Phil Vickery is a busy man. The champion of Celebrity Masterchef is back from the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand where he was busy commentating and is preparing for Masterchef Live. We caught up with Phil to find out just what the win meant to him and where his love of cooking comes from...

Q. At the beginning, did you think that you would win Masterchef?

A. No, not at all! I have a genuine interest and love of cooking and food in all ways.

I retired from rugby quite early and am a huge fan of the show so when the call came I thought, why not? I'll have a go!"

Q. Your wining dish had a distinct British flavour. Do you usually favour traditional dishes or are you quite adventurous?

A. "I like our food. We have so much great produce in this country that we should be taking advantage of. I love sushi but my knowledge of cooking is all about traditional, tasty, simple foods which are great — sometimes we forget how good that can be. I want people at home to be able to cook my food.

Q. Who usually does the cooking at home?

A. Me. I moved away from home at 19 and had to fend for myself. I love cooking. I'm not particularly good at it, but I really enjoy it.

Q. Who inspired you to get involved with cooking?

A. I grew up in north Cornwall on the family farm. Meal times were important and a real focus of the day. Everybody was involved, feeding the workers and the family. I remember my Nan's baking days where she'd make all sorts of bread and cakes and I'd stick my finger in the mixture. We all had our own veggie patches and were very hands on — I do that now with my kids at home. There's nothing like seeing their faces light up when you pull up a carrot or the potatoes.

A. I was totally out of my comfort zone. It's just you, the cameras, a clock and John and Greg. It's about trying to stay focused. A real highlight for me was learning all about flavour in Michael Caines' kitchen.

Q. What are the kitchen essentials that no chef should be without?

A knife sharpener, 2 good knives (one for chopping and one for peeling), a frying pan, some good quality pots and pans, a good electric whisk and a good, big, solid chopping board — half of cooking is the prep, I'm a bit obsessed with chopping boards actually.

Q. Tell us about your favourite recipe?

A. You can't beat a Sunday Roast. Roast potatoes, broccoli, Yorkshire puddings, some roast beef and gravy – lovely!

Q. Is Celebrity Come Dine With Me next?

A. No way! I now have so many people lined up to come over for dinner and I'm yet to cook a lot of the dishes for my wife. That comes first!

Q. You've conquered the world of fashion with your label Raging Bull. What can we expect from you now? A recipe book perhaps?

A. I haven't thought about it too much yet, I'm just enjoying the moment for now. Who knows what the future holds…

You can shop Phil Vickery's clothing line Raging Bull online at House of Fraser.