Clarissa Dickson-Wright

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Clarissa Dickson-Wright Biography

Clarissa Dickson Wright - After dinner speaker and personal appearances
Topics:
  • Food & Wine
  • Women

Clarissa Dickson-Wright was no stranger to good food as a child. She was born into a home where eating caviar and pheasant shooting were the norm and pigeons were flown in from Cairo for supper.

The Early Years

Her father was a respected surgeon, but also a violent alcoholic. When Clarissa won a place at Oxford, he refused to subsidise her unless she read medicine. So she went to University College London to study law and was called to the bar aged 21.

She practised successfully as a barrister for several years, before settling on cooking as her true calling. She ran her own catering business, cooked on a yacht in the Caribbean and served 60 meals a day at her London luncheon club.

Her 12-year bout of alcoholism, triggered by the death of her mother in 1978, has been well documented. She eventually turned to Alcoholics Anonymous and, while in a halfway house, she started working at Books for Cooks in Notting Hill, London.

Along the way, she also became one of only two women in England to become a guild butcher (the other is the Queen Mother). She is also the first woman to be rector at the University of Aberdeen.

Two Fat Ladies

She rode into fame in the sidecar of Jennifer Paterson's motorcycle in the TV series Two Fat Ladies and she was often seen as the slightly saner sidekick.

However, Clarissa refused to make another series of Two Fat Ladies after her co-star's death in 1998. In her latest TV project - Clarissa and the Countryman - she joins her lifelong friend sheep farmer Sir Johnny Scott to pay homage to rural Britain, sharing their passion for field sports and traditional country activities.

There's no denying she's a survivor, and her ability to talk on almost any subject along with her down-to-earth philosophy and straight-forwardness makes her a natural star. It's unlikely we'll see her cooking on our screens again, but she has published six books on food and cookery, and it's a sure thing that food will always be part of this lady's life!

Her sophistication blended with her down to earth philosophy and straight forwardness makes Clarissa a natural star in the UK.

Books

Some of Clarissa's books include

For further information or to book Clarissa Dickson-Wright , call us on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk

Outside of appearing and speaking at live corporate and private events Clarissa Dickson-Wright has a number of retail products available that can be purchased through Speakers Corner. For upcoming new book and product launches related to Clarissa Dickson-Wright then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 208 365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk

Clarissa Dickson-Wright DVDs


Clarissa Dickson-Wright News

A selection of relevant news related to Clarissa Dickson-Wright and Food & Wine stories. For more information on Clarissa Dickson-Wright or details as to how to book Clarissa Dickson-Wright for your corporate event, then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tops the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women for the 4th year
20th August 2009The Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women 2009 list has been announced and for the fourth year running, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is number one. The list includes the 100 top women in politics, business and philanthropy.
The Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards
4th September 2008The director of civil rights group Liberty won the Inspiration of the Year award. Shami Chakrabarti won the prize at the 2008 Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards, with other winners including artist Tracy Emin.
Feeding Britain since 1947
15th October 2007She is too modest to admit it, but 60 years ago Marguerite Patten was the Jamie Oliver of her day. Now, at 91, she is about to be named Woman of the Year
Revolving restaurant in London's BT Tower is to reopen after 30 years
2nd November 2009Gary Rhodes, Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver are to be approached by BT to run the revolving restaurant at the top of the BT Tower (formerly the Post Office Tower) when it re-opens at the end of 2011 after a 30 year closure.
Gü Brings Sweet Success for James Averdieck
16th December 2008Gü Chocolate Puds, founded by James Averdieck in 2003 has recently become a multi award winner. Not content with scooping the New Exporter of the Year Award, sponsored by UK Trade and Investment, Gü Chocolate Puds also went on to be crowned the overall Food and Drink Exporter of the Year 2008.
Revealed: 100 most powerful women
31st August 2007ONE is the monarch, one the head of a male-dominated bastion of the business world and the other a controversial architect.
Speakers Corner on Inclusivity and Diversity
1st October 2009Links between diversity and company image and inclusivity and staff retention are well known but it is new factors coming to light around increased creativity and better customer service that are ensuring diversity and inclusivity are keys to success.
Parents don't spend enough time playing with their children says Professor Tanya Byron
27th August 2010Professor Tanya Byron's latest report indicates that family games are becoming a lost art, as time pressures, miscommunication, boredom, and lack of clear advice are cited by parents as contributing factors to not spending enough time playing with their children.
Lisa Faulkner wins Celebrity Masterchef
25th August 2010Lisa Faulkner cooked up a storm to win Celebrity Masterchef, beating finalists Dick Strawbridge and Christine Hamilton to the title. Masterchef judge, John Torode praised Lisa's 'natural touch and fantastic palate'.
The Good Food Guide rates The Fat Duck as the top
11th August 2010Heston Blumenthal's restaurant 'The Fat Duck' has been voted the top restaurant in the UK for the third year in a row. Other top chefs that appeared in the top 10 included Marcus Wareing, Raymond Blanc and Gordon Ramsey

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News

2nd September 2010
Michael Douglas shared his struggle on The Late Show with David Letterman yesterday and keynote speakers including Lance Armstrong and Martina Navratilova have been open to sharing their own experiences and stories of hope.
1st September 2010
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