Johnnie Cradock

Education

Cradock attended Harrow School and served in the British Army, reaching the rank of Major in the Royal Artillery.

Career

At the age of twenty, he played rugby for Beckenham Reconstruction Finance Corporation during the 1924/5 season alongside a seventeen-year-old James Robertson Justice who would later become an actor. Wearing a traditional blazer and sporting a monocle above his trademark handlebar moustache, he would remain around the back of Fanny"s studio sets awaiting her imperious commands which, when they came, often resulted in him being berated for being too slow. This was one of Britain"s first restaurant columns and led to their first television series in 1955.

At first they presented the British Broadcasting Corporation"s "Kitchen Magic", but were soon poached by Independent Television"s first cooking programme, which they presented as "Fanny & Johnnie".

At that time Johnnie and Fanny were not married. Editorial Fanny & Johnnie"s Cook"s Essential Alphabet (1979) - Fanny & Johnnie Cradock"s Freezer Book (1978) - Fanny & Johnnie Cradock"s Cook Hostess" Book (1970) - Something"s Burning: The Autobiography of Two Cooks (1960) - ISBN B0000CKKMR.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Fanny Cradock Invites
  • Daily Telegraph Cook's Book by Cradock, Fanny, Cradock, Johnnie (June 1, 1978) Hardcover