Biography Philip Harben

harben s grave in highgate cemetery

harben born in fulham, london, , educated @ highgate school. mother, mary jerrold, actress known performance murderous martha brewster in first stage production of arsenic , old lace many screen roles. father, hubert harben, stage actor. sister, joan harben, played miss mona lott in bbc radio series s man again (itma). learned cook @ side of parents, , scramble eggs , make mayonnaise long before read thucydides or solve quadratic equation .

his first occupation commercial photographer. engaged run kitchen of isobar restaurant in isokon building in hampstead, london 1937 1940, when enlisted in royal air force, eye injury put paid flying career , assigned army catering corps.

he compered bbc wireless cookery programme 1942, bbc tv programme, cookery, 1946 1951, followed cookery lesson (with co-presenter marguerite patten) , s cooking 1956. emphasis on method , principles rather recipes, remarkably dogmatic - pot kettle not kettle pot! .

philip harben can credited first tv moment when on live television cracked egg bad had abandon recipe while , studio crew broke helpless laughter.

he had regular column in british woman s own magazine in 1950s.

in 1958 helped found harbenware kitchen utensils company, in 2012 still operating under same ownership.

he died 27 april 1970 aged 63. buried in london s highgate cemetery.