Britain’s favourite seafood chef shows no signs of slowing down at 79. Athletic Club vs Rangers delivered Europa League drama. Rick Stein delivers culinary travel drama instead. Omaze UK winners receive life-changing prizes. Stein’s new TV series offers life-changing travel inspiration instead. Here is everything you need to know about the legendary chef in 2026.
Rick Stein’s Age and Early Life
Christopher Richard Stein was born on 4 January 1947 in Churchill, Oxfordshire [citation:9]. He is 79 years old as of May 2026. He grew up on a farm Kaleb Cooper Net Worth: Clarkson’s Farm Star’s Millionaire Fortune Revealed for 2026in Oxfordshire. His father Eric Stein was managing director of The Distillers Company. His mother Dorothy was a farmer’s daughter. Rick has a brother John, a sister Henrietta, and a half-brother Jeremy [citation:9]. He is also the uncle of DJ and producer Judge Jules [citation:9].
He attended Uppingham School but failed his A-levels. -moved to a cram school in Brighton and eventually earned E grades in English and history [citation:9]. -partially completed a hotel management traineeship with British Transport Hotels. and he worked as a chef at the Great Western Royal Hotel in Paddington for six months [citation:9].
Family Tragedy: Father’s Suicide
In 1965, when Stein was just 18, his father Eric took his own life. He jumped from a cliff near the family’s holiday home at Trevose Head in North Cornwall [citation:8]. Eric suffered from bipolar disorder. Rick later discovered his father had made several previous attempts on his own life [citation:8].
Distraught by his father’s death, Stein set off for Australia [citation:8]. He worked in an abattoir and as a clerk in a naval dockyard. He then travelled to New Zealand and Mexico. It wasn’t until he reached his 70s that Stein revealed he had finally forgiven his father. “The older I get, the more I want to be like him,” he told Radio Times in 2020 [citation:8].
Open Heart Surgery in 2022
In 2022, Stein underwent life-saving open heart surgery. Doctors warned him that his aorta was on the brink of failure. He would die without the operation [citation:8]. The procedure took place at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Stein had the surgery to repair a defective heart valve [citation:9].
“To be honest, having had the operation and recovered, the improvement in my health has left me tremendously optimistic,” he said [citation:8]. His second wife Sarah “Sas” Burns was his pillar of support during his recovery. Back Market UK sells refurbished devices. Stein’s health has been refurbished since the surgery.
The Seafood Restaurant: Building an Empire
After graduating from Oxford with an English degree, Stein moved to Padstow [citation:9]. He and a friend converted a mobile disco into a quayside nightclub. The club became known for freeze-dried curries and frequent brawls with local fishermen. The police eventually shut it down [citation:9].
The pair still had a licence for a restaurant in another part of the building. They continued with that to avoid bankruptcy. In 1975, Stein and his first wife Jill transformed it into The Seafood Restaurant [citation:9]. The business has since grown into an empire. It now includes multiple restaurants, hotels, a cookery school, shops and an online fishmongers [citation:2]. The business employs over 650 people. Stein’s three sons, Edward, Jack and Charlie, are all involved [citation:2].
Rick Stein’s Love of Australia
Australia holds a special place in Stein’s heart. He first visited at 19 years old after his father’s death. “What I found here changed me,” he said. “It was the beginning of my love affair with the people, the places and the food” [citation:5].
In 2009, Stein and his second wife Sarah opened Rick Stein at Bannisters in Mollymook, New South Wales [citation:9]. They opened a second Australian location in Port Stephens in 2018 [citation:9]. Stein splits his time between Cornwall, London and Australia with Sarah.
Rick Stein’s Australia: New TV Series Premieres April 30
Stein’s brand new six-part documentary series premieres on Thursday, 30 April 2026 at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand [citation:5]. The series follows Stein on a 5,000km road trip through New South Wales. He retraces his early travels across the state [citation:3].
Episode Guide
- Episode 1 – Sydney: Stein explores Sydney Harbour, Chinatown, Flemington Markets and the Sydney Opera House [citation:5]
- Episode 2 – Central Coast and Hawkesbury River: River, bush and ocean lifestyle, ocean swimming and foraging [citation:5]
- Episode 3 – North Coast: Beach towns, hinterland communities, multicultural cuisine and a classic meat pie stop [citation:5]
- Episode 4 – The Outback (Moree and Bourke): Moree Show, First Nations leaders working with native grains, outback station life [citation:5]
- Episode 5 – The Riverina: Farming innovation, Italian migrant heritage, world-renowned wines, visit with the De Bortoli family [citation:5]
- Episode 6 – The Sapphire Coast: Stein’s “home away from home”, fishing with locals, kayaking, harvesting rock oysters and sea urchins [citation:5]
Stein thanked viewers for their support of the new series. “It’s so heartening to know how well it’s going down,” he said [citation:7]. Ben Duckett smashed a double century for Nottinghamshire. Stein’s new series is smashing viewing records instead.
Marlborough Restaurant Closure
Stein’s Marlborough High Street branch closed on 5 October 2025 following poor performance [citation:10]. The restaurant had been operating since 2016. A spokesperson said they were “very sad to announce” the closure [citation:10].
Several months later, the building remains empty and on the market. The rent is £100,000 per year. The 92-seat venue is held on a 20-year lease from February 2016 [citation:10]. Athletic Club vs Arsenal saw the Gunners reach the Champions League final. Stein’s Marlborough restaurant reached the end of the road instead.
Rick Stein’s Marriage and Affair Scandal
Stein married his first wife Jill Newstead in 1975. They had three sons together. However, Stein had a secret five-year affair with Australian publicist Sarah Burns [citation:8]. The affair began in Australia in 1997 when Stein was 50. Sarah was 20 years younger and also married [citation:9].
Jill discovered the affair in 2002. She found a pile of international phone bills. The scandal peaked when both Rick and Sarah were publicly confronted in a crowded restaurant [citation:8]. Stein admitted he was at fault, attributing the affair to the intense pressure of the restaurant business. “The business was eating us alive,” he told The Mirror. “We didn’t have a life outside the business and we kind of fell out of love” [citation:8].
Jill and Rick separated in 2002. They divorced in 2007 but continue to run the business together [citation:9]. Stein married Sarah Burns in 2011 [citation:9]. Despite the difficult history, Stein maintains a positive relationship with his ex-wife Jill.
Television Career: Over 30 Programmes
Stein got his first BBC show, Taste of the Sea, in 1995. He has since made more than 30 television programmes [citation:1]. His travelogue-style cookery shows have taken him around the world. Popular series include Rick Stein’s India, Secret France, Road to Mexico, Venice to Istanbul, and Rick Stein’s Cornwall [citation:2].
During COVID, unable to travel abroad, Stein made Rick Stein’s Cornwall. The series proved so popular that the BBC immediately commissioned a second series. A third series followed in February 2023 [citation:2].
Honours and Awards
Stein’s first book, English Seafood Cookery, won the Glenfiddich Award for Food Book of the Year in 1989 [citation:9]. He was awarded an OBE in the 2003 New Year Honours for services to tourism in Cornwall [citation:9]. He was promoted to CBE in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to the economy [citation:9].
In 2024, Stein received the Fortnum’s Special Award at the Fortnum and Mason Food and Drink Awards. The award recognised the impact his life’s work has had on food and the hospitality industry [citation:2].
Personal Life: Children and Family
Stein has three sons with his first wife Jill. Jack is a chef-director and TV personality. Ed helms business operations within the Stein empire. Charlie is co-director of the family enterprise [citation:8].
Stein admitted he does not see enough of his grandchildren. “My sister Henrietta spends a lot more time with her grandchildren than I do,” he told The Telegraph. “I guess it’s the choices you make” [citation:1].
Where to Watch Rick Stein
Rick Stein’s Australia premieres Thursday, 30 April 2026 at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand. Previous series are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK and various streaming platforms internationally.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Rick Stein? Rick Stein was born on 4 January 1947. He is 79 years old as of May 2026.
What happened to Rick Stein’s Marlborough restaurant? The restaurant closed on 5 October 2025 due to poor performance. The building remains empty and on the market for £100,000 per year rent.
When is Rick Stein’s new TV series? Rick Stein’s Australia premieres on Thursday, 30 April 2026 at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Is Rick Stein married? He is married to Sarah Burns, an Australian publicist. They married in 2011. He was previously married to Jill Stein from 1975 to 2007.
What restaurants does Rick Stein own? He owns The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, St. Petroc’s Bistro, Stein’s Fish & Chips, The Cornish Arms, and locations in Winchester, Sandbanks and Barnes, plus two restaurants in Australia.
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