Opera North Music Director Garry Walker admits food is something he really enjoys but at the same time is careful about what he eats.

“I am very active and keep very fit so tend to eat healthily after all you are what you eat ” says Garry. “I don’t enjoy unhealthy food and tend not to eat processed food and red meat”.

Touring can be difficult when it comes to maintaining a healthy eating regime and there is one thing that Garry always avoids “I never eat hotel breakfasts as there is never anything that I want”.

Breakfast for Garry is usually oats, apples, blue berries, raspberries and yoghurt usually with two bananas. Later in the day for lunch he will have vegetables, wholegrain pasta always spelt “because its better for you”

Garry never eats immediately before or after a performance. “I will have something light such as toast or cheese but stop eating and drinking two hours before the performance”

“Conducting, strange as it might seem, is very dehydrating and I tend to consume a litre of water in the interval and the same after the performance”.

But there’s nothing that Garry likes better when he’s at home than cooking for his family.

“I love making everything from fresh for a meal and often create my own recipes which I love to share. I have a great recipe for fresh pesto which is really delicious and really adds flavour to pasta.

Image by T Caesar from Pixabay

Fresh Pseto and Pasta

Method

Tear all the leaves from a fresh organic basil plant and put in a blender.

Then cover the bottom with 50g of pine kernels to cover the bottom

Put five or six tablespoons of organic olive oil and for more of a kick add some rocket – make sure its less than the basil.

Put in two cloves of garlic – smash the cloves with a flat bladed knife – do not chop for the best results and then place in the blender.

Add the juice of a whole lemon, pepper, herb salt and Parmesan.

Switch on blender and reduce to a creamy, green mass – it should be creamy but not watery.

Serve with spelt pasta cooked al dente and mix the pesto with the pasta.

Pass the Spoon

Garry will be conducting the following for Opera North:

La Boheme at Leeds Grand from 18 October and then touring
12-20 December Pass The Spoon – Howard Assembly Room – a contemporary opera based around a cookery show
Peter Grimes at Leeds Grand from 13 February 2026