Damien Trench

Damien Trench is one of Britain's most popular cookery writers - not a food critic or chef though, he is keen to point that out!

Following the success of his previous book A Year in the Kitchen, in which he wrote a diary about every meal he ate for a whole year, he is now writing In and Out of the Kitchen, which is similar but also opens the doors on his private life.

Damien is brilliant at cooking, and good at presenting TV shows for Sky Arts, but when it comes to anything else problems arise. He is neurotic, prone to panic attacks and has a lack of technical knowledge (he cannot work his own mobile phone). His middle class background and associated anxieties often get in the way of interacting with average folk.

Anthony McIlvanney

Anthony is Damien's long-suffering partner, a man who often has to deal with the fall-out of Damien's angst.

Anthony works as a banker - or at least he did before he was made redundant. He now appears to be set on creating a financial consultancy at home.

Anthony often tries to get the man he loves to embrace things most people would consider harmless, like barbecues or candles. Damien tends to stand his ground on his dislike of such things but, more often than not, eventually caves in.

Iain Frobisher

Iain Frobisher is Damien's literary agent. He is very good at his job. It was he who came up with the idea of the book In and Out of the Kitchen in the first place. He also represents some of Britain's other greatest cookery writers.

Iain's personal life is, however, is anything but good. His relationship with his wife is problematic to say the least (despite no matter how many tickets to musicals he buys in order to try to win her over), and chaos tends to occur whenever he starts drinking.

Mr. Mullaney

Irish builder Sam Mullaney is working on an extension to Damien and Anthony's house. However, he often finds himself doing work that is not connected with construction. He is mostly the sole voice of reason and sanity in the house.

Damien sometimes uses Mullaney as a soundboard for ideas, but more often than not Mullaney ends up assisting Damien with things not connected with bricks and mortar, or indeed pestle and mortar.

Mullaney also seems to have a "thing" for Damien's TV producer friend Marion Duffet.

Janet Trench

Janet is Damien's mother. Damien of course loves her, but it has to be said that her outlook on live is a tad "old fashioned", and she has a habit of saying inappropriate things to the wrong people.

For example, her belief that everyone should eat their five-a-day results in making her husband Frank (Damien's father) eating a whole orange before going to bed if she find out he hasn't eaten his five fruit and veg.

Scotty

Scotty is Mullaney's young assistant.