Ben Fogle is an adventurer, broadcaster and bestselling author. He has presented TV series from all over the globe: his many extreme exploits include climbing Everest, rowing the Atlantic, crossing the deserts of the Empty Quarter in the Middle East and racing across Antarctica to the south pole.
He has toured the UK with his sell-out shows, and most recently has become co-owner of Sheffield-based outdoor clothing brand Buffalo Systems. His work combines adventure, conservation and storytelling.
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What’s the last treat you bought for yourself?
Some vintage wood cladding from an old barn to put on the walls of my office. I bought it from a great reclamation yard called English Salvage. I’ve bought plenty of salvage pieces from there over the years.
English Salvage
Shop reclaimed pieces at English Salvage***
Where do you buy your food from?
Multiple places. [My wife] Marina does the big shop online, but we top up with fresh produce from local producers. My favourite is our local farm shop, Bosley Patch in Henley, where Tamsin makes amazing fresh bread and sells the best fresh locally grown fruit and veg.
Bosley Patch
Visit Bosley Patch***
What’s the best ever present you’ve given – and received?
Marina gave me the most beautiful painting of my late labrador, Inca. It was painted by my favourite artists, Olly and Suzi, who work together. Once they’ve finished, they get their subject, in this case, Inca, to walk all over it with muddy paws. It is one of my most treasured items.
Olly Suzi
Shop artworks at Olly SuziI gave my children little bottles filled with water from melted snow from the summit of Mount Everest. I collected it in my drinking flask and filled little old silver perfume bottles (that I found on Etsy), engraved with my ascent date for both of them.
Vintage silver-plated mini perfume bottle
£16.49 at Etsy***
What’s your favourite online store?
I love an online store called Marrkt that sells secondhand clothing. I have a weakness for outdoor jackets, and it has plenty of amazing ones that change on a daily basis. Most of my clothes I buy secondhand.
Outdoor jackets
Shop jackets at Marrkt***
What’s your favourite bricks-and-mortar shop?
I love Baileys in Wales. It’s an interior shop that sells a rich array of vintage and new things. It’s a dangerous shop to visit as there is always something you didn’t know you needed. I love filling our home with decorative items. I’m like a magpie.
Baileys
Shop antiques and furniture at Baileys***
What’s the gadget you use most often?
I have a little portable espresso machine called an OutIn. I take it everywhere as I love a strong espresso to get me going in the morning. I’m not precious about the type of coffee as long as it’s super strong.
OutIn portable espresso maker
£139.99 at OutIn £139.99 at Amazon***
What’s the purchase you regret the most?
I once employed a gardener to make over the garden of my small London flat. It was my first home and the garden belonged to my dog Inca. They ripped up all the lovely grass, turned it into the Somme and planted little bushes. It cost me a fortune and looked awful.
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What are the thing(s) you get delivered?
We get our primary weekly shopping delivered, but most other things we pick up ourselves to ensure quality and freshness.
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What would you buy with £20 – and £200?
With £20 I would buy a lovely bottle of white wine. A good vinho verde from Portugal is my go-to. For £200, I would buy a beautiful vintage jacket from my favourite store, Jojo’s General Store (Rag Parade) in Sheffield.
Quinta de Azevedo vinho verde
£10.25 at WaitroseJojo’s General Store
Visit Jojo’s General Store***
What’s your ‘saved search’ on eBay/Vinted?
I am always looking for old Grenfell woodworks. These mats come from Canada and were made by fishing families from old stockings. They are beautiful, increasingly expensive and difficult to find, but I have alerts on my phone.
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What item do you buy on repeat?
I have been using a very specific toothpaste, Marvis, for the last few decades. I like the taste. It isn’t easy to find and costs a little more than ordinary toothpaste, but it’s my treat.
Marvis whitening mint toothpaste
£9 at Lookfantastic £8.99 at Amazon***
How do you make your coffee at home?
I use an AeroPress. I don’t think there is a better way of making coffee. But it’s messy, so I don’t tend to travel with it. I also love my Italian Bialetti moka stovetop coffee-maker.
Aeropress coffee maker
£32.95 at Origin Coffee £35 at ArgosBialetti moka coffee maker
From £29.95 at John Lewis £25.48 at Amazon***
What’s your biggest splurge?
Antiques. I have a particular weakness for anything folk art. I blame my parents. I grew up in a house full of antiques, many of them primitive Americana, and I have a similar taste. I have a particular weakness for model boats. I have … a lot.
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And what everyday item do you scrimp on?
One of my failings is that I don’t scrimp on anything. I think life is too short. I live for the best now. Fortunately, my wife is the world’s best scrimper, which is why I leave it to her to do most of the household buying.
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And what’s your greatest vintage find?
An old shop counter that sits in pride of place in my office at home. It came from a French grocer. I love the history embedded in it.
Ben Fogle’s show Wild tours the UK from 23 Feb
For more, read How I Shop with Dawn O’Porter and How I Shop with Jo Malone
