My favourite holiday Phil Vickery

“Plain and simple, Venice is the best.”

Phil Vickery, one of TV’s best known chefs, is married to Fern Britton, and has been a regular on This Morning for the past 15 years.

During that time he’s travelled the world, making 175 films for the programme. He sets off next month for a new filming assignment in Australia.

Catch Phil on This Morning, weekdays from tomorrow at 10.30am on ITV, where he’ll be offering a host of festive food tips and advice.

Visit itv.com/thismorningfor more details and recipes.

“M parents weren’t flush with money and my childhood holidays were in the UK.

I remember a caravan break in Pitlochry and going to Blackpool a lot because my grandparents stayed there.

I actually didn’t get on a plane until I was 22 but it was pretty special.

At the time I was a young chef and we used to get a really good summer bonus. I saved up and, with my girlfriend, we went to Barbados.

We’d been talking about where to go and there was a really big song at the time Woah, I’m Going To Barbados so we did.

It was just as amazing and exotic as you’d imagine.

I didn’t have a holiday for two years after that while I saved up again and then went to explore Australia and New Zealand.

Fern and I have had a couple of really nice holidays in Venice.

We went when we first got together and everything just clicked into place.

We had a lovely room with a balcony in this little hotel and when we went back about three years ago, they remembered us and we got the same room.

I’ve got a soft spot for Venice.

Although it’s very busy and touristy, I think they can cope with it and that’s the difference.

Wherever I go food is central but I’m not a gastronomic snob. I’m not one of those guys that has to go the best restaurants in the country. I’m happy with simple, plain cooked food.

I remember the very first meal I ate in Venice. It was pan fried sole with saut potatoes and it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life.

The last holiday I had sadly without my wife or children was when I was filming for This Morning in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

I stopped on the way back to see my brother Chris, who’s a doctor in Cambodia.

It was Phnom Penh and I’ve never seen anywhere like it.

There’s a real cultural difference and it was just a really eye-opening experience.”