Get to know…

Gary Wilmot: host of the Food Management Today Food Industry Awards 2025

The host of this year’s FMT Food Industry Awards, Gary Wilmot MBE, first stepped into the spotlight when he appeared on New Faces in 1978, and he has been a familiar face on stage and screen ever since.

Gary’s television career has included hosting shows such as You and Me and Showstoppers, while his stage work has taken in numerous West End appearances, such as roles in Me and My Girl, Chicago, and Anything Goes, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2022. Since 2017 he has delighted festive audiences each year as the resident Pantomime Dame at the London Palladium.

With such a long-lasting and successful career taking in both theatre and TV, we asked Gary where he feels most at home.

“It depends on the job, really,” says Gary. There are good jobs and bad jobs in both genres. I like being on stage, because it’s nice to go out and try to hone your work every single night until you feel satisfied. I’m always looking for how to do things in new ways.”

As for taking to the stage to host the FMT Awards ceremony, he adds: “I’ll chat to the audience for a little bit, and I’ll share a little bit about myself; a little bit of my childhood and a bit about what it’s like to be an actor.

“I’ve been to several Olivier Awards; I’ve been nominated individually once and a couple of times as part of the cast of shows I’ve been in. It’s always a very exciting evening and great for the industry. Awards events are a really nice thing to be involved in – great fun and, very often, a way of meeting friends.

“At the Oliviers, I’m meeting friends I only see once a year, so there’s a good chance for a catch-up. Whatever industry you’re in, it’s a good night out and people swap ideas; it’s a bit like a convention, really. Everybody wins, I think.”

With a job that often takes him away from home for filming and touring, does he enjoy eating out or would he rather be in his own kitchen preparing a home-cooked meal?

“I do like cooking at home – my go-to dish is probably risotto or mussels. I’ll even bake cakes and biscuits from time to time when I’m a bit bored.

“Of course, I love eating out, too. I’ve spent a lot of time in Italy and it’s really lovely to eat out there, as it’s so reasonable in price and the food is so fantastic. It’s difficult to stay in and eat there, to be honest!”

Italian food is clearly a firm favourite with Gary but he’s also happy with a quick-and-easy meal from the store cupboard at home: “I’ve cooked beef stews and lamb casseroles in my time, but I’ll also open the fridge and see what’s in there. It can be something as simple as cheese on toast or beans on a jacket potato.”

When it comes to making sure the fridge is stocked, it’s a joint effort in the Wilmot household, with the food shopping split between Gary and his wife: “We both do it. My wife is a video producer, and our lives are so ad hoc – we go whenever we need stuff, so there’s no weekly shop as such.”

When we ask Gary if he has a sweet tooth, it’s the sense of nostalgia that comes from the comforting puddings of his childhood such as apple pie and treacle pudding that really appeals.

Gary grew up in Lambeth and tells us that, sadly, he lost his father when he was quite young, so his mother took care of him and his brother on her own. Gary has fond memories of family meals at that time, but remarks how times have changed in the kitchen since then: “Food was on the table regularly, and my mum was a good cook, but it was in the days when they used to boil cabbage way too much. They used to cook meat so there was not a speck of blood or pinkness in anything!”

One particular dish has left a lasting positive impression, though. Gary says: “I remember we had rice pudding. It was cooked in an enamel tin, and my brother and I would fight over the crusty bits that were left in the tin. That’s always a be the best bit – that was great!”

As for so many of us, some of Gary’s earliest food memories come from eating school dinners: “I kind of love them. I love, you know, the sausages they cooked so much they turned it inside out, and the mashed potato with lumps in. I still quite like mashed potato with lumps!”

So, what would he say is the best meal he’s ever had?

“That’s difficult,” he confides. “I love fish and chips if they’re done well, but I really like a good steak, or a steak and kidney pudding. My favourite restaurant is Rules in London. I haven’t been in there for a couple of years, but they did the most fantastic steak and kidney pudding with suet pastry.”

Between trips to Italy and time away from home filming and touring, it’s easy to see why Gary opts for the comfort of traditional fare for his favourite food experiences. And whether it’s all-time classics or innovative new products, we’ll be joining him to celebrate the best that the industry has to offer at this year’s Food Management Today Food Industry Awards.

The FMT Food Industry Awards 2025 takes place on Thursday 26th June as part of a five-star business lunch and awards ceremony held at the Royal Garden Hotel, London. For more information about the event, or to purchase tickets, click here.