'Now I have retired from hurdling there is no way I'm going to let my 28-inch waist even creep to 30 inches. I simply can't afford to replace my wardrobe! One thing my coach reminded me when I retired is I am never going to erase the achievements of 18 years. I've won 25 major medals, 14 gold, 10 silver, and one bronze. But, I can erase my fitness and I don't ever want to do that.
Like most athletes I tend to look at food as my energy source. You have to put in the best fuel that you can possibly get. We learn to research where and what we can eat. I've been aware of my diet since my teens and it came naturally to be honest. I don't believe in nutritionists, especially since some of my colleagues have said things like "my nutritionist told me to eat Kentucky fried chicken and sticky buns". Believe me, if you're an athlete you don't eat KFC and sticky buns. I've performed. I've actually done it, nutritionists haven't. Anyway, most of the ones I've met are often two or three kilos overweight.
I've been blessed by the fact that my job has allowed me to travel and sample cuisines from all over the world. My favourite is Thai. I'm embarrassed as I say that, because that's all I go for in a restaurant and my friends scream at me for being so predictable. There isn't Thai on the menu at Undeb at present, but what they do have is fantastic.
Undeb is a huge and wonderful concept, something Cardiff has been waiting for. It's a brand new large private members' club with a wonderful restaurant and a gentle atmosphere. There is nothing exactly like it in Wales.
It sounds ridiculous when I say I feel fortunate to have grown up in Wales. But I do. When Welsh people go out of Wales we tend to get patriotic because we feel people look down on us. I will get annoyed about silly things such as the weather. The news often doesn't mention any cities in Wales - like we don't have weather. Cardiff is a great city to grow up in because everything is on your doorstep; we have the Brecon Beacons, there are beaches about 15 minutes' drive away and then you have the booming city life on top of it. I still live in Cardiff and I'm still single and I am fortunate on both counts I feel. I have a lot of friends here and I enjoy being around my family.
I don't have any qualms about cooking for a dinner party of nine or 10 people at my house. I can always recreate food I've had in a restaurant the night before. I started cooking Sunday family brunches when I was six or seven and I was nine when I cooked my first main evening meal: sweet and sour pork. I do a slightly more slimline version of it now.
Since retiring I've had more time to pursue my other goals. My ultimate target is to create The Colin Jackson Menu to be offered at virtually every restaurant. I am approaching companies about the idea at the moment. Customers would just have to say "I want the Colin Jackson meal" and wouldn't have to worry about what the intake will be because they'll know it's correct. I want to get people to enjoy and appreciate healthy food because it is a luxury.'
Undeb
23 Womanby St Cardiff CF10 1BR Tel: 029 20343433
History
Undeb is located near the Millennium Stadium in a converted warehouse that has undergone many incarnations, from manure merchants in the 1850s to, more recently, a lap-dancing club.
Undeb opened this year and was established by the manager of the Manic Street Preachers, Martin Hall, and the music promoter Vince Power. Its four bars run on a members-only basis, while the restaurant, run by Nathan Brown, is open to the public. Its name is Welsh; in English 'Undeb' translates as 'union'. Popular dishes
Starters: breadcrumbed belly of Welsh pork, pan-fried with lemon and caper dressing, £6.25
Main courses: pan-fried seabass with roasted scallops, crab and basil mash and sauce vierge, £16.95; roast rump of Welsh lamb, herb-crusted with a white bean and chorizo casserole, £16.75
Desserts: sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce £4.95
Famous customers
Ioan Gruffudd, James Dean Bradfield, Wales football manager Mark Hughes
Opens
Monday to Saturday 12.00 to 14.30
Monday to Saturday 18.30 to 22.30
Booking is advised for non-members
