Luke Baker sees food as more than something to fuel your body with – in fact, it's true to say that Luke loves everything to do with food.

The actor, singer and musical theatre star, playing the marathon role of Frankie Valli in the 20th anniversary tour of Jersey Boys, traces his love of “all things food” back to his childhood.

“I was always asking my mum and gran questions about the meals they prepared, like, 'How do you do that?'"

And guess what they showed him.

“By the time I was 13, I would start preparing meals when I came home from school, and I really enjoyed doing it so we could all sit down as a family when my parents came home.”

“They were simple but healthy meals like lasagne and spaghetti bolognese. I also learnt from my mum and gran how to bake cakes, which came in useful," but Luke admits to having less luck making bread.

“It was hit and miss; I never really nailed it," he admits.

Hardly ever off stage in Jersey Boys, except for 5 minutes in Act One, means he has to fuel his body with food when he’s on tour to keep up his energy levels.

“I eat a normal mixed balanced diet, but 80% is healthy. I start my day with breakfast, usually at around 11.00am, with something like egg on toast and smashed avocado, and it's usually at around 4.30.”

At teatime Luke usually has some meat or fish with salad or invests in a meal deal offer which is not too heavy.

“I get through a lot of water in the show, as you can get very dehydrated performing." Unlike some performers, Luke very rarely these days eats a meal after the show, as "it can interfere with your sleep."

When Luke is at home he loves creating dishes with his wife Olivia, who he admits is a “very good cook who really knows how to create flavours using herbs and spices”.

“We really do create some lovely dishes and love entertaining to share them with our guests. Entertaining has become part of our life."

Luke vividly remembers two memorable meals he shared with Olivia whilst he was appearing in the West End.

“The first was the Pique in the London Bridge area. Everything was French-style, and you have to share the dishes as a couple. I took Olivia there after I proposed.

"Another memorable meal was at the Café Boheme in London on one of our first dates. We sat up at the bar, and everything came out as it was cooked on a platter – the perfect sharing experience for couples."

Luke and His Greek Salad

Roast Whole Chicken with a Classic Greek Salad

Ingredients

For the chicken
1 whole chicken (approx. 1.5–2kg)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Greek salad
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cucumber, sliced
½ red onion, finely sliced
A handful of Kalamata olives
200g block of feta cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan).
2. Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper, making sure it is evenly coated.
3. Place the chicken in a roasting tin and roast for around 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh.
4. Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 10–15 minutes before carving.
5. While the chicken is resting, prepare the Greek salad by combining the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and Kalamata olives in a large bowl.
6. Drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, then sprinkle with the oregano and a little black pepper. Toss gently to combine.
7. Place the block of feta on top (or crumble it over the salad if preferred) and serve alongside the carved roast chicken.

The Jersey Boys is at theatres in our area on the following dates:
2026
Bradford Alhambra 20 July - 1 August
Hull 28 September - 3 October
2027
Blackpool 17 - 22 May
Leeds 7 - 19 June
Sheffield 21 June - 3 July