ɪn tˈaɪɾəs ɡɹˈoʊn hiː hæd ˈoʊnli bˌɪn ɪnðə kˈɪtʃən fɚɹə fjˈuː wˈiːks bᵻfˌoːɹ mˌeɪkɪŋ hɪz ɛskˈeɪp, wˌaɪl ˌɔn tˌiːvˈiː ɪn ɐ mˈɑːnoʊlˌɑːɡ tə hɪz mˈʌŋki ɪn ˈɛpɪsˌoʊd fˈoːɹ, stˈɪɹpaɪk stˈeɪɾᵻd ðæt hiː wʌz sˈɛnt tə ðə kˈɪtʃənz wɛn hiː wʌz sˈɪks, sˈʌfɚɹɪŋ vˈɛɹiəs ɐbjˈuːsᵻz æt ðə hˈændz ʌv swˈɛltɚ.
In Titus Groan he had only been in the kitchen for a few weeks before making his escape, while on TV in a monologue to his monkey in episode 4, Steerpike stated that he was sent to the kitchens when he was six, suffering various abuses at the hands of Swelter.