The FoodTalk Show: Recent Episodes
FoodTalk Group Limited
The FoodTalk Show is back. Each week Sue Nelson and Jane Peyton interview the best producers and experts in the UK, finding out how to source the perfect ingredients and make amazing food for family and friends.
In this episode of the Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd talks to Clara Latham about creating category-smashing start-ups and her new venture, Deeply.
Clara Latham has built her career in some quite radical startups, including Bounce protein balls and Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits. Today, she is focused on what she sees as the most significant consumer health gap: fibre. Like protein 15–20 years ago, fibre is a fundamental but neglected macronutrient: over 90% of people don’t hit the ~30g daily target, and one in three struggle with gut issues at any given time.
Clara argues that fixing fibre intake is a problem worth addressing. She argues that boosting the intake of prebiotic fibres will ultimately support digestion, immunity, mood, energy, and long-term disease risk. Deeply is her answer: a simple, delicious, routine-friendly way to “close the fibre gap.” The product is a ready-to-drink, smoothie-like prebiotic fibre shot made from whole fruits and vegetables (no concentrates, preservatives or added junk) delivering 7.5g fibre per serving—about 25% of a day’s need. It comes in approachable flavours (e.g., carrot-ginger-turmeric; kiwi-spinach-seaweed) as single grab-and-go shots for retail and a seven-measure aluminium bottle for subscriptions. The big idea is changing habits: the bottle is designed to live in the fridge door, so you take your dose at the start of the day. If a health product isn’t effortless and enjoyable, people won’t take it daily. Deeply is built to be both.
Strategically, Clara applies the “halo, then scale” playbook she honed at Seedlip. In early years, you win with narrow-and-deep distribution and high-influence advocates (e.g., Whole Foods, members’ clubs, premium cafés, best-in-class retailers) to build credibility, trial, and education. Clara believes that expanding too soon leads to low awareness, a poor rate of sales, and delistings that are hard to reverse. Category creation requires patience, education, and roots before shoots—think bamboo that grows underground for years, then suddenly rises.
Looking forward, Clara expects “fibre-called-out” claims to proliferate across foods, just as protein did. But this isn't perceived to be a problem as Deeply is clear on what it can offer. A simple way to hit your fibre goal and that is a win, because when fibre goes up, the gut thrives, and when the gut thrives, everything else tends to follow.
In this episode of the Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd talks all things oil with Sarah Vachon, an olive oil sommelier and the founder of Citizens of Soil. Her company is dedicated to sourcing and promoting high-quality, sustainably produced olive oil. Sarah’s journey into the world of olive oil began with her fascination for its complexities and nuances, similar to fine wine. As she explains, olive oil possesses a rich terroir, with over a thousand varieties influenced by various factors, including soil composition and climate conditions.
Throughout the conversation, Sarah emphasises her mission to support small-scale farmers who often struggle to sustain their livelihoods in a market dominated by mass production and profit-driven motives. This purpose is her true north, not a desire to sell the business and achieve an impressive exit. She passionately advocates for regenerative agriculture, which focuses on restoring soil health and promoting biodiversity. Sarah highlights the challenges of balancing quality with accessibility, acknowledging that while her oils are premium products, there is a growing need for more affordable options that do not compromise sustainability.
Sarah elaborates on the craftsmanship involved in producing exceptional olive oil, noting that each bottle represents the hard work and dedication of the farmers behind it. She shares her experience in sourcing oils that meet high flavour standards and align with ethical farming practices, creating a product that consumers can feel good about purchasing. The episode discusses how the olive oil industry has evolved, with a growing awareness of the importance of quality and the stories behind the products we consume.
One of Citizens of Soil's standout features is its innovative subscription model, the Olive Oil Club. This program allows consumers to explore different oils each month and learn about the unique characteristics of each variety and the farmers who produce them. By fostering a sense of community, Sarah aims to create a deeper connection between consumers and producers, enriching the overall experience of using olive oil.
As the conversation progresses, Sarah reflects on the broader implications of food choices and the importance of supporting sustainable practices in the food industry. She believes that by prioritising quality and ethical sourcing, consumers can contribute to a more sustainable future while enjoying the richness and flavour that high-quality olive oil brings to their kitchens. This episode ultimately serves as an inspiring reminder of the power of food to connect us to the land, the people who cultivate it, and the shared values of sustainability and community.
In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd talks to Philip Teverow, co-founder and CEO of Yolélé, a brand pioneering the development of fonio, a grain that you might not have heard of but has tremendous potential.
Fonio is not just any grain; it's a “gluten-free ancient grain that cooks in five minutes and is drought tolerant," emphasises Philip. Women in West Africa traditionally cultivate the grain as a subsistence crop. However, Philip and his business partner, legendary NY chef, Pierre Thiam, envision fonio as a grain that can support livelihoods through sustainable agriculture. Their mission began when Pierre tried to create a cookbook using authentic ingredients and realised there was a broader opportunity to create something altogether new with Teverow.
Teverow explains that fonio has challenges at its core: "It's very easy to grow, but hard to process due to its tiny grain size." The technical complexity of processing fonio involves removing an inedible hull from a minuscule grain. Despite these obstacles, the potential market for this grain appeals to major food companies, not just for its nutritional properties but also for its alignment with organisations' sustainable development goals.
The journey from conception to commercialisation began when they found a willing retail partner. “Whole Foods became our testing ground,” Philip explains, where they started by promoting fonio in a single Harlem store as a raw ingredient. The grain and its incredible story immediately got media attention, bringing Yolélé into the spotlight. Pretty quickly, global food companies started showing interest in incorporating fonio into their products, but there is still a lot of work to be done regarding the process.
The driving factor in fonio's potential lies in its versatility and its environmental promise. “Fonio can substitute for less sustainable grains, like rice or corn,” states Philip, highlighting its minimal water and carbon footprint. Its adaptability is evident in sectors beyond just whole grain consumption, finding its place in brewing, as well as in making crisps and flour and Yolélé already offer a number of these products direct to consumers.
Philip’s approach resonates with a broader outlook: supporting smallholder farmers in West Africa while maintaining the identity of fonio as an indigenous crop. Despite the steep capital required to scale processing, the commitment to fully industrialise production persists, balancing their commercial scale with the sustainability ethos.
Philip envisions a food system where fonio is just the beginning. He aims to incorporate multiple crops into this new regenerative agriculture model to support biodiversity and sustainable farming practices.
In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show, Ollie Lloyd hosts Amelia Christie Miller, the founder of Bold Beans, a brand transforming the bean market.
Amelia initially disliked beans until an unexpected experience, inspired by Nigel Slater during her Erasmus exchange in Madrid, altered her perspective. "I spooned one straight from the jar, and it was this mesmerising moment," Amelia recalls. Initially, this did register as a significant life-changing moment. However, a stint working with chefs showed her that there were better solutions to the trend towards meat alternatives, and the journey towards Bold Beans began.
Amelia rightly believes in beans' broader global, cultural and culinary roles. She recognises the international appeal of beans and sees beans as an excellent vehicle for embracing diverse flavours and inherently healthy recipes. "Beans are a cornerstone of how civilisation got here," she explains, portraying beans as an essential global food staple.
One of the core themes Amelia discusses is the brand's approach to health and sustainability through the lens of pleasure. "I want people to be tempted into buying it because they want to do it, not because they should," she states, emphasising the importance of taste over health benefits.
Amelia also sheds light on their marketing strategy, which is less about overtly highlighting the health benefits, which are a given, and more about creating a genuine love for beans. Their Instagram presence and content creation, led by Hannah Wilding, are central to this, driven by a belief that sharing delicious recipes goes beyond just selling a product. "Our mission is to make people bean obsessed," she explains, noting that early content creation efforts were based on trying to help friends cook with beans even before the brand existed as a real product.
Another fascinating aspect of Bold Beans is how they are battling quite established brands like Merchant Gourmet and Belazu in the core beans category and taking on giants like Heinz. In tackling the challenge of broader competition, Amelia finds confidence in focusing on beans exclusively. "Brands like Merchant Gourmet and Belazu can't own beans in the way that we can own beans." This singular focus allows Bold Beans to optimise quality and innovation within their niche, ensuring they remain leaders in flavor and sustainability.
As Bold Beans continues to innovate and educate about the versatility of beans, one senses that the team will not only shake up the bean category but also redefine what it means to eat sustainably and deliciously.
In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd is joined by Imme Ermgassen, a co-founder of Botivo, a brand reshaping the non-alcoholic drinks landscape. Imme shares the intriguing backstory of Botivo, which diverges from the typical narratives surrounding alcohol-free drinks. “Botivo was born from pleasure and hedonism, not from the world of moderation,” she explains. This comes to life on Botivo's bottle, which has a vibrant yellow wax seal and artistic label adorned with joyful, diverse characters. These whimsical figures represent a lively celebration, reflecting the brand's commitment to inclusivity and the pleasure of indulgence.
Botivo is crafted on Lannock Farm in Hertfordshire, where co-founder Sam Paget Stevenson and his team handcraft each batch. Imme describes Botivo as a “British big-sipping botanical aperitivo” and highlights the brand's commitment to quality and flavour. “We are the only drink in the category which has no flavourings, essences, or preservatives,” she states, underscoring the brand's dedication to doing this with the love and attention needed to create a truly special product. This focus on authenticity results in complex taste profiles that rival premium crafted alcoholic beverages. Imme adds, “When you look at the reviews, the reaction is intense,” with many consumers declaring it “the best drink in the world.”
Sustainability is another cornerstone of Botivo's mission. Imme emphasises that while the product is healthy and sustainably minded, the primary focus is on delivering a remarkable taste experience. “We believe that taste is the priority,” she states, reflecting the brand’s philosophy that quality should never be compromised.
Imme envisions Botivo as a brand that fosters inclusivity, where everyone can enjoy a crafted beverage, regardless of their alcohol preferences. “I want Botivo to be the bottle at every dinner party,” she says, highlighting the brand’s aspiration to unite people in shared experiences.
Botivo's innovative approach includes its marketing, which often features a giant yellow piano, challenging the notion that sampling experiences are generally dull. At festivals, entertainers perform while attendees gather to enjoy the drinks and often burst into song. This engaging approach highlights the brand's playful spirit and commitment to creating memorable interactions, making Botivo stand out in the non-alcoholic beverage market.
The episode concludes with Imme sharing exciting plans for Botivo’s future, including upcoming limited-edition launches and collaborations with renowned brands. She expresses her commitment to maintaining a focused strategy prioritising quality and taste over rapid expansion. As Botivo grows, Imme’s insights reveal a brand poised to redefine what it means to enjoy sophisticated, alcohol-free beverages, blending authentic flavours, sustainability, and a sense of community in every bottle.
Ella Harland, co-founder of Griddle, joins Ollie Lloyd on The Food Talk Show to discuss how Griddle challenges the status quo in the bakery aisle. If you have ever looked at the back of the pack of pre-made bread, croissants or waffles, you know what the baseline is (and it's not good). Griddle produces products that are as close to homemade as possible, focusing on simple, wholesome ingredients without the nasties. Food waste in bakeries is genuinely shocking, and its clear that by embracing frozen products, the brand can help consumers reduce food waste and have items that don’t need preservatives.
Griddle's range started with waffles, featuring whole grain and protein-rich options, and is planning to expand into pancakes and croissants. As expected, the brand has a clean-label philosophy and is committed to sustainability. Not surprisingly, it is a B-Corp and is being very well received by retailers who see it as a truly differentiated offering. Ella even dares to imagine a time when freezers aren’t just at the back of stores but integrated into aisles, which could genuinely change how consumers think about bakery.
They are also keen to democratise quality food and with a punchy price point of only £2.00 for six waffles at Asda, they are also targeting a broad consumer base rather than the usual Waitrose foodie. One senses exciting times lie ahead for this team.
Edited: Stella Gent
In the latest episode of The Food Talk Show, Ollie Lloyd dives into a conversation with Richard Peake, CEO of Merchant Gourmet. The brand is revitalising the grain and pulse category by offering flavoursome, convenient products for time-strapped consumers that want something a bit more interesting.
Historically known for its premium chestnuts and puy lentils, Merchant Gourmet is one of the brands driving the growing shift toward culinary curiosity with easy-to-prepare, often microwaveable options. This evolution not only addresses consumer desires for quality and flavour but also taps into the trend of reducing meat consumption.
Richard highlights how the brand stays true to its roots by focusing on excellent taste while subtly integrating health benefits. By expanding their range to include diverse global cuisines, Merchant Gourmet invites consumers to experience dishes from around the world with ease. They are also not scared to take on established brands like Tilda in rice with products that they think are just more interesting than the competition.
They are now in 30 plus categories including frozen and have recently expanded into the the world of beans. As they continue to inspire consumers , Merchant Gourmet is committed to making supermarket shelves and home-cooked meals more exciting and make it easier for consumers to eat a more plant-forward diet.
Edited by Stella Gent
Can one revolutionise the frozen treats category? Zara Godfrey, the founder of Pukpip, thinks so and explains it all to Ollie Lloyd in this latest episode, as his new puppy (Enola) occasionally makes a racket in the background!
Pukpip launched in 2023 to shake up the ice cream industry by integrating more fruit into consumers' diets in fun and innovative ways. At the core of Pukpip's offering are chocolate-dipped frozen bananas, a nostalgic nod to Zara's childhood favourites prepared by her mother.
Zara and her team are breaking ground by creating a new category—indulgent frozen fruit—within the UK's snack market, something tha is alreadey developed in the US. Despite formidable competition from giants like Mars, Zara's Pukpip stands out by promoting health-conscious alternatives and reducing food waste through its unique up-cycling approach. The company turns 'wonky' fruit into a delightful snacking experience by sourcing bananas in Ecuador, absurdly rejected by standard export processes.
The brand caters to a health-focused, younger audience seeking permissible indulgence that combines taste and wellness. The brand is an excellent example of how there are solutions that can be delicious and healthy. However, one challenge for Pukpip is educating consumers about this new category, which might be getting easier now that new competitors have arrived.
Edited by Stella Gent
In this latest episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd welcomes Ed Morrison, the CEO of Roots Allotment. This membership-based business aims to empower communities across the UK to grow their food and become part of a vibrant local community. From the germ of an idea during lockdown, the company is pursuing a bold vision for sustainable self-reliance.
Ed Morrison's journey with Roots Allotment began serendipitously during a pre-lockdown gardening talk in Lyme Regis, where he encountered no-dig gardening pioneer Charles Dowding. This meeting ignited Morrison's interest in sustainable food cultivation, leading him to propose a market garden on unloved land in his grandmother’s garden.
Roots Allotment is not just about growing vegetables; it's about fostering community and inclusivity. With nine sites across England, in places like Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bath, Stourbridge, Chelmsford and Croydon, each allotment buzzes with human and insect life. Morrison's ambition is to develop a network of over 100 sites with over 100,000 people growing their own food within a decade. With every location fostering a sense of community,, this vision has the potential to impact more than just the way some people eat.
Converting land into allotments isn’t without its challenges, from sorting members' seeds into tiny packets to accessing quality compost. However, Morrison highlights that one of the most pressing issues is finding suitable land amid the competition from housing developers and other edge-of-town developers.
If all this sparks a desire to have a Roots Allotment near you, visit their website and complete an application form - apparently, all it takes is 300 signatures from friends to influence where their next site is!
Edited by Stella Gent
In this episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd, interviews Paul Turton, the CEO of PACT Coffee, to discuss the company's mission-driven journey, the complexities of the coffee supply chain, and the direct-to-consumer (DTC) business model that continues to drive their success.
Paul talks about the way that coffee prices are often manipulated by markets, leaving farmers squeezed and struggling. To counter this, PACT Coffee has established direct relationships with farmers, cutting out the middlemen and ensuring fair compensation. By paying premiums significantly above Fair Trade rates, PACT Coffee secures high-quality beans and supports the farmers' livelihoods.
They also discuss the best way to brew a coffee, some new innovation that Pact have coming out soon which leads them to the espresso martini!
Edited by Stella Gent
In this episode of The Food Talk Show, host Ollie Lloyd interviews Johnny Shimmin, co-founder of Spoon Cereal and discusses the highly competitive cereal category and some of the cynical behaviour of some of the more prominent brands. Spoon began as a fun idea after a discussion with his future sister-in-law at a family barbecue over ten years ago and has evolved into a classic challenger brand that remains truly committed to taste and quality, something most of the cereal category ignore.
The brand began as a pop-up in food markets and gleaned broad consumer feedback, allowing significant product iteration and optimisation. It is now sold in a wide range of supermarkets and has recently collaborated with ManiLife to create the ultimate peanut butter granola product. The brand also plans to launch a healthier family cereal this autumn while maintaining competitive prices.
Edited by Stella Gent
Over the last ten years, Chef Paul Ainsworth has build a very special business in Cornwall that has expanded far beyond his eponymous Michelin stared restaurant in Padstow. Initially he took over a local restaurant that had been through many incarnations, creating an family Italian called Caffe Rojano. He went on take over a much loved local pub, The Mariners across the other side of the Camel Estuary, that is now regarded as the 3rd best gastro pub in the UK according to Estrella's list. On top of this there is a coctail bar, boutique hotel with 6 rooms and an academy that speaks volumes of his commitment to the local area and nuturing local talent.
He has now released a cookbook, called For the Love of Food that is firmly rooted in his Michelin starred restaurant without being too fancy or complex. It is all sharing plates and clever takes on dishes that the family will love. His food is deeply rooted in his training with some of the best chefs in the UK but leans towards a relaxed and fun approach to food that he is known for.
Joining Ollie, who he knew back in the day when Great British Chefs was in its infancy, they talk about the changes in the food scene and the importance of backing small food and drink businesses. Both of them believe passionately in getting kids into food early and trade tales of culinary adventures of their kids.
Edited by Stella Gent
Ollie Lloyd talks to Eoin Keenan, founder of Goodrays, one of the UK's first CBD brands offering drinks. Eoin shares his journey of discovering CBD in university whilst dealing with anxiety and sleep issues. After working on CBD farms in the US and Canada, Eoin returned to the UK to advocate for CBD legalisation.
He founded Goodrays because he believed there was an opportunity to offer high-quality, accessible CBD products, focusing on beverages as the most mainstream and effective format. He believes passionately about the need to educate both consumers and regulators on the potential benefits of CBD.
The brand which is positioned around the idea of offering a "deep breath for your brain," takes a very natural approach to the category rather than being explicitly counter-cultural. They offer a very strategic set of products designed to meet the key consumer needs of the day: oils (morning and evening), drinks (throughout the day), and gummies (on the go). They are the only CBD drink in Tesco and are expanding into Europe, working very closely with their retail partners to establish these emerging product forms.
As one of the most talked about ingredients of recent years, Eoin has a unique perspective on the CBD journey of the last 10 years.
Danni Malone, the Chief Network Officer of the Trussell Trust, an anti-poverty charity that supports a network of food banks across the UK, joins Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warran-Smith to explain the challenges they face.
The Trussell Trust is campaigning and working towards a vision where we no longer see food banks in communities. Their network of 1,400 food banks, all run by independent charities, provide emergency support and food parcels to people who are left without enough money to afford the essentials. Danni explained how around 75% of people referred to their food banks have some sort of disability or someone in the house has a disability.
Whilst the actual number of food banks in the UK is pretty static, the level of need and the number of people being pushed through their doors is increasing year on year. In fact, last year they distributed 3.1 million emergency food parcels through their network, which is the highest level ever, and over a million of those were for children. This reflects a 94 per cent increase over the last five years.
Despite getting both Ollie and Susie depressed by all the statistics and need - it is clear that people want this issue changed. It feels like their is increasing will to tackle some of these long term challenges and whilst this podcast was recorded before Labour's landslide election win, the idea of change was already feeling like a reality.
Edited by Stella Gent
Dr Duncan Robertson, from Dogtooth, joins Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warren-Smith, to talk about a new way to address the labour shortages that are impacting seasonal fruit and vegetables, a problem that Susie has seen first hand in her role as Chair and Executive Director, Produced in Kent.
Dogtooth, are working on a revolutionary plan, which involves bringing robotics to farming. This isn't a far off dream, it is actually happening and at scale in farms in the UK. Using computer vision and machine learning, they are creating robots that can pick ripe soft fruits. Imagine an army of robots, often working through the night, collection the best berries, under the watchful eye of human managers who make sure things don't go wrong.
Dogtooth, doesn't want this kind of technology to be limited to mega farms and is exploring ways of working with small scale producers too. Is it possible that in 20 years all the strawberries at Wimbledon will picked by robots?
Edited by Stella Gent
Freddie Webb, is the founding partner of Father, a creative music and sound design studio. In this episode he explains to Ollie Lloyd why he passionately believes that many brands are missing a trick when it comes to the way they use sound. He thinks that sound should be an integral part of brand design and used strategically. Father have worked with brands like EE, Aston Martin and The Modern House Company to help them create distinctive sonic palettes that helps them stand out.
There are a few food and drink brands that are doing this, Magnum Ice Cream being a rare exception. In crowded categories, where brands are pumping out digital content, there is a need to be strategic in both the images you pick and the sounds you choose. If you have ever wondered how to start this process it is worth listening to Freddie's experience in this area as it is certainly gets one asking questions.
Edited by Stella Gent
Scott Davies, the founder of Hill Top Honey has built an incredible business with the combination of tenacity and a £5,000 bank loan. He was a bricklayer who hurt his back and decided to change tact and set up a honey business. He came on the Food Talk Show with Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warran-Smith many years ago, but alot has happened in the last 8 years. Hill Top Honey, based in Newtown Wales, now turns over £43 million and has more than 130 employees.
He had to be patient at the beginning, paying himself tiny amounts, exhibiting at trade shows to get close to his consumers and ultimately living within his means. He got a local Welsh packaging agency to create his early designs for £500 and admits that he didn’t even know what a brief was when he first started. He has taken a radical approach for a challenger brand where he has decided to be cheaper than the market leader and fundamentally better, on taste and method of production.
Scott thinks too many brands splash the cash and waste money on getting people to buy their products once. He thinks he hasn’t made a sale unless someone buys his brand twice. He is a committed employer and only recently got his B-Corp status to allow him to talk more meaningfully about their approach to business. As he says, it matters to him that his team can afford to live well, and in a small town, everyone knows how you run your business.
The business recently did a big packaging refresh with Big Fish. He has waited this long because it is only now that he thinks the business is ready, as it knows where it is going and has the funds to do this. As the saying goes, it is often the tortoise that wins the race.
Edited by Stella Gent
Harriet Lamb, the CEO of WRAP (the climate action NGO behind Love Food Hate Waste and Food Waste Action Week), strikes a positive note about tackling food waste and how so many people from different sectors are trying to tackle this seemingly intractable challenge.
In her chat with Ollie Lloyd, she talks about innovative businesses like Dizzie, which is creating reusable packaging for groceries, and Notpla, which is manufacturing single-use compostable sachets from seaweed (that the CEO will eat on stage to show how good they are)!
They discuss the positive benefits of personally getting involved by volunteering with charities like The Felix Project and apps like Olio. There is so clearly a community of people who have the time and will to go the extra mile to make an impact and lead from the front.
There is also a debate about how banana bread is better when made with blackened bananas and why moths are great as they encourage people to do visible mending, something Ollie has tried from time to time.
Edited by Stella Gent
Ben Branson is a true pioneer in the non-alcoholic drinks space. He created Seedlip, the first of the major brands in this sector, thus sparking an arms race and setting the stage for a new exciting era in the industry.
He chats with Ollie Lloyd on the FoodTalk Show about his home experimentation with herbs and how a £50 home distilling kit purchased online led to something bigger. Sometimes, things felt completely out of control, and rarely, for an entrepreneur, does he admit to hating these moments. But he persevered and ultimately sold the business to Diageo but is still involved to this day.
However, he has now started something new, Seasn, that is as he describes it, the "Salt & Pepper" for drinks. He is taking on an industry that has been dominated by one player, Angostura, for ever but believes that now is the time for change.
As if this isn't enough, he has recently set up a podcast, the Hidden 20%, that is trying to tell engaging stories about Neurodiversity. Having recently being diagnosed with ADHD he felt he had the opportunity to give back and encourage the 80% to understand more about Neurodiversity.
Edited by Stella Gent
Tom Hunt is an eco-chef who has been championing the right food for years. He is passionate about inspiring people to think creatively about cooking and eating.
He writes a column for the Guardian on Food waste, founded a zero-waste restaurant in Bristol, has lived off-grid with his family and recently created a genuinely Happy Meal with the Soil Association.
He catches up with Ollie Lloyd and recounts stories of cooking with the legendary Francis Mallamann, milking goats as a child before school and his plans for a new ice cream brand.
Edited by Stella Gent
Toby Hopkinson co-founded All Things Butter with chef / social media phenomenon Thomas Straker, who went viral on TikTok and Instagram with a series of recipes that incorporated flavoured butter and owns a highly regarded restaurant in Notting Hill.
Their business is taking a somewhat different approach to many challenger food brands. It tackles an incredibly old-fashioned category, having been invented in 2000 BCE or maybe earlier, and is trying to modernise it by returning to the basics. They are focused on lovingly creating a product with some truly committed farmers (Brue Valley) that is organic, twice-churned, hand-salted and sometimes flavoured. They are taking on a category dominated by one mega player, Arla (who makes butter for other brands and retailers), which has been neglected for too long and, in some people’s eyes, is irrelevant.
After a year, they have more social media followers than all other butter brands combined and are focused on creating content that inspires people to cook. Retailers are giving them listings, and they are raising money to fuel their ambition. Their product is premium, but at less than £3, you could easily argue that it is an affordable luxury that packs a punch in the kitchen.
Robert Thompson MBE is one of the youngest chefs in the UK to receive a Michelin star and has helped put the Isle of Wight on the culinary map.
At ten, he became interested in food, designing his own restaurant/club as part of a school project. He has worked at several top rated restaurants, from Winteringham Fields to Cliveden, before establishing Thompson's on the Isle of Wight. He was one of the first chefs to work with us at Great British Chefs and cooked a memorable lamb carpaccio at our press launch event and a smoked eel puff in Old Street (London) the day we launched the website. During lockdown, he re-invented his business with a chef-designed food box called You Be Chef, which he continues to run.
In his chat with Ollie Lloyd, he discusses the changing nature of food on the Isle and how people's expectations have changed due to various factors, such as Instagram, home cooking trends, supermarkets expanding ranges, and the cost of living crisis. Making things work in the hospitality sector is not easy, but Robert is committed to making it work. He is incentivising his team so that they are part owners of the business, is about to launch two new restaurants and remains dedicated to working with a growing list of local suppliers.
Edited by Jasper Schofield
Orlando Murrin has one of those careers in food that makes anyone who loves food jealous. He edited BBC goodfood, helped create Olive magazine and has also run highly successful hotel / restaurants in France and Britain.
He has now embarked on another career branch by writing a murder mystery novel about a chef who has an unexpected experience running a cooking school in Belgravia.
Edited by Stella Gent
Ben Davies is the founder of VYPR, a consumer research business that is designed to metaphorically put the consumer on the shoulder of brand leaders as they optimise their mix or launch new products.
Ben is a serial entrepreneur and an ex-supermarket buyer who passionately believes that most innovation processes are designed to produce sub-optimal products (and this is backed up data, as 85% of product launches fail after 12 months across Europe). He believes too many run processes that are rigid, take too much time and cost too much money. His platform encourages brand owners to ask lots of little questions, evolve their hypotheses over time and truly understand via A/B testing what is really working. Put another way he wants people to adopt a more agile way of developing products.
He shares with Ollie Lloyd a whole host of examples of categories where most brands are getting things wrong and argues that a new approach can deliver a genuinely more interesting and successful outcome. The truth is that too often brands add too many reasons to believe on their packs, are more focused on what other brands are talking about than what consumers actually need and want. Decisions are made quickly and so brands need to get their messaging at shelf right or products fail. VYPR is a great example of a business that is trying to help brands get things right from the start.
Edited by Stella Gent
Elin Roberts is the CMO and one of the Co-Founders of Better Nature, a tempeh company. She is leading the charge to inspire more people to embrace the world of tempeh and eat a little bit more sustainably.
Tempeh is a weirdly neglected Indonesian product that is made from fermented soybeans. Whilst it is a stable of Indonesian cuisine it hasn't been embraced around the world even though it has a higher content of protein, fibre and vitamins than tofu.
Already stocked in a broad range of retailers, from Tesco to Lidl, they have strong momentum and are focused on helping people understand that meat free products don't have to be highly processed.
Charlie Bigham, the founder of Bigham's, is one of the emerging giants of the food world. He is passionate about creating a food business that demonstrates the real benefits of long term thinking, a thing he believes we are sorely lacking in the UK at present. To understand his philosophy, all you need to do is look at the award-winning architect designed production facility (aka kitchen), in Somerset, that cooks over 50% of their food.
During his chat with Ollie Lloyd on The Food Talk Show he explained how he is focused on improving their core products rather than getting obsessed by the excitement of innovation. He champions the idea of EFD (Existing Food Development) rather than NPD or NFD (New Food Development) as he calls it. He loves to climb into the metaphorical weeds of his supply chain to find the best possible ingredients. He hates fake meats and believes they are doing immeasurable harm, something it is hard to challenge. His approach is different but it is having a major impact and is winning with customers and retailers. A business that more should be looking to emulate.
Edited by Stella Gent
Toni Vernelli, the head of communications at Veganuary, chats with Ollie Lloyd about the organisation's mission and how it came into being. They discuss what the best of vegan food looks like and how their mission is far from the militant view of veganism that some parts of the press would like you to associate with it. They understand that change is hard and are trying to encourage people to take a step towards more sustainable eating.
Dr Morgaine Gaye, a food futurologist joins Ollie Lloyd on The Food Talk Show to discuss the evolving food landscape and how brands can tap into consumers changing attitudes. With discussions ranging from the adoption of new food traditions to hyper local consumption and the challenges around plant-based food.
Edited by Stella Gent
Pete Russell joins Ollie Lloyd on The FoodTalk Show to tell him about his mission to connect small scale farmers with their local consumers. As the founder of Ooooby, an online platform that provides the tools for farmers to manage fruit and veg boxes, he is passionate about finding a way to put customised technology into the hands of farms.
Already working with 70 farms and food hubs across the UK, his business is helping growers connect with local communities. He believes passionately that this model has the potential to create new employment opportunities on farms, help people get closer to the food they eat and also provide a new revenue stream for small scale growers.
Episode edited by Stella Gent
Rupert Pick, Co-Founder and CEO of Hot Pickle, shares his lessons from 14 years at the cutting edge of experiential marketing. His career started at Unilever, included time as an Inventor at !What If?, and an MBA from Cambridge, all of which explains his strategic approach. He talks about the need to create content platforms far beyond events that engage consumers in a dialogue they care about. He warns brands to avoid being narcissistic and focus on the human element of experiences. But ultimately he convincingly argues that experiential marketing can be both a profit centre and a way of delivering growth if done right. So listen in to learn from one of the masters of this space.
Joanna Allen, the CEO of Graze, comes to our virtual studio to tell Ollie Lloyd all about how she is helping a teenager become a leading voice in the B Corp community. Graze recently turned 15 and is on a mission to help people make small changes that can have big impacts, from both a sustainability and health perspective.
Graze was one of the early innovators in D2C, dropping boxes full of healthy snacks through consumer’s letterboxes. Nowadays D2C only makes up 20% of its business and it plays a more nuanced role. The team use it as a way of collecting data, for media targeting, product testing and selection and as a recruitment vehicle for a cohort of fans that can spread the word on social media.
The story Joanna tells, reminds us that the brands trying to do the right thing from a sustainability and health perspective are choosing the harder road. It just comes down to consumers to back these choices, which isn't always easy during a cost of living crisis.
Marcus Wareing comes into the FoodTalk studio to talk about his work with Angela Hartnett, Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux among others. How potatoes have shaped his life, Masterchef ("it was like being asked to be in The Beatles") and his new BBC 2 series Tales From A Kitchen Garden. Fascinating stuff with Susie Warran-Smith and Ollie Lloyd.
Join hosts Susie Warran-Smith and AJ Sharp for an exciting episode of the Food Talk Show. In this episode, they are joined by guest experts Joe Moruzzi from Pleese, the pioneers of frozen cheesecake, and Fraser Thomson from Pots & Co, the innovators behind delectable desserts. AJ is as excited as ever to taste sweet treats, but Susie takes a little more convincing.
Join hosts Susie Warran-Smith and AJ Sharp who are joined this week by two guest experts. John Chater from Dug Drinks, the mastermind behind an incredibly authentic and delicious plant-based milk alternative. And Nat Cooper from Simply Roasted Crisps, whose revolutionary technology has given birth to the crispiest, healthiest and tastiest crisps in town. Nat sheds light on the cutting-edge techniques employed to achieve such a delectable crunch. Can you guess what crisps and plant-based milk has in common?
This week, Susie Warren-Smith is back in the studio with AJ Sharp and they’re talking about heritage this week. Our experts are Scott Goodfellow from Tiptree and Neil Franklin from Brogdale, home of the National Fruit Collection Heritage Orchards. We learn why heritage is really important for topfruit farmers. And although it’s one of her favourite condiment producers, Susie is keen to quiz Scott on why Tiptree is also called Wilkin and Sons.
This week, AJ is joined again by the lovely Suzy Pelta who is a food presenter, demo chef, food judge, recipe writer, brand consultant and condiment enthusiast! This week AJ and Suzy are very excited to meet Lian White from Dr Will’s and Roddy Perkins from Barries, as they deep dive into the world of condiments, from vegan mayos to perfectly balanced ketchups. And Suzy is really excited and interested to hear about the new developments happening around Sriracha!
Our co-host and Taste Expert AJ Sharp is back in the hosting hot-seat, and she is joined again by guest presenter Suzy Pelta, who is a food presenter, demo chef, food judge, recipe writer, brand consultant. They are joined in the studio this week by Ed Rigg from Eager Drinks, and the team taste their way through the entire bar range and talk about the developments in drinks. And whether or not sugar really is as bad as they say it is!
Our co-host and Taste Expert AJ Sharp is back in the hosting hot-seat, and she is joined again by guest presenter Suzy Pelta, who AJ describes as an all-round foodie legend! Together they get very excited about what might be described as the World’s best hot chocolate, as Jen Knoop from Knoops joins them in the studio. From 72% to 54%, who knew how multifarious the world of hot chocolate could be?! Are you a chocolate orange lover? Or is it a tiny pinch of sea salt which really floats your boat? There’s something incredibly comforting about Knoops hot chocolate.
This week, AJ is joined by guest Presenter Suzy Pelta. Suzy is no stranger to TV and radio as she first burst on to our screens a few years ago after winning a baking competition on ITV’s Lorraine; she’s also a demo chef, food judge, recipe writer and brand consultant. Our experts are Joe Woolf from Tasty Mates, whose range of sweets have unique flavours relating to personality traits found in many a friendship group. Maya Simler joins us from Playin Choc, which is an organic chocolate and game designed to inspire creative and educational play. We discover that Suzy has a special connection with one of the guests on the show today. And how important it is for us all to play a little more!
This week, AJ is joined again by Taste Kent Magazine editor, Clare Pope and together they explore the fascinating world of snacking dough! Cookie dough is an un-cooked blend of cookie ingredients, however our experts this week have taken this dough to a whole new level! In the hot seats this week we have Kathryn Bricken from Doughlicious and Erin Moroney from Nibble Simply. AJ gets every excited, as usual, about tasting all the different flavours, while Clare wants to know about the functional benefits.
This week, AJ is joined by drinks writer Clare Pope who is intrigued by this week’s theme, drinks with a difference. The experts joining them in the studio are Eoin Keenan from Goodrays and Zak Tozer the founder of Zak’s Zombucha. Clare and AJ are really interested to understand the functional elements of different drinks and are especially fascinated by CBD infused drinks. Are they safe? What do they actually do? And is it legal?
This week, it’s AJ Sharp back in the hosting hot-seat and she is joined again by guest presenter Elles Hale, a professional chef and flexitarian for a show about plant-based meat and cheese alternatives. They learn how plants can disguise themselves as cheese and meat, and why it’s really important to look at the composition of products before eating them. The experts on the show this week are Charlotte Stevens, the cheesemonger who famously received death threats in the post after setting up her plant based “cheeze” shop. And Steve Swindon from Love Seitan, who explains that gluten (as long as you aren’t allergic to it) really isn’t so bad after all.
This week, AJ is joined by professional pâtisserie chef, Eloise (Elles) Hale, and they are both very excited to meet Harriet Hastings who founded Biscuiteers. Harriet is one of those wonder women, who has four kids and built this incredible multi-million-pound company, which shares happiness around the UK (and soon around the World too) by creating beautiful pieces of edible artwork, for every occasion. AJ has a girl-crush and wants to know how Harriet has achieved so much, so quickly, especially with four kids. Elles is very impressed with the craftsmanship and interested to know how they create so many biscuits, so quickly!
Susie and AJ have a bit of a party in the studio this week. There’s ham, sparkling wine and gin to taste, with Chloe Wilcock from Oink and Udder, who is running what is described as the “hot desking” of farming. And Jackie Wilks from Terlingham Vineyard, who is channelling a lot of female energy into her incredible wine range. As they’re local to the studio here in Ashford, this show certainly felt like a bit of a party!
This week, Susie and AJ meet Nutritionist Virginia Hill and Ros Heathcote from Borough Broth. We learn about how real broth is made and why it tastes so much better than other broths you might have tasted. AJ has her mind completely blown about the health benefits of bone broth and Susie vows to order more immediately after the show.
This week, Susie and AJ meet Tom Walker a BT employee, who started a guacamole business after a disagreement with his colleague Gaz Booth about the correct amount of coriander to use in Guacamole. There was not really a business plan back then, they just Googled how to do things, until they found themselves on an avocado farm in Mexico and realised that things had escalated! Today, Holy Moly is a multi-million-pound business.
Susie is back from holiday and AJ is relieved to hand the hosting reins back again! This week, they welcome caviar expert, Alison McKenzie to the show. Alison is the official UK partner for Adamas Caviar, which she imports through her business Caviar and Cocktails. The team are absolutely fascinated learning how Caviar comes to be and what lengths the best suppliers are doing to make sure it’s sustainable. Susie admits that she sometimes eats a whole tin for breakfast. AJ is so chuffed to try caviar for the second time in her life, that she can hardly get the words out!
AJ is still in the hot spot while Susie is on holiday, and Charlotte Pike joins the presenting team again this week as they meet Sophie Grigson. Charlotte knows Sophie already, but AJ is really excited to meet her. They learn about her life since permanently relocating to Puglia in Italy. She shares her experiences living on the heel of Italy’s boot and the joy of enjoying fresh local produce. Will Sophie convince AJ and Charlotte to set off on a Mediterranean adventure?
AJ is still in the hot spot while Susie is on holiday, and Charlotte Pike joins the presenting team again this week as they explore fermented foods and what they really do to your body. This week, our guest is Zakinah Nori from Zambur Ferments, and Nathan her brewing business partner. Listen as Charlotte shares her knowledge on a variety of different fermentation techniques and gives insights on how to do this yourself at home. AJ is delighted to discover how to delete Cadbury’s Crème Eggs after eating them. And did you know what a space mushrooms are good for?
Listen as AJ takes over the reins for a few weeks while Susie is away on holiday, and she’s joined by professional chef and cookbook author, Charlotte Pike. This week is all about honey and preserves. Charlotte and AJ are joined by Chris Barnes a beekeeper from London, who runs a honey cooperative called Black Bee Honey, making honey by the season. And Jeff Higgins from The Wooden Spoon Company, who explains the best way to eat chilli jam, which wonky fruits go into his preserves and how to make the best lemon curd. Will Jeff and Charlotte agree about the best way to make a Rumtopf? And will Chris convince AJ that you can keep bees in the right postcode?
AJ and Susie are tasting and discussing coffee this week. They are being guided by expert Ashley Palmer-Watts. Ashley is a bit of a (Michelin) star chef, world renowned in fact, but he is also a self-confessed coffee addict. He decided to set up an artisan coffee company in 2019 and is bringing his wondrous blends and flavours to revolutionise the way we think and talk about coffee. They are all joined in the studio by Will Little, a second generation coffee blender. Naturally he makes 'proper' coffee but has also decided to disrupt the world of instant coffee. Susie won't even have instant coffee in her house - will she be persuaded that Little's Instant can get past her door?
Ready meals are something Susie just doesn’t buy. She still thinks they’re like the 1970s ‘tv dinner’ offerings, but AJ, as a very busy mother, has different views. They have invited Milly Bagot the co-founder of ByRuby and Bronzie Kee from Little Lunch Box to explain how everything has changed since then. Bronzie produces well-balanced meals for children that leaves them feeling good and Milly is convinced Susie will not be able to tell the difference between her own home-made lasagne and hers. Well, let’s see!
AJ and Christabel Cairns know more about The Great Taste Awards than probably anyone else on the planet. For 2022 there were 14,000 food and drink products to be judged but what was chosen as the best of the best of the best from all those marvellous entries? A cider? Jam? Cured meat? Cheese? Pastry or cake? We will not be divulging the clear winner here - you'll need to listen in as Susie, AJ and Christabel taste the world's best food and drink product in the studio and give their opinion. The answer is, it's amazing!
The World Cheese Awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food and were first held in 1988. It was originally established to shine a light on artisan cheesemakers and to raise their profile, as well as rewarding quality in cheese making.
It is by far the world’s largest cheese-only event and the 34th competition was held at the ICC Wales in Newport this year. There were a record-breaking 4,434 entries; sent to Wales by boat, truck, train, and plane via 19 consolidation points around the world, ensuring as many artisan cheese producers can enter as possible.
AJ is in her seventh heaven and Susie doesn't really talk much this week as she keeps stealing all the cheeses on offer in the studio, amongst them the world's best cheese (official!). Again they are joined by Christabel Cairns of the Guild of Fine Food who are organisers of the World Cheese Awards and Tom Chatfield who represents the World Champion Cheese La Gruyère Surchoix AOP.
AJ and Susie are joined again by Christabel Cairns of The Guild of Fine Food, the organisation that runs the Great Taste Awards. This week the team want to concentrate on innovation in food and drink. What is driving innovation and how can entering the Awards help producers break boundaries? Jacob Thundil of Soyze brings along his own award-winning sauces to see if our taste experts are impressed, and they also taste some very interesting chocolate habanero sauce from Kickin Chilli.
Christabel Cairns organises the Great Taste Awards and is heavily involved in the World Cheese Awards. How do you manage the pure logistics of judging 14,000 products each year and how do you get three stars? Christabel joins Susie and AJ as a guest presenter for the next four weeks and brings a whole host of Great Taste Award winning products to assess. First, off she talks about Try January - why not try something new that you haven't before - much more exciting than Dry January and possible a bit more daring than Veganuary.
Susie has always loved vermouth and has been banging on for six years about how underrated it is. She has never understood why the art of mixing botanicals has been so associated with gin making. Sigh! Obviously AJ hasn't a clue what she's talking about but starts to warm to the theme. They are joined by artisan vermouth makers Guy Abrahams and Gnina Balchin who talk them through the process.
One of our most beautiful islands, the Isle of Wight, has lots to offer. The weather, sailing, beaches, wonderful walks and great food and drink. The local delicacies of home grown garlic and crab and chips are world beating. However Susie and AJ are keen on the local tipples which are infused with locally foraged herbs and plants. They speak to Xavier Baker of Mermaid gin and Ruth Green of Tipsy Wight the vodka people. There is so much to taste but our intrepid presenters reckon they pretty much agree on the best of the bunch.
Susie and AJ discuss the merits of drinks in a can. They've now got used to craft beer wrapped in aluminium but think that wine in a can may be a step too far, but what about cocktails? Susie reckons that as you can get a negroni in a 100ml can now, she might put that in her toiletry bag at the airport instead of her shampoo and toothpaste as its much more useful. That aside there are many more advantages to canned cocktails, from the financial savings, to the eco advantages, the chill factor and foregoing the faff of making them. What do you think?
Susie is overjoyed that this week's programme is about porter and stout - her favourite type of beer. AJ prefers the hoppy taste of IPAs but as always is open to trying anything. Luckily Clare Pope the beer writer is in the studio to take them through the tastings of the black stuff in an orderly fashion. In the end they all agree that the best is an extraordinary stout that is a mind-blowing 11% ABV.
Susie meets Marie Prebble from Kent who holds the world record for sheep shearing. Along with Kristina Boulden of Romney Marsh Wools she explains why British lamb is best in the summer and why we should all being eating the much maligned mutton.
Susie and AJ agree that every freezer in the UK must have a bag of frozen peas for that odd time where you have a swollen joint or twisted ankle. They can't however agree about buying frozen jacket potatoes. Susie thinks it's a great idea but AJ isn't so sure. Luckily Matt Whelan of Field Fare, the high quality frozen food people, is on hand to adjudicate and explain some simple rules for freezing stuff to cut down on your food waste.
This week is all about umami flavours or savouriness which is one of the five basic tastes alongside bitter, sour, sweet and salty. Foods that have a strong umami flavour include meats, shellfish, anchovies, soy sauce, marmite and strong cheese. AJ and Susie talk to Adam Sopher who makes popcorn with interesting umami flavour combinations including Irish stout and cheese on toast. What?! Harry Turpin is also in the studio with his umami Crunchits.
AJ and Susie are honoured to have Renée Elliott and Sam Wigan as their guests on today's programme. The food, drink, agri and hospitality sector have taken a real hit in the last two years. Almost everyone's health has been affected by covid one way or another. How do we keep our entrepreneurial heads above water and remain healthy and true to ourselves? Renée explains how her experience of setting up Planet Organic all those decades ago has shaped her approach to running a successful business, and Sam runs us through how to clarify purpose, resolve challenges and attain desired results in these difficult times.
Fruits contain large amounts of nutrients including fibre, vitamins, minerals and various antioxidants. They taste wonderful and we probably don't know enough about them. Luckily for AJ and Susie, Sarah Calcutt is on hand of the National Fruit Show to tell us all about British top fruit and soft fruit AND she has brought loads of delicious samples. They are also joined by Laurie Fermor of Freddie's Farm which makes delicious apple treats for little people.
Fruits contain large amounts of nutrients including fibre, vitamins, minerals and various antioxidants. They taste wonderful and we probably don't know enough about them. Luckily for AJ and Susie, Sarah Calcutt is on hand of the National Fruit Show to tell us all about British top fruit and soft fruit AND she has brought loads of delicious samples. They are also joined by Laurie Fermor of Freddie's Farm which makes delicious apple treats for little people.
AJ doesn't think she can do any tastings today. As a student she had a bad time on tequila once and she's never touched it since, even the smell makes her wince. Can Jane Peyton the drinks expert, Susie, a self-confessed margarita fan and our friends from Vivir and Mijenta change her mind?
AJ doesn't think she can do any tastings today. As a student she had a bad time on tequila once and she's never touched it since, even the smell makes her wince. Can Jane Peyton the drinks expert, Susie, a self-confessed margarita fan and our friends from Vivir and Mijenta change her mind?
What is a shrub? Have the FoodTalk team gone gardening? No, Henry Chevallier Guild of NonSuch Shrubs joins AJ, Susie and Jane Peyton to explain all about this most ancient of drinks. Naturally they're vinegar-based but if you're from the Aspall dynasty that's been making vinegar and cider since 1728, that's not really a problem. We also taste the divine vinegars made by Francine Lee of Bumblee's in her Somerset kitchen.
What is a shrub? Have the FoodTalk team gone gardening? No, Henry Chevallier Guild of NonSuch Shrubs joins AJ, Susie and Jane Peyton to explain all about this most ancient of drinks. Naturally they're vinegar-based but if you're from the Aspall dynasty that's been making vinegar and cider since 1728, that's not really a problem. We also taste the divine vinegars made by Francine Lee of Bumblee's in her Somerset kitchen.
Jane Peyton reckons rum isn't taken as seriously as it should be and is mostly associated with cocktails. But in a tasting session led by Jake Sedge of Anno Distillers, AJ and Susie also start to eulogise about this underrated drink too and it seems that Susie may have been somewhat over enthusiastic in her tasting duties.
Jane Peyton reckons rum isn't taken as seriously as it should be and is mostly associated with cocktails. But in a tasting session led by Jake Sedge of Anno Distillers, AJ and Susie also start to eulogise about this underrated drink too and it seems that Susie may have been somewhat over enthusiastic in her tasting duties.
This week Susie and AJ are joined by drink's expert, Jane Peyton, to taste a selection of still waters. We currently drink 2.5 million litres of bottled water a year in the UK, but is it worth it? The trouble is, while Jane and AJ discuss the merits of each one, Susie just can't tell the difference at all. That is, until it comes to the famous 'Corporation Pop'.
AJ and Susie are joined by Jane Peyton the drinks expert this week to talk about Japanese sake wine made from rice. They all admit they know next to nothing about it, but Jane does explain about koji, the fungus that breaks down the rice starch into fermentable glucose. It influences the aroma and flavour apparently. They go in for a good old tasting of different sakes but realise they need to know much more about this mysterious drink.
AJ and Susie are joined by Jane Peyton the drinks expert this week to talk about Japanese sake wine made from rice. They all admit they know next to nothing about it, but Jane does explain about koji, the fungus that breaks down the rice starch into fermentable glucose. It influences the aroma and flavour apparently. They go in for a good old tasting of different sakes but realise they need to know much more about this mysterious drink.
Ultra convenience and almost zero food waste, is this the food solution that has supermarkets on the run? Ollie Lloyd and Susie talk to Timo Boldt from Gousto. He started his company ten years ago and has been offering an alternative to the supermarket ever since then.
Customers can choose from a huge selection of online recipes, then the ingredients (in the correct amount) appear on their doorstep ready to cook. As well as offering high levels of personalisation, this could be the ultimate low-waste business – Gousto boasts an impressive 0.35% waste rate in the supply chain and factory. Could this be the shopping mechanism of the future?
Ultra convenience and almost zero food waste, is this the food solution that has supermarkets on the run? Ollie Lloyd and Susie talk to Timo Boldt from Gousto. He started his company ten years ago and has been offering an alternative to the supermarket ever since then.
Customers can choose from a huge selection of online recipes, then the ingredients (in the correct amount) appear on their doorstep ready to cook. As well as offering high levels of personalisation, this could be the ultimate low-waste business – Gousto boasts an impressive 0.35% waste rate in the supply chain and factory. Could this be the shopping mechanism of the future?
There are now so many media channels to choose from that it's really hard to work out where to get the most bang for your buck. Media expert Emma Liddiard of Global explains how to plan a media campaign and Henry Jeffreys the food writer tells Susie and AJ how to get your press release noticed.
There are now so many media channels to choose from that it's really hard to work out where to get the most bang for your buck. Media expert Emma Liddiard of Global explains how to plan a media campaign and Henry Jeffreys the food writer tells Susie and AJ how to get your press release noticed.
Using AJ's knowledge of PR and marketing and Robyn Simms experience at Square Root Soda, Susie wants to understand the pros and cons of using a brand ambassador to promote your foodie product. Should you use a brand ambassador such as Donald Trump, Gary Lineker or Wallace and Gromit or hire an influencer?
Susie always does it, but AJ doesn't always have the time. Yes, we're talking about the importance of breakfast and why you must top up your protein every day. But can good nutritious snacking help your gym session or sporting performance? Scott Chassels of Fuel10k and Susan Gafsen of Pep & Lekker are on hand to give us some advice.
Susie and AJ go paleo and tuck into pork scratchings and beef jerky. Founders Nick Coleman of Snaffling Pig and Will Yates of Billy Franks explain how they make the traditional high protein meaty snacks and discover that pork scratchings are quite possibly the oldest snack on earth.
Philli Armitage-Mattin is a Masterchef finalist and famous for her love of Asian flavours. She invited Susie and AJ to her new pop up venture at the Intercontinental in London's poshest address, Park Lane, right in the middle of Mayfair. We also revisit Susie's interview with the lovely Anna Haugh of Myrtle restaurant in Chelsea who is about to take over from Monica Galetti on MasterChef: The Professionals.
Susie and AJ are somewhat shocked by the contents of the programme this week and you might find it unsettling too. Ben Greensmith of Tony's Chocolonely uncovers the dreadful world of child slave labour in the chocolate industry and why we should be asking some difficult questions of the major chocolate brands in the UK.
Susie and AJ don't really know what a B Corp is, but they know that more and more consumers want to know where their food comes from and that it is being sourced and made responsibly. Enter Guy Tullberg of Tracklements and Jonathan Parker of Foodari who can both demonstrate why sustainability and good ethical practices make good business sense.
Is the microwave a relic from the 1970s or can it still be used to create a nutritious meal for the whole family? Nicci Clark of Re:Nourish explains to Susie and AJ how she has embraced the much maligned 'convenience' sector to create one of the most convenient products yet invented.
You might have a fabulous brand, a great venue or the best tasting product in the world, but how do you cut through the social media noise to get heard and be seen? AJ and Jon Mills explain to Susie the use of 'experiential' marketing and how it helps to win customers and build a community of ambassadors.
"Eat cake now" proclaim AJ and Susie. If you just look at the beautiful creations hand-made by Eloise Hale you would not be able to resist tucking in either. She explains how she makes her beautiful creations and is joined by Darren Little of Cocoba who talks about hot drinking chocolate. We're not talking Nesquik here, it's the soothing, cocoa based heaven for grown ups. Should we have marshmallows with that or not? Whooshy cream as well? Possibly.
We are very lucky to have Ellie Webb in the studio today with her incredibly popular non-alcoholic drink Caleño. We also have Matt from Lixir, which is just as well as he mixes some fabulous non-alcoholic cocktails with Ellie for AJ and Susie to taste. Did you know you can use a pineapple spike as a garnish? Nor did we and what is the thing about having too much ice? You really can get that cocktail vibe without the alcohol and not have to wake up with a headache.
Susie and AJ admit they doesn't really know anything about fermentation and yet it underpins so much of the foodie stuff they love - sourdough, vinegar, beer, pickles etc etc. What is the mother thing? How do you get a starter? All is revealed with our two experts from Peter's Yard and Slow Vinegar. We never thought you could find a vinegar that genuinely tastes better than some wine, and the cheese and crackers are to die for!
Farming is a science, coupled with some trial and error and a good deal of experimentation. Naturally the weather plays a big part too. AJ and Susie talk to two farmers who both happen to be called James and have generations of experience behind them. They want to know how today's farmers play a part in the local community. How they are so important for preserving and caring for our landscapes and whether you need to wear shorts all year 'round! In addition, they taste some bread that is simply sensational.
Dog ice cream is a thing apparently. Just so you don't get confused we mean ice cream for dogs. You have to be careful to make sure the ingredients can be consumed by pooches obviously but they can be eaten by humans too. Enter Sally Newall of the multiple award winning Simply Ice Cream company who has just launched her first doggie ice cream. Susie and AJ have a taste and give it the thumbs up. They're also joined by Keith Morrison of Solley's Ice Cream and along with Sally they spend the rest of the show, well . . . just tasting a succession of new flavours until they run out of time. Hello summer.
Susie and AJ are joined by Lisa Marley who pretty much knows everything there is to know about plant-based cooking. Her inspirational recipes have been featured in ELLE magazine, Women's Health, Time Out and Take a Break, to name a few and Cosmopolitan magazine regularly teams up with Lisa to offer their readers virtual plant-based masterclasses. As well as writing magazine articles, she does interviews and live demonstrations at food festivals, and is a trained nutrionist. Oh yeah, and does a lot of work in schools. Phew! They're also joined in the studio by the splendidly named Biff Bloom Burrows to sample his Biff range of vegan products - how did he go from working in McDonald's to making plant-based burger sauces? And what the hell is jack fruit?
AJ and Susie meet Katy Cox and Floortje Hoette (Flo for short) this week where they discuss the merits of rescued food. Flo describes the wonderful FoodLoop app, which is a sort of Tinder for the food sector. It connects food left on the shelf with someone who is looking to cherish it and let it shine. So those businesses who have unwanted goods can connect with those who want to turn it into something delicious. Katy is the founder of Wasted Kitchen. If you want a lunchbox, cocktail box, meeting box, party box or whatever, she is your saviour. A mouth-watering assortment of dips, rice dishes and salads in compostable kraft brown boxes made from unloved veg is her forte. She makes amazing pickles with all that unloved veg too. Yum.
We have a new presenter today, taste expert, AJ Sharp, and two wonderful guests. They have both managed to take their inspiration from another country and skilfully combined that with the best their home county can produce. Maria Bradford is a classically trained French chef and now makes the most incredible juices and sauces inspired by her family background in Sierra Leone. Susie knows nothing about the country and is keen to learn about the cuisine which uses mango, cassava, ginger, chilli and garlic to such great effect. Meanwhile, Finn Dunlop of Macknade explains how the centuries old farming family have used their Italian connections to develop probably one of the best farm shops in the country.
Jane and Susie welcome two tea experts for our programme this week. Nick Gandon of Reginald Ames and Nigel Abbott of Bergamia. Both have a huge amount of experience in importing and blending tea. What size teabag is best? How long do you leave the finest tea leaves to brew? With milk or without? All these questions and more are debated. But if you want to know how to make the perfect cup of breakfast tea first thing in the morning then Nigel has the definitive answer.
Scotland has a glorious history of whisky making. It's romantic, almost magical and definitely world-class. In this episode of the FoodTalk programme, Jane and Susie get to taste some English whisky with renowned whisky expert and Scottish whisky distiller Annabel Thomas. What do they all make of the new English kids on the block and is it really whisky as we know it? Listen to find out.
Susie and Jane admit that they don't really know anything about salt, except our bodies need it but not too much. Is there any difference between common old table salt and seasalt or rocksalt? How is it 'made'? Luckily they have Gregorie Marshall of Blackthorn Salt on hand to explain how they make this amazing stuff up in Ayr. The story of salt is truly fascinating.
Susie and Jane get to talk to the inspirational James Lawrence in this week's episode. He explains why Folkestone is now so hot, with the Harbour Arm a hugely popular food, drink, art and music destination. Think greek food (served in a blue and white double decker bus), street food from Argentina, artisan hot dogs, seafood shacks, a champagne bar in a lighthouse, tacos, tapas and tequilas. He goes on to talk about Dr Legumes the fine dining plant-based restaurant with the most mouth watering menu you've ever come across, that he set up with his pal Lee Desai. They started in the Harbour Arm car park and have never looked back. If you've not been to Folkestone Harbour Arm, the neighbouring Sunny Sands beach or the harbour - what are you waiting for?
Sue has changed her name, no longer is she Sue Nelson but is now Susie Warran-Smith. Something to do with getting married apparently. Anyhow Jane and Susie have two wonderful guests this week - AJ Sharp and Stu MacDonald. AJ is a seasoned judge for the Great Taste Awards and explains how the judging works and exactly what constitutes the star ratings they give. That's just as well, as Stu is our other guest. He is the founder of ManiLife peanut butter, which just happens to be the most Great Taste awarded peanut butter in the UK, including a coveted 3 star. Find out how he makes the nutty breakfast favourite and why he needs some recipes for his new cookbook.
Sue travels to Margate to meet the lovely people at Speciality Breads, the artisan bakers. Neil, the development chef explains the range of products they make, then Sue goes for a tour around the factory to watch them make a huge batch of teacakes. Meanwhile, Neil can't help himself and cooks up a real treat for Sue's lunch which is waiting for her when she gets back to meet Simon the managing director. It looks like a scene out of British Bake Off. Yum!
Hari Ghotra joins Sue as a guest presenter this week and the subject is black pudding. The first mention of this interesting delicacy can be found way back in Homer’s Odyssey. The family business of our studio guest, Colette Twomey, doesn’t go back quite that far, but Clonakilty Blackpudding Company certainly has an impressive history. Founded in the 1880s and still family run, the company produces truly delicious black pudding, along with equally tasty sausages. Sue fails to get the secret family recipe out of Colette but does get lots of insight into how to cook this hugely underrated breakfast treat.
Sue explains coelic disease, and why, if you are unfortunate enough to have this life changing condition, eating out is a nightmare. Kerry Clare and Sarah Wren are committed to providing gluten free food that tastes incredible. Kerry owns a completely GF bakery and Sarah a GF restaurant, while Jane lists the best GF drinks to go for. On top of that, Kerry has brought a whole range of gluten free baked goodies which Sue and Jane feel obliged to eat their way through.
Sue and Jane admit to being a bit piggy on the programme today. They are joined by the marvellous James Golding of the hotel and restaurant chain 'The Pig'. He brings along some delicious food he has prepared for the occasion and they just can't help themselves. James extols the virtues of sourcing from local producers and we can't help wonder why everyone doesn't support the local guys.
Jane and Sue are bowled over by the taste of some lovely Kentish rapeseed oil. They discover it contains the lowest saturated fat content of any oil, with less than half that of Olive oil AND it contains 10 times more Omega 3 than Olive oil too. In addition it produces large amounts of nectar, particularly loved by honeybees. Well, why aren't we all using this beautiful #British made stuff? Later our presenters are wowed by the best walnuts they have ever tasted.
Sue and Jane are truly honoured to have the legendary Mitch Tonks, restaurateur, food writer, TV star and expert on all things fish in the studio this week. Sue whips out her 15 year old copy of Mitch's book and explains why she has used it nearly every week since she bought it. Mitch explains his upbringing and why the sea and fish are simply in his blood. He also introduces the new concept of RockFish for home cooks. You just have to listen to one of our favourite ever FoodTalk episodes.
Sue goes to Copper Rivet Distillery to see how gin is made, from the grain being delivered all the way through to blending the botanicals. She then has a tutored tasting with author of The Philosophy of Gin, her fellow presenter Jane Peyton. They taste their way through five gins and Jane explains the origins of Navy Strength. Which brand do they think is best to drink neat, and best with a dash of tonic?
Jamie Oliver described Calum Franklin as "The king of pies", we think he produces the best looking pies in the UK and probably the world. He is Executive Head Chef at The Pie Room at Holborn Dining Room - a treasure trove of savoury delicacies, and somewhere for every food-lover to swing by and take away one of the beautifully intricate pastry creations including the humble sausage roll.
Calum discusses the art of pie making and we also talk to Matt from Kentish Mayde who make thousands of pies a day, all by hand for very happy customers.
Part 2 of our favourite cookbooks. What better present for your loved one on Valentine's Day than a cookbook? Forget the flowers and chocolates and get them something beautiful and useful. Jane Peyton our resident beer sommelier and expert on cider, discusses the best books about drink including Noble Rot and The Brewmasters Table. We are also honoured to have Charlotte Pike in the studio. Charlotte is not only a chef, award winning cookery writer and a food educator, she is the Chair of the Guild of Food Writers. You can't get a better person to advise us on cookbooks than that. Sue chips in with her favourite Giffords Circus Cookbook but what else do they recommend?
What better present for your loved one on Valentine's Day than a cookbook? Forget the flowers and chocolates and get them something beautiful and useful. Jane Peyton our resident beer sommelier and expert on cider, discusses the best books about drink including Noble Rot and The Brewmasters Table. We are also honoured to have Charlotte Pike in the studio. Charlotte is not only a chef, award winning cookery writer and a food educator, she is the Chair of the Guild of Food Writers. You can't get a better person to advise us on cookbooks than that. Sue chips in with her favourite Giffords Circus Cookbook but what else do they recommend? Part 2 next week.
Sue and Jane are great fans of bees, those beautiful pollinators that keep our flowers and plants alive. They are mysterious creatures though, so they are joined by Michael Bispham of North Downs Bees to explain what goes on inside those hives. After that, they get to taste some mead probably the oldest drink in the world. Tom Gosnell of Gosnell's Meadery brings along his innovative canned and sparkling mead to see what Jane makes of it. Clue: It's a big hit!
Our host Sue Nelson is beyond excited for this very special edition of The FoodTalk Show. She’s joined by legendary food journalist, Sheila Dillon, who has been presenting BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme for over 20 years.
Once they’ve finished sampling some tasty treats from Sheila’s native Lancashire, the pair get talking about Sheila’s remarkable life in food and the media. After starting out with a very public critique of her college’s unappealing dinners, Sheila’s career was driven by a passion for exploring the food industry and its impact on consumers.
She spent time in Finland and then the US where she helped break down more barriers in her pursuit of gender pay equality. Alongside some colleagues, Sheila brought a class action against her employers in publishing for equal pay – and won.
Don’t miss this classic edition of The FoodTalk Show.
The FoodTalk Show is delighted to welcome Asma Khan into the studio to tell us her incredible story.
The first and only British chef to feature in Netflix’s ‘Chefs Table’, Asma has earned huge plaudits in the cooking world thanks to her amazing Asian cooking skills. She's even been voted the no.1 Coolest Person in Food and Drink by Business Insider. If you’ve ever visited the hugely popular Darjeeling Express you’ll know what we mean.
There’s so much more to Asma than her cooking though . . . see how her roots make this story even more unlikely.
After seeing in the New Year, Sue and Jane decide they should do a non-alcoholic beer tasting for all their listeners who are embarking on Dry January. As Jane is an accredited beer sommelier and author on numerous books on beer, who better to judge the non-alcoholic offerings against the real stuff. Sue is not as knowledgeable but knows what she likes. They have ordered 16 bottles and cans from Dry Drinker and give their very honest views on each. What gets the thumbs up and what should you avoid?!
Especially for New Year's Eve, we're discussing the world's most popular cocktails and what makes the top ten list. Sue is flabbergasted that her favourite Negroni doesn't make it but sangria does?! and Jane highly recommends the 'theatre' of cocktail making when your guests arrive. They're joined by Karl Wozney and Laura Taylor in a make-shift studio bar where they make their own version of an Espresso Martini. Cheers and a very Happy New Year to you all.
Sue visits the Cheesemakers of Canterbury to see how cheese is made and arrives at the studio with some lovely samples. Meanwhile Robin Betts, the International Cheese Award Winner, explains what makes the perfect cheeseboard and does a thorough tasting from soft to semi-hard cheese. Jane then explains what to drink with cheese - no, not red wine but cider! and Sue gives a top tip on how to keep your cheese in perfect condition in the fridge.
The studio is full of potatoes today – different varieties, recipes and even a lemon drizzle cake made from the stuff. Sue admits to being a complete potato head and Jane eulogises at the sheer versatility of this humble tuber. As someone once said, “potatoes make chips, mash, dauphinoise, crisps and vodka. It’s like the other vegetables aren’t even trying”.
Jane is in her element this week, talking about the topic closest to her heart . . . beer. She gives Sue a lesson in hops, brewing and tasting along with the experts from Cellar Head and Gadd’s. Want to know the difference between IPA, pale ale, lager and stout? What food pairings work well with beer and the difference between Kentish hops and the American kind? Listen in.
Sue admits that she just adores pigs but has to balance that with her love of charcuterie. Luckily, we have Chloe Wilcock of Oink and Udder who explains how she raises happy pigs in a stress-free environment, to ensure they make the best dried meats, bacon and sausages. Needless to say, after that Jane and Sue go on a marathon charcuterie tasting session.
Vegan chocolate? Is it a thing? It certainly is. Sue and Jane are bowled over by two producers who’ve been making vegan products for decades, well before ‘plant-based’ went mainstream. Apparently, milk chocolate (and some dark chocolate) contains milk powder which means they’re unsuitable for vegans. Not these delicious bites though.
The studio smells wonderful today – the lovely aroma of freshly ground and brewed coffee being prepared by two experts wafting around the microphones. We are joined by the founders of Garage Coffee and Cold Blow Coffee who share their knowledge and expertise on the subject.
A packed studio today with 3 guests from Kent vineyards. It’s an all female line-up from Terlingham Vineyard, Gusbourne and Wayfarer Wines. Jane explains how you should open a bottle of fizz and what glass you should use for serving – flutes are out apparently. Meanwhile Sue is very unkind about French champagne.
Sue and Jane rediscover the joys of milk. Proper milk that's been pasteurised and not homogenised like the supermarket stuff. It’s a revelation taking them both back to their childhood when doorstep deliveries in glass bottles was the norm and you got to drink a small bottle of free milk a day at school.
Talking cider with Julian Barnes and Jane Peyton. We’re back and we’re feeling good! The first all new FoodTalk Show kicks off with Sue Nelson as usual and her co-presenter Jane Peyton, one of the UK’s leading experts on beer and cider.
Have a listen again to our podcast from 2019 and marvel at how things have changed!!
Asma Khan, founder of Darjeeling Express, joins us to discuss her story and foodie trends of 2019.
Chocolate? Expiring Turkey trimmings? Cheese? Crisps? What’s filling up the bins outside your property as we head into a brand new year with bleary eyes and a sincere fear of going to work?
Don’t worry, we know that January is a horrible month and we want to make things a bit easier for you. Alas, we have the first FoodTalk podcast of 2019 here which is live and ready to be downloaded.
For this one, we are looking into our crystal ball and trying to gauge what foodie trends will sweep the nation in 2019. There are a few surprising shouts from Ollie Lloyd, our presenter with the crucial Great British Chefs stats, so make sure you note his comments and set an alarm for December to see if they come off.
It’s not that we didn’t value the views of our regular team of Sue, Ollie and Holly, but we did want some fresh perspective on it all too. So to help us we were delighted to welcome Asma Khan into the studio. As well as looking at predicted foodie trends, she told us her incredible story.
Due to feature in Netflix’s ‘Chefs Table’ soon, Asma is earning huge plaudits in the cooking world thanks to her amazing Asian cooking skills. If you’ve ever visited the hugely popular Darjeeling Express in Soho’s Kingly Court, you’ll know what we mean.
There’s so much more to Asma than her cooking though…click play on this episode to see how her roots make this story even more unlikely.
What does 2020 have in store for our two exciting guests? Well none of us would have ever guessed it would have panned out quite how it did! Listen again to our podcast from January this year when life was much simpler.
It’s a brand new year and we’d like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2020.
To kick off the year, Ollie and Sue have invited two brilliant guests who are both at exciting stages in their food careers.
Marianne Lumb is a chef who reached the final of BBC’s MasterChef in 2009, going on to open her own London restaurant and also be a finalist in 2018’s Great British Menu series. The Saturday Kitchen Live regular is now considering her next gastronomic adventure and another restaurant could be on the menu, so watch this space…
Once they’ve finished devouring Marianne’s delicious cake, Sue and Ollie welcome Oliver Familoe of Oli’s Nectarous. This company won the Young Producer category at last year’s Future Food Awards with a range of amazing vegan-friendly, plant-based, gluten-free desserts made with natural sugar.
Oliver’s mum was a patisserie chef with Coeliac disease, so the young business graduate spotted a niche in the market for gluten-free, vegan desserts that genuinely tasted amazing.
Finally, the group discuss their foodie trend predictions for 2020. Will they come true or just be pie in the sky?
Listen again to our podcast from September 2019.
Food writing is the topic for this show – which book will be our flavour of the month?
Ollie is absent from the studio this week – off on one of his “hippy jaunts”, as Sue so delicately puts it – but the delightful Holly Shackleton is here and ready to talk all things food. As an added bonus, the pair are joined by an absolutely fabulous guest presenter and friend of the show, Kumud Gandhi.
Not only is Kumud the founder of The Cooking Academy, she’s also a published food author, which is pretty handy given our topic this week. Sue and Holly want to talk about the phenomenon that is food writing, in all its diverse forms.
Both Holly and Sue are, of course, published food writers but they want to hear from renowned foodie, Felicity Cloake, who is vice-president of the Guild of Food Writers.
In the digital age, it’s never been easier for food bloggers to find an audience, but are they any good? And is it really that hard to write a cookbook?
Well, it turns out that writing your own recipe book is a true labour of love. Felicity should know, as she’s recently written a new book herself. Fortunately, Sue, Holly and Kumud don’t have to just look at the pictures, as Felicity has brought in some divine delicacies from the book for them to try.
Plus the team take a look at a selection of new food books that cover such fascinating regions as the Black Sea and Ethiopia.
Listen again to our podcast from June 2019.
This week Sue and Ollie have got guests from both ends of the flavour spectrum: sweet chocolate and savoury noodles. The one thing they have in common is that both producers love to experiment with exotic flavours.
Master chocolatier Paul A Young makes a very welcome return to the show and he’s brought more of his incredible treats for Sue and Ollie to try. Although he’s seriously famous and renowned in the foodie world now, Paul has not been tempted to abandon his artisan roots.
Inspired by the sights, smells and sounds of European patisseries, Paul’s unique and mouth-watering chocolates are still manufactured onsite at his three London shops but no oompa loompas in sight. Sue can’t wait to give her verdict on the buttered toasted hot cross bun flavour…
Another familiar face returning to the studio is Damian Lee, the man behind Mr Lee’s Noodles. If you thought that noodles in a pot were just the preserve of students, think again. Mr Lee’s Noodles don’t contain the preservatives and ‘nasties’ like MSG and high salt and sugar levels that are found in many rival brands.
Damian talks about the challenges that his company has faced as a disruptor brand in the noodle space and how his noodles are now being served to the entire Australian Defence Force. He could even be about to attain the ultimate achievement of selling noodles to China!
We’re talking meat and fish with two of the best in the food industry. Listen again to our podcast of August last year.
Robin Moxon of Moxon’s Fishmongers knows pretty much all there is to know about fish and the buying habits of the Great British public. Surprisingly, it seems that Brits are more adventurous with fishy flavours than Sue had realised – you’ll never guess the subject of Great British Chefs’ most popular Instagram post!
This kicks off a conversation about whether it’s difficult to cook fish at home and why people aren’t doing so much of it anymore.
If you like a bit of foodie TV, you’re bound to have seen our second guest at some point. Adam Byatt has appeared on the likes of Saturday Kitchen, Celebrity MasterChef and Great British Menu, but he’s not just a media man. His Clapham restaurant Trinity has one Michelin star and has won countless other awards, so he knows a thing or two about meat.
Sadly, the number of butchers in the UK has declined by 60% in the last 25 years. Yet it seems that in the meat world too, people are keen to break out of their comfort zones and try the weird and wonderful. Adam reveals his approach to getting the best out of food and even gives us some tips on the most underrated British produce – velvet crabs, anyone?
Listen again to our podcast of April 2019 to cheer us up in 2021.
Who ate all the pies? Not Sue, Holly or Ollie, because Calum forgot to bring any with him. The extraordinarily talented pie maestro, who is the Executive Chef at the Holborn Dining Room, breezed into the radio studios to talk all things pastry covered. The star of the short film The Geometry of Pie has opened the Pie Room at Holborn with a new menu dedicated to perfectly crafted pies. Sue just cannot contain her enthusiasm and reckons that steak and kidney pudding is probably the best dish in the whole world ever. Calum's 80,000 followers on instagram might well agree.
Pie could go with sprouts but we're not talking Brussels! Sprouts are seeds that germinate to become young plants after a few days and are extremely nutrient. They're great in salads, soups, pasta sauces, wraps and stir fries and are becoming increasingly popular. How do you use these type of sprouts? Ratna reveals all.
Listen again to our Boxing Day podcast from last year.
Only Sue and Ollie have managed to struggle into the studio today, with straining stomachs after the usual Christmas excess.
However, they’re never too full to enjoy some fresh flavours, so they’re delighted to extend a festive welcome to three fascinating guests.
Charlie Holland from Gusbourne Estate in Kent has brought in some of their fantastic sparkling wine to keep the party going, which sparks a conversation about the quality of English wines today. How do our home-produced sparkling wines compare with France’s output?
If you’re looking for less alcoholic alternatives to beer or wine, you’ll be glad to hear about Binary Botanical. Boasting a prosecco-like taste, this lower calorie table beer is gluten and sugar-free and suitable for vegans. Danielle Bekker joins the team to explain more.
For those who are still in the mood for a cocktail, Tipplesworth produce “fun, faff-free” products to make mixology a breeze. Their range of ‘just add spirits’ cocktail mixers are quick and easy to use. Frankie Snobel has brought in a hot cocktail for the team to try, plus she reveals the secret of a great espresso martini with a Canadian twist.
Prepare for an education about the secret life of snails…by listening again to our podcast of December last year.
This week’s show is a very special edition because we’re meeting not one, not two, but three categories winners at the Future Food Awards.
Dorset Snails took the Farm to Fork crown when the judges were wowed by the incredible taste and texture of their produce. The company’s entire farming process also impressed the panel, so Sue, Ollie and Holly want to know more about this innovative firm.
David Walker is on hand to give us an insight into Dorset Snails’ methods and reveals some fascinating snail facts that leave our presenters speechless!
Astonishingly, half of the baby food packaging found in UK supermarkets can’t be easily recycled. Little Freddie stormed the Food Packaging category with their innovative pouches that can be effectively recycled and help to reduce parents’ carbon footprint.
Next, the team try out some vegan honey that’s been made from, wait for it – brown rice. Bee Approved won the Food Innovation category with its delicious honey alternative and the good news is, they’re thinking about launching a beer too!
Listen again to our podcast from February.
Food history and writing are both under the spotlight this week, as two culinary wordsmiths share their very different outlets for gourmet expression.
Sam Bilton is a freelance food historian, writer and cook who also runs a supper club, Repast, where she showcases her modern interpretations of historical food. If you fancy a blast from the past, you need to get a seat at Sam’s table, but what is her own favourite gastronomic era? Her answer might just surprise you…
Once they’ve finished tucking into yesterday’s delicacies, Sue, Ollie and Holly welcome Zeren Wilson, acclaimed writer of Bitten and Written, which was crowned Best Food Blog at the 2019 Guild of Food Writers Awards.
After a lively discussion about the do’s and don’ts of negative restaurant reviews, Zeren’s experience in wine selling leads the team to explore the role of beverages throughout the ages.
While Sam and Zeren are no strangers to adding colour to their writing, Exberry has been doing that in a more literal sense for over 40 years. By using fruits, vegetables, edible plants and water, Exberry helps food manufacturers to make their products look amazing, the natural way. Paul Collins is here to tell us more about the company’s colourful history.
Non-alcoholic drinks innovation means you can enjoy the party without the hangover. Listen again to our podcast of December last year.
It’s just two weeks to go until Christmas and Sue, Ollie and Holly are getting into the festive spirit. There’s talk of turkey versus chicken, the best Christmas breakfast and – most controversially – how early is too early to break out the alcohol?
Well, with the UK non-alcoholic drinks market on the rise, you might decide not to risk a Boxing Day headache at all. Innovators like today’s guests are working to offer drinks that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve been on Santa’s naughty list, just because you want to bypass the booze.
Ellie Webb is here to add a far-flung flavour to Christmas with Caleno, a tropical non-alcoholic spirit that balances exotic botanicals with citrus and spice.
Beer drinkers are becoming ever more discerning, but do you need to have the alcohol in order to enjoy great taste?
In the studio to contribute to the debate is Chris Hannaway from Infinite Session, a beer lover who wanted the freedom to enjoy both alcoholic and booze-free ales. Chris has brought with him samples of Infinite Session’s IPA, pale ale and pilsner varieties, to see if he can convince the team to down some alcohol-free pints this Christmas.
Re-listen to our podcast of 20 March 2020 - just before COVID-19 struck.
This show begins with some fond reminiscing as Sue recalls the best meals she’s ever had at London’s Moro restaurant.
Luckily, among today’s guests is Sam Clark, who founded Moro with his wife in 1997 to celebrate the food of the southern Mediterranean. Both Sue and Ollie are huge fans, so they’re delighted to welcome a true food hero to the studio.
They’re joined by another chef with a very different style – Nick Deverell-Smith, whose menu at the Churchill Arms in Chipping Campden reflects its beautiful Cotswolds surroundings.
Nick has brought some fabulous spiced pear Bakewell tart for everyone to try, which goes brilliantly with our third guest’s offering. Coconuts Organic make all-natural ice cream from coconut cream and refined coconut sugar. It’s a vegan-friendly dessert that has an amazing taste and texture to rival traditional brands.
This sparks a fascinating conversation about the evolution of food and the way that vegan sensibilities are – or aren’t – requiring chefs to adapt their menus to keep in step.
Listen to the repeat of our podcast from January 2020. What is the greatest food TV programme ever?
It’s a family affair in the studio today, as the team are joined by Ollie’s sister, Antonia – who just happens to be a BAFTA award-winning producer who has worked on many of the UK’s top food and drink programmes.
She gives us some behind the scenes glimpses of life in foodie television, such as MasterChef: The Professionals and The Great British Menu. Plus, we hear from two other guests who are no strangers to the small screen. Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE is BBC Radio 2’s resident GP and has appeared on numerous TV shows, while Sally Bee is a well-known healthy cook for ITV.
So, what are the greatest TV programmes about food ever made? Opinions vary as Sue, Ollie and Holly share their personal favourites and discuss the heroes and villains of the genre.
Looking to the future of food programming, Sally and Dr Sarah certainly know where they would like the spotlight to rest. As members of the advisory team to Lo Salt – the all-natural alternative that has 66% less sodium than regular salt – Dr Sarah and Sally want to see delicious, healthy food getting more coverage in mainstream cookery shows.
Sally has survived five heart attacks, so she knows about the importance of raising awareness and feels that TV has a huge role to play.
Listen again to our podcast on CBD from January 2020. Three experts bust some myths about controversial cannabidiol.
Ever since CBD, or cannabidiol, products started to hit the UK market following law changes a few years ago, the media has been full of conflicting stories about its safety and efficacy. Is it a dangerous way of supplying cannabis to an unsuspecting public, or a harmless yet effective alternative to traditional medicines?
There are strict legal guidelines in the UK around the medical claims that can be made for CBD. But Sue and Ollie are intrigued enough to invite three experts into the studio to try and answer some pressing questions.
Why is CBD legal in the UK but cannabis isn’t? Will taking CBD products make you high? What conditions and ailments can it allegedly help with?
Michael Fitzgerald from Body and Mind Botanicals, Tony Calamita from Love Hemp and Charlotte Nielsen from Little Rick are here to answer all these questions and more. They also discuss the future of the CBD industry and the need for greater public education, in order to demystify and destigmatise CBD, so that more people feel confident trying it out themselves.
If you’re curious about the truth behind CBD, tune into this episode to learn more.
Renowned food journalist Sheila Dillon joins Sue for a very special show. Listen again to the interview from 19 December 2019.
Our host Sue Nelson is beyond excited for this very special, festive edition of The FoodTalk Show. She’s joined by legendary food journalist, Sheila Dillon, who has been presenting BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme for over 20 years.
Once they’ve finished sampling some tasty treats from Sheila’s native Lancashire, the pair get talking about Sheila’s remarkable life in food and the media. After starting out with a very public critique of her college’s unappealing dinners, Sheila’s career was driven by a passion for exploring the food industry and its impact on consumers.
Time spent in Finland and the US was followed by a return to the UK, where Sheila broke down more barriers in her pursuit of gender pay equality. Back in the 1970s, alongside some colleagues, Sheila brought a class action against her employers in publishing – and won.
After two decades on The Food Programme, the multi-award-winning journalist has some interesting thoughts on women’s rights, food trends of the future and a few pet peeves concerning food entertainment! She also shares her experience of using food to benefit her health after being diagnosed with bone marrow cancer.
Don’t miss this audience with a real food heroine – then go and have yourself a very Merry Christmas!
The team go gonzo for the Garden of England in this very special episode. We're playing this podcast again from September last year in support of all Kent food and drink businesses hit by COVID-19.
Sue’s adopted home of Kent is the focus of this week’s show, with two great guests who share her passion for the south east county.
First up is Amanda Cottrell who, alongside many other prestigious titles, is patron of both Visit Kent and Produced in Kent. After 50 years living in the Garden of England, she’s highly knowledgeable about the country’s produce and a true champion of local producers.
Sue decides to test her guests and co-presenters on Kent delicacies – who knows what Kentish rarebit or Canterbury tart is? – before Amanda shares her bounty of incredible cheeses from around the county. Oh, and just wait for her story about driving sheep across London Bridge…
Next we hear from Lee Desai from Dr Legumes, a Folkestone restaurant dedicated to plant-based food. Not only is the eatery part of the amazing foodie renaissance that’s taken the seaside town by storm, Lee also believes that food and education can bring communities together. Well, maybe we’ll go and check out his nettle pesto and pea ballotine, just to be sure!
Listen in to find out whether Suffolk-and-proud Holly has been sold on Kent by the end of the show.
Today we’re talking about gin… and nothing but. Listen again to our podcast of October last year.
There’s a serious challenge in store for Sue and Ollie this week, as the FoodTalk studio becomes a full-blown gin palace. Will they stay sober until the end of the show? The dynamic duo is made of pretty stern stuff so, fingers crossed!
Not one, but two gin experts have paid FoodTalk a visit, bringing with them tantalising tipples to test anyone’s temperance. Sue has some fun gin facts to share first – did you know that sales of gin have tripled since 2009? – before she and Ollie meet today’s ginspiring guests.
Jack Wareing is the only Englishman in Scottish company Porter’s Gin, which has embraced both the old and the new with its distillation techniques. By both harking back to Victorian preservation methods and exploring the latest thinking in gin production, the firm has produced gins to really tickle the taste buds.
Sue is particularly fond of the intriguing Tropical Old Tom, but steady on Sue, there’s more to come…
The geniuses at Pinkster Gin don’t just create the most delicious pink gin, they also take a ‘nose to tail’ approach to plants. When this sustainable ethos results in alcoholic raspberries, you’ll get no argument from us!
Listen again to our podcast from June last year.
It’s Hari’s last week as guest presenter on the show, so she’s making the most of the goodies our guests are offering up. Black pudding and milkshake make a bit of an odd combination… But hey, why not?
The first mention of black pudding can be found way back in Homer’s Odyssey. The family business of our first guest, Colette Twomey, doesn’t go back quite that far, but Clonakilty Blackpudding Company certainly has an impressive history.
Founded in the 1880s and still family run, the company produces truly delicious black pudding, along with equally tasty sausages. When she fails to get the secret family recipe out of Colette, Sue has a few questions about how a business retains authentic quality when their product becomes Ireland’s favourite black pudding.
With a farming background, Andy Howie knows plenty about sausages, but he’s now a connoisseur of the dairy side. Inspired by the poor quality of drinks on offer at a festival, Andy and his wife Jodie launched Shaken Udder Milkshake. They wanted to create something that was worlds apart from the instant powdered stuff and holy cow, have they succeeded – what’s more, they’ve done it without any investors.
Listen again to our podcast from August last year. Neal’s Yard Dairy has been a Covent Garden fixture and cheese champion for four decades, so it’s very exciting for Sue, Ollie and Holly to welcome Jason Hinds to the studio. He quite naturally knows a thing or two about cheese.
The consuming public’s love affair with British farmhouse cheeses has been flourishing for some years now, so the team are delighted to see that Jason has brought a selection of the company’s UK and Irish-produced stock for sampling.
There follows a masterclass on the various types of cheese available too, so pay attention – who knew that different parts of the same cheese could boast different flavours? Oh, and if you’re using clingfilm to store your cheddar, stop immediately!
Here to offer some insight into Polish cheeses and to talk about his country's native food and vodka is Jan Woroniecki from Kavka Vodka, a Polish distillery that has turned to the production methods that were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. The result is a distinctive, characterful taste, which Sue admits wasn’t quite what she was expecting.
With all the cheese in the studio, this naturally sparks a debate about the best drinks to pair with cheese. You might be surprised to learn that the consensus is – not red wine!
Listen again to our podcast from July last year.
Ollie is wearing a noticeably flowery shirt to the studio this week, which may draw some amused comments from Sue but is also remarkably apt.
One of this week’s brilliant guests is the gloriously named Peverel Manners, from Belvoir Fruit Farms. Their refreshing fruit cordials and presses are supermarket staples today, but it all started in 1984 with the humble elderflower.
Pev tell us how to make the perfect cordial – which is pretty tricky when, like Belvoir, you refuse to add artificial flavourings, colours or preservatives. Sue has made elderflower gin (of course) but not cordial, so this is educational stuff.
Ever felt guilty about the amount of food waste you throw out of your kitchen? Well, maybe you should, but not quite as guilty as the food sector, which chucks 3.4 million tonnes every year.
Too Good To Go is tackling this huge problem by connecting consumers with restaurants and stores that have unsold food available at the end of the day. People can simply download the app, go and ‘rescue’ the perfectly good, edible food and feel like a waste warrior at the same time. What’s not to like?
Listen again to our podcast from March this year.
The lost arts of home cooking and proper use of salt
Sue has finally returned from her exotic adventures in South Africa, with lots of stories to tell. You’ll need to tune in, if only to hear about the bath on the train…
Our first guest, Rosalind Rathouse, hails from South Africa originally but her mission is not an exotic one. As the founder of Cookery School at Little Portland Street, Rosalind wants to encourage more people to get into the kitchen and get cooking.
Apparently, one in eight people in the UK avoids cooking from scratch, but with the school’s help, they can learn the basics of good home cooking and discover the joy of real food. Oh, and Rosalind has brought in some samples, of course.
Another key basic of cooking is how to use salt, yet it’s something that a surprising number of home cooks don’t really understand. Jess Lea-Wilson, from Halen Môn, is here to shed some light and tell us more about their natural Anglesey sea salt.
Sue and Ollie are delighted to find that Beth-Anne Smith of The Lismore Food Company has also brought some tempting wares, in the form of their amazing sweet and savoury biscuits.
Listen again to our podcast from November last year.
Ultra convenience and almost zero food waste – the food solution that has supermarkets on the run.
After presenting The FoodTalk Show together for about a year, it’s finally occurred to Sue and Ollie that they don’t know much about Holly’s day job. As the editor of respected industry magazine Speciality Food, we know she’s a bit of a food expert, but what does it take to pull a top magazine together?
This leads the team to discuss the delicate balance that must be achieved between editorial integrity and essential advertising revenue. Getting relevant press coverage is always tough for new food and drink companies, so listen in for some useful insights.
Someone who knows about taking on the big boys in a difficult market is Tim Boldt from Gousto, a company that has been offering an alternative to the supermarket for seven years.
Customers can choose from a huge selection of online recipes, then the ingredients – in the correct amounts – appear on their doorstep, ready to cook. As well as offering high levels of personalisation, this could be the ultimate low-waste business – Gousto boasts an impressive 0.35% waste rate in the supply chain and factory. This may well be the shopping mechanism of the future.
Listen again to our podcast of March last year.
Ollie, Holly and Sue admit that today's taste combinations are not exactly well planned, but they decide to push on ahead anyhow. Watercress and iced coffee are today's topics. While we now have a great coffee culture in the UK, we're still way behind the Scandinavians who are easily the biggest consumers of coffee in the world. It must be all that cold weather.
Jimmy Cregan is mad on iced coffee rather than the hot stuff. He was travelling around Australia trying his best to be a surfing hero, when he discovered the stuff and became obsessed with it. He couldn't find just what he wanted when he came back to the UK though, and so started making his own and selling it in his sisters cafe in Christchurch. Jimmy's Iced Coffee is determined to take on Starbucks and all those high street chain and he's now heading to a turnover of £5 million.
Meanwhile James Harper, the Commercial Manager at The Watercress Company explains how to grow the perfect watercress and why it's so damn good for you. Based in Dorchester in Dorset, they have a team of 300 from seasonal staff to technical specialists. They have even started to grow wasabi, which apparently is pretty tricky in the UK weather - who knew?
Two great British products, but probably not best consumed together.
As food and drink lovers, we couldn’t let Valentine’s Day pass without helping you create some lovely cocktails for a special evening. Whether it’s your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, dog or cat – this episode of the FoodTalk Show is best enjoyed over a candlelit dinner with that special person or thing in your life.
We're incredibly lucky to welcome Paul McFadyen to our studio. Paul is a master of cocktail mixing and a brand ambassador for Maison Ferrand – a producer of fine spirits.
Not only did he tell us a bit about the brand and educate us on alcohol, he also whipped up some amazing cocktails for our gracious presenting team. We know you can’t taste these through the airwaves, but just take our word for it, they're delicious.
Sue got a bit carried away and already feeling merry on the cocktails, was delighted to welcome the amazing Pippa Murray back on to The FoodTalk Show. You can’t have missed her Pip & Nut peanut butters in all of the major supermarkets, and here she tells her amazing story from museum worker to award winning entrepreneur.
Jane Peyton teaches us about the School of Booze and Mardi Roberts raises a glass to Ridgeview Wine Estate. Listen again to our podcast from January 2019.
How are those resolutions going?
Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, saving money, or committing to giving to charity – statistically its estimated that 80% of resolutions fail by the time you turn your calendar over to February. So, as we’re nearly at mid-January, we can safely say that around 40% of you have failed already.
A popular resolution for many is to partake in Dry January (just forget any drinks you had during Auld Lang Syne with Jools Holland), so it would be pretty mean of us to feature booze on this episode. Sorry folks, we’re going to be mean and please the 40%.
We’ve got not one, but two companies that specialise in varying types of booze for this episode. Sue, Ollie and Holly didn’t put up too much of a fight when they saw the schedule.
First up, we had the fantastic Jane Peyton with us. As far as drinking buddies go, she is pretty premium. Jane is an alcoholic drinks expert, broadcaster, pub expert, writer, public speaker, and founder of the School of Booze. The school is the education establishment that everybody wishes they spent six (or so) years at. Beer, cider, wine, sherry or champagne tasting sessions – there’s something to satisfy any tipple.
All good things come in pairs. Our other guest also knows more than a thing or two about alcohol production. Mardi Roberts has been with the fantastic Ridgeview Wine Estate for almost 20 years.
Ridgeview has been at the forefront of the recent evolution of English sparkling wine production. Based in the South Downs National Park, their wines are exported around the world and served at many prestigious occasions.
Cheers to the 40% - we’ll raise a glass to the 60% who can join us in a few weeks.
Two companies that are striving to tackle the single-use plastics problem.
Coffee capsule machines are big business these days and everyone seems to have one (except Sue). But they are, in the opinion of Lex Thornley from Blue Goose Coffee, the next environmental disaster just waiting to be acknowledged.
Blue Goose coffee capsules are compostable, while still being compatible with many of the popular machines on the market. In addition, their boxes are all sustainable sourced, printed with vegetable ink and assembled with plastic-free glue.
Most importantly, of course, he’s brought along some of his delicious coffee for Sue and Ollie to taste.
Frugalpac are also driving the environmental cause forward with their product, which is the only paper cup that can be recycled as part of the mainstream waste process. George Rumble is here to explain how their unique manufacturing process makes a cup that is easily recycled and to discuss what the future holds for the recycling issue.
Great chocolate and delicious coffee that are gentle on the environment.
Coffee is a big deal in Ollie’s world, so Guy Wilmot from Bird & Wild Coffee is under pressure to impress. Luckily, he’s up to the challenge – Bird & Wild is the UK’s only bird-friendly and shade-gown coffee.
Although coffee naturally grows in the shade, it’s commonly grown in the sun by commercial producers in order to increase yields and speed up the process. This has a negative impact on bird populations, due to the removal of nesting sites and the presence of insecticides and pesticides.
Once Sue and Ollie are amped up on coffee, it’s time to chill out with some amazing treats from Prodigy Snacks. The chocolate is plant-based and vegan-friendly, plus it’s free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar. It’s even plastic-free, thanks to the recyclable packaging.
Prodigy are on a mission to reinvent the classics, so you can enjoy the taste of your favourite chocolate bars while consuming only low levels of natural sugar. Sue thinks they’re out of this world…
We’re hot to trot with this exotic episode.
There’s a spicy atmosphere in the studio this week and for once, it’s got nothing to do with Ollie’s shirts.
Arun Kapil from Green Saffron has brought in an array of fabulous spices, which the company provides in a variety of different blends. They aim to create blends that bring out the best in each element on a plate and treat spice as a flavour ingredient, not just a regional touch.
Jack Galliano of Galliano Dining is well aware of the challenges of keeping the spice in mass catering – how do you feed 600 people and still serve up top quality food? Jack has some interesting insights into feeding the masses, along with his views on the new dining trends to watch.
Inspired by 12 years of doing PR for innovative food brands, Hannah Glasson has launched the new INTUNE range of fruit and botanical drinks to share the benefits of CBD. Having found that CBD helped to boost her concentration at work while undergoing medical treatment, Hannah wanted to share her discovery with the world in a tasty, refreshing way.
Amazing sourdough and gin fuelled by romance – what more could you want?
Ollie has temporarily moved house and he’s now living above an amazing bakery. But there’s no time for Sue and Holly to feel jealous, because there’s some delicious bread right here in the studio.
Lovingly Artisan Bakery has a mission to return bread to the centre of the table. Baker Aidan Monks makes incredible double fermented artisan sourdough from heritage grains that has been a huge hit with discerning shoppers. Of course, he’s brought some along for the team to try, much to Sue’s delight.
We all adore a good love story and there’s a true romance behind the origins of Manchester Gin. You’ll have to tune in to hear Seb Heeley’s tale, but suffice to stay it has resulted in a fabulous brand that started life in his dining room and is inspired by Manchester’s industrial heritage.
What’s your favourite Spanish or South American tipple? Lucy Shaw, editor of The Drinks Business, is here to share her love of these countries’ produce and give her views on the impact of the burgeoning English sparkling wine industry.
We hear about the state of the drinks industry and the new ideas bubbling up.
Sue starts this week’s show with a pop quiz – can our hosts and guests guess at the bestselling spirit brands? Or the most popular lagers, tonic waters and soft drinks? There may be a few surprises in there…
One of today’s guests has some insider knowledge about this topic. Richard Chamberlain from Drink Warehouse has some interesting insights of his own to add, along with a top tip for low and no-alcohol drink producers.
Fran Pearce is no stranger to fun alcoholic products, thanks to her work with Smith and Sinclair. But today she’s here to talk about a new venture, Pollen, which is taking the growing trend for CBD products one step further by exploring the use of CBD in cocktails and gummies.
Finally, Jess Latchford from Waste Knot explains how they’re helping to build relationships between farmers and chefs. When farmers have surplus fruit and vegetables that they can’t sell through their usual channels, Waste Knot can connect them with chefs who are looking to buy great quality produce – thus reducing food waste in a big way.
Tracking down the best dishes in town and shaking up FMCG.
Where can you get the best cheese toastie around? Or the most delicious doughnut? Or the most sensational sushi?
Well, it’s time to share your recommendations because a new app is taking the guess work out of making your next gourmet discovery.
Originally inspired by a hunt for raspberry sorbet, Eaten compiles user reviews of dishes, rather than restaurants. So, if you’re in the mood for a great Sunday lunch and don’t have time to search endless restaurant reviews or websites, Eaten can cut out the middle man and take you straight to the best roast joint in town. Co-founder Jeeho Park is in the studio to tell us more.
The world of fast-moving consumer goods, or FMCG, is a pretty daunting one, but it’s also where more and more food start-ups are making their debut. Young Foodies is a business hub and community that helps start-ups deal with the challenges of getting their products onto retailers’ shelves and scaling up when the big players come calling, as Theadora Alexander explains.
Plant-fuelled passions surge with this week’s trio of innovative products.
This week’s show gets underway with a discussion about alcoholic drinks, including a truly heroic cocktail recommendation from Ollie.
It’s not the most apt start though, as this episode focuses on healthy alternatives that don’t involve alcohol. Rosh Amarasekara from Humble Warrior is here to tell us about her range of plant-based drinks aimed at the health-conscious adult soft drink market.
Using extraordinary plants to create extraordinary flavours – such as reishi and pineapple – Humble Warrior is offering a really different alternative to booze and sweet soft drinks.
Luhv Drinks is taking health beverages to a whole new level and they won the Drink Innovation category at last year’s Future Food Awards. Through their collaboration with Kings College London, they’ve created drinks that benefit particular parts of the body – currently these focus on the skin, the heart and the mind, with more in the pipeline. Chris Beech joins the team to explain more.
The line-up is completed by another Future Food Awards winner in Seaweed & Co, which triumphed in the Mission Driven category. Dr Craig Rose, aka Doctor Seaweed, tells us why he’s so passionate about seeing this Eastern food staple become as popular in the West. He also reveals the rather surprising reason why he decided to study marine biology…
Charcuterie is on the menu today, along with some visionary chocolate.
So, how are your New Year’s resolutions going? If you’ve fallen off the sugar wagon already, don’t worry – our first guest will make you feel good about giving in to gourmet chocolate.
Edinburgh-based Coco Chocolatier not only allow its visionary chocolatiers free rein to explore amazing flavours, they also work with artists to create fantastic designs for the packaging.
Calum Haggerty is in the studio to tell us more about the brand, which sources ‘origin made’ chocolate from Colombia. This enables more of the product to be created at the source, rather than just the beans, resulting in a fairer and more sustainable trade.
We get to the real meat of the matter with Thomas Whitaker from award-winning Tempus Foods, a charcuterie company founded in 2014. Both Thomas and his co-founder Dhruv Baker are MasterChef finalists, with Dhruv having won the title in 2010.
He fills Sue and Ollie in on the secrets of the charcuterie world, ways to do it at home and how to avoid the common pitfalls of amateur curing.
Don’t miss this show if you love chocolate, as there’s a special discount available for FoodTalk listeners at Coco Chocolatier – but you’ll have to listen in to get it!
How will AI transform the way you shop and eat in 2020?
Holly has finally given up her globetrotting in order to re-join Sue and Ollie in the studio. Once they’ve checked in on how their New Year’s resolutions are going, they take a look at tomorrow’s world by investigating the hot foodie topic of artificial intelligence (AI).
From self-service supermarket checkouts to the algorithms that push online advertising at us, we interact with AI every day. But how is it being put to good use in the food sector?
Markus Stripf from Spoon Guru explains how his company set out to become the “Google of food”, enabling consumers to search for the products that suit their particular dietary needs.
How often have you visited a restaurant or ordered a takeaway and struggled to understand which dishes are truly right for you? Helping people to eat with convenience, control and transparency is a passion for Nick Popovici of Vita Mojo. The company provides an ultra-personalised menu, allowing customers to control macros, calories and quantities.
What does gut health mean to you? Possibly not very much, so it’s good that Helena Rogers from Troo is on hand to explain why it’s so important to our wellbeing. The vegan-friendly brand has created high-fibre products that contain no potential gut irritants, plus they’re a plastic-free company.
From space age food to hot new talent, we’re looking at the flavours of the future.
There’s a packed studio this week as three fantastic guests drop in to chat with Sue, Ollie and Holly.
First up, we hear from Nourish3d – the cutting-edge company that wowed the Future Food Awards judges enough to be unanimously voted Supreme Champion. Melissa Snover explains the science behind the world’s first truly personalised 3D printing daily nutrition stack, plus she’s brought in a sample that has been specifically tailored for Sue’s needs.
Once Sue has had her vitamin boost, she can’t wait to introduce the next guest. Jason Hirst from Evogro has been impressing some of the country’s top chefs with his plant growing system, which enables the production of perfect, delicious herbs and salad leaves right there in the kitchen. It’s not long before the team are clamouring for an Evogro of their own…
Finally, we get a glimpse of tomorrow’s talent with a visit from Bianca Tia Mesuria, who met some pretty impressive standards in order to win the prestigious Julia Child Scholarship with Le Cordon Bleu training schools. Luckily, the team don’t just have to trust that she’s highly talented – Bianca has brought in a tasty example of her cooking talent to prove it!
Forget squash – we’re talking classic cordials with a modern twist.
Until fairly recently, cordial has had a bit of an underwhelming reputation. If you associate it with elderly ladies or over-sweet squash drinks, this week’s show has a surprise in store.
Natasha Steele is in the studio to share the story of Urban Cordial, a brand of which Sue is already a big fan. For centuries, cordials were viewed as medicinal concoctions and in some parts of the world, the term refers to a tonic, syrup or low-alcohol beverage.
Not only is Urban Cordial making a big splash in the non-alcoholic market with refreshing flavour combinations – Raspberry and Rosemary is a particular hit in the studio – the company is also committed to sustainable production.
After starting out as a hobbyist, making cordials from the produce of her own allotment, Natasha made the decision to take her idea to market. Concerns about the huge food waste problem, however, prompted her to use surplus fruit in the production of Urban Cordial. To date, the company has saved over 40 tonnes of fruit from going to landfill.
In this week’s show, Ollie gets his first taste of Urban Cordial’s delights and also reveals some rather odd drinking habits that leave Sue and Holly scratching their heads…
Will trying truffles in lots of different forms finally win Ollie over?
The team are busting myths and testing preconceptions all over the place this week, starting with the much-adored truffle.
Perhaps surprisingly for a foodie, Ollie isn’t a big truffle fan and isn’t sure if they’re worth the (often very expensive) price tag. Nigel Whitehouse from Truffle Hunter is in the studio to see if he can tempt Ollie over to the dark – or light – side with a selection of tasty truffle-based treats.
From mayonnaise to cheddar, there is a veritable smorgasbord of delicacies for the team to try. You’ll have to listen to find out whether any of them are successful in winning Ollie’s approval…
If you feel increasingly confused by the wealth of conflicting information about diet and nutrition, Check Your Food could be heaven sent. Designed to make nutritional information accessible and understandable, the website allows you to check out the chemical and biological makeup of foods and make smart choices about your diet.
Matt Wright is here to tell us more and there are a few surprises as he reveals the truth about some of our favourite foods – how will milk, carrots and even the doner kebab line up?
Oriental flavours and American beers are set to blow the team’s socks off.
It’s a full complement in the studio this week, as Holly takes a break from her gastro adventures to rejoin the team. What a great week to return, too – with food and drink that has the potential to split the crowd…
First, we meet the person with probably the best job title in the world: Head of Beer. Andrew Morgan from Beer Hawk Fresh explains just what it means to be head honcho of hops and introduces the team to some exceptional beverages. It’s a mixed reaction to the peanut butter milk stout, which Andrew washes down with a fascinating insight into American hops. Next, we find out which tipple would be his ‘desert island beer’ – we hope you’re taking notes!
Does wasabi go well with beer? Sue, Ollie and Holly are about to find out, as Nick Russell from The Wasabi Company provides an education in what the Oriental staple should really look and taste like. As experienced watercress farmers, the company has great expertise in growing plants in flowing water, so tasting the products turns out to be a bit of a life-changing moment for the team.
Plus, we hear about finger limes, Buddha’s hands and some exciting news for vodka fans.
The event that showcases the food and agri innovators of tomorrow.
Try as they might, Sue and Ollie just can’t stay away from the booze. Or rather, the booze can’t stay away from them.
This week, it’s an Italian liqueur that’s tempting our intrepid twosome. Italicus is a sour treat based on bergamot that makes incredible cocktails – as Sue is to find out, thanks to the generous mixology skills of Adamo Vobaro (phonetic). This time-honoured tipple is very well-known in Italy and its versatility is certainly impressing our co-presenter…
There will be more promising discoveries to be made on 7 November, when FoodBytes! comes to London. This live pitching event is the most incredible showcase for food and agriculture start-ups, where they can meet investors and possibly get the big break they need to crack the market.
Sue is appearing at FoodBytes! to help bring brilliant exposure to these promising innovators, so tune in to find out more from Maarten Ooms and learn how you can be there.
Plus, the team and guests chat about some fascinating facts thrown up by Great British Chefs’ latest research into the ecological values of the buying public.
Bringing back superfoods of old and cracking the foodie market.
Hands up if you had a granny who made the most incredible soup that could cure any childhood ailment? Recipes and delicacies from days gone by tend to get left behind as food trends and technology surge forward. But there’s a lot to be gained from looking at the time-honoured knowledge we used to have about food.
So says Fiona Esom of Product Chain, an FMCG retail sales agency that works to bring food and drink innovation to the British public. Although the company is passionate about the flavours of tomorrow, Fiona also believes that bone broth has an important place on today’s menus.
That’s the thinking behind Boosh, a high-protein and very nourishing food that Fiona wants to see in homes, care establishments and hospitals everywhere.
Breaking into the food or drink market, even with an established concept, can be incredibly tough. Fiona is well-placed to shed light on the do’s and don’ts of launching a new product.
Everleaf is already making a splash in the non-alcoholic drinks market. Created by bartender Paul Mathew, the aperitif Everleaf aims to offer consumers the complexity of flavour and texture that is so often missing from soft drinks or spirit alternatives. Will Sue and Ollie agree?
Will the distinctive taste of kefir win over Sue and Ollie or will it get their goat?
Ollie is back from his recent jaunt to Indonesia and he’s full of tales about the country’s amazing foodie offerings. If anyone knows of a great Indonesian restaurant in London, do let us know…
What is a microbiome? What damages it and what can we do to reverse that damage? How can you tell if a goat is happy?
These critical questions and more are put to gut health expert Shann Jones of Chuckling Goat, the UK’s number one producer of kefir. She’s brought some of the company’s products to try and it’s safe to say that Sue’s reaction won’t disappoint. But you’ll have to tune in to see whether Shann can convert Sue and Ollie to kefir by the end of the show.
After discussing the admirable attributes of goats, the team turn to investments – specifically, what to do with that spare £100,000 they’ve got lying around. Sue wants to know which areas of food tech are on investors’ radars right now if they want to stand a chance of good returns in the future.
Luckily, food entrepreneur and business growth advisor Rekha Mehr has popped into the studio to offer her expertise on the food trends of today and tomorrow.
The team’s lives may just have been transformed by today’s guests…
This week’s show starts on a sad note as it’s Kumud Ghandi’s last appearance as guest presenter. But what a week to go out on, as the presenters discover two products that might just change their lives.
Sue’s not a sandwich or wrap fan, finding that the carrier often out-stodges the filling. Anishya Kumar, founder of Zinda Foods, shares this view, which is why she created the incredible AirWrap. Light, simple and delicious, could this have the power to transform lunch forever?
The small company has already broken into a supermarket chain, but scaling up can be tough for innovative food and drink firms. So, it’s interesting to hear from Rupert Holloway of Dorset-based Conker Spirit. His company launched its first gin at the very beginning of the gin revolution, so didn’t have too much competition to start with.
Times have changed a bit since then, so it’s fortunate that Conker’s Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur is proving such a hit. Hailed as the foundation of the perfect espresso martini, it’s certainly made a big impression on our presenters – we think Sue may actually be in love…
There’s a fish substitute in the studio, but is it the real deal or a red herring?
With Olly still away, Sue, Holly and Kumud Ghandi are ruling the roost in the studio and they’ve got plenty to talk about.
This week the team are joined by Tara Mei from Bread & Jam, the UK’s first festival for food founders. If you’re an emerging business in food or drink production, you need to be at this two-day conference on 3 and 4 October – Tara explains why the experience can be life-changing for fledgling innovators.
Tune in to find out how you can access invaluable expert advice, as successful figures in the food industry offer their feedback to entrepreneurs – but you need to book your spot, so don’t miss out! And of course, there’s the Grand Final of the Future Food Awards to look forward to as well.
There’s another transformative experience in store as Eric Woods from Loma Linda offers a vegan plant-based alternative to tuna. Loma Linda in California is one of the world’s five ‘blue zones’ where people tend to live longer and veganism could be contributing to their longevity.
It’s got the texture but not the smell – will it win over the presenters? Or will they find Tuno a bit fishy?
There’s no shortage of soft drinks on the market these days, many of them pretty high brow and creative. However, there’s one thing that most of them have in common; sugar.
Even if a soft drink has a relatively low sugar content, the flavour profile is bound to lean towards the saccharine and sweet drinks kill flavours. So, how do you find a non-alcoholic alternative that won’t ruin your lovely meal?
David Begg from Real Kombucha reckons he has the answer and he’s here to win Sue and Ollie over. Kombucha is a fermented tea that’s been around for thousands of years and David believes it offers a delicious option for those avoiding booze.
Another interesting aspect of kombucha is that it is a probiotic and can apparently be good for your gut health. A tasty, low calorie beverage that boosts your microbes – what’s not to love!
Sue’s a big fan of sour tastes in cocktails so she’s going to love this, right? Well, it’s fair to say that while Ollie enjoys the kombucha, Sue isn’t so sure… Although, is that a second glass we can hear being poured by the end of the show?
Fans of BBC’s MasterChef will recognise the voice of Andrew Kojima, who made it to the final of the 2012 series. Half Japanese, half British, Andrew – known as ‘Koj’ – has made the transition from a finance career to opening his own Japanese restaurant in Cheltenham.
But despite Koj’s love of traditional Japanese cuisine, you won’t find any sushi on the menu – Sue and Ollie are dying to know why!
Our other guest this week is also treading his own path by taking things right back to nature. Fred Thorneycroft has been foraging ever since he started making nettle beer at university, which led to an enduring interest in herbs, wild fruits and other overlooked ingredients.
Based in Macclesfield, Fruits of the Forage makes incredible chutneys, cordials, beers and wines with foraged treasures and just about anything they can find. Of course, Fred has brought some samples into the studio for the team to taste. Sue can’t get enough of the Sloe Seville Marmalade, while Ollie is intrigued by the Pickled Wild Garlic Buds.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing though, as Fred reveals with an interesting story about his Hogweed Curry Chutney! Oh, and there’s some exciting news about the company’s future plans too.
It’s summer, which means it must be festival season.
Ollie has chosen to wear a rather fashionable shirt for today’s show, which is apt because Sue wants to talk about that most trendy of summer activities – the festival.
But this is no ordinary festival. This week Sue and Ollie are joined in the studio by Katie Bone, founder of PX+ Festival, an event created to bring together chefs, producers, sommeliers and many more from the culinary industry for one brilliant three-day extravaganza.
Alongside 65 chef headliners, the festival, which takes place from 17 – 19 August, also welcomes speakers from other industries to encourage the sharing of knowledge and expertise, check out #mouthfulallweekend
Katie explains why she wanted to host a gathering specifically for the hospitality community and also gives us the secret behind the festival’s name.
Among the headliners is our second guest, Jan Kanonetzki, who is Director of Wine at the rather fabulous Four Seasons Hotel Ten Trinity Square. Not only does Jan give us his take on the PX+ Festival, he also answers such pressing questions as, what does a director of wine do? What does the future look like for sommeliers? And do you really need a huge wine list?
Apparently walnuts are healthier than peanuts, almonds, pecans and pistachios. Who knew?
Sue, Ollie and Holly are going nuts in the studio this week – or rather, nuts about nuts. Unless you’re unfortunate enough to have a severe allergy, you probably love nuts as much as our hosts do. But are you clued up on how to make the best of these tasty, oily treats?
Sian Porter from the California Walnut Board has popped into the studio to shed light on the benefits of eating walnuts. Some people avoid them due to the fat content, but did you know just how good they can be for your health. A registered dietitian, Sian has some cracking advice for us.
A conversation about the challenges of eating healthily brings us to the next guest, Franco Beer, the creator of Boka cereal bars. Shocked by the amount of sugar, fat and salt in many supposedly healthy cereal bars, Franco set out to disrupt the market. Now, Boka products are the only bars to have all four green lights in the traffic light nutrition system. But how do we use the traffic lights to optimum advantage?
From the tranquil beauty of the Lake District to the sensuous allure of Indian cuisine, we’ve certainly got a saucy show for you this week.
Maria Whitehead from Hawkshead Relish joins Sue, Ollie and Holly in the studio to talk about their delicious award-winning preserves, relishes and pickles, which are produced in the heart of glorious Cumbria. With over 120 acclaimed products, Hawkshead Relish’s range is a leading example of the fantastic food coming out of the Lake District – but it hasn’t been an easy road to success, as Maria explains.
Chutneys are a familiar part of Indian cuisine, at least here in the UK, but are they authentic? Chef Sarah Ali Choudhury is well-placed to answer that question, having been the youngest Asian female to manage an Indian restaurant.
But things really hot up when she tells us about her new health-focused products – including a “Viagra curry”, which aims to keep things spicy in the bedroom. Poor Ollie is somewhat outnumbered by women in the studio, but maybe he can take a bit home without anyone noticing…
Well, from Suffolk actually… But this is one cool vodka.
Holly is back from her holidays and full of food stories that are making Sue and Ollie’s tummies rumble with envy. Having been immersed in one of the world’s most beloved cuisines, she’s ready to get back to discovering the best of British.
Kiron Phillips set up RK Vodka with his brother Zan to produce a simple yet delicious new vodka. They use sugarbeet rather potatoes, which gives the tipple a more characterful taste. He even reckons that RK Vodka has converted a few confirmed gin and whisky drinkers to the cause!
Because the company deals directly with stockists, from fine dining restaurants to village pubs, they can offer bespoke packages. This sparks a lively conversation about food pairings and what tasty treats go well with vodka. Kiron also enlightens us about his single distillation process and explains the science behind reverse osmosis filtered water (whatever).
Finally, you can’t talk about vodka without devoting a little time to cocktails. This versatile ingredient is very popular for creative alcoholic concoctions, so Kiron tells us more about the magic of mixology and the mystery of flavoured sugar syrups.
Sue and Ollie are feeling all continental as talk turns to traditional French cuisine . . . have they lost their place in the culinary world or is classic cooking still important?
Research has shown that home cooks are becoming more adventurous, both in terms of flavours and techniques. But as a nation, are we equipped with the basic skills to be truly competent in the kitchen?
To discuss this, Sue and Ollie welcome to the studio Colin Westal from Le Cordon Bleu, the world’s largest network of culinary and hospitality schools. Colin explains that the focus for students is more on learning classic French techniques, rather than recipes, as these are the essential tools for gastronomic success.
Luckily for the team, Colin has also brought in a sneak preview of Le Cordon Bleu’s upcoming plant-based course – which, much to Sue’s delight, takes the form of two absolutely delicious dishes in which the veggies are the heroes.
It takes a lot of courage to switch from one career to another, so Anna Richey’s tale of transformation from journalist to liquid egg white producer is quite the story. She comes out of her shell to discuss the success of Two Chicks and, of course, Colin is on hand to give us all the secret of a perfect poached egg.
Answer: the most wonderful cheese from the beautiful north west and vodka (yes, really)
Ollie’s back from Morocco and after his taste of the exotic, he’s keen to get stuck into the best of British once again. It’s just as well neither he nor Sue have had breakfast, as the studio is full of food – and alcohol!
Gill Hall from Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses boasts an incredible family history in the cheesemaking industry. It all started with her grandparents back in 1932 and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first time Gill’s mum made the company’s flagship Lancashire cheese.
She tells us about the joys of running a family business and gives us an insight into the challenges of perfecting Blacksticks Blue, a fabulous cheese that is going down rather too easily in the studio…
Jason Barber from Black Cow Vodka grew up on a farm and also has cheesemaking in his blood, but now he focuses on dairy waste rather than dairy produce. He’s taken whey, an under-valued by-product and turned into an award-winning tipple.
Does vodka go with cheese? Rather surprisingly, it does, very well – so much so that vodka sceptic Ollie is now a convert.
With Ollie and Holly still on their travels, Sue has the pleasure of Hari Ghotra’s company once again as guest host. And oh boy, what a show. Gin and pizza? Yes please!
When Warner’s launched their gin brand in 2012 – with a mission to “save the world from mediocre gin” – the market was very much an emerging one. However, sales of gin in the UK have tripled since 2009 and we spent £461 million on the tipple last year.
Is the gin market saturated? With 315 distilleries operating in the UK, how does an artisan brand stand out from the crowd? Tom Warner pops in to tell us how their “graft gin, not craft gin” got in early and why authenticity is so important if you want to make a splash in the market.
Craft gin isn’t so popular in the US yet, but they do like their food. Unfortunately, not everyone else does… Sue confesses to knowing nothing about American food, so it’s lucky that the man behind Stafford’s Bank House Restaurant by Chef Jonathan – Jonathan Cushing himself – has popped in to educate Sue on the rich history of American cuisine.
The San Francisco native has brought an authentic Chicago deep dish pizza for Sue and Hari to try, with the hope of banishing a few stereotypes about the US of A’s foodie credentials. We think he might have succeeded…
Sue is joined once again by guest host Hari Ghotra, who is astounded by the sheer amount of food in the studio. She’ll soon get used to that…
This week they have the great pleasure of chatting to Kumud Gandhi, founder of The Cooking Academy and widely recognised as “the Spice Queen”. Hailing from a family of spice merchants and chemists, Kumud is fascinated by the “alchemy of food” and she has brought along some samples of her amazing cookery to share with Sue and Hari.
Statistics reveal that 18% of people cook from scratch less than once a month, or even never. So, how can The Cooking Academy help to inspire home would-be cooks to get into the kitchen?
Social media has transformed the way we communicate, connect and consume over the last 10 years or so and the first guest is social media success personified. Olivia Wollenberg certainly hit the ground running when she founded Livia’s Kitchen in 2014, with the aim of producing indulgent treats that wouldn’t trigger her food intolerances.
Just 11 weeks after having the idea for the business, Olivia was launching her Superfood Crumbles exclusively in Selfridges. Her subsequent recipe blog went on to attract 300,000 hits in the first month. Sue and Hari want to know how she did it!
With regular co-hosts Ollie and Holly away, Sue is joined by a rather fabulous guest presenter, Hari Ghotra – the spice sensation behind the wildly successful eponymous brand. Hari is a bit of an expert on Indian food, having started a whole business designed to inspire people to get cooking with spices.
Plant-based diets are gaining momentum among consumers, so restaurateurs and food manufacturers are having to respond with more, tastier plant-based options. Joining Sue and Hari to shed light on the burgeoning industry is Vishal Madhu from Qwrkee, who claims to have created the world’s first probiotic snack.
Inspired by his wife’s desire for a high-protein diet, Vishal explains how he set about developing a nutritious beef jerky – without the meat. There’s also a range of probiotic puff snacks designed to boost your gut, which Vishal calls “your second brain”.
Also in the studio is Peter Ahye from Freaks of Nature, which aims to satisfy sweet teeth with delicious puddings that are certified vegan and vegetarian, and dairy and gluten-free. If Sue and Hari can stop eating the desserts for long enough to ask any questions, we’ll find out how…
Soraya Gadelrab is the Portfolio Director at Fresh Montgomery. Her job includes organising the International Food & Drink Event (IFE), The Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show and Speciality and Fine Food Fair amongst others. In this special programme Sue talks to Soraya to get tips and recommendations on how to make the most of exhibiting at food fairs and exhibitions. How do you prepare beforehand? What can you do to attract the key buyers? And most importantly, how you should follow up your contacts when the show is over. To find out more about forthcoming food fairs or to get help and advice from the Fresh Montgomery team, click here.
We're back again with Sue and Ollie getting all serious, dissecting the annual Great British Chefs Survey with the help of Charlie Parker, a renowned nutritionist. Using her experience as Head of Nutrition for Sainsbury's she gives an interesting perspective on Ollie's infamous love of food statistics and trends.
This show is the second of two, with the team dissecting the results to find out what UK consumers are thinking, their motivations and what they're buying and eating in 2019.
Is alcohol consumption really on the decline? What’s the story about the interest in plant-based food and just what do foodies have in their store cupboard? The team give their views and for a copy of the full GBC research click here.
This week Sue and Ollie are getting all serious, dissecting the annual Great British Chefs Survey with the help of Charlie Parker, a renowned nutritionist. Using her experience as Head of Nutrition for Sainsbury's she gives an interesting perspective on Ollie's infamous love of food statistics and trends.
This show is the first of two, with the team dissecting the results to find out what UK consumers are thinking, their motivations and what they're buying and eating in 2019.
Is alcohol consumption really on the decline? What’s the story about the interest in plant-based food and just what do foodies have in their store cupboard? The team give their views and for a copy of the full GBC research click here.
We have a great combination in the studio today, and we aren’t talking Holly and Ollie, we’re talking Gin and Charcuterie! We're joined by Shaun Cannon of Cannon and Cannon and Talula White of Sekforde Drinks.
British charcuterie was a bit of an oddity when Shaun started out. The general perception was that you couldn't possibly make charcuterie in the UK because the weather conditions "weren’t right". Well, just like British cheese, we now have a burgeoning charcuterie industry and according to Shaun we're rather good at it.
He takes Sue and the team through a tasting feast of extraordinary British bresaola, air dried hams and chorizos. All from animals that are free range and ethically reared. Eating all this charcuterie made Sue extremely thirsty, so thank goodness Talula was in the studio. If you're overwhelmed by the range of weird mixers that now populate the supermarket shelves and can't work out the perfect combination to go with your Sipsmith, Talula has solved the problem. Sekforde make the perfect mixers to go with a range of spirits and she's enlisted the help of Sharon to make some gin combinations to prove it.
This week our presenters are joined by Bronte Aurell of ScandiKitchen and Will Evans of Eat Farm Now. When we contemplate Scandinavian food, we typically think of pickled herrings, gravlax and Ikea meatballs, but Bronte opens our eyes to the abundance of other wonderful produce. Sue is a little confused by the term "hygge" and wants to understand why Sweden has obesity levels as low as 10% compared to us relatively lardy people in the UK, with a quarter of us being classified as obese. Is it hygge or is there something else going on here?
Ollie and Holly are then stunned by Sue's knowledge of the UK countryside and how little of it is actually built on. We are a rural country after all and no one knew. Did you also know that agriculture in the UK uses 69% of the country’s land area but we produce less than 60% of the food we eat. Crazy. Will has joined us to talk all things farming and agriculture and explain his mission to promote the work of farmers and why they are so important to us all.
This week Sue tests the presenters on the top favourite Irish foods and can't stop eulogising about the humble spud. The team discuss Irish stew, soda bread, colcannon, champ and boxty (what?) and of course, Ireland's love affair with potatoes. Irish chef Anna Haugh, owner of London's Myrtle Restaurant, kindly brings in a huge hamper of great food and drink from the Emerald Isle for everyone to taste.
Sue also reveals that she goes to Harrods to get her favourite beef dripping in the world, from James Whelan butchers of County Tipperary. Ollie is aghast at this revelation.
From Ireland to Greece as Sally Dorling of Tim's Dairy explains how they make traditional greek yogurt in the heart of the Chiltern Hills. Chris, Peter, Bides and Tony Timotheou have brought traditional Greek methods to producing the finest yogurt in batches using fresh pasteurised British milk, natural ingredients and bio-live cultures.
The last four weeks have been very health focused, something we're very proud of on the FoodTalk Show, but the presenters are back to their old ways and have sneaked in some booze this week. But to balance it out, Holly, Ollie and Sue want to understand the new trend in plant-based foods. Sue tests the team to see if they know the names of the dozens of types of plant-based and dairy reduction diets out there. How many do you know?
Ollie's research shows 56% of committed foodies are trying to stick to more of a plant-based diet (January 2019), and most especially basing their weekday meals around health. As a nation we are undeniably reducing our meat intake and these trends look set to continue.
After the plant-based discussions we are joined by Rob Berry of Asterley Bros, a company that Ollie describes as "Brexit's dream". He's worked through London’s history of tonics and liqueurs to painstakingly recreate (with his brother Jim) a unique drink with Sicilian influence - the ‘hybrid amaro’. Why has Ollie called it "Brexit's dream"? Listen and find out.
Today, we're talking about all things drink with no food in sight. Sue is relying on Holly as she admits she’s not an expert in non-alcoholic drinks. Laura Willoughby of Club Soda and Chris Beech of Luhv Drinks arrived in the studio to inspire us with some great alternatives to the hard stuff.
In such a health-focused time, more and more people are giving up alcohol during the week or abstaining altogether. Ollie reveals that nearly a quarter of millennials don't drink at all, so what are the alternatives? The consensus in the studio is that consumers are ill-served when in bars, restaurants and pubs with a disappointing selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
Laura is on a mission to give inspiring ideas and support to those who want to socialise and 'fit in' when on the wagon. Meanwhile Chris explains how is dedicated to producing plant-based drinks and juices which are good for the heart, skin and mind.
Breakfast… The most important meal of the day, right? It’s Sue’s favourite, Ollie thinks it needs an injection of excitement and Holly never seems to remember to eat it at all. From there we move on to spices. Holly eulogises about cardamom and everyone in the studio tries to work out which ones they have in their kitchen cupboards. They also ponder over the fact that we import 83 million tons of spices a year, even though 40% of the UK don’t cook international cuisine.
Unfortunately, Gouri from Holy Llama Spice Drops, is stuck on a train on route to the studio, so we have thrown Simon Griffiths in the spotlight for this one even though he's been invited to the studio as a bit of a palm oil and nut expert.
Once he's told us about his favourite spices he takes us through the Meridian Foods story. They're probably most famous for their peanut butter but they make dozens and dozens of nut-based products. They've made a decision not to use any palm oil in their whole product range and Simon explains why it's so important to them. To finish off Ollie explains why tahini is no longer just for new Labour supporters and urges Simon to move peanut butter beyond "the toast moment"?!
As a country, we (or rather our politicians) may find it difficult to negotiate our way out of Europe or even work out what party we belong to, but we're very good at lots of other things.
In 2018 we managed to win a penalty shootout in a football game, we didn’t finish bottom of Eurovision and globally we continue to be the best at queuing. In fact, we even produce the best food-related podcast in the world (us, obviously).
One of the things that we haven’t been famed for, until recent years, has been making wine. However, over the course of the last 20 years or thereabouts we've been climbing up the quality ladder. We could even claim to be among the best at creating sparkling wine.
What about normal red and normal white though? We're not as famed for that yet, but we’ve found a company to rival the French, Spanish and Portuguese – they're the Redhill Farm Estate.
Henry Boorman came to walk us through their story and explain how they're the only vineyard in the country to produce more red than white wine. We had a bit of a taste too…obviously.
Another string to Redhill Estate’s bow is their sustainability. Their wines have a unique cork made from sugar cane waste and they don’t have a plastic capsule on the bottle. Their sustainability angle is thanks in no small part to Paul Foulkes-Arellano. Paul works for the design consultancy company, Precipice, and they're working with a whole host of manufacturers in the hope of ridding plastic from the planet.
Wine – good. Sustainability – good. Anti-plastic – good. This week’s FoodTalk episode – good!
Ollie Lloyd has a new ritual of dancing along to the catchy FoodTalk theme tune as we begin our recording. It's just too much for Sue, who thinks it's the worst example of ‘dad dancing’ ever seen, but we’ll let him off because we’ve got another great episode.
This week we're discussing our favourite cookbooks. Ollie explains his favourites and despite some fabulous examples there really are some bad ones out there too. Holly has some that are really close to her heart and Sue has a couple that no one else has ever heard of.
The cookbook topic is one of the many tangents we head down when we record these shows, but the real star this week is Catherine Conway – thanks to her amazing Unpackaged company.
We're long-term haters of single-use plastic, but we also understand that, as a consumer and retailer, it’s difficult to avoid. Unpackaged are helping clients to become ‘zero waste stores’ and on a smaller scale can supply refill systems for supermarkets, delis and farm shops.
Will we be going back to the days of taking along our own tubs, jars and bottles to be filled at our nearest food shop? And if so, how are the retailers going to cope? Don't even mention health and safety.
We’ve done it again…January is just about out of the way so we can get back to eating sweet things now. Creamy ice cream and dark dark chocolate.
It’s absolutely freezing outside, snow has covered most of Scotland and so we should have invited somebody who makes stew, hot chocolate or something like that…but Coconuts Naturally are producing such damn good ice cream that we just had to invite Cecily Mills into the studio. We're fighting ice with more ice.
100% organic, 100% vegan…their reputation for creamy excellence is growing too. The South West made treats are already available in Ocado and expect to see more of them as the mercury starts to rise.
From Ice Cream to chocolate (a warning to diabetics), our other guest is producing comfort food which is just as good. We admit it's not hot although it does give a warm glow.
Oli Shorts (another Oliver in the studio) came to visit us with his amazing Seed & Bean Chocolate. They don’t specialise in just one variety; white, mild, dark, pure cacao – they are producing brilliant chocolate bars across the board.
We hope you find this podcast as sweet as we do…
Jane Devonshire, Masterchef winner joins Jamie Burrows of MiniCrops in the FoodTalk studio.
We didn’t check our calendars accordingly – it’s Burns Night tomorrow and we don’t have any Scottish specialities to enjoy on this episode. Before reading/listening any further, you’d best google some appropriate food.
It got us thinking though, what’s your favourite Scottish delicacy? Haggis, neeps and tatties, shortbread…whisky? They probably wouldn’t admit it, but we bet Sue, Ollie and Holly would secretly demolish a battered Mars bar.
So, we don’t have anything Scottish on this show, but we have plenty of Devonshire. Jane Devonshire to be precise. You will probably recognise the name if you’re a fan of BBC show Masterchef. She won the competition back in 2016.
You might think of Masterchef entrants as the types of people who have the application dates etched into their minds and wait by the phone for the producers to give them the green light. In fact, it was rather different for Jane, she described how her children did it all behind her back and only informed her at the last minute. Then, when producers did call, she’d forgotten all about it. Not the ideal preparation for winning, but she did it.
From TV show fame, Jane is now a champion of gluten-free cooking – something she's always done because of her son's health issues. Not only did she bring us her cookbook, she had been cooking at home for us and bought plenty of goodies made from the book. Blue Peter style. We like Jane.
We also like Jamie Burrows, but for different reasons. He's created Vertical Future. They produce MiniCrops, using agri-technology to reduce food miles and provide fresh, consistent, sustainable produce to households and restaurants. He's a food hero too.
Gordon Davidson from Morocco Gold joins Ross Forder of Halo Burger UK
An apology…we know it’s getting to that point in January where those food and drink-related resolutions start to buckle under the pressure, and we didn’t help ‘Dry January’ participants with our boozy episode last week. We’re making amends this week though, particularly to those challenging themselves to Veganuary.
That’s right…whether it’s going fully vegan, partially vegan or just a simple pledge to cut down on meat consumption, we are offering a safe zone.
There’s not a drop of alcohol in-sight either, much to our presenting team’s displeasure.
There is, however, a drop of something quite wonderful though. Gold is something associated with being the best and Morocco Gold are certainly the best olive oil producers that we have ever come across; they even medalled in our FoodTalk Awards in 2018.
Gordon Davidson came to the studio to educate us all about the UK’s favourite cooking oil. Some of the learning was frightful, especially hearing about some of the cheaper brands you pick-up from the supermarkets. Looking for the best? It has to be Morocco Gold’s superior quality, single estate, extra virgin olive oil from olives grown and pressed in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Case closed.
From North Africa, our next guest is producing something just as lovely but a little bit closer to home. Camden’s street-food offerings have paved the way for similar foodie hubs to thrive and Pop Brixton is now one of the most popular foodie destinations in the capital.
Out of the vibrantly-decorated former storage containers, some great food is being cooked-up – none better so than Ross Forder’s Halo Burger unit. They boast the accolade of being the “world’s first” fast-food burger joint dedicated to serving only the “bleeding” vegan Beyond Burger. We strongly urge you to visit.
Well, well, well…what a year 2018 has been.
Brexit has gone bonkers, the Prime Minister is under the cosh, a couple got married and are now expecting a child, football nearly came home and we sizzled in summer as the mercury rose above the levels of Spain. Have we missed anything?
It has also been an incredibly yummy year too. We have had an awful amount of with The FoodTalk Show in partnership with Great British Chefs and, recently, the Speciality Magazine.
We met new and interesting guests every week and we are putting the cherry atop our year by presenting some of our favourite moments from the past 12 months.
Fatbergs, seaweed, cow auctions, sweetie horror stories, stinky cheese, and weedkilling…just some of the many things that standout. We hope you enjoy this special episode and be rest assured that we are working on some new and great material for 2019.
Like these snippets and want more? Below is a list of the guests in order of their appearance with links to their full interviews.
- Tessa Stuart
- Dr Seaweed
- Rubies in the Rubble
- Rootwave
- The Jealous Life
- Neil Nugent – Iceland Foods
- Hilltop Honey
- Growing Underground
- FOGcheck
- Feltham’s Farm
- Cawston Press
- Brewers Association
- Keelham Farm
Catch our interview with William Chase, the man behind Tyrrells and Chase Distillery
Fancy an early Christmas present? Go on then…don’t tell anybody – it’s probably bad luck if you believe all that stuff.
We’ve got a very special interview to get you in the Christmas spirit nice and early. One of the perks of the job for Sue is that she gets to travel around the country meeting some fabulous foodies who all have a great story to tell.
However, with that being said, the stories probably don’t come too much more interesting than William Chase’s. You will have heard of Tyrells crisps and you might have tasted something boozy from the Chase Distillery, but have you ever wondered how one person could build those brands?
Craziness, brilliance, hard-work? As Sue found out, it was a little bit of everything. She caught up with him at the fabulous Bread and Jam Festival for foodies recently. William was on-stage at the founders festival to receive a bit of a grilling from our presenter so we captured it for FoodTalk as it’s too good to miss. It’s an amazing story which encompasses the many lows and highs of the food industry.
Make sure you listen to this podcast, but you can also find out info on William here. Tickets are available for the Bread & Jam Festival in 2019; it’s a wonderful event that shouldn’t be missed, find more information here.
We chat with Imran Meza from The Jealous Life and Neil Nugent of Iceland Foods.
Can we just ban any talk of Brexit now? It’s really dampening the festive spirit – we want to see The Grinch, Elf or A Miracle on 34th Street splashed across our screens, not the dour and dreary crew who work in those grandeur buildings of Westminster.
To be fair, it’s a topic that stirs up some anger from our presenters. However, with two weeks until the guy in the red suit comes along, Sue, Ollie and Holly have promised to rein it in.
If they go on about it too much, there won’t be any sweeties in their stockings on December 25th. We kept a secret stash back from Imran Meza and his amazing Jealous Sweets.
This may surprise you to know, but the majority of big brand sweets are actually far from being vegan-friendly, which seems crazy but it’s all to do with the gelatine used. The Jealous Life are here to satisfy vegans with a sweet tooth now though. Their amazing tasting range is also free from a lot of traditional nasties and is generally just perfect!
As a kid, you’re always told not to have too many sweets before dinner as it will ruin your appetite. Luckily, we caught up with Neil Nugent of Iceland Foods before we raided the sweets.
Here’s a fun stat for you…Neil is thought to be responsible for feeding around 50% of the nation at one time or another. He is currently the head of product development at the frozen food specialists but has held similar roles with other major supermarkets in his career too.
The world of supermarket food is always a contentious topic with our presenting team and Neil fielded some tough questions but provided some fantastic responses which really help you understand the challenges that the big shops face.
Andrew Chesters from Tazaki Foods and Ben Aveling of Radmore Farm Shops are today's guests
Honesty hour…the noise of cardboard being popped and cracked filled the living rooms of homes across the UK on Saturday to mark the start of the advent period but, hands-up, who has eaten a little more than their fair share of windows so far? Shame on you.
We do get it though. When you have something marked in your calendar for ages and ages, you just want it to happen already – how do you think we cope with patiently waiting for the FoodTalk podcast to be released every Thursday at 4pm?
It could be worse though, you could have an alcohol-filled calendar just like Sue, Ollie and Holly – they really know the feeling of being merry around the Christmas period, even if they claim it’s due to the excitement of this week’s guests.
Our starter has a distinctly Japanese feel to it. It’s a type of cuisine that continues to gain popularity in this country quicker than Usain Bolt on a 100m track – thanks in large part to companies like Tazaki Foods, who are making it more accessible to every day home cooks. They launched the Yutaka brand, which you’ll definitely recognise from the supermarket aisles – Andrew Chesters walks us through their story. Sushi, anybody?
From one food that originates in Japan, our other guest is an advocate for food a little closer to home. Ben Aveling runs the fantastic Radmore Farm Shop. Their ethos is simple but brilliant; local produce, no mess, no fuss, great taste – happy food. Along with his wife, Ben runs a butchery and bakery – there’s something for everybody.
Enjoy this podcast while munching your way through the 20s of your calendar. You can always get a new one and they’re probably reduced too.
Lotte Peplow joins us from the Brewing Association and Andrew Diprose talks us through RootWave
It’s party season...as offices start spilling merrily (in more than once sense of the word) into the pubs and clubs, it also marks the point where there’s no turning back on the dieting front. You won’t be this skinny again until at least the end of January when that ‘new year, new me’ regime starts to take shape.
We fully endorse the idea of listening to this podcast with a large glass, tab or bag of something rather yummy. Neither Sue, Ollie nor Holly need to be told twice.
To be fair, our first featured product is something that you definitely cannot consume. It’s actually an amazing bit of kit, and a perfect wildcard to kick off this week’s FoodTalk podcast.
Andrew Diprose is the CEO of the fantastic RootWave. It’s the leading solution to organically kill weeds without using chemicals; obviously a fantastic tool for farmers and gardeners alike. We could tell you more techy stuff, but you can check out their video to get a proper feel for it all.
Our second guest brings us something that is very easy to drink down…beer. We’ve met lots of UK beer companies in the past, but this time we’re learning about the state of beer from over the pond.
Lotte Peplow came to us to explain the role of the Brewers Association in the USA and how they help small and independent craft brewers at a time where the beer boom shows no sign of slowing. Bottoms up!
This week we welcome Jesse Wilson of Jubel Beers and Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, an expert in sensitive eating
The last seven days have been completely dominated by Brexit…cabinet this, no-deal that. One imagines that being an MP at Westminster has probably never been more exciting, even if the rest of us are sick of hearing about it.
One of the rumours to come out of the whole saga is that we, the UK, could have a bit of a food crisis on our hands. Whichever side of the fence you sit though, you can only admire some of the homegrown delights that there are to enjoy. So, you know what, stuff your Brexit for one hour. We want to talk UK food.
Sue Nelson, Ollie Lloyd and Holly Shackleton don’t need to be told twice. Our three-strong presenting team were delighted to get chatting with our two guests this week.
Our first guest is somebody who has her finger on the pulse in the world of food and food sensitivity in particular. Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, on the back of a dairy allergy diagnosis in the family, has written countless books and created 1000s of recipes for people with allergies. Most of her great work can be seen in her own online magazines, such as Foods Matter. Michelle also created the FreeFrom Awards.
Our other guest has enjoyed less time in the business but has had an amazing start and is already being stocked in the supermarkets. Jesse Wilson explained how he and his co-founder were sick of drinking the same old lagers on the market, so decided to take matters into their own hands
As a result, Jubel Beer was created. The brief…not to be like everything else on the market. Well they’ve certainly cracked that. Their two brews, Urban and Alpine, are brewed with elderflower and peach respectively – they taste amazing.
Crack open a cold one (or two) and forget about bloody Brexit!
Dipna Anand from Dip In Brilliant joins us alongside Charlotte Downs of More Than Carrots
Urgh, it’s unavoidable…Christmas. Decorations are in the stores, adverts are on the television and, if you scroll through your social media feed, you’ll see plenty of crazy people who have already done their shopping. People…it’s mid-November.
Make the right decision.
That’s right, rather than spending your most recent payslip on presents for others, we’re advocating that you spend it on yourself and, specifically, on plenty of great food and drink. Thankfully this episode gives you some pointers.
This particular recording took place at the end of a busy day in the bustling capital. Therefore, it was a complete result that our guest, Dipna Anand, bought us some incredible treats from her restaurant, Dip In Brilliant.
Dipna is an award-winning chef who has graced our tv screens, so there are few better to talk us through some Punjabi cuisine. Just listening to this one will have you salivating.
While statistically the most-ordered curry in the UK is a Chicken Korma, there are plenty of amazing curries suitable for vegetarians up and down the country – it sets the scene nicely for our next guest.
Charlotte Downs was on-hand to introduce us to More Than Carrots. This platform has been created for pretty much anybody who is keen to cut down on meat consumption, be it through flexitarian(ism), vegetarianism or veganism. It allows users to easily scan through a whole host of popular local restaurants to see what the non-meat offering is like; whether you’ll have one mushroom risotto choice or a whole dedicated menu. Very handy indeed.
Now…back to the Christmas shopping.
Steve Kearns from Cawston Press pays us a visit and we also chat with Kevin Srithevan, founder of Früt
There have been plenty of fireworks whizzing and popping around this week, and although Guy Fawkes night has passed, this podcast will have you doing cartwheels.
That’s right…it may now be dark when you leave the office in the evening but we still strive to lighten your lives with a bit of FoodTalk.
This week we’ve got a brand that you should all be quite familiar with. With the numbers of people who drink alcohol dropping, there is plenty of room for growth in the soft drinks industry. Cawston Press are definitely taking advantage.
Steve Kearns came to our studio to explain how the brand have managed to rise above their many competitors to install themselves as a regular fixture in our fridges and cupboards with their sparkling juices.
Also on the show this week is a company looking to help you this winter. As already discussed, it’s dark when you leave the office and it’s barely bright when you wake up in the mornings. The last thing you want to be doing in the evening is heading to a supermarket.
Online grocery shopping is undergoing a huge boom at the moment and we heard from Kevin Srithevan, who is winning plaudits with his Früt company. Keep your eyes on these guys...delivering to a doorstep near you soon.
In a food waste special, Michael Minch-Dixon joins us from Snact and Miles Hawley explains the role of Precipice Design
Ollie is upset…he thinks people are lying to him.
We’ve all heard the shocking stat that 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption is thrown away but, ever the one to jump into the mind of foodies, Ollie’s Great British Chefs research shows that we aren’t all sticking our hands up and admitting responsibility.
Whether you are honest or not, there’s no denying that food waste is a massive problem. Our half hour podcast won’t give us enough time to fix it all, but we’re hearing from some companies that are trying their very best.
Michael Minch-Dixon is not a stranger to The FoodTalk Show. We heard about his fruit rescue snack bars back in our early days, he also won a FoodTalk Award earlier this year thanks to his compostable packaging. He’s here to give his thoughts on how the big-boy companies can cut their food waste stats.
Alongside Michael is Precipice Design’s Miles Hawley – the company have also been on with us in the past. Their design consultancy business is pointing them towards lots of fantastic and innovation companies who are designing systems to keep the waste down.
Breakfast heavyweights this week; we meet Liz Baker of Wilkins & Sons and Scott Davies from Hilltop Honey
As producers of this show, we often take pleasure in arranging our recording days so that our presenters are drinking some sort of strong alcohol early in the morning.
Maybe we’ve turned a new leaf now though, because we arranged a session which was quite breakfast themed…and this was recorded on a sunny London morning. Go us!
It was good timing for Holly Shackleton, who joined for the first time as guest presenter. The Editor of the Speciality Magazine came to us on an empty stomach…shame on her.
You don’t need much introduction to our guests…Tiptree and Hilltop Honey are two brands which have cracked the supermarkets in UK and both are favourites of ours when it comes to a breakfast spread.
We were delighted to chat to Liz Baker from Wilkins & Sons – makers of the Tiptree brand. They know what they’re doing; they’ve been going since 1885, have survived two World Wars, a hurricane, and have even had a visit from The Queen. Like your jams and preserves…these guys are for you.
Next up, there was a buzz around the studio…who can guess what we were talking about? That’s right honey, we bee talking honey.
We had Scott Davies of Hilltop Honey come to the studio to explain how he turned from ‘normal’ jobs to be a beekeeper and the maker of some amazing honey products. We learned the difference between normal products and ‘Manuka Honey’ but there was one taster which had Sue running for the water…
Santiago Navarro introduces us to the fantastic Garçon Wines
Special deliveries are the theme of our podcast this week.
One impending special delivery hit the headlines this week. You might have successfully avoided the Royal Wedding volume two (sequels are always rubbish – sorry Prince Andrew), but it wasn’t safe to pop your head above the parapet. Royal baby coverage is even harder to avoid.
That’s right, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been…busy…creating a new entry into the royal succession line. Cue seven months of incessant news bulletins and magazine inches. Listeners, please pass us the wine.
In fact, why don’t you send us the wine? We love new innovations in the food & drink industry and creating a wine bottle that can fit through a letterbox is right up our street.
Founder, Santiago Navarro, is the inventor of full-size, flat wine bottles; innovative, slimline designs in 100% recycled PET. Remember the name of Garçon Wines – we absolutely love this idea.
Needless to say, Ollie and Sue were quite taken with this one. Ollie even bought some dodgy looking spirit in the studio to celebrate…we won’t be putting that in Santiago’s bottles anytime soon.
This week’s podcast is also available on YouTube – so check out the bottle for yourself by clicking here.
Catch all of our favourite interviews from the Takeaway Expo 2018
Did somebody say Takeaway?
It’s only Thursday, but we’ve got the menu out one day early and we’re ready to enjoy a tasty special podcast from the Takeaway Expo.
With Ollie Lloyd busy (probably dining at London’s fanciest establishments as per usual), Sue Nelson took a trip to London’s Excel Arena to hear from some of the most interesting companies who are advancing the world of food.
Over the course of the next half hour, we can promise plenty of variety, a world’s first, something to make you wish it was still summer and something else that might just put you off food for the rest of your life (we’ll let you find out more by pressing play, but be thankful that smells don’t transfer through computers.)
We’ll drag Ollie away from his fine dining adventures to make sure that we are back to the usual format next week.
Oliver Bolton runs us through the brands that his Waterbomb company produce
It’s dark by dinnertime, it’s dark when the alarm goes off, Halloween seems more pointless every year and, yep, Christmas bits are popping up everywhere. Hunker down guys, we’re in for a long winter. We’ve been spoilt by summer which makes it so much more difficult.
Surely there’s a last hurrah though – we’re ready to push for it with some summery drinks.
Poor Sue though, she reckoned herself to be a rose between two thrones for this episode or, more accurately, a Sue between two Olivers. Please sir, we don’t want any more.
Why so much Oliver though? Joining our presenter and GB Chefs CEO Ollie Lloyd was this week’s guest and drinks entrepreneur, Olly Bolton. His company, Waterbomb, are quenching the thirst of health conscious soft drinkers across the country with their products.
Their flagship brand, WhatAMelon Water, is sweeping the country and already has listings in M&S, Co-op, Sainsburys, Ocado, Waitrose and others. Not just keen to conquer the watermelon world though, they are also pushing Drink Fact – an all-natural, zero sugar sparkling water, and we were privileged to be given a taste test.
Dr Seaweed talks us through Weed & Wonderful while Trusha Patel discuss The Spice Sanctuary
It all started with a story… the first few minutes of this podcast could easily be mistaken for an audiobook but, trust us, Sue’s true story about the French Soldiers in the Isle of Wight refusing to fight unless they’d had their garlic is relevant. Anyway, if the Brexit stories are to be believed, war and food could soon become commonplace!
Sue’s story is a pre-curser to our conversation with Dr Seaweed (seriously, he has a PhD in Marine Biology)… Dr Seaweed also goes by the name of Craig Rose. He’s come to the studio to tell us about his Weed & Wonderful brand. Their goal? They want to bring premium Scottish Seaweed to plates across the country.
You’re probably thinking about crispy seaweed that you get from a Chinese takeaway at this point, but this is different (and better). While we aren’t ready to stomach a full plate of seaweed just yet, Craig explains how their healthy seaweed oil and capsules are gaining popularity in this country. Most importantly, it passes Sue’s taste test.
From oil to spices (this is a bit of a pantry special) – did you know that there used to be wars over spices? Now the average foodie has up to 40 in their cupboard alone. Alas, we were delighted to finally chat to Trusha Patel. We first came across Spice Sanctuary over a year ago for our inaugural FoodTalk Awards – their spicy milk blends were certainly a new sensation for our palate, but certainly something that we think will take off.
Video won’t kill the radio star – however, we are delighted to say that this episode is also available on YouTube. Have a nose around the studio and see Sue & Ollie trying some seaweed and spices here.
We welcome James Law from Longflint Drinks & meet Jeremy Pang who discusses his career and The School of Wok.
It’s that super busy time of year for the food industry – the school holidays have ended and the trade exhibitions are coming thick and fast. We wouldn’t have it any other way though.
After spending the last fortnight enjoying the action from the Speciality & Fine Food Fair, we are back in the comfort of our London studio and revert to our usual format and, oh what a shame, we’ve got some booze for Sue and Ollie to enjoy. We recorded this one on a rainy morning too…work calls.
To get Sue and Ollie off to a bit of a flier we welcomed one of our FoodTalk Awards winners. Now, full disclosure, we’d committed the crime of having never heard of Longflint Drinks before we did the awards but gosh we know them now (now you see why we do the awards) – they are creating the most amazing craft spirits and their Hibiscus & Gin Tonic won our Gold Award. James Law talks us through the story of how he went from beer to spirits… oh and he bought us lots of drinks to try. We like James.
We probably should have lined our stomachs beforehand, but we did what our parents told us not to do and had food after alcohol. It was pretty damn good food though.
You might have seen Jeremy Pang on your television screens as the Asian cooking expert on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch show, but we had him in our radio studio to give his full thoughts on the state of Asian cooking in the UK and told us how he managed to grow his School of Wok.
On the menu this week is Natural Umber, The Wasabi Company, Fierce Botanics and Noveltea
All good things must come to an end eventually, and it’s time for us to finish our coverage of the Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2018. As ever, we had a fantastic time perusing the 500+ stands & exhibitors, each with a story to tell and, more often than not, something tasty to get down our necks.
The silver lining? It means we’ve got the second instalment of our special podcast to give to you.
Wasabi, tea, tonic and vinegar…not usually a foursome to try in the space of half hour, but that’s what we’ve got.
Natural Umber have won awards for their cider vinegar, so we find out what the fuss is all about. The Wasabi Company then show us exactly what real wasabi tastes like. We needed some tonic to temper the heat of wasabi, and Fierce Botanicals were on hand to refresh our palates. Finally, Noveltea showed us exactly why they are novel tea.
We hope you enjoy this episode, but don’t forget our normal format returns next week where Ollie from Great British Chefs joins Sue to sample the latest in UK food innovation.
On our first Speciality Show special we meet La Tua Pasta, O'Donnell Moonshine, La Mare Wine Estate, Dadima's and Fentimans.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…no, don’t worry, we aren’t joining the ridiculous Christmas hype like some of the supermarkets just yet. In fact, the Speciality & Fine Food Fair is the best date to watch out for in our diaries.
We undertook our annual pilgrimage to Olympia, hoping to meet some weird & wonderful foodie producers for the first time. We weren’t disappointed, we never are.
There’s a bit of an unintentional worldwide angle to the first of our special podcasts from the event. Italian, America, India, the Channel Islands (and England too) – we’ve got a flavour of everywhere.
We start by doing some serious carb-loading with the great guys of La Tua Pasta. We then take a journey back in time and, great scot, we’ve landed in prohibition times with O’Donnell Moonshine. Closer to home, Le Mare Estate follow by giving us a taste of Jersey. Before we finish off in the UK with a taste test of the Fentiman’s range, we find out what makes Dadima’s Indian-style cooking quite so special.
Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty more companies to talk to tomorrow in the second of our Speciality Show podcasts.
We are delighted to welcome Joanna Vierod of Rubies in the Rubble & Karen Cunningham from Generation Juices.
It’s that time of year again. Nope, we aren’t talking about the nights starting to noticeably draw-in (they are though). Nope, we aren’t talking about the football season being back either. We’re talking about the foodie television show of the year – Great British Bake Off have announced their contestant line-up…
Weeks of soggy bottoms, inedible dough, over-proving and under-baking lie in wait. Of course, none of those issues would ever effect cooking experts like Sue or Ollie. This podcast is also their break from the kitchen though – fantastic guests bring fantastic products straight to the studio. It was no different this week either.
If you’ve never heard of Rubies in the Rubble, what on earth have you been doing for the last couple of years? Unless you have the blinkers on, you may have noticed that we have a bit of a food waste crisis. We hear a lot of talk, but Rubies are doing a lot of action. It’s tasty action too.
While they’d have a job to save the 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink thrown away each year – they are able to get their hands on plenty of fruit and vegetables and are then able to turn them into the most amazing products. Joanna Vierod came to the studio to discuss the Banana Ketchup which scooped gold at the FoodTalk Awards – but there’s so much more, and we really need to try their Blueberry BBQ sauce too.
From great food, we then visited some innovation in the drinks world too. The consumption of juices and smoothies are on the rise in this country, it must be because we’re all getting nice and healthy. Karen Cunningham joined us on the microphone to discuss some of the fantastic technology behind the Generation Juice machines which are suppling all different kinds of industries.
Don’t forget that The FoodTalk Show is now on Spotify. If you’re too busy to listen now – give us a play on that platform later
Penny Nagle introduces Feltham Farm's Renegade Monk Cheese and Damien Lee talks about Mr Lee's Noodles' new innoavtion
It has been quite difficult to focus on all of our work this week – everybody at FoodTalk HQ has been arguing an age-old debate: When it comes to Afternoon Tea, are you Devonian (cream then jam) or Cornish (jam then cream)?
There’s no right or wrong answer (apart from the fact that Devonian is the right answer), and we think we should all just enjoy our cream-first scones in any cream-first way that we cream-first want. We aren’t sure on Sue or Ollie’s preferences, and we didn’t ask, because they had something a bit stronger on their plates for this podcast.
Cheese… it’s one of those foods that you just couldn’t be without (unless you’re Cornish and you probably hate it because you’re wrong about everything food-related). However, we aren’t sure that the cleaners of our studio were altogether impressed at the end of this session.
We were delighted to welcome Penny Nagle of Feltham’s Farm. Penny already knows Ollie through their involvement in Great British Chefs’ Cheese Awards – so we knew that their Renegade’s Monk would be good. Boy, we weren’t disappointed and it certainly packed a punch.
What about noodles? Do noodles go with cheese? Like cream and jam (note the cream-first), they probably do – so we were delighted to welcome Damien Lee back on to the show.
This isn’t the first time that Damien has graced our microphones… he’s a bit of a pro by now. We’ve caught up with him in the past to hear all about his Mr Lee’s Noodles brand. You’ve probably seen the totally healthy and super tasty products in many places by now – but there’s a new award-winning tool in his sales arsenal, and we wanted to find out more.
If you are lucky enough to be at one of the locations that host a Mr Lee’s kiosk – you’ll know what we mean. Their kiosk is available 24/7, fully customisable (choice of sauces and oils) and is completely cashless – our foodie experts were so impressed with the bespoke machine that they were gave it gold at the FoodTalk Awards in the kitchen tech category.
We hope you enjoy this episode, but if you are running low on memory on your phone or don’t have the opportunity to listen right away, we are now on Spotify!!! Simply search ‘The FoodTalk Show’ to listen to our whole back catalogue – there are literally hundreds of FoodTalk hours to enjoy.
No clues need, we have Real Good Ketchup and some Cool Cold Brew
The school holidays are in full swing; parents of the world – we salute you (not least because the roads are quieter and it’s quicker to get home). Those of us without offspring will stand there with empathetic nods towards parents who try desperately to fill the six-week period with activities that entertain and control.
For your hard work, we have another fantastic podcast for you. There’s no tantrums or paddies from Sue or Ollie this week – that’ll be because we have food and drink in the studio (nope, not raisin packets or rusk biscuits).
Now, this is actually a handy bit of knowledge for parents; did you know that (according to this article) a serving of Heinz Tomato Ketchup contains as much sugar as a standard chocolate chip cookie? Scary thoughts, especially during BBQ season when little hands creep towards the big red bottle. However, it’s time to rejoice, this year’s FoodTalk Awards helped us to unearth the solution.
Easily deserving of their gold award, Elizabeth Jones introduced us to Real Good Ketchup. It contains 78% less salt and no sugar at all. The most impressive thing though? It tastes exactly like the real deal. Superb stuff.
Another thing that comes with having kids is the tiredness. They wake up early and demand to be fed and watered, they don’t even lay-in at the weekend – it sounds exhausting. The tiredness issue is exasperated by this heatwave – it’s not so nice to drink hot coffee when it’s what feels like 300 degrees outside. Yet again though, we’ve discovered a fix. We’re putting out fires all over the place!
This time it’s the handy-work of Joe Devereux-Kelly that needs to be admired. He has created the lovely Cool Cold Brew – the clue’s in the name; it’s perfectly chilled and perfect for the summer. Make sure you learn all about the cold brewing techniques that have created the tasty range of cold coffees.
Tom Mansel leads us down the LeanPath and Tarryn Gore introduces us to Kafoodle
We shared an article on our social media pages earlier this week which revealed that one in five people would disapprove of somebody dunking a biscuit in a cuppa tea while at work…well, if that’s the case, you won’t want to employ anybody from our office. Dunkers and proud. Looks like we’d better just crack on and introduce this week’s podcast.
Builder’s tea on the table and choccy digestive in hand, Sue is ready to get stuck into some key issues affecting the industry – menu management and food allergies. We aren't sure what Ollie's preferences are when it comes to biscuits.
First up, we explore a company that went deep into the FoodTalk Awards. A bit like England at the World Cup – heroic. Tarryn Gore introduced Kafoodle to us; they have developed revolutionary software for businesses in the food industry to improve menu management whilst simultaneously boosting revenue and improving profitability.
Our other guest is doing something, also B2B, that we can all get behind. Tom Mansel is tackling food waste with LeanPath. Their software is allowing food businesses to keep a proper eye on their processes to ensure that they don’t contribute to the unbelievably shocking statistics that shame us all.
There’s no food to taste this week, but enjoy dunking that biscuit while you listen in.
This week we are joined by Adam Petyt of Cornware and Philip Yau from Bonnie Yau's Foods
The nation is in crisis; people stuck to their leather sofas in Sunderland, an outbreak of heat-related insomnia in Ipswich, an ice lolly shortage in Luton and people are melting in their cars in Cardiff. What is that weird bloody orange thing in the sky? It’s flaming hot.
The best policy is to just wait indoors and wait for it all to blow over; return to some normality with familiar old rain! Make FoodTalk the soundtrack of your heatwave.
It has already been six weeks since the FoodTalk Awards winners were announced (where does the time go?) and we were delighted to feature two of our gold winners. Both amazing, but for very different reasons.
First up, we spoke to Adam Petyt of Cornware. Unless you’ve being hiding under a large rock with black-out sunglasses and no access to wifi, you’ll have noticed or heard that there’s a bit of an issue with plastic, to put it lightly. Amid a backdrop of staggering stats, Cornware are presenting corn-inspired solutions for the takeaway food industry.
Our other guest is doing something which is a real head-scratcher; Bonnie Yau's have created a satay cooking sauce (completely peanut-based in case you didn’t know) without any nuts at all – and it tastes remarkable. How on earth have they done it? You’d better listen to the podcast to find out how Philip Yau scooped the free-from award.
Joe Taylor of Real Handful joins Simeon van der Molen of Moving Mountains Foods
Leave the fate of the geraniums to the gods, cry for the chrysanthemums and live in hope for the hydrangeas; there’s a hosepipe ban looming and your pottering time in the gardening will be greatly reduced. You need to find something to fill the void.
Don’t you worry, our first guest on the FoodTalk podcast this week can help you to complete an ironman. Not heard of one? Pretty simple really, it’s a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile run…the gardening takes longer, probably.
Joe Taylor tells us how his penchant for physical activity powered him to creating the fantastic Real Handful range. Forget complex and counterproductive creations from their competitors, these guys keep it simple, good and proper. They taste amazing.
If, however, for some crazy reason, you aren’t up for an ironman, we do have another option to pass the time while the reservoirs fill-up. Just go out for a burger, sounds good, right? Of course, that’s not always an option if you happen to be a vegan, but we were delighted to welcome Simeon van der Molen on the show. He is the founder of Moving Mountains Food and they have created the first burger in the UK that is 100% plant-based and bleeds in the middle like a proper beef burger. It is creating a massive buzz and Simeon tells us the story.
This week we are joined by Jo Devenish, co-founder of Gourmade, who is revolutionising the frozen aisle
The UK heatwave seems to have finally tailed off slightly, and it’s all quite apt because we’ve got a product that’s cooler than a cucumber on The FoodTalk Show this week.
As sun kissed skin starts to peel across the land, we’re putting the BBQ back in the shed for now and we’re heading to the freezer because we have the fantastic Gourmade in the studio and co-founder Jo Devenish has bought Sue & Ollie a feast.
One staggering stat that we learned on this podcast is that over 50% of ready meals made in Europe are consumed in the UK – forget the rubbish supermarket editions though, it’s only quality ingredients from Gourmade and their brilliant dinners and desserts.
After all, with such an enthralling World Cup, who wants to be slaving over a hot stove?
*Once you have listened to this podcast, make sure you head over to Gourmade.com – where the first 50 listeners will receive 40% off their first order by using the promo code: FOODTALK – thanks so much to Jo for the generosity!
World Cup mania has firmly gripped the country and it has coincided with the big UK heatwave; what a good old time we’re having at the moment. Fancy making it even better? We’ve got another cracking FoodTalk podcast for you.
Sticking with the football theme; we’ve got Ollie Lloyd, CEO of Great British Chefs, back from a long lay-off to lead the line with the ever-present Sue Nelson. They tend to have a few fallings out, but they get the job done.
Making their FoodTalk debut is Suzie Walker from The Primal Pantry. In a crowded market, these guys are really on their way to a snacking golden boot because they seem to pop-up whenever we need them across all the major supermarkets. Suzie tells us how she managed to kick it all off.
Our second guest is not a stranger to our squad, but this is the first-time that we’ve been able to scoop gold by getting him for a recording session in the studio. Steven Dring co-founded the amazing Growing Underground; they grow food right under your feet on the streets of London. Sounds bonkers, but is definitely brilliant.
With these fantastic guests; FoodTalk’s coming home.
For the final of our special podcasts with The Bottle Shop, we meet Jon Swain of Hackney Brewery and Rebecca Pate from Mason & Company
Another week, another heatwave. Whisper it quietly but this summer’s weather has been performing admirably.
The crystal ball in our office is also doing pretty well too – it just so happens that we have one final special podcast lined up with The Bottle Shop’s Andrew Morgan on this sunny week. Completely on his turf this time, we’ve got wall-to-wall of beer.
Kicking us off is Rebecca Pate from Mason & Company. It’s fair to say that these guys just love the East London food & drink scene. What makes us say that? Just the fact that they run the Five Point Brewing Co, they are behind the amazing Capish food menu and they showcase it all from their Hackney Wick premises.
Having tried a few of the Five Points products, we decided to make this session a proper tasting session by adding Hackney Brewery to the mix. Founder Jon Swain brought a collection of his best beers to the party and, well, it all got a bit boozy.
It’s fair to say Andrew was in Sue’s good books for inviting along such fabulous guests.
Jo Hilditch from White Heron introduces us to the British Cassis that is gaining all sorts of plaudits from long and far.
It’s coming home…
Unless you’ve been stuck under rock somewhere over the last week or so, you will probably have noticed that the World Cup has begun and the boys in white and red will be bringing home the trophy. Probably.
Once we’ve ruled the world kicking around a bag of leather-protected air we’ll turn our attentions to the alcohol world – we’ve already made a pretty decent start at that one too.
For the third of our Bottle Shop special podcasts, we were delighted to meet Jo Hilditch from White Heron Drinks. They make the amazing blackcurrant-based British Cassis – it’s winning all sorts of awards and even rivalling the wine-mad French. See, we’re ruling the world.
They also have a claim to fame because of their link to a classic British drink. Listen to the podcast to find out more.
We take a look at the vegan alternative to milk with Viegan Life founder Devin Chohan
For those of you who missed it in the news this week, Sainsbury’s have become the first supermarket in the UK to trial an initiative to put ‘fake meat’ vegan burgers next to their meaty cousins in the shopping aisles.
This seems like a good hook on which to hang the second of our special podcasts with The Bottle Shop and their founder Andrew Morgan. This will be the only episode of the four to not feature booze, because everybody needs a break once in a while.
Milk…everybody loves the white stuff, but not everybody is able to enjoy it – either through moral choice or health issues.
Many have tried and failed to come up with a vegan and IBS-friendly alternative, but we think we’ve found the man who has cracked it by using tigernuts. Devin Chohan is the classic foodie innovator and has launched a number of successful brands, and now he hopes that the Viegan brand will rule the world.
We put the milk through an extensive taste testing – find out how it got on by listening to this podcast and visiting their website too.
We are joined by Caps &Taps and Will Hawkes for the first of our specials with The Bottle Shop
It’s officially summer!
We’ve been treated to a pretty good spring, if truth be told, so let’s raise a glass to the sun and hope that it continues.
What shall we fill that glass with though? Well, to help us make our minds up, we’ve recorded a collection of special podcasts with the fantastic Bottle Shop.
You may recognise Andrew Morgan from a previous episode earlier this year – this time he joins Sue in the presenting seat and has brought along a few friends.
If you happen to find yourself in the Kentish Town or Camden areas of London soon, you should probably make sure that you fire Caps and Taps into your Google Maps. It won’t take long. When you find it, you won’t regret it… as long as you don’t need any more than 400 beers to try at their craft beer shop. Stephanie Palgrave-Elliot talks us through the story.
Caps and Taps has an important seal of approval from our other podcast guest this week too. It’s the king of the beer writers, Will Hawkes (seriously… he once won beer writer of the year). We think Will has the best job in the world – he gets paid to drink and write about beer for publications like The Guardian, Washington Post, FT and Imbibe. Check him out.
We go behind closer doors at one of the UK’s leading farms, learning everything about auctions, butchery and baking
We’re really racking up the mileage here at FoodTalk – in the space of a couple of weeks we’ve been at the Food & Drink Expo in Birmingham, in Scotland for a special podcast, we visited London’s first winery last week and now we’re adding Yorkshire to thatlist.
Nestled in a leafy and rural area of North Yorkshire, just outside of Skipton, is the fantastic Keelham Farm Shop.
We spent a whole day looking at how farming should be done, from sewing seeds to the dinner plate.
From chatting to the owner, Victoria Robertshaw, Sue got to experience all elements of the fantastic Farm Shop. We learn how to judge the price of cows at auction, the process behind the butchery and finally the end product from the bakery.
This is farming and food supply how it should be. If this special episode doesn’t get you passionate about buying British, nothing will.
Find out more about Keelham Farm Shop by visiting their website.
This week we have a wine special with Roberson Winery in London
When you envisage a winery, you’re probably thinking about somewhere lovely in the south of France or maybe a nice little trip to South Africa. Even closer to home, maybe it’s somewhere tucked away in the Kent countryside… what about in the middle of London?
As summertime fast approaches, Sue took the opportunity to visit the team at Roberson Wine – not only the UK’s finest wine merchant, but also London’s first urban winery.
Crack open a bottle and head to the park.
We were delighted to chat with one of the Directors, Talya Roberson, who talked us through the story of the company and some of the trends that she has been seeing in the industry. We then caught up with Cliff Roberson, founder of the brand, who lends his view on the best wines around having spent most of his life on the grapevine.
You’ll never get a duff bottle if you speak to these experts – so we hope you enjoy this special episode.
It's time for a Scotland special on FoodTalk, featuring everything from Scotch Whisky to Oatmeal. Tuck in.
Doing what we do here at FoodTalk, it tends to take us up and down the British Isles – but we’ve never really had the chance to delve into any specific country in great detail…until now.
When you think of Scotland, you think of the wonderful mountainous scenery and the vibrant and unique culture – but what about the food? There’s more to the country than just Haggis and Shortbread, just as we discovered in this special episode.
With the help of the Scotland Food & Drink Organisation, we met some fantastic companies operating north of the border with some amazing tasting products. Rapeseed oil, cheese, smoked fish, Scotch whisky and oatmeal lay in wait over the course of the next hour.
Tom Tuke-Hastings introduces us to Borrago and Sanja Ilieva tells us about the Caffe di Artisan coffee
We hope you all enjoyed the recent wonderful Bank Holiday Weekend – wasn’t it just wonderful? Eyes are now set on the summer months – but there’s one thing to monitor more closely.
The FoodTalk Awards…
You need to be quick. The ticket deadline stands at midnight on May 31st – though we are expecting to sell-out before then. As if you needed reminding, your ticket price includes tasting of finalists’ products, a fancy three-course meal, lovely wine, cocktails and a DJ for the afterparty.
You’ll easily have enough time to purchase the tickets while you listen to this week’s fantastic podcast too.
We were delighted to meet Tom Tuke-Hastings – founder of the Borrago brand. Summer can be a tough time for the designated driver, but not anymore. Tom has created a lovely spirit with no nasties and no alcohol. Just make sure you have it with tonic!
And, if you needed perking up any further, we had an example of some real coffee innovation. Sanja Ilieva from Caffe di Artisan explained how their pods are bringing café style coffee to your cup in less than 60 seconds.
Josh White & Ariel Booker take us through the idea of CanO Water while Caitlin Richards introduces us the Magic Candy Factory's 3D Printing
We meet some great people in food every week…all of them chasing buyers, getting popular with their customers and growing their brand, however, not one of them has yet sung ‘we’re in the money’ after securing a merger to make themselves the biggest supermarket in the country – Sainsbury’s haven’t responded to our interview request.
Hi ho, it’s off to work we go and one part of our work is to fight the good fight against plastic waste. We’ve got another new weapon in this week’s podcast.
Ariel Booker and Josh White are the founders behind CanO Water. A bit like Ronseal, this is exactly what it says on the tin – this is a can of water. Aside from just looking cooler, it’s made from aluminium which is so much better for recycling than plastic. Oh, and the founders think their re-sealable cans could be used as a dating tool too – listen in to find out why.
To be honest, our second guest had a sure-fire dating win for you too – if you could print your date’s selfie as a 3D sweet, you’re sorted. Plucky singletons probably aren’t the key demographic for Magic Candy Factory, but we were delighted to welcome Caitlin Richards on to the show. Armed with castles, David Beckham, a dragon and much more (in sweet form), we were dazzled by this one.
As with most expos that we visit, just one highlights show doesn’t seem to be enough – so we are delighted to present some more fantastic interviews from the Food & Drink Expo 2018.
Sue Nelson gives you the lowdown on her favourite companies from the second day of interviewing and, as always, we’ve got a mixed bag.
From tea and coffee to boozy fish and black pudding – you wouldn’t want all of that on your plate at one time but we find it makes for a great podcast.
We’ll be back with the normal show format next week.
It has been marked in our diaries for quite some time now and, like a kid on Christmas morning, we were buzzing at the prospect of spending three days at the Food & Drink Expo. As with all good foodie events that we attend – we now have a special show with all of our favourite interviews. This is the first of two and features the best of the many companies that we met on day one. Over the course of the next hour, catch up with Eco For Life, Glacierfire, James White Drinks, Peakz, Chilled Packaging, Popcorn Shed and My Coffee Station. As always, you can find out more about this week’s guests on our Food Heroes page.
Katherine Jenner joins us from Burning Barn Rum, while we also welcome the editor of Speciality Food, Holly Shackleton
If there’s a will, there’s a way…so if you really really want to believe that the weather is good enough for a barbeque, don’t let your stick-in-the-mud neighbour’s disapproving glances under and overcast sky shy you away from your fun. Just make sure you play FoodTalk loud and proud.
Fact of the day: We actually record these shows in advance from our studio on the 33rd floor of Euston Tower in Central London. This particular podcast caused a stir and left Sue, Guy and Ollie at odds with the sniggering producers – you’re about to find out why.
Rum…on a Monday morning! Unless you’re a Jack Sparrow wannabee sprawling around a Caribbean beach, this is not a usual partnership. This was amazing though. We were delighted to meet Katherine Jenner, who has founded the Burning Barn Rum brand. It looks like rum is ready to fightback against the gin revolution.
Again, in another potential scheduling issue, we’d had quite a bit of rum before we moved on to something very visual – the fantastic Speciality Food Magazine. Thankfully there were no beer goggles and we had a great chat with Holly Shackleton, editor of the hugely popular publication.
Andrew Morgan from The Bottle Shop joins us with Kath Austin of Bee Bee Wraps and Claire Forster of Oast to Host We’re all back to work this week, but hey – the weather is getting warmer so that’s something to enjoy. In fact, you’ve got plenty of things to enjoy. You are reading this because it’s time to listen to the FoodTalk Podcast. There’s enough good things going on that we can raise a glass to the sky. This week we’ll be filling that glass with beer. Andrew Morgan was this week’s first guest, he is the owner of The Bottle Shop – he has three premises which are showcasing the finest beer in the world. He even bought us some Cannabis-like-beer; looks like we’ll be getting the munchies. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock recently, you’ll know that we are in the midst of a war against plastic – we have a brilliant weapon to unveil too. Kath Austin was our next guest and she has made a fantastic product called Bee Bee Wraps. It’s hands down our favourite plastic alternative. Our last guest was already in our good books. Claire Forster entered Oast To Host into the FoodTalk Awards and impressed us sufficiently to be named as a finalist. She then compounded our love by bringing all of us in the studio, from other guests to sound engineer, a lovely tart made with their gluten-free pastry. Bribes never tasted so good!
Savernake Knives founder Philip Shaw is joined by Jamie Crummie of Too Good To Go and Paul Woodward of Green Cola Happy Easter everybody. It’s time to celebrate your four-day weekend with a starter of chocolate, a main of roast dinner and a side of the FoodTalk podcast. As ever, we have a weird and wonderful variety of guests. Kicking the show off, Sue was holding a knife – which is never a good sign. Thankfully, there was good reason. Philip Shaw was there to help demonstrate his amazing range of Savernake Knives. Incredibly, he knew nothing about knives when he started out but has learnt along the way how to become an expert. Over the Easter break, there will probably be a lot of food waste, which is not good! We should all take a leaf from Jamie Crummie’s book (or app) and check out his Too Good To app. They have linked with hundreds of restaurants around the world to offer clients meals at cheap rates which would otherwise go on the bin. Perfect. Finally, we needed a bit of a caffeine boost but not from those guys at Coca Cola – there’s a new kid on the block and it’s much healthier. Green Cola are one of our FoodTalk Awards finalists and it’s easy to taste why – they’ve done it all without any sugar either. Fancy tasting some Green Cola? You’d better head online to this link and bag a few tickets to the FoodTalk Awards*
We run through our FoodTalk Awards finalists but also chat Press Juices, vending with Vendease and baking at Bakehouse at 124.
In a week where a London cake baker made national news for being asked to do her job by a Royal couple, we are here to shout about the foodie news that really matters. An hour never seems to be enough for us these days.
To kick us off, we ate some food…obviously. Ollie Lloyd picked the wrong week to be MIA, because we rattled through the FoodTalk Awards finalists and had a bit of a sampling session to whet the appetite. It’ll get your taste buds tingling and, luckily enough, you can now buy tickets to the event on June 15th. You should probably get your skates on though.
It was then time to slap some wrists. Ed Foy picked the right week to be on-air with all of the delicious food in the studio, but unfortunately, he never entered his Press juices into the awards. There’s always next year though and these tasty drinks would be a strong contender for one of our gongs.
From our London studio, we travelled back in time and visited the garden of England too. Sue was recently invited to the fabulous artisan bakery named ’Bakehouse at 124’ in Tonbridge. Owner Claire Barton fed her some pizzas and they talked all things baking.
We ended the show with a new beginning. We’ve never talked about vending machines before, but Jonny Holmes was on-hand to tell us about the impending vending revolution, led by his company Vendease . Frozen or fresh, they have you covered.
Will Edge talks Greensand Ridge gin and Jason Gibb talks about Bread & Jam.
All manner of exciting foodie things are coming soon. Tickets for the FoodTalk Awards are open as of today (buy them here), BBQ season is approaching and so are the food expos and festivals – so let’s celebrate with some gin.
We may have enjoyed some gin on last week’s show too – but booze is one of those things that it’s (almost) acceptable to binge on. Sue, Guy and Ollie weren’t complaining anyway.
Will Edge was nominated to bring us the fantastic produce from the Greensand Ridge Distillery this time around. Most of our food founders have weird and wonderful routes into the industry; from banking to law but Will bucked the trend. He actually got a Masters’ Degree in distilling & brewing. We think he’s put it to good use.
We were then joined by somebody who has seen and done it all in the food industry. Jason Gibb is a Brand Manager for The Black Farmer, produces olive oil and also heads up the Bread & Jam Festival – the UK’s first food founders’ festival, which runs every year in London. What a busy bloke.
Make sure you don’t miss next week’s show when we profile our FoodTalk Awards finalists.
Cosmo Caddy gets our presenters tipsy with his Still on the Move & Claire Brumby talks us through her food consultancy business.
After a week of scary cold weather, we are ready to kick-start spring in the best possible way. We’ve got lots of booze to give us that warm fuzzy feeling and some great discussion to go with it.
Our first guest seemed to be on a mission to get us stinking drunk, he succeeded too.
Cosmo Caddy has founded Still On The Move – he has a unique vehicle which can travel anywhere in the UK to create your very own bespoke gin, flavoured with your choice of a variety of spices and botanicals. He also creates his very own Dappa Grappa. You understand how we got so drunk now, right?
While we were swaying left and right, we needed something to sober us up. Thankfully we had Claire Brumby on the case – and we had plenty of her crisps to eat during the break. Claire founded Scrubby’s Crisps, but now focuses on her fantastic food consultancy.
She has experienced all of the highs and lows of the industry – so there’s plenty of tips and advice to be taken from this one.
We met Emily Few Brown of Spook Catering, Stefan Cuomo from Macknades and Emma Wenbren, Food Trends Editor at The Grocer This week has been snow joke…the white stuff has been falling and it’s caused disruption up and down the country. However, we are made of stronger stuff here at FoodTalk. Both our presenters and our guests fought their way through the blizzards to record this winter warmer for you. Our first guest provided us with a topic that we don’t cover all too much on the FoodTalk Show – event catering. We’re not sure why we’ve not talked about it before; it’s such a huge consideration when it comes to weddings, parties and all things eventing. To help us lose our catering virginity was Emily Few Brown who runs Spook Catering. Emily guides us through the intricacies and difficulties of cooking for large numbers (including royalty). Our next guest is a bit of a hero of Sue’s. Stefano Cuomo has a rich family heritage in the food industry and has taken on the fantastic Macknades store in north Kent. If you love local, fresh and tasty food this is well worth a trip south of the city. Bringing the show to a close, we indulged a little bit. The Grocer Magazine is essential reading for us, obviously, and we were delighted to chat with Emma Weinbren, their food trends editor.
Tom & Jerry, Venus & Serena, Steak & Chips, Food & Talk – don’t you see? All the best things come in twos! That’s exactly why we couldn’t let there be just one special show focused around The Great British Chefs’ brilliant research.
Last week’s podcast only just scratched the surface on some of the fascinating insight into themind and life of a UK foodie – so this week we’ve got some more for you.
We also welcomed another FoodTalk favourite onto the show, following Carolyn Steel's return last week. Julie Jenson Bennett is something of a futurist in the food industry and helped us to understand some of the facts and figures and what they might mean for the future of food.
One interesting discussion point was the use of tech equipment in cooking – something which Sue had prepared in advance for by bringing the fruits of her recent Sous Vide labours to the studio.
Reminder: We gave you an extension on the FoodTalk Awards entries – the final close date is tomorrow (23rd February) at midnight.
Ollie Lloyd presents the Great British Chefs' 2018 research with help from Carolyn Steel.
Question: How many of you will love hearing this special FoodTalk podcast with research conducted by Great British Chefs? Answer: 97% of you (the other 3% accounts for all of the people who don’t know a good podcast when it hits them). We first met presenter Ollie Lloyd, CEO of the platform, around this time last year when their 2017 documents were released and we’ve marked the research’s return with two special shows. In this first part, we are joined by Hungry Cities Author, TED Talk speaker and now FoodTalk favourite, Carolyn Steel. How many people think Government should intervene in food safety matters? How many people are cooking Spanish food? How many people never chop vegetables (yep, that’s right, NEVER). You’ll find all the answers in this fascinating podcast. You can also download Ollie’s research here too.
Becky Kean, co-founder of Nirvana Brewery, is joined by Alastair Jessel - founder of Taywell Ice Cream and advocate of food hubs.
The famous Big Mac turned 50 this week but please, do us a favour, shun that rubbish and turn your attention to our tasty podcast instead. We can be your guilty pleasure instead.
We kicked this week off by revisiting a subject that causes a bit of a stir between Sue, Guy and Ollie – why can nobody develop an alcohol-free beer that doesn’t taste like something that could pass for artificially-flavoured water?
It just so seems that we might have found the answer with Nirvana Brewery. We welcomed Becky Kean into the studio, she is one of the founders of the non-alcoholic brewery – the first of its kind in this country. Becky was armed with a range of alluring bottles – including Karma, Sutra and Tantric. Saucy.
They say that beer before wine is fine, so we had no worries about moving on and listening to Sue’s interview with Peter Franz of Sensible Wines that was recorded recently ahead of the World of Wine awards.
Moving from beer to wine might be fine, but throw some ice cream into the mix and it could all go wrong. Luckily, we survived this time. Alastair Jessell once founded the well-known Taywell Ice Cream brand, but he now champions food and drink hubs. Fresh from setting one up in Kent, Alastair explains to our presenters what they are and why we need them.
We try out Sous Vide Tools, talk Heartier and get eco-friendly with The Planet Mark
The deadline day in football may have passed now, but there’s still a limited amount of time available to sign yourselves up to The FoodTalk Awards before the entries close on February 16th. Don’t dawdle anymore, apply now, apply here.
On the awards night, you’ll be able to meet Sue, Guy and Ollie but, for now, you’ll have to be content with hearing them get stuck into some foodie chat.
First up, we are introduced to the brilliant Heartier platform thanks to founder Stefan Porter. ‘Get your meat here’ – that’s Sue’s advice. There are so many goodies to be found on ‘everyone’s local farmshop’ online.
So, once you have all of the Heartier goodies in your kitchen, how would you cook them all up? If the answer isn’t Sous Vide Tools then you’re wrong. Alex Shannon talks us through his fantastic (and seriously cool) instruments – from smoke guns to dehydrators, they have it all.
To end the show, we went eco-friendly. Our main offices have recently teamed up with The Planet Mark and we decided to invite founder Steve Malkin on to the show to discuss the project. We talk to so many companies about sustainability, so listen back to the podcast to find out how your business can do the same.
Eating curry with Lajina Masala and future gazing with Julie Jenson Bennett. Days don’t tend to get much better than National Pie Day, which we all enjoyed on Tuesday, but we reckon we’ve topped it already with this show. January has been cold, wet and miserable so far but we had some guests that put a smile on the faces of Sue Nelson, Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd. First-up, we were delighted to meet Lajina Leal from Lajina Masala. She makes sauces that are to die-for. Our studio has never smelt quite this good before. Lajina experiments with all different kinds of spices and seems to have struck up the perfect formula for great tasting curry. With bellies now full of fire, our presenters were primed and ready to get stuck into a chat with our next guest. Julie Jenson Bennett describes herself as a food futurist and sparked debate with our presenters over food trends that we can expect to see in 2018. TOP TIP If you own a business that produces innovative products like Lajina’s, you should be applying for this year’s FoodTalk Awards. It’s so simple to apply that you would easily finish your application in the time it takes to enjoy this podcast. Entries close on February 16th, so don’t miss out. All the info you need is here: http://foodtalk.co.uk/the-foodtalk-awards-2018/
Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts introduce their Vurgers, while Jacob Thundil talks Cocofina.
The other day it was announced that the UK would be ridded of plastic packaging within 25 years, and this makes us excited for a few reasons…
1) The whales from Blue Planet will be happy, yay.
2) We’ve met some amazing companies in the past who have been leading this fight. Yay for them too.
Sian Sutherland of ‘A Plastic Planet’ is one of our anti-plastic friends – check back on her podcast here. Fresh from her plastic fight, she’ll be one of our judges for The FoodTalk Awards. Entries close on February 16th, so get your skates on – details here.
Anyway, back to the podcast, we’ve got another fantastic show for you…
A transport disaster prevented Sue Nelson, Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd from trying one of The Vurger Co’s vegan burgers but they’ll be making a visit to their Spitalfields stall soon to try one fresh and hot. Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts described the amazing story so far.
Our other guest may have a recognisable voice. Why? If you’ve watched Dragons Den, he’s been on there and if you listen to national radio, he’s had an advert on there too. Jacob Thundil is the man behind the voice and he introduced the Cocofina brand to us. Coconuts galore.
Jeremy Hibbert-Garibaldi from CollectivFood joins to talk all things about foodie supply chains.
In a week where Cauliflower Steaks have been the biggest headlines in the world of food, our presenters risked similar ridicule with a poor shot at a start of year quiz.
Sue Nelson pitted Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd against each other, with neither covering themselves in glory. Much homework needed for next time.
After that little venture failed, we decided to stick to what we know by getting stuck into some proper foodie chat. We were delighted to chat with Jeremy Hibbert-Garibaldi from CollectivFood.
They are a great team of chefs, restauranteurs, food producers and innovators with a big mission. Their aim is to improve on an the old-fashioned and inefficient and opaque exisiting supply chain and offer restaurants high quality ingredients at exceptional prices.
2018 is here and we are kicking it off in style. Last year will be difficult to match in terms of cracking content but we gladly accepted the challenge with a jam packed show to kick us off for 2018. There wasn’t a Turkey, chocolate or block of cheese in-sight for Sue Neslon and Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd from Great British Chefs. First up, we welcomed somebody who can help you with the January blues. Kimberly Hurd runs the brilliant Tabl website. It’s an online platform for foodies and industry experts to share recipes, showcase new products and much more. Nice stuff. Another thing that we’re looking forward to in 2018 is the FoodTalk Awards. We held our first event back in June, but we’ll be going bigger and better this time. IFIS will be joining us on the night, and you’ll be able to discuss their work with them then, but in the meantime we were delighted to be joined by Marta Cesar and Joanna Becker who work on the firm’s valuable Escalex database which keeps foodies companies in the know when it comes to the all-important rules and regulations. Last, but certainly not least, we had a chance to catch-up with Tessa Stuart properly. We’ve met the brand guru quite a few times before but, criminally, never had the pleasure of having her on the show! She tells us how she has helped some massive names to get prime placement along the supermarket aisles.
One hour wasn't enough to run through the highlights for the past 12 months, so here is another special show for your enjoyment.
We hope you've enjoyed Christmas - here's one last present for you...catch the likes of Pinky Lilani, Willie Harcourt-Cooze, Dalston Cola, Emily Crisp, Toast Ale, Brindisa and Moma.
We'll be back to our normal format next week.
What a year 2017 has been for us!
We have been incredibly lucky to meet some brilliant guests from all around the food and drink industry, from perfect producers to dazzling disruptors and intelligent influencers.
As Christmas draws nearer, we have decided to play back our highlights from the last 12 months. One show won’t be enough, so we’ll have the same next week too.
Sue Nelson has sat down with fellow presenters Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd to pick their favourites. Check the credits to see the running order of this first episode.
Tony Goodman talks 10 Acre, while Dan Pawson introduces Sea Chips and Mirela Sula champions women in the food industry
Over the course of the next hour, you’ll hear from Bingham & Jones, Motion Nutrition, Simply Ice Cream, Skinny Brands and Cricke.
We just knew that one hour of Food Matters Live highlights show wouldn’t be enough. There were so many fantastic companies at London Excel, so we’re back with the best of our second day of interviews.
Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge had quite the mixed bag once again. Among other things, they ate crickets, and ice cream washed down with some low-calorie lager. Amazing.
Enjoy this second special. We’ll be back to normal next week with plenty of fantastic guests.
Check out the highlights from our first day at Food Matters Live 2017
As Christmas trees start springing up across the country – we’ve got a special show to get you in the festive mood.
An early Christmas gift for them…rather than a couple of guests, Sue Nelson & Guy Routledge had two whole days of interviews at the Food Matters Live event at Excel recently.
This will be the first of our two special shows. In this episode, we present our highlights from the first day of interviewing.
Over the next hour, you’ll hear everything from a revolutionary water brand to a sugar-fighting hero. Enjoy.
Jim Fennell talks us through his Salubrious Sauces and Paul Rostand introduces some exciting biscotti
If you’re an English Cricket fan, you’re probably reading this through bleary and tired eyes. Which bright spark let Australia host the Ashes? Anyway, we’ve got something to go along with your coffee today.
We aren’t sure whether Sue Nelson or Guy Routledge are cricket fans, but we’ll have a root around before next week.
Controversially, we’ll start with our second guest fist. Why? It’s all to do with coffee. If you’re looking for something to dunk – look no further than Paul Rostand and his Great British Biscotti. They have all sorts of flavours to put a crunch into your day.
Back to our first guest and he’s got a real treat for you too. A lovely aroma was filling the studio. Imagine a dreamy sauce to go with your full English, a combo sauce to improve your Sunday Roast and a curry sauce to put on your cod and chips. Jim Fennell has it sorted with the Salubrious Sauce Co.
Kevin Bath from Jim Jams is joined by Simon Fordham and Food Innovation Solutions' Mike Faers
While some z-list celebrities, cash-light notable people, and Amir Khan head to an Australian jungle to eat crocodile testicles and Kangaroo anus for a couple of weeks, we are keeping our menus a bit classier. We had another fantastic podcast with great-tasting food for your enjoyment – much to the relief of Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge.
Our first guest needs little introduction – you’ve probably seen them all over the major UK supermarket shelves already – JimJams are going up against the big-boys with their chocolate spreads. Kevin Bath explains how he quit his job in London to create a product with 80% less sugar and 80% better taste than the market leaders. It might even be closer to 180% better…
Our next guest reckons Kevin has done everything that, as an business advisor, he would advise against, but succeeded against all the odds. Simon Fordham from Fordham Henderson is an expert in consultancy and had a few handy tips based on his vast experience in the food industry.
Finally, we heard from Mike Faers of Food Innovation Solutions. Imagine being given carte blanche to create menus, spaces and ideas for some of the biggest brands and restaurants in the country…yep, that’s their game
Tom Spillane of Andean Sol talks chia and Hiromi Stone discusses Kinomi Nuts
In a week where the big department stores started to release their much-hyped Christmas adverts, we had another podcast which was perfect to get people excited for the weekend – with two products that you may not have discovered just yet.
Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge snuck away almost instantly from the studio, and seemed to be booking flight tickets for South America. That’ll be because they enjoyed learning all about the continent thanks to Tom Spillane at Andean Sol – they’ve recently made the decision to sell their chia seeds and Royal Quinoa to consumers rather than business. Find out all about the journey.
From quinoa to nuts (what a healthy show this week), we revisited one of our favourite guests from the past. We’ve heard from Hiromi Stone in the past, but it was good to have a proper catch-up and learn about Kinomi Nuts’ progress.
Reminder – Entries for The FoodTalk Awards are open. The application doesn’t take too long, so what are you waiting for?
This week we were delighted to be invited to the home of Pinky Lilani & the wonderful sparkling wine estate of Squerryes
Just like interest rates aren’t fixed, The FoodTalk Show isn’t restricted to just the four walls of our Euston Tower studio. Our presenters are frequent travellers and this week you get to hear what they get up to.
Sue Nelson met two fantastic individuals – both from different backgrounds and both with a different story to tell.
First up, in leafy Surrey, Sue arrived at the door of Pinky Lilani. She’s an author, motivational speaker, food expert, women’s advocate and even holds an OBE. This very influential individual gave us the lowdown of her journey in the food industry, which includes visits to Wimpy and interesting ploys to sell her cookbook.
From Surrey to the Garden of England, Sue then met Henry Warde. Henry is the man in charge of Squerryes – they have been making sparkling wine for over 300 years from their estate and are one of the success stories behind a resurgent wine scene in the UK. Sue was delighted to be given a tour of their vineyard and then escaped the windy conditions to have a nice tasting.
Guy Routledge of The Food Rush and Ollie Lloyd of Great British Chefs were both gutted to miss this one.
Patricia Michelson from La Fromagerie and the 5D Chocolatiers hold an on-air tasting
If you were to poll the nation on their favourite foods we’re pretty sure that chocolate and cheese would both feature somewhere – probably quite highly – in the top 10. As a result, we were wonderfully lucky to have two businesses at the top of their trade in cheese and chocolate.
Guy Routledge from The Food Rush chose the right date to return from a lengthy holiday, while there was nowhere else that Sue Nelson would rather be.
Now, if you’re a cheese fan, you need to visit La Fromagerie – Sue is a regular in the famous London shops and it’s easy to see why. Armed with an array of various heavenly treats, Patricia Michelson told us the story behind her success and how a skiing disaster started the journey.
So, from the very best of cheese around the world, we went for the most brilliant and bizarre chocolate that we’d ever tasted.
We already knew about Russell Pullan and Albert Chau from Fifth Dimension Chocolates, but even they surprised us with their offerings in the studio this time. Sticking with a cheesy theme, we tasted their new Brie flavour, as well Banana & Cardamom and Blackcurrant & Pernot. These guys are crazy, brilliantly crazy.
Although we didn’t know it before going on-air, we celebrated International Gin & Tonic Day (the best day, ever) with a show full of amazing goodies. Sue Nelson and Ollie Lloyd love this job.
First up, we had one of our favourite chocolate producers. If you saw his Channel 4 documentary on his story, you will have seen that Willie Harcourt-Cooze knows his chocolate inside out. This is demonstrated perfectly through his Willie’s Cacao range. Great stuff.
The chocolate put us in a bit of a cocoa coma, but luckily, we had a shot of energy from one of the companies that we interviewed at the Speciality Show. Mina Price has developed a hugely uplifting Naturshot which is definitely worth trying.
Our last guest is on a mission to rid the world of IBS. Karen O’Donoghue has created some marvellous Chia Teff Loaves which taste beautiful – the perfect treat for anyone but sespecially for those who suffer poor gut health.
As part of the nation geared up to get their chops around a new gut-busting KFC burger, Sue Nelson and Ollie Lloyd were far more excited with the guests in front of them in the new FoodTalk studio.
With Guy Routledge on holiday, Sue and Ollie were quite relieved to find they had an extra portion of beetroot ketchup to try. How sly of them. Being sly is the nature of the game for a Foraging Fox though. Frankie Fox told us all about the story behind her award-winning products.
Taking a break from beetroot, we sampled another product which takes the taste buds by surprise. We heard back from Chirag Karia of Ninas Popcorn – this isn’t any old popcorn brand though…find out what we mean from our Speciality Show interview.
Having tried all of the food offerings in the studio, we were a bit full and decided to go technical instead. Vaiva Kalnikaitė is a bit of an expert when it comes to 3D food printing and her company Nu Food have created an amazing printer.
That classic British conversation topic is back: “Aren’t those nights starting to draw in?” Don’t worry though, we had a show that made Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge excited about that cosy winter feeling.
The first of our winter warmers arrived in the form of some fantastic soup, a soup that you will have heard of. John Stapleton was part of the team that founded the New Covent Garden Soup Company and he turned it into the household name that it is today. He’s now turning his hand to baby food too. Listen back to piece the jigsaw together.
From one product to keep you warm, we had another to keep you sane. The Speciality and Fine Food Fair was full to the brim of fantastic chocolate producers and we spoke to Adam’s Raw Chocolates who made us grin.
Laziness is another core element of the winter vibe. Steven May is part of the team at Smarter Applications – you may have heard about their labour-saving wifi kettle and wifi coffee machine already, but they are getting even more techy with a fridge selfie camera… You’d better find out more.
After two weeks of superb specials from the Speciality Show, FoodTalk returned to its trusted and tested format in our comfy studio. Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge had been getting withdrawal symptoms, so it was good to be back.
To get us back into the swing of things, we had a topic which certainly got the debate flowing. Staggeringly, by 2050, the weight of plastic in the oceans will outweigh that of fish. Sian Sutherland is determined to turn the tide – she founded the ‘A Plastic Planet’ movement. Their goal? They want supermarkets to offer a plastic-free aisle.
From one sustainability project to another, we attended Disco Soup last week and what an event it was. Steve Griffiths and James Sloan went over to Mercato Metropolitano to find what the craic was; saving wasted vegs, feeding mouths, listening to Ministry of Sound tunes – lovely stuff.
We had enough to shout about for an hour but we simply had to holla at Adam Beveridge. He’s created a fantastic Snapchat-story style app called Hollabox which is whittling down the best places to eat, drink, chill and generally just enjoy existence in London.
There are always a few butterflies when you try something new for the first time. A Rhubarb & Basil soda certainly falls into that category.
We didn’t need to worry when we tried Kitsch’s products – we also enjoyed the cucumber & fennel offering. The drinks were amazingly refreshing and Craig Johnston has every reason to feel proud.
Don’t let these pass you by! Get your hands on these tasty offering by listening to the podcast and visiting the website.
We were a bit worried when we saw Ninas – we thought they might be similar to a lot of brands at the Speciality Show, but just one bite proved us wrong.
Chirag Karia came to our pod armed with his naturally nutricious superfood popcorn. It’s all plant-based and they’ve been experimenting with some fantastic flavours – have you ever had a popcorn that left a sizzling taste on the tongue?
If you’re intrigued (you should be), you need to find out more by heading to their website and listening back to the podcast.
When you are exhibiting at a trade show for three days, it’s handy to have a tasty alcoholic exhibitor in close proximity.
Luckily, we had exactly that with Kold Group at the Speciality Show. They own two premium alcoholic drink brands; Kold Cocktails and Kalosa Natural Spritz. Both are all-natural drinks that are crafted using only the finest ingredients – they taste pretty damn fine too.
Hear all about the journey that Tori Sotiropoulos has undertaken by listening to the podcast and visiting the website.
If you’re nuts about staying healthy, we found a company at the Speciality Show that may well be of interest to you.
We met Gabriella Block who’s the woman behind Nut Blend. They have created some deluxe nut butters that look and taste amazing. It’s not just peanuts either; they are creating them with almonds, cashews, macadamia, maca and pecans. More nuts than you could shake a pack of nuts at.
They’re free-from all nasties too. You should really check these guys out by listening to the podcast and heading over to the website.
Life in the working world can be tough. You stay focused at the office and then you crash out on the sofa when you should be relaxing.
Mina Price had exactly the same trouble – so she decided to fight fatigue with a product that is wowing the food world. It packs a punch – it’s Naturshot. It is a great range of 100% juice blends that are low in calories and boast unique flavours.
Find out how to boost your levels up by listening to the podcast and whizzing over to the website.
Speciality & Fine Food Fair is full of grown-up goodies, which is always a good thing.
We sampled cordials, oysters and chocolate that ticked all the boxes, but amongst all of the choices of soft drinks, we found a really good one in Nix & Kix. The brand, who have got themselves into Waitrose and Selfridges, let us taste some wonderful cans of Peach Vanilla, Mango Ginger and Cucumber Mint.
Find out more about these adult soft drinks by visiting their website and listening to the podcast.
Cold-pressed…we’ve heard of cold-pressed juices but our chat with Adam was our first experience of cold-pressed chocolates.
More and more people are giving the raw diet a serious chance – it’s supposed to be extremely good for you. Like with every diet though, you need a treat and that’s exactly why Mark Claydon is so excited by the company who were making a splash at the Speciality Show.
Cold-pressed chocolate could be the future. Jump on to the bandwagon by visiting the website and checking out more online.
We love the Speciality Show, we always find some cracking stuff and Andy Renton’s Neat’s Snacks were just that.
Basically, they’re rice crackers – but they have a big twist. The humdrum flavours were nowhere to be seen, as Neat’s Snacks boasted some flavours to make your nose run. How many times have you had Wasabi, Hot Thai chilli or Smokey Barbeque on a rice cracker?
Broaden your rice cracker horizons by heading over to their website here and listening to the podcast here.
It can be difficult to eat good food on the go. The snack aisle is particularly dangerous with all the tempting (but unhealthy) treats.
We heard from one company who are looking to make that snack aisle seem a lot nicer. Sarah Barac is having a great time with her company Revolicious, they make lovely and healthy bowls which have a manner of goodies inside.
If you want to snack healthy, you should check out the Revolicious website and listen to the podcast.
There were too many fantastic companies at the Speciality & Fine Food Show, so much so that one hour just didn’t cover it.
Alas, we’re back with another special episode which covers our highlights from the second day at Olympia. Variety is a key theme again, this time you’ll hear about everything from an anti-ageing Gin to a cheese & cracker flavoured chocolate. We may even be getting a letter from a Premier League footballer’s lawyer too. Fun times.
FoodTalk returns to its normal format next week, but for now enjoy this episode.
It had been in our diary for quite some time and we were like children at Christmas when the day finally came to set up our recording pod at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair.
We had two fantastic days of interviews and the first of two hour-long specials are here for your enjoyment. Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge picked their highlights from day one at the show.
From oysters and eggs to Earl Grey ice lollies, we have quite the mixed bag for you to enjoy. Come back next week to hear more from the show.
The Great British Bake Off returned to our screens this week, albeit controversially. Sponsors, adverts, a new line-up. Yuk (we’ll all still be watching next week though).
We don’t have to worry about that nonsense with The FoodTalk Show. Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge won’t be doing a Mary Berry on us anytime soon – they love the goodies too much.
To kick us off we heard from Sophia Nadur. She is one of the few people to produce a Great Taste Award-winning green tea. The fantastic Tg Green Teas have found a perfect superfruit balance; they have a hot and cold range too.
From green tea to oysters (we love our mixed bags), Sue left the Big Smoke to head for the Kent coast and landed at Wheelers Oyster Bar in Whitstable. Here we heard her chat with Head Chef Mark Stubbs who is a bit of an oyster whizz.
Moving on… For the next fortnight, the show will have a slightly different format – we’ll have two hour-long Speciality and Fine Food Fair special episodes. Why? Well, it’s one of the most popular food trade expos in the country. In preparation, we heard from the Event Organisor Kara Bowen.
To be honest, not a great deal happened in the world of food this week – so we had to make sure that our show was fiery enough to make up for it. It didn’t disappoint, don’t you worry.
In fact, it got so hot in our studio at one point that Sue Nelson had to leave – much to the amusement of Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd.
Who’s to blame? Probably Pritesh Mody. ‘The Spice Guru’, as he’s known on television for shows like Sunday Brunch, brought his flavoursome ‘World of Zing’ products along to the show for everyone to try. There was one that had just a little too much zing for Sue though. To cool the tongue, he brought along some special Negronis – all forgiven.
From spicy to sweet, we took some time to hear about another Sugarwise-accredited product that is helping us stay away from the harmful white stuff.
Back in the studio, we had some more fantastic goodies in front of us. These ones didn’t have a Zing, instead these were just winners. B-Tempted took gold in our free-from category at the FoodTalk Awards a few months ago. Sarah Hilleray told us how she turned her home cooking into an award-winning brand.
While a walnut shortage whipped up a frenzy in the food industry, FoodTalk decided to hit the bottle. We like wine, so we intended to enjoy it.
Don’t worry though, neither Sue Nelson, Guy Routledge nor Ollie Lloyd have gone off the rails – we just had a full discussion with the ‘Spotify of wine’ Pulp Wine and their founder Paolo Zanelli.
They call themselves the wine club for people who don’t do wine clubs. Pulp is the new way of discovering and learning about wine – their subscription service is allowing customers to sample a wide range of different wines and is telling them the stories behind the bottle.
In between our wine lovefests, we also heard from Ian Dorr from All Food Experts.
They are a global expert community transforming the agri-food industry through collaborative innovation and sharing value creation. We gained some valuable insight.
After all that talk of vino, it’s time to crack open a bottle yourself.
We had our full quota of presenters again this week, as Ollie Lloyd from Great British Chefs returned to the studio – alongside Guy Routledge and Sue Nelson – armed with stories about his tortoise, Flash. Yes, this happened.
We’d rather let you listen to the podcast than explain the link between Flash and water, but it worked nicely. Jack Scott and Alex Wright are the collective brainpower behind Dash Water – they explain how they turn wonky fruit into refreshing sparkling water.
From water with a dash of goodness to angels with a lot of cookies – Harry was recently at the Allergy & Freefrom Show and heard from Karen Capetta. Her company, Angels & Cookies, was proving so popular that they were running out of samples.
Our first two guests had proved to be a big hit – so maybe they should consider applying for The FoodTalk Awards next year. Our last guest would have sold it to them. Ritam Gandhi from Studio Graphene told how they scoped the Gold Award in our Smart Kitchen category with their Hawk Safety technology. Make sure you press play and find out what won over our judges.
You either love it or hate it – it turns out holidaymakers in this country just cannot get enough of Marmite, with the revelation that copious amounts are being seized at airports every day. You’ll love our FoodTalk guests this week too.
Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge were delighted to welcome another of our fantastic FoodTalk Award winners into the studio first-up. Danny Kingston proved he really is as Fabulous as Fanny after scooping gold for his Food Urchin blog. Hear the stories of calamity and success, in equal measure, which provide the backdrop for his popular writing.
Danny is a bit of an experimenter when it comes to food and drink, so he would have been interested to hear about the work of the Autumn Brewing Co. We caught up with them at the Allergy Show to hear how they are brewing beer with rice and quinoa.
Our last guest is on a mission. Luke Fernandes is from Sugarwise, which is a certification scheme for sugar claims made by the food manufacturing and food service sectors, with retail and brand support. Get your unrotten teeth into this one.
The summer holidays are here, but don’t bother jetting off to foreign lands – we have a perfect FoodTalk podcast for you right here, right now. Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge have a couple of high-profile interviewees for your pleasure.
First up, we had a TV star on the radio – how ironic. Paul A Young is on our screens at the moment as part of a BBC series that is looking at the history of chocolate – Paul has developed a reputation as one of the best chocolatiers in the country, and he brought some of his products to the studio. Perfect.
From amazing luxury chocolate to brilliant vegan treats. There were plenty of awesome companies at the Allergy & Freefrom Show and one of those was Miiro Ice Cream – we caught up with Rym who told us all about how they’ve spent years developing their product to prosper in a growing market.
Our last guest was part of the team that has turned Red Bull into the megabrand it is today. Their former Marketing Director Huib van Bockel has stuck with the energy drink industry but has stripped back all of the chemicals with his new brand, Tenzing.
We love summertime at FoodTalk – it’s always the best time for food and drink and we had a bit of a summer special this week. Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge were most impressed.
Our first guest is certainly a fan of the summer – he’s just had a special edition of his drink on sale at Wimbledon; I bet the Dalston’s Cola’s Strawberryade was Roger Federer’s winning drink of choice. Most will know the company better for their fantastic hand-made all natural cola though – Duncan O’Brien tells us how he has gone from Orient Express Chef to cola king.
Summer is also food exhibition season, so we sent Harry to the Allergy & Freefrom Show recently and he returned with a demonstration of a fantastic new Granite pan. No oil needed at all, not even for Fried eggs. Crazy stuff.
To top it off, we had a bit of a celebration with one of our FoodTalk Award winners. Sarah Ward took home a Big Apple award for Boozy Udders – a quite brilliant alcoholic cocktail ice cream. Sarah was also refreshingly honest about how tough it can be in the food industry too – definitely worth a listen.
With Wimbledon proceedings approaching the business end, we made sure that we served up an ace for everyone to enjoy from Henman Hill to Timbuktu.
First up, there were no backhanded compliments from our presenters Sue Nelson, Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd when they tried Emily Fruit Crisps. The trio were blown away by the fantastic, innovative and perfectly presented products put in front of them by founder Emily Wong.
We like to keep ourselves busy at FoodTalk HQ, so we made sure that we didn’t miss out any of the action from last weekend’s Allergy & Freefrom Show at Olympia. You might know their bread already, but we heard how Genius are looking to take the Freefrom world by storm in other areas too.
Finally, we welcomed Oliver White from Preoday onto the show. If you hate cash, then these guys are right up your street. They are developing white label technology which you can use everywhere from restaurants to music festivals.
In a week where Spam turned 80, we made sure we were a million miles from the tinned horror in our shish London recording studio – you wouldn’t catch Sue Nelson, Guy Routledge or Ollie Lloyd eating that stuff.
To start the show, we ended up taking a foodie tour around the world by discussing Ollie’s latest research with Great British Chefs. Which international countries are giving us inspiration? You’d better find out.
Sticking with the worldly theme, we welcomed Jack Fleming onto the show to talk about his venture SOOP (Stories on our Plate). They are running workshops around London with professional chefs to give refugees in the UK a chance to test their skills and maybe move into the industry.
The help didn’t stop there either though – next up was Rick Hay, The Superfoodist. Rick is a bit of a star when it comes to helping everybody keep fit and look younger through our food choices. You may have seen him on one of many TV shows on which he features.
Thank goodness – we’ve returned to our normal British summertime climate; blustery wind and drizzling rain. How reassuring. To keep the theme of normality going, we’ve got another fabulous FoodTalk for you.
First up, we got a bit saucy – we were trying to find our perfect match. Nope, we weren’t looking to replace Sue Nelson or Guy Routledge as presenters. Instead we had a great chat with Tiggs. They have created some fantastic sauces/dressings/marinades – whatever you want them to be really.
Another perfect match that we’ve had recently is pairing up some fantastic innovative companies with the awards that they deserve at The FoodTalk Awards. One of those was Kitchup, we matched them with a silver award for their app which helps growing companies find kitchen space to expand their operation. Charlie Jones gives us the lowdown on what they do.
From one winner to another, we welcomed the ‘Chief Toaster’ Rob Wilson on to the show. We didn’t grab him from a random canteen – he’s actually the brains behind a quite brilliant brand of beer called Toast Ale. We love these guys…they turn beer into bread, need we say anymore?
Brexit looks to have given us an expected benefit this week, we’re living in a Caribbean climate right now – it’s fantastic. Don’t worry though, we’ve been getting too hot too but, alas we have some things to cool us down on this week’s FoodTalk Show.
Now, our first guest is probably more akin to an interview on Radio Two rather than FoodTalk radio, but hear us out. We love red wine, so how perfect that we had the Red Red Wine hitmakers UB40 on the show. Yep, that’s right! The reggae band’s frontman Ali Campbell joined us on the phone.
So, why did we have UB40? Well, we had Jerome Jacob from Eminent Life to put it into clarity. Jerome’s company team up with musical legends to create limited edition bottles of wine and UB40 make a perfect fit thanks to their Red Red Wine link.
If you think that’s award winning radio, you should come along to the FoodTalk Awards next year. A couple of weeks ago we hosted an amazing night at the Oxo Tower and Sue Nelson lends her thoughts on how it went and why we did it.
So, after that, to really cool us down we had to get some Ice Cream on the show and The Coconut Collaborative hit the spot perfectly. You may have seen their coconut-based products in the shops already, and James Averdieck was on-hand to run us through the success story.
It has been a week of celebration here at the FoodTalk Show. On Monday we hosted our first-ever FoodTalk Awards – a fantastic night of foodie innovation, which took place at London’s Oxo Tower overlooking the Thames.
We heard from a couple of the winners on the night, including Toast Ale, Boozy Udders and B-Tempted, but on Thursday we returned to the relative normality of the FoodTalk studio. Sue Nelson, Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd blasted away any awards night cobwebs with the help of some fantastic guests.
Presenting can be a hungry job, so luckily our first guest had their finger on the pulse when it comes to street food. We heard from Leon Travers of Kerbstop – they have developed an app to beat the big takeaway giants by helping people to find pure and simple food.
Moving on… If there were any hangovers from our night in the spotlight, we had a bit of a hair of the dog remedy thanks to Lee Caulfield. He brought along a nice mobile freezer full of delicious ice cream and, even better, it was also filled with booze – Cheers have developed the world’s most alcoholic ice cream.
As the UK went to the polls for the General Election, we had no losers in our FoodTalk studio this week with Sue Nelson being joined by Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd.
First of all, to take us away from the palaver at Parliament – we had a sumptuous snifter of Spain. Hams, oils, cheese and much more; Brindisa have fantastic shops in Balham and Borough to showcase the Mediterranean marvels and Monika Linton told us all about their work.
From fantastic food, we moved on to energizing water. We caught up with Henry Weston a while ago and flexed our interviewing muscles to chat with the Protein Water Co.
From Spain and the UK, we then spoke to somebody who grew up in Italy – our guests this week have certainly rattled up some air miles. Alessio D’Antino is one of the founders of Crowdfooding and gave us some valuable advice as to how make your food business rise like a good bread should in the oven.
Make sure you tune-in next week to hear the first reactions from The FoodTalk Awards which are taking place on Monday 12th June.
Everybody struggles to get going after a long weekend, but there was no slacking in the FoodTalk studio for Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge – they had some fantastic advice to hoover-up too.
To kick us off, we noticed we were in a bit of a Wandsworth world. Sue was born there, Guy lives there and, most importantly, our first guest Helen Roberts is working Wandsworth magic for local companies in the food industry. Advice, workshops and events – they do it all to help.
For the rest of the show, we got to grips with a massive talking point in the Food Sector at the moment – food allergies and intolerances. With more and more people discovering health issues, it has coincided with many more businesses sensing the gap and popping up to help.
First of all, we heard back from Mannavida – they create some amazing kits designed to help people with a gluten intolerance to enjoy delicious breads in their home without having to scour the supermarket shelves for a bread that’s not only expensive but doesn’t taste as good as bread should.
Our final guest, Mittun Sharma, wishes that cost was the only issue in his weekly shop – he currently has the added drain of time, ever since his family discovered that his daughter is allergic to nearly all food types. The hours spent trying and failing to find suitable foods led him to creating his myAllergy app – a tool of good for people aghast at their allergies.
Unprecedented for the UK, we’ve had virtually a whole week with warm weather. Not unprecedented in the FoodTalk studio, however, is a high calibre of foodie guests – Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge had some tasty treats for a summer’s day.
It all got a bit boozy in the beginning though. Despite connecting via a phoneline to Scotland, Martin Murray had managed to sort us out with some beautiful Rockrose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka. The guys at Dunnet Bay Distillery are certainly going places and we got a taste of exactly why.
After all that Gin and Vodka, we had a lethargic moment – we all know the feeling. You never want to cook when you’re in that state, so it was quite handy that we heard from Asa of iRaw. They have some cracking healthy snacks!
For most, our final guest needs no introduction. You’ll probably have seen the perfect Pip & Nut Peanut Butter in all of the big supermarkets – but did you know the fantastic story behind it too? Pippa Murray is a bit of a business superstar and has a fantastic story to tell.
We had a wonderfully weird FoodTalk Show this week. There was a member of the Cadbury family and Puff Daddy, but we weren’t talking chocolate or rap music . What on earth would Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge be discussing then?
Well, first of all, let’s explain Puff Daddy. Craig Hughes isn’t the Puff Daddy, but he’s our Puff Daddy. I know you’re still confused though, why is he our Puff Daddy? Basically, he has it stitched into his suit jacket and is one of the driving forces behind Hippeas – the chickpea delights with a perfect puff.
Moving from peas to beans (we were right on the pulse this week), we heard from the flavoured coffee company, Beanies. Mark explains all about their rise and how they have managed to make a perky cuppa that’s only two calories…
Now to explain the Cadbury bit. This story is much more simple, but the story is just as amazing. Justin Cadbury, great-grandson of the chocolate founder, is the Chairman of a revolutionary bit of kitchen technology called Synergy Grill. Words cannot do justice as to how amazing this is; no fat and halved gas bills anybody?
We breathed fire this week, in more ways than one. Sue Nelson struggled to tame some snacks with a kick and both of our guests have been in the belly of Dragons.
We do of course mean the BBC show, Dragons Den. It was a bit of a shock before recording when it turned out that Andrew Watmuff and Nick Colman knew each other well as a result of winning investment from the same dragon.
We were ready to try some lovely food to kick-off the conversation but ready-made meals are, as we know, mostly terrible. The dark days of the manky microwave meal may be over though. Watmuff & Beckett have developed some superb soups and risottos that genuinely taste like the real deal.
Sticking with soup, we had a look at some of the options that are available to vegans and those with other certain dietary requirements. Soupologie are leading the way in that field, so we heard more on their story.
By this point we were ready to pig out with some porky snacks. Luckily we had The Snaffling Pig Co. on hand. They make some cracking crackling – these are nothing like scratchings and they even make a meaty advent calendar.
On a day where Social Media reached a frenzy over an ‘emergency announcement’ at Buckingham Palace, there were no unwelcome surprises in the FoodTalk studio as the trio of Sue Nelson, Guy Routledge and Ollie Lloyd returned to present another fantastic show.
While the crowds hit the Queen’s residence, the more chilled half of the city were still counting the days until Ben Leask reopens his popular shop, Ben’s House. A fantastic boutique of the capital’s finest and quirkiest food and drink will be hitting Kings Cross soon after the success meant that it had outgrown its Fitzrovia home. Make sure you find out about his story.
Earlier in the week, Sue visited a fudge factory too – blue hair cap and everything. This is not a variation on Willy Wonka though, we caught up with Sian Holt who is developing some amazing drinking fudge at Fudge Kitchen.
Now, you may have heard about our FoodTalk Awards already – but now it’s time to book some tickets here. Need some convincing? Just listen to the presenters run through some of the amazing finalists. This is not one to be missed.
We don’t believe in the term ‘too many cooks spoil the broth.’ On this week’s FoodTalk Show we welcomed Ollie Lloyd from Great British Chefs to present alongside Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge.
With so many people in the studio, it was lucky that we were talking about being social. Chris Nicholas is a bit of an expert when it comes to food marketing, his company Sumwot Social are all over the latest trends on Social Media and he gave some valuable advice and insight into the best platforms.
We simply had to hear from FoodTalk’s Social Media man, Harry, too. He is nearing the end of his #HarryEatsHoppers insect diet. There’s been no wriggling out of this one.
From insects on the ground to insects in the sky, we had a chat about bees. Don’t worry, we weren’t being stung on the tongue, we were just looking at honey and how Hannah Rhodes has managed to turn the nectar into a beer. Hiver Beers is the name you need to look out for.
We’ve just had Easter and eaten far too much chocolate over the long weekend, so of course we had yet more chocolate in the FoodTalk Studio for Steve Griffiths and Guy Routledge to enjoy. It’s not as unhealthy as it sounds though…
Why is chocolate and the phrase ‘not as unhealthy as it sounds’ in the same sentence I hear you ask? Well, we met Ed Smith and Rich Wilkinson from Doisy & Dam. They are making waves in the industry with their superfood chocolate, it’s so much better for you and it tastes great.
While Sue couldn’t join us in the studio this week, she did meet Clare & Sebastien Dont from Create a Cabin. They are a manufacturing company whipping up quick solutions for the food industry.
Our next guest was also helping us to keep nice and healthy too. If we’re talking superfoods, we must mention coconuts – luckily we had The Coconut Company to chat to. Vicky Henley introduces her products to us which have benefited massively from the surge in popularity.
Sue Nelson was MIA this week – we’re sure it was nothing to do with the wonderful weather that we’ve been enjoying this week. Thankfully we had Lucy Ellis to jump into the hotseat to join Guy Routledge.
With the nice weather in mind, you may well have been enjoying a few evenings having a couple of beers, but what’s your beer snack of choice? If it’s not Soffle’s Pitta Chips, then perhaps it should be. Sophie Harvey explained to us how the tasty snacks have taken off through visiting festivals and brewery tours – Lucy and Guy can testify to their great taste.
Lucy has been busy this week, not only has she been presenting the show, she also caught up with Simon Cannell from the Baker’s Bicycle. Together with Brady Last, they tasted some fantastic and fresh bread and puddings from a company cycling in the right direction.
Next up, we had an Ugly guy called Joe Benn. Don’t worry, we aren’t being mean to him and it’s no reflection on his appearance. Ugly Drinks are also hitting their busiest time of year with the mercury rising – they are developing completely unsweet flavoured water. Put that flavoured Volvic rubbish down.
We don’t want you to listen to the FoodTalk Podcast (just yet) if you’re in the industry. First, we want you to head over to www.foodtalkawards.com and enter if you fit in one of the categories. Entries close at midnight on Friday (7th April). Okay, do it now…
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Welcome back. After filling out your application form, you deserve a fabulous hour of FoodTalk – Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge didn’t disappoint with the guests we had on.
First up, we had noodles in a pot, but Pot Noodles were a million miles away from the studio. We welcomed Damien Lee from Mr Lee’s Noodles, they are serving healthy (yes) and tasty (double yes) instant noodles. What are the chances of that? There’s a fantastic personal story behind the birth of the company too, so make sure you listen.
From healthy noodles to healthy drinks, we met some great companies at the IFE Show recently and one of those was Barracudos. Fahad Younas gave us the lowdown on his energising protein water.
Having heard from an exhibitor at a food show, it was fitting that we spoke to Maragarete Baltay from William Reade. The company helps organise exhibitions and is behind some fantastic publications like ‘The Grocer’ & ‘Meat Trades Journal’. She gave us a great insight into the food industry from an angle we don’t often see.
Entries for The FoodTalk Awards are still open, so if you’re a UK company at the forefront of innovation in taste, packaging, writing or food tech – why not apply while you catch up on this week’s show with Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge.
First up, we got techy with it. David Booth from Tech City Ventures was on hand to give us some fabulous tips for businesses in the food industry… everything from branding to investment, you’d be mad to miss it.
From the world of tech, we explored a world that’s a million miles from computers – the English Channel. Yes, you may get big fishing companies using their sonar radars in some parts of the world, but Barry from Hollowshore Fisheries explained how the family business keep it simple when they’re catching Oysters.
After all that talking, it was time for pudding. Handily, we had Lucy Wager from Pudology as our last guest. They’re a bit special in the world of those on dairy-free and gluten-free diets – we found out exactly why after a quick taste. Find out for yourself.
This week’s FoodTalk show seemed to be a thoroughly enjoyable one for Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge. I’m sure it was nothing to do with the concealed yet copious amount of alcohol we had in the studio.
Safe in the assumption that 99% of people have fallen off the dry wagon from their New Year resolutions, we invited Melanie Goldsmith on to the show to talk about her amazing pastilles.
Smith & Sinclair have launched their own range of alcoholic pastille sweets, but this is no horrible Chocolate Liquor, this is a patented technology and it tastes amazing (and very strong). Sue had enough to tip her over the drink drive limit, thankfully we were close to the train station.
Next up, what’s this? More alcohol? Surely not? Nope, we’re safe – we have Heineken but it’s their newly released alcohol-free version. Sue had caught up with Hendrik van Es earlier in the week to talk about the release.
The break had given us the chance to cool off and get our hands on some amazing research from Great British Chefs – Ollie Lloyd explained all.
Do you count yourself as a proper foodie? If so, you should take a look at this – it’s the biggest foodie survey ever conducted and covers everything from testicles to anchovies. You’d better take a listen to this.
Somebody better get Guy Routledge a doctor, he’s had the same cold for three weeks. Thankfully he battled through to present another belter of a show with Sue Nelson.
First things first, if you haven’t heard about the FoodTalk Awards yet then you need to listen to this podcast as a matter of urgency. Are you a free-from pioneer? A gourmet guerrilla? Are making something bonkers but brilliant? Maybe you’re outside the box when it comes to packaging? You might even be a fabulous Fanny! Listen to Sue explain all, but visit the website for more info too: www.foodtalkawards.com
Our awards night is part of London Tech Week in June, we invited Gabby MacSweeney over to the studio to tell us all about why the week should be so popular and what others to look out for.
The weather’s warmed up a little bit this week, so it seemed right to get in a summery mood. What’s best to put a spring in your step? Cocktails, of course. Sue hosted some of the FoodTalk staff at her house to discuss their favourite cocktails and how to make them.
Moving on from lovely cocktails, our last conversation required some stronger stomachs. Insect diets have become more and more popular in the last couple of years. Being the fun guys that we are in the office, we decided to set our Social Media man Harry on the case to try the diet for a week. Would you be able to do it? Listen to the interview and let us know.
Variety is the spice of life and we had plenty of it this week; food, drink and tech – Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge had a treat in store for this week’s FoodTalk Show.
Now, with our first guest, it sounds pretty scary to think that a restaurant could paint a better picture of you than you yourself. However, Adrian Maseda has developed the fantastic Cheerfy; a wifi tool that is helping restaurants around the world to improve customer recognition and relationship.
Another company who keep the customer as no.1 priority is Pasta Remoli. Based at Westfield Stratford, Sibel Remoli tells us how he and his cook Carlo make the perfect Italian treats and elaborates on his hatred of the term ‘next please’.
It can be tiring and thirsty work in radio, thankfully Sue and Guy were able to welcome Rahi Daneshmand as the next guest. His company are called Virtue Drinks and they are making some lovely energy water. Refreshing and energising – what more do you need?
Hot on the heels of the breaking(!) news that Donald Trump likes his steak well done – and with ketchup – Sue Nelson was back in the studio to present another episode of The FoodTalk Show, and attempt to shore up some sanity to a crazy 2017.
Sue was joined behind the decks by Guy Routledge from The Food Rush to introduce our first guest, Helen Graves, who is a diverse freelance recipe developer, food and travel writer and editor. She enlightened us about her fabulous Food Stories website, her book on sandwiches, and her restaurant reviews around London.
We then had a pre-record from Moju Drinks from Food Matters Live. Founder Charlie Leet-Cook spoke to us about their super healthy cold-pressed range of juices – made for the people!
Solveiga Pakstaite from Bump Mark was our final guest. She was on hand to tell us all about her innovative food labelling solution that informs consumers when their food is ready for the bin! When the label goes from good to bad, your food does too, a great alternative to relying on ‘best before’ dates which can often be inaccurate.
Another reminder to check out The FoodTalk Awards, which are coming this June. If you’re a blogger or work on anything innovative in food tech then you need to be in it to win it! Entries open 7 March, so get involved!
Paul recovered from the shock of discovering that our recommended daily intake of fruit and veg has been doubled to 10 portions a day to present another edition of The FoodTalk Show with the lovely Sue Nelson.
This week two of our guests hailed from the Garden of England. The Blue & White Café is situated on the A20 and is a big hit with the police force, hence its arresting name. Tony Keserton was in the studio to talk about their all-day breakfasts and the changes that café culture has seen in recent years. He also revealed a surprising most popular dish.
Before we chatted to Tony - and after a cheesy tune introduction - Isabelle Legeron was on the line to talk about Raw Wine Fair, which takes place in London next month. This trailblazing event will particularly focus on the artisan wine movement in the UK.
Heading back to Kent, we were also joined by Nicki Cartmill from Hythe Brasserie. She manages the establishment with her husband, Darragh, and was on hand to talk about their locally sourced dishes and their motto of “fine dining without the frills.”
Don’t forget to check out the inaugural FoodTalk Awards, coming this June. If you’re a blogger or involved in food tech in any way then you need to be in it to win it.
Love has been in the air this week… Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews discussed all manner of topics from aphrodisiacs to sexy food music, oh yes.
First up, we found a way to banish one of our pet hates with something we love. Spreads are so damn bad, but so damn spreadable (obviosuly) at the same time. Luckily, Nigel Lloyd has found the perfect balance with ‘The Softer Butter Co’ – he adds no nasties and instead relies on his fervently secret formula.
We know already that Paul loves a good feast in the office. He was, therefore, elated that we had Robert Hocking from Independence Market in the studio. The company is keen to answer the question ‘what’s for dinner?’ by providing weekly menus of premium quality ready meals and Robert showed us what they had to offer.
Finally, we spoke to Steve Keller. Steve has been conducting a very interesting experiment with the help of Cadbury’s chocolate. Do you reckon a certain song would make you pick a particular chocolate? Steve thinks so.
With not a single iceberg lettuce in sight amid a worldwide crisis, Sue Nelson was joined by Lucy Ellis this week for some fabulous FoodTalk.
As Sue put it, we had something of a colonial special – a real celebration of Brits’ favourite food and drink. Curry is the most popular takeaway in the UK, while Tea is comfortably the most consumed drink.
From the Curry corner, we were delighted to welcome Bang Curry on to the show. Dr Shelly Nuruzzaman has a hugely scientific background, but her biggest passion is getting the brilliant Bangladeshi flavours into more kitchens. Bring a bang to your meals with these spice kits.
It was then Tea’s time to shine… Not only did we hear from Roland Hill of Teapy from his appearance at the Great Hospitality Show, we also welcomed Dan Rook from Chash Teas into the studio. Any mix of tea you can think of, Chash probably have it – these are speciality teas with a capital S.
Smells and Tom Jones… They aren’t frequently discussed topics on FoodTalk but all bets were off this week as Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews presented a Great Hospitality Show special.
Sue had a busy day up in Birmingham last week talking to all sorts of companies in the food tech industry, from the bizarre to brilliant.
The discussion didn’t stop with the exhibition though, we also welcomed Suzanne Howe into the studio. Suzanne runs her own PR business, Suzanne Howe Communications, and has fantastic experience in working with the food industry. She has some great tips too, so make sure you listen in.
In a week where it has been reported that burnt toast and golden brown potatoes will give you cancer, we had Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews in the studio to bring us back to reality and provide some quality FoodTalk.
While carcinogenic may be the buzzword of the week, there’s plenty of fantastically healthy stuff out there and we had a product in the studio that has been developed by a Doctor – ideal. Skanda Wijeyekoon introduced Cinnamora to us; a wonderfully healthy soft drink inspired by cinnamon – the only one of its kind.
Elsewhere in the food industry this week, Birmingham’s NEC Arena has been playing host to the Great Hospitality Show. We met Ian Lee from BeerSaver6, whose cleaning product is revolutionising the pub industry. Hear more of the action from the Hospitality Show next week too.
Finally, we ventured into new territory on the FoodTalk show with some AI technology. Pri has developed the app Meal IQ which is using algorithms to create a shopping list and meal plan to match your budget and diet – we’re excited about this one.
There were some fantastic producers exhibiting at the Bread & Butter Show, but Sue managed to catch-up with somebody doing something slightly different, step forward Dicky Broadhurst from MorseToad.
You’ll know about companies like Moon Pig doing personalised greetings cards, but MorseToad are different and far tastier – they are offering greeting chocolates. Each box can come with its own message in the chocolate and a photo too.
It’s a fantastic idea for birthdays and Christmas, so please find out more information here and listen to the podcast here.
We had something of a Breakfast bonanza this week on FoodTalk – It’s a shame that the show is broadcast live in the afternoon because Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews tried two of the finest products to help prepare you for the day ahead.
While we were in the process of contacting Tom Mercer on the phone, we were also firing up the kettles in order to prepare the wonderful MOMA porridge that Tom created. You may have seen the luxury product in the main supermarkets, as Tom explains how he had the idea for the mix of fine and chunky oats and shares his predictions for future breakfast trends.
One exception to our breakfast rule this week was our interview with Hayley Fyans from The Snaffling Pig. They have the tastiest pork products, but who says we can’t make them a morning treat?
For our next guest, the kettles were boiling again and by Jove we were smelling the coffee. Paula Lain came to our studio armed with a cafetiere and her amazing ‘Get in the Mood Coffee’. With flavours such as ‘Hectic Hamster’, ‘Fancy Cat’ and ‘Partied Out Panda’, she is sure to have the coffee to match your mood.
We’ll be back next week for more FoodTalk but make sure you listen out for the first mention of the first ever ‘FoodTalk Awards’ which will be coming this year…
Staying healthy and cutting down on waste are key issues in the food industry right now, so of course Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews are keen to discuss all on another topical FoodTalk Show.
First things first, do you loathe Lucozade, puke over Powerade or does Gatorade grate on you? The content of sugar in those products probably means you answer a resounding yes to those questions. Step forward Troy Linton and his all-natural Cocoshot health supplement powders. He’s giving you energy and keeping you healthy without all the nasties.
Moving on, 'tis the season for the sales. If you're heading to London this January, you’re bound to stop off in the staple of capital department store shopping, Selfridges. Listen to Adrian Boswell, a buyer at the store, explain what Selfridges are expecting to see in the food industry.
Last of all, how many times have you been seduced by a gorgeous BOGOF deal? Lots of times, of course. The problem is that most of the time we don’t need that second freebie and it goes to waste. Saasha Celestial-One (the name is explained in the podcast) came to the studio to help us join the ‘Food Sharing Revolution’ with OLIO. There’s an app for that…
Your 2017 starts here – Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews are back with an incredibly appetising show, in more ways than one.
Forget the preamble, we jump straight into the action because Sunny Mudhar has bought us a post-Christmas banquet to have in the studio. Sunny founded ‘Family Secret’ – he has travelled around the world picking-up secret recipes from locals and using them in the most amazing cooking sauces.
Sunny also gives us a taste of the finest Bombay-style street food – it’s safe to say that it’s one of the nicest treats we’ve had before. If hearing our rumbling stomachs isn’t enough for you, head over to our Twitter where we streamed it live.
It was tough to take ourselves away from the food but luckily we had another fantastic guest to hear from. Phil Owens has something of a foodies crystal ball – his company ‘Flavour Feeds’ are keeping everyone up-to-date with the latest food and flavour trends for the future – a very useful listen.
Christmas is over and now you’re wondering what to eat? – sound about right? Have a listen to the best bits from 2016…
It has been an incredibly fun year for us at FoodTalk – the studio has been awash with fantastic produce from the best companies and we’ve been on the road at plenty of shows.
Our presenter Sue Nelson has earmarked her favourite chats from 2016 in this special show. You’ll hear everything from top department stores and household names to a tipsy gin bar session and discussions around the future of food.
Enjoy the show and join us again in 2017 for even more FoodTalk.
It’s ever so nearly Christmas, and we decided to spice up the festive season with an Indian Cookery special.
If you ever find yourself struggling to buy a gift for the foodie in your life, as Sue Nelson points out, make sure you buy some cookery lessons at the Kent Cookery School rather than boring old socks.
Sue caught up with the fantastic chef Hari Ghotra as she was giving an Indian Cooking demonstration, and we heard all of the action from a great event. Hari has quite the reputation, seeing as though she’s a chef at the first Indian Restaurant to receive a Michelin Star restaurant.
We even had the fruits of Sue’s labour in the studio – much to the delight of Paul Andrews.
Chocolate, lunch and alcohol… It must be Christmas time – luckily, Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews have plenty to taste and talk about.
We jump straight into a chat with Noelle Ghanem who is here to talk to us about her company, Food Swapp. The statistics around UK workers and their boring (and expensive) lunchtime habits are shocking, and that’s why Noelle has stepped forward with ‘The Tinder of Food’. Fancy swiping food left or right? – You need to take a listen.
Next up, we keep the festive spirit alive with a spirit of a different kind – both go hand-in-hand of course though. Sue caught up with Peter Andrew recently to talk all about his lovely White Heron Cassis – their ‘adult Ribena’ would be perfect alongside the Christmas Turkey.
We’ve had talk of lunch and alcohol, so the next logical step is to get the chocolates out. Thankfully, Grace Simpson has bought enough of her ‘Goupie’ chocolates to last us a lifetime. It’s known as a ‘devishly moreish chewy chocolate confection with a hint of crunch.'