Celebrity chef Michael Caines backs campaign for more adoptive parents for children of BAME heritage

  • Report by Bob Cruwys

Michael Caines, one of the West Country's most celebrated chefs, is backing a campaign to raise awareness of how black and Asian children and those of mixed ethnicity, are waiting on the adoption list.

Latest figures show that 26% of children waiting for families are from BAME backgrounds and some can be waiting for as long as two years.

Michael Caines was adopted himself and says his family background gave him the ambition to succeed in life. 

The chef not only owns the prestigious Lympstone Manor in Devon, he is also expanding into wine production. Credit: ITV West Country

The celebrity chef opened Lympstone Manor in Exmouth in 2017. It is a five star luxury hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant. He is now expanding into wine growing. It is a far cry from his origins just a few miles away.

Michael was born in a mother and child's home in Exeter and put up for adoption as a baby. Being adopted, he says, has had a huge positive impact on his life

He says: "It shines a light on a very positive process which has certainly enabled me to get where I am in life. You know I was adopted into a loving family, one of six children, two of which were adopted."

Michael Caines with his family - already getting into cooking at a young age. Credit: Michael Caines

The chef is a dedicated supporter of the system and patron of West Country charity, Families for Children, trying to raise awareness of how Black and Asian children and those of mixed ethnicity are among those who wait the longest for families.

Michael adds: "Adoption works for the family unit but it also works for the individuals, the children and the parents, and it also places vulnerable kids into loving families."

The hotel owner is still a chef at heart and spends as much time as possible in the kitchen. Credit: ITV West Country

Families for Children is an agency specialising in adoption. It finds adoptive families from all over the South West of England and operates independently from local authorities so can be more flexible about placements.

The charity website states: "We believe that the best place for a child to grow is with their birth families. However, where this is not possible we endeavour to find new adoptive families who can offer them a stable and loving home."

Find out more about the work of Families for Children here.

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