He travelled to New Zealand and Mexico around that time to 'take some time out'. Distraught by his father's suicide, at age 19 he went to Australia, where he worked as a labourer in an abattoir and as a clerk in a naval dockyard. He worked there as a chef for six months. Stein partially completed a hotel management traineeship with British Transport Hotels at its Great Western Royal Hotel in Paddington. He moved to a cram school in Brighton, gaining E grades in English and history. He took A-levels in English, history and geography, but failed all of them. Stein was educated at Wells Court, a preparatory school just outside Tewkesbury, then Wells House, the Court's bigger sister-school at Malvern Wells, and then Uppingham School. Of German descent, Christopher Richard Stein was born on 4 January 1947 in Churchill, Oxfordshire, to Eric and Dorothy Stein. He has written cookery books and presented television programmes.

He is also the head chef and a co-owner of the 'Rick Stein at Bannisters' restaurants in Mollymook and Port Stephens in Australia, with his second wife, Sarah. The business has a number of renowned restaurants, shops and hotels in Padstow along with other restaurants in Marlborough, Winchester and Barnes. Along with business partner (and first wife) Jill Stein, he has run the Stein hotel and restaurant business in the UK.

Christopher Richard Stein, CBE (born 4 January 1947) is an English celebrity chef, restaurateur, writer and television presenter.

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