# Ruth Watson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruth_Watson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruth_Watson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Watson > Source revision: 1350515385 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English hotelier, restaurateur, broadcaster and food writer}} {{About|the English hotelier|the New Zealand artist|Ruth Watson (artist)|the Canadian composer|Ruth Watson Henderson}} {{Use British English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Ruth Watson | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1950}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | known_for = '''Presenting:'''
''[The Hotel Inspector](/source/The_Hotel_Inspector)''
''[Country House Rescue](/source/Country_House_Rescue)''
''[Ruth Watson's Hotel Rescue](/source/Ruth_Watson's_Hotel_Rescue)'' | occupation = [Hotel](/source/Hotel)ier, restaurateur, broadcaster and [food](/source/cooking) writer | spouse = David Watson (1981-present) | children = | website = [http://www.ruthwatson.co.uk/ Official website] | footnotes = }} '''Ruth Watson''' is an English hotelier, restaurateur, broadcaster and [food](/source/cooking) writer. ==Early life and career== Born in London, Ruth Watson was educated in London and at [Westonbirt School](/source/Westonbirt_School) in Gloucestershire. After taking up a career in [graphic design](/source/graphic_design), she became an inspector for the ''[Good Food Guide](/source/Good_Food_Guide)''.{{cite web|url=http://www.hattowendesign.com/inspector/ruthwatson.html|title=Ruth Watson|publisher=hattowendesign.com|access-date=20 May 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723203448/http://www.hattowendesign.com/inspector/ruthwatson.html|archive-date=23 July 2008|df=dmy-all}} In 1983, Watson and her husband David bought Hintlesham Hall in [Hintlesham](/source/Hintlesham), Suffolk, as a restaurant and cookery school from [Robert Carrier](/source/Robert_Carrier_(chef)), which over six years they turned into a 33-room hotel, with an 18-hole [golf course](/source/golf_course). In 1986 she featured with her family in a [Bisto](/source/Bisto) gravy advert. In 1990 they bought the Fox and Goose Inn at [Fressingfield](/source/Fressingfield), launching it as one of Britain's first [gastropub](/source/gastropub)s.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/nov/28/channel4.channelfive|title=Watson checks in to Channel 4|author=Dowell, Ben|work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|date=28 November 2007|access-date=20 May 2008}} In November 1999, Watson and her husband bought the Crown and Castle Hotel in [Orford](/source/Orford%2C_Suffolk) near [Woodbridge](/source/Woodbridge%2C_Suffolk), Suffolk, which they fully restored and ran as a modern country house hotel. In October 2017 Watson sold her interest in the Crown and Castle, stating "dealing with {{sic|bure|acracy}} has long overtaken the core business of cooking and serving good food". In 2020 they opened Watson and Walpole, a neighbourhood Italian restaurant, together with their partner and head chef, Rob Walpole. It is listed in the Michelin Guide and rated as Very Good in the Good Food Guide.{{cite web|url=http://www.crownandcastle.co.uk|title=Crown and Castle|access-date=20 May 2008}} In 2010 the University of Suffolk awarded Watson an Honorary Doctorate for services to hospitality. Formerly Secretary of The Guild of Food Writers, she took over as President in October 2024. {{cite web|url=http://ruthwatson.co.uk/|title=RUTH WATSON:The Crown and Castle restaurant with rooms in Suffolk |url-status=deviated|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026054819/https://ruthwatson.co.uk/ |archive-date=26 October 2018}} ==Food writing== Watson's hotel experience brought her to the eye of various publishers, and she was asked in 1994 by friend [Delia Smith](/source/Delia_Smith) to be a contributing food editor on ''[Sainsbury's Magazine](/source/Sainsbury's)''. Watson subsequently became food editor of the ''[Daily Mail Weekend](/source/Daily_Mail)'' magazine, for which she was shortlisted for a [Glenfiddich Award](/source/Glenfiddich_Food_and_Drink_Awards) 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](/source/Ebury_Publishing); the slimming book ''Fat Girl Slim,''{{cite web|url=http://www.fatgirlslim.net/|title=Fat Girl Slim|author=Watson, Ruth|publisher=Quadrille Publishing|accessdate=20 May 2008}} while her cook book ''Something for the Weekend'' is in its third edition. ==Broadcasting career== In 2005, Watson began presenting the [Channel 5](/source/Channel_5_(UK)) television series ''[The Hotel Inspector](/source/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.{{cite web |url=http://www.five.tv/factsheets/hotelinspector |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060812192101/http://www.five.tv/factsheets/hotelinspector/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 August 2006 |title=The Hotel Inspector |publisher=Five.tv |accessdate=20 May 2008 |df=dmy-all }} Watson's direct style appealed to viewers and ''The Hotel Inspector'' became one of Channel 5's most popular series of the 2000s (the show won a [Royal Television Society](/source/Royal_Television_Society) Award in November 2006). Despite this, Watson decided not to undertake a fourth series, and was succeeded on the programme by hotelier [Alex Polizzi](/source/Alex_Polizzi). In November 2007, Watson signed an exclusive two-year deal with [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4) to front a number of television shows, the first of which explores the commercial development of Britain's [country house](/source/country_house)s. Titled, ''[Country House Rescue](/source/Country_House_Rescue)'', the series was broadcast on Channel 4 on Tuesday nights in December 2008 – January 2009, and gained audiences of up to 2.7 million on its first run. A mini-series of catch-up episodes were broadcast a year later. A second series of ''Country House Rescue'' was commissioned by Channel 4, and started airing from March 2010.{{cite magazine|title=C4 wants longer run of Country House Rescue|url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/multi-platform/news/c4-wants-longer-run-of-country-house-rescue/2011651.article|magazine=[Broadcast](/source/Broadcast_(magazine))|date=24 March 2009 |accessdate=20 June 2009}}{{cite news|title=Country House Rescue|url=http://www.ruthwatson.co.uk/country-house-rescue.html|publisher=ruthwatson.co.uk|accessdate=29 August 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005090453/http://www.ruthwatson.co.uk/country-house-rescue.html|archivedate=5 October 2009|df=dmy-all}} A third series aired from March 2011, and a further series of catch-up episodes aired from August 2011. However, Watson has stated on her own website that she will not present any more series of ''Country House Rescue'' in the future.{{cite web|url=http://www.ruthwatson.co.uk/television.html |title=Television |publisher=Ruth Watson |accessdate=9 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622092752/http://www.ruthwatson.co.uk/television.html |archivedate=22 June 2012 }} Watson also starred in another TV show that she described as "''[Grand Designs](/source/Grand_Designs)'' meets ''The Hotel Inspector''" where she helped aspiring hoteliers start their businesses.{{cite web|title=Ruth Watson ('Country House Rescue')|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a137347/ruth-watson-country-house-rescue.html|website=[Digital Spy](/source/Digital_Spy)|date=5 December 2008|accessdate=9 December 2008}} The programme, titled ''[Ruth Watson's Hotel Rescue](/source/Ruth_Watson's_Hotel_Rescue)'', premiered on [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4) at 8.00pm on Wednesday, 30 September 2009,{{cite web|title=Queen documentary heads up C4 season|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a173935/queen-documentary-heads-up-c4-season.html|website=[Digital Spy](/source/Digital_Spy)|date=26 August 2009|accessdate=29 August 2009}} and continued to air throughout October of that year. However, ''Ruth Watson's Hotel Rescue'' was not recommissioned for any further series. In April 2010, Watson guest-presented the ''[Funk & Soul Show](/source/The_Craig_Charles_Funk_and_Soul_Show)'' on [BBC 6 Music](/source/BBC_6_Music), standing in for [Craig Charles](/source/Craig_Charles).{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a215693/james-may-to-host-bbc-6-music-rock-show.html |title=James May to host BBC 6 Music rock show – Media News |website=Digital Spy |date=21 April 2010 |accessdate=9 June 2013}} In 2013, Watson presented ''Ruth Watson Means Business!'', a 15-part series on Channel 4.{{cite news|last1=Foottit|first1=Lesley|title=Hotel Inspector Ruth Watson stars in new TV show|url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Legal/Property-law/Ruth-Watson-Means-Business-TV-show|accessdate=19 August 2015|work=[Morning Advertiser](/source/Morning_Advertiser)|date=6 December 2013}} ==Personal life== Watson and her husband live in a 16th-century farmhouse in [Suffolk](/source/Suffolk), 15 minutes away from Watson and Walpole in Framlingham. The garden and 20 acres of orchard, fields and meadows have been organic for over 30 years. Hedgerows, copses and hundreds of native and specimen trees have been planted. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.ruthwatson.co.uk Ruth Watson's personal website] *[https://watsonandwalpole.com Watson and Walpole - Ruth Watson's new restaurant] *[http://www.crownandcastle.co.uk The Crown and Castle – Watson's previous business] *[http://www.fatgirlslim.net Fat Girl Slim] {{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Ruth}} Category:Living people Category:Writers from London Category:English magazine editors Category:English women magazine editors Category:English food writers Category:English television presenters Category:British hoteliers Category:People educated at Westonbirt School Category:1950 births Category:Women hoteliers Category:People from Orford, Suffolk --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ruth Watson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Watson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Watson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.