Joe Swash on cooking with the kids

In his new two-part Channel 4 series, Meal Deals: Behind The Bargain, everyone’s favourite cheeky Londoner dives into the nation’s obsession with this beloved lunchtime tradition. But while it may be convenient, it’s also a source of passionate debate in offices up and down the country.

“There’s so many reasons why the meal deal triggers people,” says the 43-year-old presenter. “Everyone’s got their own choice of meal deal and everyone’s quite personal with what they like and how they like it.

“You’ve got some people who go for the same meal deal time after time, like me. I know what I like, and I stick to it. And then you’ve got other people that try all the sandwiches, all the varieties, all the snacks, because they like the difference.”

His go to? A “painfully” plain ham and cheese sandwich, of course.

“My go-to meal deal is a ham and cheese sandwich. I’m really plain. I’m so plain, it’s painful,” jokes Swash. “So, ham and cheese, ready salted crisps and maybe a fizzy drink if I feel a little bit risky. I do like to avoid sandwiches with stuff like tomatoes in it, because I know it makes things soggy.

“I also wouldn’t ever put the crisps in a sandwich because I’m far too lazy for that. I’m more of a one bite of a sandwich and maybe pop in two or three crisps at the same time.”

Food has always played a big role in his life, so he’s thrilled to now explore that passion more deeply through his TV work. As a busy dad living in Pickle Cottage in Essex with his wife, fellow presenter Stacey Solomon, and five of their six children, he also understands firsthand the importance of finding affordable, nutritious meals for the whole family.

“I’m really passionate about food and cooking. I love consumer programs because I’m a consumer,” says Swash. “Cooking and food is something that I give my kids and my family every day, so I want to make sure that they get healthy food. I don’t want to be spending a fortune, but I don’t want to be scraping on nutrients.

“When I’m cooking for my kids, I always go and buy the rainbow. I always think if there’s lots of colour on the plate, then there’s lots of different nutrients on the plate. So, I try and make those plates as colourful as possible.”

A proud family man, Swash particularly enjoys the social aspect of cooking and sharing food with loved ones.

“I think it’s really important as a family that you spend that time together, especially with the kids,” says Swash. “Some of our kids are teenagers and you can’t get a conversation out of them for love nor money. But, if you put a plate of food in front of them and sit together and suddenly they all want to have a chat and stuff. So for me, it’s really important.

“It’s also important to introduce the kids to the kitchen because once the kids are in the kitchen they help you cook things and take ownership of what they’re doing, then it sort of gives them a real encouragement to try different foods.”

Sunday roasts in particular are a firm favourite at Pickle Cottage.

“I am quite a meaty person and one of my favourite things to cook is a Sunday roast and on Sundays our house is always open,” says Swash. “Our friends and family will come over and have Sunday roast, they just sort of pop in.

“When I do a Sunday roast, I won’t stick it all on one plate, I will have it all on big plates, and everyone comes along and helps themselves.”

His top tip for food shopping is to never go to a supermarket without a list and to think about meals that will stretch further.

“If you’re cooking for a big family, it’s just about size and quantity,” says Swash. “A whole chicken is great, because you can make something from it that’ll feed the whole family and then you can then boil it down and make a soup from it.

“If you’re going to make a spaghetti bolognese, put some mince away and make a shepherd’s pie at the same time. I think if you have got a big family you’re just trying to find as many time-saving tricks as possible, because you spend so much time in the kitchen, so little things like that always help.”