WITH some trepidation I picked up the phone to interview everyone’s favourite acid-tongued food critic, Jay Rayner.

Famed for his no-nonsense approach to cuisine, Jay is best known for his appearances on the BBC’s One Show, MasterChef and his own column in the Observer.

Thankfully he was in jovial form ahead of his one-man show that’s coming to the Lighthouse Poole on November 3. The reason I soon discover is due to his fond memories of holidays in Studland with his late-mother and TV personality Clare Rayner.

“I had all my summer holidays in the 1970s at Studland. We stayed at the Knoll House hotel and I remember that the Bournemouth Daily Echo was the newspaper that would land in the hotel,” says Jay, 50.

“That hotel was one of the places where I learned to eat. Back then it had a faded aristocracy vibe and I don’t know what my family of north London Jews was doing staying there. But the seafood freshly caught from off Swanage would be terrific and I do feel a bit of connection to the area,” Jay added.

Arriving in Poole next week, Jay’s new show has the imposing title of The Ten (Food) Commandments, which he explains: “The can expect raucous entertainment, as weirdly somewhere down the line I’ve ended up doing stand-up. It’s all based on my book the Ten Food Commandments and how we eat now.”

“There are many people in the food world that are very bossy and finger wagging. I thought I’d take it to the extreme and claim I’m a biblical prophet and they’ve got to do as I say. Towards the end of the show I deny I’m a biblical prophet, but that you’ve got food choices to make. I also rather like the idea of dressing up, which the audience will discover.”

Although food-obsessed, Rayner is no one-trick pony. He is the author of four novels and three works of non-fiction.

“One of the reasons I ended up doing this tour was that I wrote a book back in 2013 about food security in the 21st century. I realised when I finished it that was perfect fodder for literary panels at festivals. And I really hate them.

“I hate sitting on them and I hate watching them. I thought I must do something to get out of being asked onto literary panels, so I came up with my one-man show and this is my third.”

With his hackles up, Jay goes into full-flow on the pitfalls of being on literary panel.

“They always find someone who has exactly the opposing view. I mean most subjects there are enormous shades of grey and instead you’re forced into an opposition position. You have to sit there and argue from increasingly polarised positions and I don’t think it gets anywhere. Plus, I think they’re dull and really boring.”

An aspect of The Ten (Food) Commandments that Jay relishes is the Q&A session in the second half.

“I ask the audience to come up with their own food commandments. They tweet them at me and we discuss them in the second half. We then have a big discussion and it’s a lot of fun. You never quite know what’s going to happen at that point and the audience can throw curveballs at me.”

The show starts at 7.45pm on Thursday and includes a Q&A and book signing.

n For tickets contact Lighthouse, Poole on 01202 280000 or lighthousepoole.co.uk