David Beckham joins Tom Parker Bowles for a Country Life feature, sharing his love for British food, beekeeping, and life in the Cotswolds.
David Beckham has swapped the glitz of global football fame for the peace and simplicity of rural life — and he couldn’t be happier. The former England captain recently teamed up with Tom Parker Bowles, food writer and son of Queen Camilla, for a special one-off edition of Country Life magazine released on Wednesday.
The duo met in the kitchen of London’s famed Claridge’s hotel, where they cooked one of Beckham’s all-time favorite dishes: liver, bacon, mashed potatoes, and plenty of gravy.
“There’s something so nostalgic about mashed potato, liver, bacon and lots of gravy. It’s one of those British comfort classics that my mum used to make for me and was also my grandad’s favourite dish,” Beckham shared.
Reminiscing about his family’s culinary traditions, Beckham fondly added, “My gran was also a great cook, and it was always a treat going down to the pie and mash shop in Chapel Market. If I had to choose my last meal, it would be pie, mash, liquor, and jellied eels.”
The retired footballer and his wife Victoria have fully embraced their countryside lifestyle, dividing their time between their luxurious Holland Park townhouse and their £12 million Cotswolds mansion, purchased in 2016.
Away from the city spotlight, Beckham has discovered a new passion — beekeeping. He even presented King Charles with a jar of honey from his own hives during the British Fashion Council Foundation Impact Day in 2023, a moment he described as “very special.”
Beckham, who became an ambassador for The King’s Foundation last year, praised the monarch’s decades-long commitment to the environment and youth empowerment.
“Our King is an incredible man,” he said. “He has not just been incredible for the last five, ten years, he’s been incredible for decades. We share very similar interests — beekeeping, the countryside, empowering young people — so I’m very honoured with that role.”
From the football pitch to the fields of the Cotswolds, David Beckham seems to have found a new sense of purpose rooted in simplicity, tradition, and connection to the land — proving that even global icons can find peace in life’s quieter moments.
