Sir Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British author, broadcaster, musician, businessman and cultural campaigner who has mainly worked in the United Kingdom. He presented the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

programme ''

MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking show television format created by Franc Roddam, which originated with MasterChef (British TV series), the British version in July 1990. The show aims to discover the culinary talent of chefs of varying sk ...

'' from 1990 to 2000 and was a co-presenter, with

David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was an English television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...

, of the BBC and ITV panel show ''

Through the Keyhole ''Through the Keyhole'' is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by David Frost, Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter explores celebrities' h ...

'' from 1987 until 2003.

Early life and education

Grossman was born in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, on 16 September 1950 and raised in Marblehead, Massachusetts, the son of David K. Grossman, a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

antique dealer and Helen Katherine (née Gilman). Many members of his father's family were art and antiques dealers in and around Boston. His cousin was

Ram Dass Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and writer. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been d ...

, the spiritual teacher and author. His initial education was at the General John Glover School in Marblehead, and then at Marblehead High School. He graduated from

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

with a BA degree ''

cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

'' in

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

in 1972. In 1975, he travelled to the United Kingdom to study at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

, where he earned an MSc degree in

economic history Economic history is the study of history using methodological tools from economics or with a special attention to economic phenomena. Research is conducted using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and the Applied economics ...

in 1977. Grossman later returned to university at

Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

, where he studied

history of art The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative, and even functional and other purposes, but with a primary emphasis on its aesthetics ...

, receiving in this subject an MPhil degree in 2009 and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in 2014.

Career

Journalism

Grossman became involved with journalism as an undergraduate in Boston writing for a number of 'underground' and music publications including ''Boston After Dark'', ''Fusion'', ''Vibrations'', the ''New York Review of Rock'' and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''. After graduation from the LSE he joined the staff of '' Harpers & Queen'' as design editor and subsequently went to work for ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' as contributing editor. He has written for many British newspapers and is a regular contributor to '' Country Life''. While at ''Harpers & Queen'' he was also the magazine's restaurant critic, a pursuit which he continued for thirteen years also writing about restaurants for '' GQ'' and ''The Sunday Times''.

Television

Grossman's television career began in 1983 as one of the regular faces on

TV-am TV-am was a TV company that broadcast the ITV franchise for breakfast television in the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 until 31 December 1992. The station was the UK's first national operator of a commercial breakfast television franchise ...

presenting among other things a short segment, ''Through the Keyhole'', which he devised along with Kevin Sim and David Frost. ''Through the Keyhole'' transferred to primetime on ITV in 1987 and Grossman continued on the show until 2003. He presented ''Masterchef'' from 1990 to 2000 and ''Junior Masterchef'' as well as a great number of other programmes including ''Loyd on Location'', ''The History of British Sculpture'', and ''Behind the Headlines''. He also presented the

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

series ''Composers at Home''.

Music

Grossman has a continuing career as a guitarist initially with

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band Jet Bronx And The Forbidden, who reached number 47 in the UK singles chart in December 1977 with "Ain't Doin' Nothing". He returned to playing music in 2008 at the Vienna Rebellion Punk Festival. He subsequently formed a new band, The New Forbidden, with Valentine Guinness. The New Forbidden have appeared at

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

eight times. Grossman also appears as a guest artist with Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull when they play their annual concerts in aid of English cathedrals.

Food

In 1995, Grossman introduced his own brand of cooking sauces, which a 2003 survey found to be the most successful UK celebrity brand. The sauces are produced by arrangement with

Premier Foods Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The group owns many well-known brands, including Mr Kipling, Ambrosia (food), Ambrosia, Bird's Custard, Angel Delight, Homepride cooking sauces, J. Lyons ...

. In 2000, he was asked to head a project to improve the quality of food served in British

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

hospitals. Although some newspapers reported that the project had a £40 million budget, Grossman pointed out in a ''

Nursing Times ''Nursing Times'' is a website and monthly magazine for nurses, which is published in the United Kingdom. It covers original nursing research and best practice for nurses at all stages in their career, as well as daily news, opinion and other inf ...

'' interview that almost all of that money was earmarked for the ward housekeeping programme. He was disappointed that there seemed to be little real money or political will to change hospital catering.

Heritage and the arts

Grossman's lifelong interest in history, the arts and heritage has involved him in a number of organisations. He is a former commissioner of the Museums and Galleries Commission, a former commissioner of

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

(where he was chairman of the Museums Advisory Committee and the Blue Plaques Panel), and of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. He was a founding member of the

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) was until May 2012 a non-departmental public body and a registered charity in England with a remit to promote improvement and innovation in the area of museums, Library, libraries, and archives. ...

, past chairman of the

National Museums Liverpool National Museums Liverpool, formerly National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, comprises several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool in Merseyside, England. All the museums and galleries in the group have free admission. The mu ...

, deputy chairman of Liverpool European Capital of Culture, chairman of Culture Northwest and of the

Public Monuments and Sculpture Association In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

. He founded the 24 Hour Museum (now Culture24). He was chairman of the

University for the Creative Arts The University for the Creative Arts is a specialist art and design university in Southern England. It was formed in 2005 as University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester when the Kent Institu ...

from 2008 to 2012 and a member of the Court of Governors of the LSE from 1996 to 2009 and is now an emeritus governor. He was deputy chair of the Royal Drawing School, a member of the Council of the

British School at Rome The British School at Rome (BSR) is a British interdisciplinary research centre supporting the arts, humanities and architecture established in Rome. Historical and archaeological study are at the core of its activities. History The British Sc ...

, a member of the board of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and a governor of the Building Crafts College. Grossman was chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust from 2007 to 2016 and in 2009 became chairman of the Heritage Alliance – the UK organisation that represents more than 100 leading non-governmental organisations across the heritage sector. In 2015, he was elected for an unprecedented third term as chairman. In 2016, he was appointed chairman of The Royal Parks.

Current appointments

Grossman is chairman of The Royal Parks, having been reappointed for a four-year term in July 2020, to run from 5 July 2020 to 4 July 2024. He was also chairman of Gresham College, a governor of the British Institute at Florence, a governor of the

Compton Verney House Compton Verney House () is an 18th-century country mansion at Compton Verney near Kineton in Warwickshire, England. It is located on the west side of a lake north of the B4086 road, B4086 about north-west of Banbury. Today, it is the site of th ...

Trust and a trustee of the Warburg Charitable Trust. He is president of the Arts Society (formerly NADFAS) and patron of the Association for Heritage Interpretation.

Other activities

Grossman is Master of the

Worshipful Company of Carpenters The Worshipful Company of Carpenters is a livery company of the City of London. The Carpenters were traditionally different from a fellow wood-crafting company, the Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers, in that carpenters utilised nails whi ...

, an Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars. He is a fellow of a number of learned societies: the Society of Antiquaries, the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...

, the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usu ...

and the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...

. Loyd is also a season ticket holder at Goodison, Everton FC's ground.

Personal life

Grossman was married to Deborah Puttnam, the daughter of the film producer

David Puttnam David Terence Puttnam, Baron Puttnam, CBE, HonFRSA, HonFRPS, MRIA (; born 25 February 1941), is a British-Irish film producer, educator, environmentalist and former member of the House of Lords. His productions include '' Chariots of Fire' ...

, from 1985 to 2004 and they have two daughters. In 2024, he married secondly the actress Melissa (Clare) Knatchbull (née Owen), daughter of High Court judge Sir John Owen and former wife of Michael Knatchbull, son of the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-nominated television and film producer John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne. He is a keen scuba diver and a lifelong fan of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. His Anglo-American accent reflects his Boston origins and has frequently been the subject of parody including in adverts for his own sauces.

Honours and awards

Grossman was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the 2003 Birthday Honours for services to patient care and promoted to Commander of the same Order (CBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours for services to heritage. Grossman was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in the

2025 New Year Honours The 2025 New Year Honours are appointments by King Charles III among the 15 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The ...

for services to Heritage. He was awarded an honorary DLitt degree from the

University of Chester The University of Chester is a public university located in Chester, England. The university originated as the first purpose-built teacher training college in the UK. As a university, it now occupies five campuses, campus sites in and around Ch ...

in 2007, an honorary

DArts Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, projectiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dartboard. Point ...

degree from the

University of Lincoln The University of Lincoln is a public university, public research university in Lincoln, England, Lincoln, England, with origins dating back to 1861. It gained university status in 1992 and its present name in 2001. The main campus is in the hea ...

in 2010, and an honorary DUniv degree from the

University of Essex The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, it is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. The university comprises three camp ...

in 2014, all in recognition of his work for heritage and tourism. Grossman is a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...

(FSA) since 2010, a

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

(FRSA), a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSAScot), a

Fellow of the Royal Historical Society A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...

(FRHistS), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (FRSM).RSM members recognised in 2025 New Year Honours
- website of the

Publications

* ''The Social History of Rock Music'' (1975) * ''Harpers and Queen Guide to London's 100 Best Restaurants'' (1987) * ''The Dog's Tale'' (1993) * ''Loyd Grossman's Italian Journey'' (1994) * ''Courvoisier's Book of the Best'' (1994–96) – as editor * ''The World on a Plate'' (1997) * ''The 125 Best Recipes Ever'' (1998) * ''Foodstuff'' (2002) * ''Benjamin West and the Struggle to be Modern'' (2013) * '' An Elephant in Rome'' (2020)

References

External links

Loyd Grossman Sauces official website

Jet Bronx and the New Forbidden
official

myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...

site {{DEFAULTSORT:Grossman, Loyd 1950 births 21st-century American Jews Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge Alumni of the London School of Economics American emigrants to England American male journalists American restaurant critics Boston University College of Arts and Sciences alumni British Jews British male journalists British television presenters Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts Fellows of the Royal Society of Medicine Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Jewish American journalists Jews in punk rock Jewish punk rock musicians Knights Bachelor Living people Marblehead High School alumni Masters of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom People from Marblehead, Massachusetts People of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England Punk rock guitarists Premier Foods brands