Top chef Antony Worrall Thompson needs no introduction, thanks to his impressive list of TV appearances over recent years, as well as his celebrated culinary skills. AWT currently presents Saturday Cooks on ITV1; Saturday Cooks Cookbook (Mitchell Beazley, £14.99), a new collection of easy recipes from the show, has just been published.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I'm most proud of my TV career. I enjoy communicating about food, and being able to entertain and provide ideas about food to a large audience. I've worked on some great shows - BBC Food & Drink, Ready Steady Cook, Saturday Kitchen, Saturday Cooks - all of which have had an impact on the way in which we look at food.

And what's your biggest career regret?

I don't really have any regrets. But one thing I wish I hadn't done is stick my finger up at the audience when I went up to collect the Meilleur Ouvrier de Grande Bretagne - the chef's Oscar. It's a very prestigious award, but some people didn't think I deserved to receive it - which is why I did what I did. But in retrospect, I wish I hadn't...

Which other celebrity chef do you find most inspiring - and why?

I have two favourites actually - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Rick Stein. They both have a great passion about ingredients - and I love the way they've both celebrated the local producer and seasonality of ingredients.

Do you think everyone has it in them to be a great cook?

Lots of people are able to be good, accomplished cooks - but greatness is only found in a few. Greatness comes with a very special passion and creativity.

What advice would you give to someone who lives on ready meals and takeaways?

It's quite simple: get hold of some cookbooks and learn a little about food. You'll find cooking from scratch is a much cheaper and healthier option than living off processed food.

And finally ... what's your favourite chocolate recipe?

Hot chocolate soufflés with raspberry sauce: it's in the Saturday Cooks Cookbook. They taste absolutely divine!