Do you have an elaborate coffee routine?

I’ve got a good machine – a Sage with a built-in grinder, barista style. I can make a pretty decent latte. I reckon I could get a job as a barista if I backed myself.

What about your fridge – what are some staples you always have at home?

Honestly, it’s a library of condiments. Right now, I’ve got a caramel sriracha, which is serious. I’ve got some Gymkhana cooking sauces. And when I went to Noma in Copenhagen, they gave us a tour of their lab and gifted me things like garam masala in liquid form. I used it in a curry the other day and it was incredible. We always have coconut milk too – making a simple curry is one of the easiest things to do. Sweat onions and peppers with garlic, add curry powder or spices, throw in chicken, then coconut milk. It always works.

How much cooking do you actually get to do at home? 

Not a lot. Most of the time I’m filming during the day, eating at restaurants, and then I’ll go home and not eat dinner. So, I don’t cook a monumental amount, but I do enjoy it when I do.

It must be hard to have a routine with such a busy schedule? 

Exactly. I eat like a wild animal – I’ll feast really big, then not eat for 20 hours, then go again. It probably is better for you, though cavemen weren’t eating butter chicken or fried food. But it all works out – you’ve got to enjoy life.

What’s your drink of choice?

I love beer. We’ve just made our own at Topjaw with 40 Foot Brewery, called Overnight Success, to celebrate 10 years. Otherwise, I love a spicy margarita. It’s swept the world. You can trace it back to Nobu – he was the first to make spicy sushi in California in the 70s, using jalapeño and garlic instead of onion. People loved it, and now we’re all drinking spicy margaritas.

Congratulations on the first decade – that’s a big milestone! 

Thank you. People often don’t realise we’ve been going that long, which is why we called the beer Overnight Success. Journalists sometimes refer to us as that. For seven or eight years it was a passion project, then two or three years ago Will and I decided to go for it properly. So, I understand why people think it’s new.

Okay – who are your dream dinner-party guests, dead or alive? 

I’ll be clichéd and say Anthony Bourdain. I consumed more of his content than anyone’s. I’d love him to chat my ear off. Idris Elba too – when I filmed with him, he suggested we go for a drink afterwards because we got on so well. My knees nearly buckled. And Joanna Lumley – her team actually reached out to us last week about doing something together. I don’t know if it will happen, but maybe…

Finally, Jesse, let’s talk about the new series. What was it like being in the kitchen and seeing the drama unfold? 

When my manager first called me about it, she said, “Don’t get too excited, but Apple TV is making a show with Studio Ramsay. They have exclusive access to Michelin and are following chefs all over the world trying to earn stars.” I thought, holy shit. It felt way bigger than me, but at the same time I felt like I’d been made in a lab to do it.

For the past ten years with TOPJAW, all I’ve done is interview chefs – Gordon Ramsay even called me a “chef slut”, which isn’t inaccurate. I’ve probably interviewed more Michelin-starred chefs than anyone. And I love travelling. My mum was cabin crew when I was growing up, and she’d bring me food back from everywhere – caviar from Russia, champagne from the UAE, Danish pastries, prawns from Greece. I became obsessed with eating around the world.

So Knife Edge was very exciting – it’s what we’ve been doing with Topjaw for years, but with exclusive Michelin access, which has never been given to anyone in 125 years. At the UK ceremony in Glasgow, I had a green room with Clare Smyth and Tom Kerridge, surrounded by the Apple TV crew. I thought, what is life?

Connecting with the chefs was incredible. We filmed in LA, Mexico, Chicago, New York – and you instantly compared one chef with another. The similarities were striking: the drive, the passion. At that level, chefs are some of the most fascinating people you’ll meet. The sacrifices they make, the commitment they show every day – it’s extraordinary.

People ask me what I want the takeaway from the show to be, and I say: more respect for people who choose this life. Just because you spend a lot of money in their restaurant doesn’t mean they’re rich or successful. In fact, the higher up you go, the smaller the margins. Chains make more money than independents. These chefs do it because they don’t want to do anything else. They take on all the risks and adversity and say, this is me.

Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars on Apple TV is available to watch now. Catch up here.

Follow @Topjaw on Instagram.