Basically, the person in the White House should be principled, should have a philosophy about food that relates directly to organic agriculture. I will continue to push for that.

If I weren't involved with food, I'd be working in architecture. Design is that critical to me.

I feel like old age in America is a very sad thing. I have been many different places around the world where getting older is something you look forward to.

I really appreciate the many neighbourhoods of Berkeley. There is still the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. And it has the University of California, which is the greatest gift, to my mind, to be close to it. It keeps the place alive.

My father was a rags-to-riches businessman who came over in the Sixties with no money. On my mother's side, I am the grandson of a High Court judge and celebrated intelligence officer, so it's quite an unusual combination.

My mother used to go out on her own, and I used to have to keep a look out for my stepfather coming home.

It was sad leaving 'All Saints' because I was leaving a family that had nurtured me and looked after me for a couple of years, and at the same time that particular storyline wasn't a surprise to me. I knew I was going. It had been worked out very carefully over many months.

I'm saving money like there's no tomorrow because, when I was at Juilliard, I had so little. They gave me a full scholarship because I didn't come from a wealthy family or anything.