"The chairman of British Rail, Sir Peter Parker, had been nominating me for 10 years. The board didn't think I was the right candidate, even though my business was growing all the time. The two previous winners both went bust and they didn't want the award to be seen as a kiss of death. They gave it to me because I didn't have any debt."
"I never spent money my chefs would get furious with me. They'd ask for a new fridge or fancy oven and I would always reply: When we can afford it, we will! This was me at my most businesslike, trying to look elegant and serious."
Prue Leith, born in Cape Town in 1940, established herself as a restaurateur, chef, broadcaster, and writer. She founded the Michelin-starred restaurant Leiths and created Leiths School of Food and Wine in 1975, which she sold in 1995. Her career includes 16 cookery books, eight novels, and a memoir. She gained television prominence in the 1970s, judging Great British Menu for 11 years and The Great British Bake Off for nine years. In 1990, she won businesswoman of the year, an award delayed by the board due to concerns about previous winners' failures, ultimately awarded to her because of her debt-free business status. Her financial discipline and refusal to overspend defined her business approach.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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