The Go To Food Podcast
The Go-To Food Podcast features interviews with top chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, and critics, exploring their inspirations and favorite culinary experiences. Hosted by Freddy Clode and Ben Benton, each episode delves into the stories behind the food world's most influential figures. The show offers insider knowledge and celebrates food culture through engaging conversations and personal anecdotes.
Episodes
Marcus Wareing - Part 1: Surviving Britain’s Toughest Kitchens, The Lost Art Of Cooking & Winning His First Michelin Star
In Part One of our exclusive two-part interview with Marcus Wareing, we sit down with one of the most influential chefs of his generation to trace the extraordinary story of how a shy teenager from Southport became one of the defining figures of modern British cooking. Marcus takes us from working in his father’s fruit and veg warehouse as a boy to leaving home at 18 for The Savoy, before literall
Naz Hassan - Opening Restaurants With Theo James, Surviving Toxic Kitchens & The Problem With Chef Ego
This week we’re joined by Naz Hassan, the chef behind two of London’s most talked-about Italian restaurants, Lupa and Ornella, alongside co-founders Ed Templeton and Theo James. Naz tells us how a drunken conversation at a Christmas party somehow turned into opening restaurants with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, why Lupa being fully booked for its first three months became both a blessing and
Mursal Saiq - Escaping War-Torn Afghanistan - Fighting Racism in Kitchens & Gordon Ramsay’s “Authenticity” Problem!
This week we sit down with the extraordinary Mursal Saiq for a conversation that goes far beyond food. Mursal takes us from a childhood shaped by war in Afghanistan and arriving in Britain as a refugee, to the devastating separation of her family at the UK border and the years that followed. She recalls the extraordinary places life subsequently took her — from Hackney to India and Italy, living o
Layo & Zoë Paskin - Opening London's Greatest Night Club 'The End' - Breaking Fat Boy Slim & Creating; The Palomar, Barbary & Evelyn's Table!
This week we’re joined by Layo and Zoe Paskin, the brother-and-sister duo behind Studio Paskin and some of London’s most celebrated restaurants, including The Palomar, The Barbary and Michelin-starred Evelyn’s Table. Before restaurants, they were at the heart of London nightlife, helping build legendary nightclub The End into one of the most influential clubs of its era. They reveal why they chose
Adam Byatt Live - From Losing Everything to Building an Incredible Restaurant Empire
Michelin-starred chef Adam Byatt joins us for a raucous live edition of the Go To Food Podcast, recorded in front of a packed audience at Bird House Brewery. The man behind Trinity, Bistro Union, Charlie’s at Brown’s, and the newly opened Rosina reveals how his latest restaurant secured 11,000 reservations and opened at full capacity from its very first service.Adam explains why every great restau
Keiran Mustafa - Behind The Scenes At 'Kismet' London's Sexiest New Restaurant
This week, we join Keiran Mustafa at Kismet in Borough Market, surrounded by bulgur kofte, fried liver, lamb neck, chicken shish and what may be the greatest spread we’ve ever had on the podcast. Keiran reveals how a completely mad three-day trip through Cyprus and Istanbul with Dom helped inspire the restaurant, and explains the meyhane culture of meze, raki, music and long nights that they are b
Only Scrans - Why Food Influencers Need a Licence, His £40k YouTube Gamble & Building LADbible’s 100 Million + Audience
This week, we’re joined by Only Scrans — one of the UK’s biggest and most engaged food creators, with more than 1.5 million followers and one of the most unusual career stories we’ve encountered. Jonny has toured the world as a guitarist, helped build LADbible’s audience past 100 million, launched FoodBible, worked with some of Britain’s biggest celebrities, built his own agencies and turned Only
Ali Borer - Late Nights Cooking With Guy Ritchie, Burning Out At Smoking Goat & Opening London’s Hottest New Restaurant - Appalachia
This week, Freddy and Ben head to Shoreditch for a special episode of Mise en Place from Appalachia, one of London’s most exciting new restaurant openings. They are joined by head chef Ali Borer and restaurateur Ryan Sheehan to discover how the cooking traditions of the Appalachian Mountains have inspired a bold new menu in the heart of London.Ali serves up some of the restaurant’s most talked-abo
Alexis Gauthier - I Lost 99% of My Customers Going Vegan, Feuding With Jeremy Clarkson & Why Michelin Is Stuck in the Past!
Alexis Gauthier spent decades at the summit of classical French cooking, training under Alain Ducasse, earning Michelin stars and building one of London’s most celebrated restaurants. Then he did something few chefs of his generation would dare to do: he removed meat, fish, dairy and every other animal product from his menus.When Gauthier Soho became fully plant-based, Alexis says he lost 99% of h
Cynthia Shanmugalingam - From HM Treasury To Opening One Of London's Greatest Restaurants 'Rambutan'
This week on the Go To Food Podcast, we're joined by one of the most fascinating figures in British food today: Cynthia Shanmugalingam, founder of Rambutan, the Borough Market restaurant that's redefining how London experiences Sri Lankan cuisine. From studying economics at Cambridge and working at HM Treasury to building one of the UK's most celebrated restaurants, Cynthia's journey is anything b
Jack Stein - Accidentally Deleting Rick Stein's Cookbook, Working As A KP At 12 Years Old & Running Britain's Most Famous Seafood Empire
What was it really like growing up as Rick Stein's son?This week we're joined by Jack Stein for one of our favourite conversations yet. From washing pots aged 12 and accidentally deleting his dad's first cookbook, to training in Paris, Sydney and Japan before returning to help lead one of Britain's most iconic restaurant groups, Jack tells the stories you've never heard before.We dive into the rea
Josh Emett - The Untold Story Of Gordon Ramsay's Right-Hand Man Who Won Michelin Stars Across Three Continents
From a remote dairy farm in New Zealand to the most feared kitchens in the world, this week we're joined by one of the greatest chefs you've probably never heard enough about. Josh Emett spent over a decade as Gordon Ramsay's right-hand man, helping lead Michelin-starred restaurants across London, New York, LA and beyond before returning home to build one of New Zealand's most celebrated restauran
Eddie Huang - From Corporate Lawyer To Drug Dealer To Award Winning Restaurateur!
Chef. Filmmaker. Bestselling author. Restaurateur. Streetwear pioneer. Former lawyer. Former drug dealer. There aren't many people who have lived as many lives as Eddie Huang. In one of our favourite conversations ever, Eddie joins us for an unfiltered deep dive into the decisions, failures and moments that shaped one of food's most original voices. This is funny, brutally honest and completely un
Margaux Aubry - 12 Years Of Naughty Piglets, Getting Fired From Trinity & Becoming Andrew Lloyd Webber's Business Partner!
Margaux Aubry has quietly built one of London's most influential neighbourhood restaurants. As the owner of Naughty Piglets, she's spent the last 12 years helping redefine what modern London dining can be: brilliant produce, fearless cooking, incredible natural wine and a restaurant that genuinely feels part of its community. In this episode, she joins us to tell the remarkable story behind one of
Mario Carbone – Why Michelin Is Bullsh*t, Critics Don't Matter & The Secret Behind Carbone's Success
One of the most influential restaurateurs of the last decade joins us on the Go To Food Podcast. Mario Carbone, co-founder of Major Food Group, sits down for a wide-ranging conversation covering everything from building one of the world's most sought-after restaurant empires to why hospitality should feel more like theatre than dinner. From Queens to New York, London and beyond, Mario shares the p
Liz Haigh - Why She Walked Away After Winning a Michelin Star, Her Cookbooks Plagiarism Scandal & Building The UK's Best Singaporean Restaurant
From winning a Michelin star at Pidgin to walking away at the height of her success, Liz Haigh has had one of the most fascinating journeys in British hospitality. In this episode of Go To Food, Liz joins us to discuss her unconventional path from studying architecture and appearing on MasterChef to becoming one of the UK's most celebrated chefs. We dive into the realities of life in Michelin-star
Abbie Hendren - Opening London's Hottest New Restaurant - Great British Menu & The Insane Standards of L'Enclume!
In this week's episode of Mise en Place, we sit down with one of London's brightest culinary talents, Chef Abbie Hendren, Head Chef at the much-talked-about Teal by Sally Abé in Hackney. Having spent 15 years honing her craft in some of the capital's finest Michelin-starred kitchens, Abbie shares the remarkable journey that has taken her from a teenage kitchen porter in rural Rutland to leading th
Martin Kuczmarski - Turning Soho House Into A Multi-Billion Pound Empire, The Secrets To Great Hospitality & How The Dover Became London's Toughest Reservation
In this episode of Working the Floor, we sit down with hospitality heavyweight Martin Kuczmarski, the man behind some of London's most sought-after restaurants: The Dover, Dover Street Counter, and Martino's. Drawing on nearly three decades in hospitality, including 15 years helping build Soho House into a global phenomenon, Martin shares the philosophy that has made his own ventures such runaway
Andi Oliver - Post-Punk Fame, Great British Menu & The Food That Saved Her Life!
This week on Go To Food, we sit down with the extraordinary Andi Oliver for one of the most captivating conversations we've ever had. From growing up between Cyprus, Norfolk and Suffolk to becoming one of Britain's most influential food voices, Andi takes us on a journey through a life filled with adventure, resilience, music, family and incredible food. Her stories are as rich and layered as the
Sam & Sam Clark - 30 Years Of Moro - From Sahara Sandstorms to Revolutionising British Food Culture!
For this week's episode of Go To Food, we're joined by two of the most influential chefs in modern British cooking: Sam Clark and Sam Clark of the legendary Moro. As the iconic Exmouth Market restaurant approaches its 30th anniversary, the pair sit down to reflect on the extraordinary journey that transformed London's food scene. From introducing ingredients like pomegranate molasses, preserved le
The Spiteri Family - Their Incredible New Pub 'The Latimer' - Why They Refuse To Stock Guinness & How One Family Built Some of London's Most Iconic Restaurants!
The Spiteri family are hospitality royalty. Between them they've shaped some of London's most beloved restaurants and pubs, from The French House and Rochelle Canteen to Caravel, Sessions Arts Club and Koya. Now, for the first time, the entire family has come together under one roof to create The Latimer — one of London's most exciting new pub openings. In this special episode, we sit down with Jo
Jamie Younger - The Challenge of Reinventing Franklin's as 'The Victory' - Redefining Thai Dining in London with The Begging Bowl & Why Simon Hopkinson's The Greatest Chef Ever!
This week on Go To Food Podcast, we sit down with restaurateur, landlord and former head chef of the legendary Bibendum, Jamie Younger. Fresh from the opening of The Victory on Lordship Lane, Jamie takes us inside the challenge of reimagining one of South London's most beloved neighbourhood institutions, Franklin's. From preserving its character while creating a new identity, to navigating the pre
Thomasina Miers - How Wahaca Changed UK Food Culture - Becoming Masterchef's First Champion & What Restaurants Must Do to Survive!
This week on the Go To Food Podcast, we're joined by one of the most influential figures in British food: Thomasina Miers. From becoming the first-ever MasterChef champion to building the iconic Oaxaca restaurant group, Thomasina has spent more than two decades transforming the way Britain thinks about Mexican food. Recorded live at the Ballymaloe Food Festival, this is a conversation packed with
Felicity Cloake - Why Food Critics Are Too Kind - Surviving A Bear 'Attack' In The US & The Best Croissant in Paris
In this episode, recorded live at the Ballymaloe Food Festival, we sit down with award-winning food writer, columnist, cookbook author, and now novelist, Felicity Cloake. Best known for her legendary How to Make the Perfect series and her food-focused cycling adventures across France, Britain, and the United States, Felicity reflects on the journeys that shaped her career. She shares stories from
Darina Allen - The Godmother Of Irish Food On Creating Ballymaloe Cookery School & Becoming Ireland's First Celebrity Chef!
On this week’s episode of Go To Food Podcast, we sit down with the legendary Darina Allen — founder of the iconic Ballymaloe Cookery School, pioneer of modern Irish cuisine, and one of the most influential food voices of the last half century. Recorded live at the Ballymaloe Festival of Food, Darina takes us through the extraordinary journey that helped shape Ireland’s food culture as we know it t
Rachel Khoo - From Being Broke in Paris to Becoming A Global Food Icon & The Chaotic Untold Stories Behind 'The Little Paris Kitchen'
From tiny Parisian dinner parties to becoming one of the most recognisable food voices on television, this week we sit down with the incredible Rachel Khoo for a deeply honest, funny and nostalgic conversation about food, identity and building a creative life from scratch. Rachel takes us back to the beginning — leaving London with barely any money, studying pastry at Le Cordon Bleu, hustling her
Jackson Boxer & Lalo Yishima - How TAQ Went From Struggling Restaurant to London Hotspot
Jackson Boxer and Eduardo “Lalo” Yishima joined us at TAQ to talk about relaunching one of London’s original Mexican restaurants into something far more ambitious, produce-led and reflective of modern Mexican cuisine. Jackson explained how the former Taqueria had become trapped trying to compete on cheapness rather than quality, despite having an incredible location and loyal following. The pair d
Charlie Mellor - From Professional Opera Singer To London Restaurant Icon
Charlie Mellor joins Go To Food for a brilliant, booze-soaked, risotto-fuelled conversation from inside his acclaimed new Soho restaurant, Osteria Vibrato. Once hailed as the king of London’s wine scene — and still very much hailed by us — Charlie’s journey has taken him from Australian-born, classically trained opera singer to sommelier, restaurateur and one of the most charismatic hospitality mi
Frank Pinello - The Mafia, Wall Street Scams & Why Dave Portnoy Knows S**T About Pizza!
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we’re joined by one of the most important voices in pizza culture: Frank Pinello. The founder of Brooklyn’s legendary Best Pizza, host of The Pizza Show and now Pizza with Frank, Frank joins us fresh from a huge week eating across London — and gives an unfiltered verdict on why the city has quietly become one of the great pizza destinations in the world. From V
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Getting Fired From The River Cafe - Eating Human Placenta Pâté & The Wild Stories Behind River Cottage
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a multi-award-winning British chef, writer, broadcaster and campaigner, best known as the creator of River Cottage. He joins the Go To Food podcast fresh from the release of his new book, High Fibre Heroes, before settling into a gloriously wide-ranging conversation full of stories from a life spent cooking, eating, questioning and occasionally causing national outra
Honey & Co Founders - Reinventing London's Dining Scene - Shockingly Behaved Customers & The Restaurant Disaster That Made Them Stronger!
Honey & Co founders Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich join us for a brilliant, chaotic and deeply honest conversation about food, marriage, restaurants, reinvention and the realities of building one of London’s best-loved hospitality groups.From opening the original Honey & Co in 2012 without proper recipes, to turning family cooking, Middle Eastern flavours and sheer instinct into a resta
Max Halley - The ‘King of Sandwiches’ on Starting The Sarnie Movement, Fame & His New Found Sausage Obsession & Cookbook!
Max Halley joins The Go To from Max’s Sandwich Shop in Finsbury Park — a place he describes as “a surprisingly serious restaurant masquerading as a silly sandwich shop.” From the ham, egg and chips sandwich Tesco tried to copy, to focaccia engineered for mayonnaise, juice and structural integrity, Max explains the thinking behind one of Britain’s most joyful food institutions.In this episode, Max
Gary Usher - Why Hospitalities F***ed - Social Media Regrets & Why He Was Once Labelled Britain’s “Most Controversial” Chef!
Today we’re joined by Gary Usher — the chef behind a North West restaurant empire, award-winning gastropubs, and one of the most honest voices in hospitality today.We sit down in Liverpool to talk about the evolution of his restaurant Wreck — from a derelict site to one of the busiest spots in the city — and the moment everything changed. After months of standing outside asking passers-by why they
Chris Edwards - Liverpools Food Revolution, Cosmic Scousers & The Night Will Ferrell Walked In!
Chris Edwards joins the pod for a hilarious, story-packed episode from Belzan, covering the wild journey from all-day chaos at Filter and Fox to building one of the North West’s most respected hospitality groups. There are tales of 7 a.m. coffees turning into midnight Manhattans, meeting future business partners across the bar, and the painful but necessary decision to close beloved venues at the
Tony Allan - Losing £1.6 Million To Marco P-W In Court, Crazy Weekends With Vinnie Jones & Making Millions As A Fish Supplier To The Stars!
Tony Allan joins the latest episode of the Go To Food Podcast for a no-holds-barred conversation that spans decades at the very top of British hospitality. From stripping lead off a school roof as a teenager to becoming one of London’s most influential fishmongers and restaurateurs, Tony’s journey is anything but ordinary. He reveals how he transformed the way chefs bought fish, built a booming su
Part 2 - Raymond Blanc - Marco Pierre-White Madness - Lessons From My Friend Pablo Picasso & The Joys Of Cooking For The Queen Mother!
Part two with the legendary Raymond Blanc is every bit as honest, funny and revealing as you’d hope. With nearly 50 Michelin-starred chefs having passed through his kitchens, we had to play our favourite game again: what were they really like before the fame? Raymond opens up on a young Marco Pierre White — the wild hair, the swagger, the intensity — and shares what it was actually like employing
Part 1 - Raymond Blanc - From Getting Brutally Exiled From France To Winning 2 Michelin Stars At Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Few chefs in the world can match the Michelin legacy of Raymond Blanc. With over 40 years of continuous Michelin-starred excellence at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, he stands among the most consistent and influential figures in global gastronomy. Yet, as he reveals in this episode, he never chased stars—only excellence. The stars, he insists, were always a by-product. From the electric moment he was
Adejoké Bakare - From Selling Fish & Chips Off A Cart Outside Uni To Becoming The UK's First Black Female Michelin Starred Chef!
AdeJoké Bakare joins us for a truly special interview at Chishuru, the Michelin-starred Fitzrovia restaurant that has become one of London’s most exciting dining destinations. As the UK’s only Black female Michelin-starred chef, and only the second in the world, Joké’s rise is extraordinary not just for what she has achieved, but for how she got there: without the traditional fine-dining route, wi
Jan Ostle - From Getting Chucked Out Of Michelin Kitchens To Running The Number 1 Rated Restaurant In The UK!
In this episode of Mise en Place, we sit down with Jan Ostle of Wilson’s in Bristol for a conversation that stretches far beyond the pass. Recorded inside the restaurant’s remarkable 100-year-old bakery, this is a vivid, funny and deeply human story about how one of the UK’s most exciting restaurants came to be — and the messy, unpredictable journey behind it.Jan takes us right back to the beginni
Dan O'Regan - From £80k Losses To A Burgeoning Restaurant Empire - The Secrets To Hospitality & The Shocking Night Everything Went Wrong!
On this week’s episode of Mise En Place, we head to Bristol for one of our most chaotic (and delicious) recordings yet with Dan O’Regan, the man behind Bank and Lapin. Sat inside the container-yard madness of Wapping Wharf, what starts as a gentle chat quickly turns into a full-blown hospitality war story — complete with lager-and-Picon drinks, soufflés inspired by Le Gavroche, and a running argum
Ivan Orkin - The American Who Became Japan’s Ramen King
Ivan Orkin joins Mise en Place for a brilliant, wide-ranging conversation on ramen, restaurants, and the realities of hospitality. Recorded in London over bowls of tonkotsu, fried chicken and aubergine, this episode finds the New York-born chef reflecting on the journey that took him from Manhattan to Tokyo, where he became one of the most unlikely success stories in modern food: an American cook
Eleanor Henson - The Pressure Of Keeping Skye Gyngell's Legacy Alive - The Truth About “Seasonal” Cooking & Why Soup Should Be Removed From Every Menu!
Eleanor “Ells” Henson joins Mise en Place for a brilliant, wide-ranging conversation from the stunning dining room at Spring in Somerset House — the restaurant created by the late, great Skye Gyngell and now guided by one of her closest protégées. In this episode, Ells reflects on what it means to lead one of London’s most influential kitchens, the weight and privilege of carrying Skye’s legacy fo
David Moore - Inside 35 Years of London’s Longest-Running Michelin-Starred Restaurant | Ramsay vs Aikens & Why Michelin's Rating System Is Broken
David Moore joins the Go To Food podcast for a barnstorming conversation that spans 35 years of restaurant history, from opening Pied à Terre in just two weeks to turning it into London’s longest-running Michelin-starred restaurant. In this episode, he tells the real story of life at the sharp end of hospitality: the punishing economics of today’s trade, the rates bill that made him cry, the disap
Conor Gadd - Getting Raided By Armed Police At Trullo - His Hatred For Burrata & Why Chef's Need To Stop Bullshitting!
Conor Gadd has just opened Burro in Covent Garden, and this episode captures him right at the start of that journey—equal parts excitement, pressure and controlled chaos. Only weeks into service, he reflects on what it feels like to step out from behind the scenes and suddenly be the person everyone wants a piece of. It’s a rare, honest snapshot of a chef adjusting not just to a new restaurant, bu
Asma Khan - Exposing Abusive Michelin Starred Chefs, Misogyny and Why Hospitality Is Broken!
From royal roots in Calcutta to building one of London’s most inspiring restaurant stories, Asma Khan is a force of nature. Fresh off a flight from India and fasting during Ramadan, she joined the GoToFoodPod to reflect on a life shaped by fierce family values, extraordinary food, and an unshakable sense of purpose. She spoke movingly about growing up between Rajput warrior heritage and Bengali ro
Patrick Withington - A Boozy Supper With Erst Founder & Head Chef
Today we’re joined by Patrick Withington, founder and head chef of Manchester’s cult favourite Erst. Fresh off welcoming a new baby and about to turn 40, Patrick sits down with us in the restaurant everyone told us we had to visit during our 36 hours in the city. Tucked into the heart of Ancoats, Erst has become something of a pilgrimage for natural wine lovers and food obsessives alike — the plac
Henry Harris - From Simon Hopkinson’s Bibendum to Running London’s Greatest Restaurant; Bouchon Racine
Today we're joined by the wonderful Henry Harris fresh back from Sri Lanka — complete with tales of dog bites, hoppers, sambals and chicken curry for breakfast — Henry arrives in glorious form, reflecting on the journey that took him from the dining room floor to becoming one of the most admired chefs in Britain. From his early days around his father’s restaurant Le Grand Gésier in Brighton to fal
Andrew Clarke - A Rock 'N' Roll Story - Overcoming Addiction To Create One Of London's Most Iconic Restaurants In Acme Fire Cult!
This week, we’re joined by Andrew Clarke of Acme Fire Cult for an episode that goes everywhere — from fire cooking and restaurant building to addiction, recovery, music, and the moments that change a life. This is a conversation with a true original: chef, restaurateur, former Maverick of the Year, co-founder of Pilot Light, plant medicine facilitator, and owner of what may well be the best facial
Michael Caines - From Being Written Off After Losing His Arm In A Horror Crash To Winning 2 Michelin Stars & Becoming A Culinary Icon!
Michael Caines joins Go To Food for one of the most raw and revealing conversations we’ve ever had. Fresh from winning a Michelin star at The Stafford just months after opening — and still chasing that elusive second star at Lympstone Manor — he breaks down the realities of modern fine dining. From why tasting menus might be getting too long, to why à la carte is far from dead, to the financial ti
Fadi Kattan - From Bethlehem to Notting Hill: The Untold Story Behind London’s Hottest Palestinian Chef
This week, we sit down with a man who is reshaping how the world sees Middle Eastern cuisine: the one and only Fadi Kattan. Born in Bethlehem, classically trained in Paris, and now leading acclaimed restaurants in London and Toronto, Fadi is more than a chef — he’s a storyteller, a cultural historian, and one of the most important voices in food today. From his grandmother’s kitchen to Michelin re
Mary-Ellen McTague - From The Fat Duck to The Godmother of Manchester’s Food Revolution
Mary-Ellen McTague is one of the driving forces behind Manchester’s modern food scene: a chef, restaurateur and community builder whose cooking is rooted in place, craft and proper hospitality. In this episode, she joins the go-to food podcast to talk about the city she helped shape, the dishes she can’t stop thinking about, and the hard-won lessons behind building restaurants that people genuinel
José Pizarro – How He Became The Godfather Of Spanish Food In The UK
This week on the Go To Food Podcast, we sit down with the godfather of Spanish food in London, José Pizarro. From carving jamón door to door in the 90s with a bottle of Rioja under his arm, to building a Bermondsey Street empire that changed how Britain eats, José’s story is one of graft, instinct and relentless belief in the flavours of home.We dive straight into Andalucía and his unforgettable C
Karan Gokani - The Real Secret Behind Hoppers’ Success, What Most Restaurants Get Wrong About Value & How To Improve Spend Per Head Without “Upselling”
Karan Gokani is one of London hospitality’s great shape-shifters: a former corporate lawyer who walked away from the safe path, then built something with genuine soul. We meet him inside Hoppers’ newest opening, a total reimagining of the old Lyle’s space, and talk about what it feels like to inherit “hallowed walls” without being haunted by them. The result is not a tribute act. It’s a new chapte
Ed Mcilroy - From Scaffolder To Creating The Plimsoll & Tollingtons, Burger Virality & His Disdain For Food Influencers!
The Go-To Food Podcast, brought to you by Blinq, the UK company revolutionising the POS game, and today we are joined by a man who has lived about five careers in one life. From scaffolder to delivery driver, chef to publican, and now the force behind two of London’s most-loved neighbourhood landmarks: The Plimsoll and Tollington’s Fish Bar. Ed McIlroy is funny, blunt, properly self-aware, and, cr
Joe Otway – The Chef Rewriting Manchester’s Food Scene
Joe Otway has built one of the most exciting restaurant groups in the country, and in this episode he tells the full story, properly. From Brighton to Manchester by way of Cape Town, New York, San Francisco and Copenhagen, Joe charts the long, obsessive road that led to Higher Ground, Bar Shrimp and Flawd. We meet him fresh off national recognition and immediately get into what really matters: not
Tom Barnes - Winning 3 Stars With Simon Rogan At L'Enclume - How The Roux Brother's Saved My Career & Revolutionising Manchester's Dining Scene!
From washing pots in Cumbria to cooking at The Square, Hof van Cleve and Geranium, and winning the Roux Scholarship along the way, Tom Barnes has taken the long road to the top. In this episode, he reflects on patience, loyalty and why not rushing your career can still lead you to the very highest level. It’s a rare, honest look at what two decades in elite kitchens actually teaches you, long befo
David Carter - Working For Gordon Ramsay To Building London’s Most Electric Restaurants & How Winning 'Oma' A Michelin Star Won't Change Him!
David Carter does not do the neat, pre-packaged rise. In this episode, he takes us from a childhood shaped by Barbados heat and roadside grills, through Toronto and LA, into London kitchens where the stakes were real and the pressure unforgiving. He talks candidly about cutting his teeth at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, realising hotel life was never going to satisfy him, and why layers of process
Michael O'Hare - From Michelin Star To Bankruptcy & Back Again!
From ballet dancer and Billy Elliot hopeful to Michelin-starred chef, Michael O’Hare’s journey is anything but conventional. In this episode of The Go-To Food Podcast, Michael traces his path from Middlesbrough to the top of British fine dining via aerospace engineering, Jamie Oliver cookbooks, formative kitchen years and time spent at Noma, before blowing the doors off the scene with The Man Behi
Carl Clarke - The Craziest CV In Cooking ; Getting Fired By US President Ford - Partying With Maradona & Getting Airlifted Out Of Istanbul!
Carl Clarke is the sort of guest who makes you pause mid-intro and think: how is one person allowed to have this much life on a CV? DJ, chef, author, filmmaker, raver, and yes, a full-blown chicken deity, Carl has lived about six parallel careers, usually at the same time, often on zero sleep, and always with a story that somehow gets even more unhinged as it goes on. Carl takes us from a 15-year-
Abby Lee - Having My Customers Held at Knifepoint, Going Blind In The Kitchen & How Cooking Saved My Life!
Today we’re at the Michelin-accredited Mambow, home of the brilliant Abby Lee, a chef with more grit, talent and sheer force of will than most people manage in a lifetime. We start at the beginning: Abby arriving in Lewisham at 14, completely alone, trying to find her feet, her voice, and a sense of belonging in a new country. Then comes the proper immersion: Singapore, then Italy, where the roman
Harneet Baweja - How I Built Five Restaurant Brands Without a Master Plan & Why I Would Never Open In New York!
This week we’re joined by Harneet Baweja: restaurateur, operator, and the man behind some of London’s most-loved restaurants. Over the last decade he’s built an absurdly good line-up: Gunpowder, Empire Empire, Moi et Toi, Fortune Fried Chicken, and the recently opened Master Jackie back in his hometown of Kolkata. It’s a 10-year anniversary conversation with proper bite. Harneet talks about celebr
Ben Benton - Burns, Bankrupty & His Incredible New Book - All You Can Eat: The Search For A New British Menu!
Ben Benton is usually the man behind the mic, but this week the Go-To Food Podcast flips the script. In a special episode, Ben steps into the hot seat as the guest to celebrate something properly massive: his debut book, All You Can Eat: The Search for a New British Menu. PRE ORDER IT NOW - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1805221523?psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDpBefore food too
Neil Rankin - Why I Called Out Marco P-W - The Kitchen That Broke Me & Why I Walked Out On My Empire!
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we are joined by Neil Rankin, the chef behind some of London’s most talked-about restaurants: Pitt Cue, John Salt, Smokehouse, Bad Egg and, of course, Temper. We trace the slightly unconventional route that took him from a sandwich business and a proper career wobble into Michelin kitchens, then on to finding his true groove via BBQ, fire-cooking and big, bold
Alex Dilling - Brutal New York Kitchens, Running Hélène Darroze's Empire and Winning Two Michelin Stars After Just 6 Months!
This week we’re joined by one of the most compelling chefs working in Britain right now: Alex Dilling. With a pedigree that runs through Alain Ducasse and Hélène Darroze, and two Michelin stars at his incredible restaurant Café Royal, Alex’s story is one of intense kitchens, huge pressure, and an almost obsessive pursuit of precision.We talk through his journey in depth, from brutal early days in
Eating With Tod - Controversy, Criticism & How He Became The Most Powerful Person In The UK Food Scene?
This episode is a deep dive into the wild reality of being Toby Inskip aka Eating With Tod, where eating a burger can spark headlines and a Christmas market can become a national talking point. He unpacks the moments that blew up online, the backlash that followed, and why being relentlessly positive in public somehow makes people angrier than outright criticism.We get into the controversies prope
Nathan Davies - From Head Chef At 'Ynyshir' To Winning A Michelin Star In Wales To Starting A Gastronomic Revolution In Guernsey!
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we travel to Guernsey to sit down with Nathan Davies at his restaurant Vraic. After walking away from the world’s most intense kitchens, Nathan chose the island to build something entirely his own. What he has created is confident, generous and already one of the most talked about new dining rooms in Britain.A huge part of Nathan’s story is his formative years
Adam Spicer - Have We Uncovered The Modern Day Fergus Henderson In Rural Suffolk?
Set deep in the Suffolk countryside, the Greyhound Inn is the kind of place that immediately feels special. Over 400 years old and restored with quiet confidence, it balances the warmth of a proper English pub with the ambition of a serious food destination. The welcome is generous, the bar stacked with thoughtful bottles, and the room hums with the sense that hospitality comes first. This is not
Rob Roy Cameron - From Being Albert Adria's Right Hand Man For 6 Years To Opening London's Hottest New Restaurant 'Alta'!
He cooked at El Bulli at its absolute peak, worked side by side with Albert Adrià, and lived through a kitchen so intense you had to physically fight just to plate food. In this episode, Rob Roy Cameron strips away the mythology of the world’s most famous restaurant and tells the unfiltered truth about what service was really like behind closed doors.From running an illegal bakery as a child in so
Mandy Yin - From Corporate Burn Out To Creating A Cult London Restaurant & Why It's Become Almost Impossible To Make Money!
From corporate law burnout to one of London’s most influential independent restaurants, this episode dives into the extraordinary journey of Mandy Yin, founder of Sambal Shiok. Broadcasting from her Holloway Road laksa bar, Mandy tells the story of how a chicken satay burger at a street food market sparked a complete career pivot, and how Malaysian food became her vehicle for creativity, survival
Max Rocha - How Skye Gyngell Changed My Life - Overcoming Burnout & Addiction & Creating A London Icon In Cafe Cecilia!
This week, The Go-To Food Podcast closes out the year inside one of London’s most talked-about dining rooms. Recorded at Café Cecilia on the canals of Hackney, the episode finds hosts Ben and Fred sitting down with chef owner Max Rocha at the height of Christmas service. It is warm, chaotic, funny and deeply human, the sound of a restaurant in motion as one of Britain’s most influential young chef
Mark Hix - Part 2 - Marco Pierre-White's Shocking Behaviour - Serving Keith Floyd His Final Meal & The Fall Of The Hix Restaurant Empire!
Part 2 of our conversation with the legendary Mark Hix is here and it is absolutely packed. This episode dives deep into the roaring early days of the Ivy, the madcap menu development, the cult dishes, the shepherd's pie that became a national obsession, and the wild creativity that defined a generation of London dining. If you care about how modern British cooking was shaped, this chapter with Ma
Mark Hix - Part 1 - When Gordon Ramsay Stole All My Recipes - Chaotic Nights Out With Richard Corrigan & How Running Le Caprice & The Ivy Changed My Life!
Mark Hix’s Part 1 is basically a greatest hits album of British restaurant stories, told by the bloke who lived them. From boozy late nights at the Groucho with Richard Corrigan, to being Tonksed at 3 a.m, the episode opens in full chaos mode. From there, you get deep into the London years. Hix walks us through the Ivy, the Caprice, Scott’s and J Sheekey, the creation of dishes like the crispy duc
Carl McCluskey - Crisp Pizza - From Semi-Pro Footballer To Creating The UK's Most Famous Pizza!
In this episode we sit down with Carl McCluskey, the quietly obsessive mastermind behind Crisp, the cult London pizzeria that has gone from a backstreet Hammersmith pub to one of the most sought after tables in the city. Carl walks us through the whirlwind first three weeks of his new Marlborough site and the sheer graft behind bringing a tiny pop up operation into a polished, high pressure restau
Natty Can Cook - From Getting Stabbed & Serving 2.5 Years In Brixton Prison To Aiming For Michelin Star Glory!
Few journeys in British food are as dramatic as that of Nathaniel Mortley, better known as Natty Can Cook. In this episode Natty takes us from being a naughty kid in Peckham to becoming one of the most exciting young chefs in the country. He opens up about the night he was stabbed at just sixteen, the trauma and anger that followed, and how those years pushed him toward the streets, knives and cho
Björn Frantzén - From Pro Footballer To Being The Only Chef In The World To Hold 3 Michelin 3-Star Restaurants!
Bjorn Frantzen walks into the studio with nine Michelin stars behind him and the swagger of someone who has genuinely changed the direction of modern dining. The world calls him the greatest chef alive and for once the hype feels almost understated. In this episode of The Go To Food Podcast, Bjorn opens up about the journey from professional footballer to culinary architect and the heart condition
Tommy Banks - How Being Bedridden For 2 Years With A Serious Illness Led Him To Create The World’s Number 1 Restaurant & Win 2 Michelin Stars!
Step inside one of the wildest careers in modern British cooking as we sit down with Tommy Banks, once the youngest British Michelin starred chef, Great British Menu champion, author, farmer, preservation obsessive, cricket prodigy in a past life, and the man behind both The Black Swan at Oldstead and Roots in York. From hand milking cows on a tiny family farm to being crowned TripAdvisor’s number
Robin Gill - MasterChef Fallout - Marco's Madness & The Shocking Kitchen Story That Nearly Ended My Career!
We're back for a new week with a riot of energy as we sit down with the endlessly charismatic Robin Gill, the chef who helped reshape modern London dining. Fresh from opening his vibrant new Bar Brasso in Nine Elms and on the eve of his forty sixth birthday, Robin talks candidly about the craft, chaos and creativity that have defined his twelve years at the top.In a breathless tour through his car
Rick Stein - Backpacker Stories, Kitchen Chaos and A Crazy Life in Food!
Rick Stein arrives on the Go To Food Podcast in full storytelling flow, and from about five minutes in it just does not let up. He takes us from backpacking through Mexico in his teens, blown away by the balance of proper tacos piled with slow-cooked meat, fresh coriander, raw onion and searing chilli, to the smoky mangals of Istanbul and the small-plate culture of Turkey and Greece. Along the way
Alison Roman - Working In A Kitchen For $7 An Hour To Becoming A Food Icon & Best Selling Cookbook Author!
Welcome back to The Go-To Food Podcast, where we're joined by Alison Roman — chef, writer, and creator of some of the most talked-about recipes of the last decade. Alison takes us back to her first kitchen job at Sona in Los Angeles, working under David Myers for $7.25 an hour, crying daily but learning fast. It was a tiny, nine-person kitchen that ran like The Bear, long before The Bear existed.
The Secrets to Hospitality, Restaurant Success and The Future of Dining - Live Podcast @ The Barbican!
Get ready for a live podcast recorded at the Opentable Hospitality Summit at a sold-out Barbican, where we're joined by a heavyweight trio from the heart of UK dining. Please welcome Hawksmoor co-founder and CEO Will Beckett, Dom Hamdy of Ham restaurants, and Florence May Maglanoc, founder and chief executive of Donya and Panadera. Our panel lifts the lid on what really matters right now. Will rev
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