Richard Hurst freely admits he “loves the whole food experience,” but it was a change in lifestyle that inspired him to learn to cook.

“In my teens and early twenties I made some bad choices in regard to my lifestyle and diet. I became rather overweight, so I decided it was time to do something about it, and I went on a health kick.”

“I started to think about what food and nutrients went into my body, and the best way to monitor these accurately was to learn to cook,” says Richard, currently playing Miss Trunchbull in the touring version of Matilda The Musical at Bradford Alhambra.

Richard draws on a lot of his mother’s recipes for inspiration. “She was a great cook and always made sure we had lovely food to eat as a family, but when I moved away from home, I became lazy, never cooked, and relied on convenience food until I embarked on my dietary lifestyle change.”

“I find pleasure now in making food for my friends and family and love the whole food scenario, from cooking at home to going out for meals, whether it be lunch or supper.”

Learning to cook simple things like stir-fry with fresh vegetables Richard eventually graduated to more complex recipes, many of which he sources from cookery books and TV programmes. “If I like a particular recipe and it turns out good, I will do it again and again.”

Touring presents many problems for actors who like to cook their own meals, as they don’t often have all the ingredients to hand in their “digs”.

But Richard has come up with the perfect solution to this and makes sure he can cook for himself and has all the right ingredients needed for his meal.

“I use suppliers like Hello Fresh and Gusto. I pick out my meals for seven days and have them delivered to the digs, which makes sure I have a varied menu and all the right ingredients that are needed, as everything is there for making my meals.”

The role Richard plays often dictates his meal times and eating programme.

“Miss Trunchbull is a very physical part, and I have to wear a bodysuit to get the right shape, so on two show days I have to be careful what I eat.”

Performance times dictate when Richard eats. On a two-show day he will eat around 12.00ish and then nibble throughout the day, whilst when it's only a one-performance day, he will eat around 4pm to 5pm.

“It’s usually around 11.00pm when I get home after the show, so it’s too late then to eat a big meal, but I really enjoy relaxing with coffee and sandwiches.”

Richard really loves “every aspect of the food experience”, and none more than trying local cuisine when he is on vacation.

“One meal I will never forget is one I had on holiday in Cyprus at the Katoi Restaurant in Omidaz. The restaurant is set deep within the picturesque village and is well known for its cuisine. The moussaka was simply amazing, so much so we dined there three times.”

Miss Trunchbull’s Self Indulgent Chocolate Cake

• 180ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• 3 Large Eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 130g light brown soft sugar
• 390ml whole milk
• 70g cocoa powder
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 small handful/s Dark chocolate shavings or chocolate curls, for decorating (optional)
Chocolate ganache
• 200g dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
• 200ml double cream
• 40g icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Grease and line the base and sides of 2 x 20cm shallow cake tins with baking parchment. Crack the eggs into a heatproof bowl, then add both sugars. Set over a pan of gently simmering water and use an electric hand mixer to whisk the mixture until foamy, pale and thickened (8-10 minutes). Whisk in the milk, then remove from the heat. Sift in the cocoa powder, self-raising flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt, then whisk with a balloon whisk. Finally, whisk in the oil until combined (the batter will be very wet).

2. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack for a flat surface; leave to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, for the chocolate ganache, tip the chocolate into a large, heatproof bowl. Put the cream in a small pan and set over a medium heat until steaming (but not boiling). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate (ensuring that you cover it) and leave to stand for 1 minute. Use a spatula to gently stir the chocolate and cream together until glossy and smooth. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, sift the icing sugar over the ganache with a pinch of salt and use an electric hand mixer to whisk until soft peaks form and the ganache reaches a spreadable consistency (4-6 minutes).

4. To assemble, put 1 sponge on a plate or cake stand. Generously spread with the ganache, then top with the second sponge and the remaining ganache. Scatter with chocolate shavings or curls, if liked.

The mixture can easily be divided into bun cases and topped with either the ganache or melted chocolate

Matilda from the Royal Shakespeare Company is at The Alhambra Bradford to Sunday 23rd November