his name, became the first British chef at the Ritz Hotel to hold the top job. He became a star and appeared frequently on top TV and radio shows in the 1980s and had countless invitations to cook around the world.

He gradually drank more and more and his life went into a downward spiral and eventually he became a homeless drunk, living on the streets and ending up flirting with death with liver failure.

After staring death in the face he gradually regained control of his life. Now recovered he devotes his time to The Ark Foundation, which he set up in 2001, and provides advice to young people about how to avoid ruining their lives through addiction to drugs and using his own example as a warning.

He travels around the world and has visited countries such as Australia and Dubai. The foundation is completely self-funded, and the talks are free of charge.

"I love coming into colleges," he said. "I've got great faith in the young people, a lot of guys I meet in the colleges come from very humble backgrounds, life has been hard for them. The good news is youngsters can achieve anything they want if they find the right place, and that's what colleges are for.

"I say to young people all their dreams are within their reach, it’s about getting focused and making it happen. On the journey people are placed in our path to help us, whether it's in our career or in recovery from addiction, but it's about getting focused."