AN ESSEX chef has the nation's footballing hopes in his hands as he begins his preparations to feed England stars such as Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.
As the saying goes: "An army marches on its stomach", but after two European Championships and one World Cup, Tim De'Ath of Great Baddow is an old hand when it comes to meeting the strict dietary requirements of professional athletes.
The 46-year-old's first international tournament was the 2004 European Championship in Portugal, before he went to South Africa for the World Cup in 2010, and then Ukraine and Poland in 2012 for the Euros again.
And he has already visited Brazil twice in preparation for this summer's tournament in June when England will bid to end their 48-year wait since they lifted the famous trophy for the only time in 1966.
"I mainly work in a supervisory role, managing the catering staff who already work at the locations the team is visiting," said Mr De'Ath, who was born in Hornchurch but has lived in Chelmsford for 30 years.
"So I fly out to the country hosting the tournament months before the team do to check the base camp and all the hotels the team visits around the country.
"The stadiums, the hotels and all the camps the team are going to use are first-class.
"The players get fed a lot of protein, there's lots of different stations for pasta, chicken, anything they want that's nutritional, we make it for them.
"It's not like the old days with Alan Shearer's chicken and beans before a match.
"Everything they eat is calculated and worked out by dieticians and sport scientists to a precise level," added Mr De'Ath, although he insists the players do not have any strange cravings.
Tucked away beneath the old Chelmsford police station, Mr De'Ath's new bar and restaurant, 59 New Street, is an underground cavern of celebrity memorabilia.
Previously known as the Hot House, the premises reopened six months ago after an extensive renovation.
He has worked with some of Hollywood's most celebrated stars in a film industry catering career spanning 18 years. The restaurant is adorned with framed pictures of sports and screen stars posing with the chef on the sets of some of the most popular movies of all time.
A signed Bruce Willis picture from Armageddon, and Mr De'Ath pictured with Anthony Hopkins shortly before winning an Oscar for Silence Of The Lambs, Wesley Snipes in Blade, Natalie Portman in the recent Star Wars films, Leonardo Di Caprio, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Joaquin Phoenix, Tom Cruise and Samuel L Jackson.
"I just fell into that line of work after working for a catering company on a film set, then a year later I set up my own company," he said.
On some sets he would only cater for one actor and so had to get to know their specific nutritional needs inside out.
"Wesley Snipes is the most in-shape person I've ever worked with," he told the Chronicle.
He then applied his expertise to sport when he became head chef for West Ham United FC.
The club's manager at the time was Gianfranco Zola and his friendship with the then England boss and Italian compatriot Fabio Capello meant Mr De'Ath was recruited by the England national team, where he looked after the dietary requirements of stars such as David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand. Some of his current Hammers colleagues have invested in 59 New Street and often bring their friends and families to the restaurant on Sundays.
Striker Andy Carroll, captain Kevin Nolan, Joe Cole, Mark Noble, James Collins and Joey O'Brien all have a stake in the business.
"They're all real foodies and enjoy coming in," he said. "Kevin Nolan sometimes brings his whole family of around 20 people down."
This is the first time Mr De'Ath has opened a restaurant on his own and has chosen Chelmsford as it is near his Great Baddow home.
"I wanted to open a restaurant and it had to be near where I live, and there aren't many independent restaurants in Chelmsford, it's mainly all chains and the town lacks individual, quality places.
"Many of the players wanted to get behind the idea of expanding this concept of highly nutritional food to a wider audience."
