Celebrity chef Rick Stein recently opened up about a particularly jarring encounter from his past, recalling the time he was "knocked out cold" by an irate customer. The incident came to light in an episode of Rick Stein's Cornwall, which viewers can catch on BBC iPlayer, where Rick reminisces over his formative years.
"Forgive me, I'd like to take you on a trip down memory lane to where it all began over 50 years ago in Padstow," said Rick. He visited the site of his first venture, a nightclub he opened with his best friend Johnny Walter in the early 70s. Rick has always had a passion for music; he played bass guitar in a band during his school days, before starting a disco named Purple Tiger at university.
Seeking a permanent home for Purple Tiger led him to purchase a building on Padstow's quayside, which he renamed The Great Western. His tenure as a nightclub owner was bustling and eventful. "We opened up with a disco, full of excitement, full of anticipation. We had lots of fishermen that came in, and lots of people that really weren't used to clubs and club hours and drinking till 1 o'clock in the morning," he detailed.
It wasn't all smooth sailing; confrontations were common, and Rick often found himself trying to settle disputes personally, which didn't always go well. "I remember once we had a load of jousters down in the area, and I tried to punch a jouster. He knocked me out cold," reports Cornwall Live.
