Actor Bill Ward admits he looks upon “food as fuel” and always has done so.

“I have always been a very active person both in my theatre and T.V. work and also play a lot of sport, so I need to eat a lot and regularly," says Bill, who is appearing next week in Twelve Angry Men, a gripping drama at Bradford Alhambra.

But despite his love of food, he admits he is not one for going out and eating in restaurants: “I prefer to eat at home at my own kitchen table."

Bill, who was born and grew up in the North East has had a love of food all his life. “My father was a butcher, so we always had plenty of meat at home to eat in various forms, such as stews, pies and casseroles.”

“But I only started cooking when I left home and went to university, or I would have starved."

“I survived on tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise stuck in pita bread, baked potatoes and pasta – all things that were quick and easy to prepare."

When he’s on tour Bill begins his day with a breakfast, usually of crispy cereal clusters and a cup of tea, followed by lunch around midday.

“I normally have a sandwich, which I make myself with ham or cheese and lots of tomato, cucumber and maybe pickle, plus a couple of bananas, which I always make sure I have in my dressing room, as I get through quite a few over the course of the day.”

When he’s on tour, Bill will batch cook, so he always has a tasty, filling and healthy dish for his main meal. “It might be a casserole or stew always with some vegetables, which I will have around 5.30 to 6.30.”

When it comes to recalling his most memorable meals, Bill has no difficulty with his answer. “It was the real family Christmas dinner at my auntie's house every year.

“Fifteen or twenty of us would gather in her back room after opening presents at around 12.30 for a real traditional Christmas lunch. We’d have traditional turkey with all the trimmings from bread sauce to stuffing, followed by Christmas pudding, after which we’d all watch The Queen’s speech.

“It was a massive memorable family gathering."

Minced Beef Stew

Ingredients

Mince
New Potatoes
Broccoli
Carrots
Leeks
Peas
Onions
Garlic
Baked Beans
Gravy Browning

How to cook:

Boil new potatoes, broccoli, and carrots in a pan.
Fry leeks, onions, and garlic mince in a frying pan
Add leeks, onions, garlic, and mince to potatoes, broccoli, and carrots in a pan.
Add gravy, browning, baked beans and peas.

The end.

Twelve Angry Men is playing at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from Tuesday, 27 October to Saturday, 31 October 2026