Ruth Watson

Ruth Watson (born in London), is an English hotelier, broadcaster and food writer.

Born in London, Watson was educated in London and at Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire. After taking up a career in graphic design, she became an inspector for the Good Food Guide.citeweb|url=http://www.hattowendesign.com/inspector/ruthwatson.html|title=Ruth Watson|publisher=hattowendesign.com|accessdate=2008-05-20]

In 1983, Watson and her husband David bought [http://www.hintleshamhall.co.uk/ Hintlesham Hall] in Hintlesham, Suffolk as a restaurant and cookery school from Robert Carrier, which over six years they turned into a 33 room hotel, with an 18 hole golf course. In 1990 they bought the [http://www.foxandgoose.net/ Fox and Goose Inn] at Fressingfield, launching it as one of Britain's first ever gastropubs.citeweb|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/28/channel4.channelfive|title=Watson checks in to Channel 4|author=Dowell, Ben|publisher=guardian.co.uk|date=2007-11-28|accessdate=2008-05-20] In November 1999, Watson and her husband bought the Crown and Castle hotel in Orford near Woodbridge, Suffolk, which they have fully restored and run as a modern country house hotel. [citeweb|url=http://www.crownandcastle.co.uk|title=Crown and Castle|accessdate=2008-05-20]

Watson's hotel experience brought her to the eye of various publishers, and was asked in 1994 by friend Delia Smith to be a contributing food editor on Sainsbury's Magazine. Watson subsequently became food editor of the Daily Mail's "Weekend" magazine, for which she was shortlisted for a Glenfiddich award as newspaper cookery writer in 2001, and won twice as Cookery Writer of the year - in 1997 and 2000. Watson has written three books: the "Really Helpful Cookbook" published in October 2000 by Ebury Press; the slimming book "Fat Girl Slim," [citeweb|url=http://www.fatgirlslim.net/|title=Fat Girl Slim|author=Watson, Ruth|publisher=Quadrille Publishing|accessdate=2008-05-20] while her cook book "Something for the Weekend" is in its third edition.

In Autumn 2005 Ruth Watson's public profile greatly increased when she became the star of Five's series "The Hotel Inspector". In each episode of this observational documentary series Watson would visit a struggling British hotel and try to turn their fortunes by giving advice and suggestions to the owner. [citeweb|url=http://www.five.tv/factsheets/hotelinspector|title=The Hotel Inspector|publisher=Five.tv|accessdate=2008-05-20] Watson's direct style appealed to viewers and The Hotel Inspector has become one of Five's most popular series to date (the show won a Royal Television Society Award in November 2006). Despite this Watson decided not to undertake a fourth series. In November 2007, she signed an exclusive two year deal with Channel 4 to front a series of shows, the first of which will explore the commercial development of Britain's Country Houses and Estates. Titled, Country House Rescue, the 6-part series will go out on Channel 4 at 9pm on Tuesday nights, starting on 2nd December 2008.

Watson and her husband live in a 16th century farmhouse 20 minutes away from the Crown and Castle, which has convert|120|acre|km2|sing=on organic farm, producing some produce for the Crown and Castle.

References

External links

* [http://www.ruthwatson.co.uk Ruth Watson's personal website]
* [http://www.crownandcastle.co.uk The Crown and Castle - Watson's current hotel]
* [http://www.fatgirlslim.net Fat Girl Slim]
* [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/realitytv/a76329/ruth-watson.html Interview with Watson re third series of "The Hotel Inspector"]