Welcome back to What’s Cooking, Metro’s food series where we find out exactly what’s going on behind the scenes in the nation’s kitchens.
This week we’re in Richmond, rifling through Sam Budd’s kitchen to find out what he’s hiding in his cupboards, fridge and freezer.
Sam lives in one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in Great Britain, along with his girlfriend Katie. Oh, and did we mention he’s a millionaire?
The 36-year-old is the founder and CEO of Buddy Media Group, a multi-million pound social media agency that specialises in social activations.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like being a millionaire and whether they buy the same things as you from the supermarket, we’ve got the answers.
Before we invade your kitchen, we want the inside scoop. What’s it really like to be a millionaire?
The millionaire thing is quite a unique statement for me.
Six years ago, when I was launching the company, I got to a point where I was in about £120,000 worth of debt. It was so much that I couldn’t even afford a coffee and my cards were being declined.
Ultimately, I’m now in a position where I’m very lucky to have financial security, own a beautiful home and have a successful business. But I never take that for granted and I know you’re also never fully safe – if the world implodes and the business goes down that’s linked to my home, so you’ve always got to be mindful and frugal.
My mum, is also so committed to reminding me about values and principles and those are what I live by. I always remind myself of them to keep my feet on the ground when I’m starting to push the limits and I’m overspending.
Has having money changed the way you eat at home?
I’d be lying if I said having money hadn’t changed the way we eat. Money isn’t everything but having it does make your life easier and means you can make decisions without financial stress.
We’ve got a Waitrose down the road and it is particularly expensive when you’re weighing it up against other supermarkets, but it’s got some of the best organic food and produce, so we go in there two to three times a week and we like to buy meat from Piper’s Farm, which is organic and comes from sustainable farming.
We’re also lucky enough to be able to try new things and try to find the best way to optimise our health and lifestyles. This involves cleaner living, focusing on non-processed foods, different supplements and ways to manage and improve our gut health.
As part of this, we recently got a hydrogen water filter, which cost about £1,986. It’s a really unique, new thing that is meant to help with cellular growth and is an antioxidant so, it’s really good for inflammation.
Tell us a secret, what’s your ultimate guilty pleasure food?
I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but I’m known for putting an assortment of foods together to create a sweet treat bowl. I’ve eaten this since I was a child and it’s something I’ll have on a Friday or Saturday night when I want to splurge and be a bit naughty.
I start with some yoghurt, I’m trying to move away from dairy to improve my gut health, so I use the stuff by the Coconut Lab and it’s absolutely incredible. That then gets topped with fruit, usually some kind of berries, then I add in chocolate (Cadbury’s and Tony’s Chocolonely) and some chewy sweets.
That all gets chucked in a bowl and I cover my sugar in more sugar, by squeezing manuka honey over it and finish it off with some hemp seeds and mix it all together.
Name one storecupboard product you can’t live without…
You might notice my cupboards look insanely organised. I’ve had some help with this from the lovely ladies at Ever So Organised, which is a home organisation company. It’s part of my journey to find work/life harmony as I’ve got limited time and I need to be able to come in and find things quickly, so having it all laid out neatly is incredible.
It’s something that helps me take better care of myself, manage my stress and deal with ADHD and I also do this through supplements, and you’ll find plenty of those in the cupboard – it’s like something out of Breaking Bad.
Ultimately, though things like Magnesium Breakthrough have changed my life. It helps me with stress and winding down, as some weeks I’m working 100 hours and it’s a pretty stressful environment to be in.
Aside from these, there always has to be a tin of Baked Beans in the cupboard. If you don’t have those at home, who are you? They’re my favourite thing in the world.
And something that always has to be in your fridge?
Without a doubt, it’s tzatziki. It’s an absolute necessity in the food shop every week. If we don’t get it, I’m an unhappy boy.
I tend to eat it with cheese and crackers, but if I’m really honest, I can also just sit and eat it from the pot with a spoon. I love it so much.
What about the freezer, what do you have to keep in there at all times?
We make our own bone broth and I usually drink a cup of it each morning to start the day. I was dead against it at first, but it’s got so much goodness in it and it is actually really tasty. I heat it up in a pan and then pour it into a mug.
We make it in the slow cooker using chicken and beef bones, water, some salt, garlic and onions and leave it for nine hours overnight. Once it’s ready, this is mostly kept in the fridge, but in the freezer we have a special versionfor our puppy, Otto.
We make his broth with just the bones and water and pour it into ice cube trays. He loves it and it’s a perfect frozen treat to cool off with when it’s hot.
Is there an item you’re always willing to splurge on at the supermarket?
If I’m coming home for the weekend, or having a barbecue, I love a really nice bottle of wine, like a Miraval rosé. It’s not extortionate, but it’s definitely not your Chicken Wine.
I’d spend around £20 to £25 on a bottle like that at the shop and maybe £30 to £50 if I were buying a really decent bottle of red wine.
Alternatively, which kitchen staple isn’t worth splashing the cash on?
There are two things I always buy the supermarket own-brand version of when I shop: yoghurts and cheese.
The own-brand yoghurts are often just as delicious and just as rich as more expensive, branded ones, so you don’t need to waste the money.
And while I do love a good bit of cheese, if we do a cheeseboard, you’ll always find some own-brand cheddar on there with everything else. I think the flavour is so nostalgic, it reminds me of the kind of cheese I loved as a kid in Lunchables and I’m still just a kid at heart.
Finally… what’s been cooking in your kitchen lately?
Katie does a lot of the cooking when I’m working, but recently we’ve been growing herbs and spices in our garden and I’ve gotten really into making my own chimichurri.
You just chop all the herbs and spices up finely and add some garlic and extra virgin olive oil to bind it all together. I add it to a sizzling steak or sometimes just eat it with cheese and crackers.
Want to take part in What’s Cooking and let Metro raid your kitchen at home? Email courtney.pochin@metro.co.uk
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