Desert Island Dishes

I've admired Asma and her work for many years now, I absolutely loved her episode of Chefs Table on Netflix, Ihighly recommend if you haven’t seen it.  So it really was a pleasure to sit down with her and hear her story first hand. The work she does is truly amazing and it feels like she's only just getting started. I hope you enjoy todays episode. Thank you to our sponsor Wild Nutrition. Wild Nut...

Nicola is the best selling author and pastry chef behind the Sunday Times bestselling Sift and also her hugely successful newsletter Kitchen Projects. Her knowlege of baking is hugely impressive having trained at top London and New York bakeries including Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel and Little Bread Pedlar.  Thank you so much to our sponsor for this season of Desert Island Dishes - the brilliant W...

Martha is something of an anomaly these days. She grows (a lot of) her own food… and is an avid urban gardener from London.  With over 1 million followers on Instagram, Martha’s straightforward and calming approach to growing your own food is digestible and relatable to the masses. Not only is it informative, but I find Martha’s content is such a celebration of what nature can do and how a little...

My guest today is Natalia Rudin otherwise known as Nats Nourishments  Shooting to social media stardom, gaining over a million followers in 1 year, Nat is a personal chef turned food creator, having travelled the world with clients, she now translates this knowledge into her easy, home cooking videos and recipes. Having taken an untraditional route into the culinary world, she started out with a m...

As Gordon prepares to open his most ambitious project to date, 22 BISHOPSGATE, Margie got the chance to sit down with him and talk about the dishes that have shaped his life.  He’s a chef, restaurateur and television presenter, known for Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and Hell’s Kitchen. He’s one of the most famous and recognisable chefs in the world with the kind of success most only dream of, an...

My guest today is José Pizarro. José has been been cooking in the UK for over 25 years. He grew up in the outermost Western province of Spain and never thought of working in food, in fact he was all set to become a dental technician before fate intervened. He arrived in the UK in 1999 seeking to expand his horizons as a chef and has since become one of the industry’s best-loved characters. He work...

Ferne is a TV presenter, reality TV star, social media sensation and entrepreneur. She shot to fame on hit reality series The Only Way is Essex where she quickly became a fan favourite. She’s gone on to front her own ITVBE series Ferne Mccann - First Time Mum which ran from 2018 - 2024 and documented her journey into motherhood with her two daughters. Since then she has graced our screens on shows...

Gwyneth won an Oscar for her role in Shakespeare in love at the age of just 26 and she has since gone on to become an entrepreneur as the founder of the digital media, e-commerce and lifestyle brand and behemoth Goop. She founded  Goop at the age of 36 which grew from a simple newsletter into one of the most influential businesses in the world.  She’s hosted TV shows, starred in some of the most i...

We have a bonus episode for you today in the form of Nuno Mendes. Described as the chefs chef, Nuno has had an incredible career. He thought of becoming a marine biologist but quickly changed direction and after enrolling at culinary school, he's never looked back. He has worked with some of the world’s leading chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck before moving to London and opening the cult ground breaki...

My guest this week on The Dream Dinner Party is Georgina Hayden. Georgie was on Desert Island Dishes a few years ago now, well worth going back and having a listen if you haven't heard it before. I love her food and her writing and I feel confident she would throw a very good dinner party! Thank you so much or listening. Thank you very much to our sponsor for this season: Maldon Salt. Maldon Salt...

It's the season finale and my guest today is Manon La Greve. Born and raised in France, Manon came to the UK to work as an au pair and then rose to fame as a quarter finalist on The Great British Bake Off in 2018 and has become known and loved for her delicious French inspired recipes. Described as a culinary sensation, she’s now the author of  two cookbooks,  She says she takes inspiration not on...

My guest this week on The Dream Dinner Party is Melissa Hemsley. Melissa was on Desert Island Dishes a few years ago now, well worth going back and having a listen if you haven't heard it before. Melissa is such a warm and lovely person, I felt sure she would throw a brilliant dream dinner party. Thank you so much or listening. Thank you very much to our sponsor for this season: Maldon Salt. Maldo...

My guest today is Sarah, Duchess of York Sarah is a Sunday Times and New York Times best-selling author, award winning producer and philanthropist. For over 30 years she has been committed to being a voice for forgotten children around the world. She founded Children in Crisis in 1993 and the charity has educated over 1.4 million children. The Duchess also champions the Teenage Cancer Trust, the C...

Eleanor Wilkinson is this weeks guest on our mini episode and I loved hearing about her Dream Dinner Party. Eleanor is the Queen of One Pot One Portion cooking so I was very intrigued to find out about how she cooks for a crowd. Thank you so much or listening. Thank you very much to our sponsor for this season: Maldon Salt. Maldon Salt are passionate about the love of food and helping connect peop...

My guest today is Melissa Thompson  Melissa is a writer, author and broadcaster. A columnist for BBC Good Food magazine, she is also ambassador for Weber Grills and an award-winning writer covering food for publications including The Guardian, Waitrose Magazine and Stylist.  Her debut book Motherland was published in 2022 to critical acclaim. It is an extraordinary combination of recipes from Jama...

Matt Adlard, social media star and self taught pastry chef talks us through his Dream Dinner Party this week. The concept is simple: who would you invite to your Dream Dinner Party if you could invite 4 people, dead or alive? We ask a different guest every week and find out exactly what the menu would be at their Dream Dinner Party. Thank you so much or listening. Thank you very much to our sponso...

My guest today is Marco Pierre White. The original rock and roll chef, Marco Pierre White was the chef who cooked like an angel, looked like a rock star and changed the way the world thought of British food. Born in Leeds, to a chef father and Italian mother he was the third of four sons. As a teenager he travelled to London with just £7.36 in his pocket to pursue a career in cooking.  He trained...

Ed Smith is this weeks guest on the Dream Dinner Party.  Ed is a cook and food writer based in London. He writes award winning cookbooks, recipe columns for magazines and newspapers, create content on Instagram, and for over a decade ran rocketandsquash.com as a celebrated recipe and restaurant blog. He now writes on Substack under the same name. Ed was on Desert Island Dishes a few years ago and...

My guest today is Eleanor Wilkinson.  Eleanor is a content creator and recipe developer from East Yorkshire. Having always loved food and cooking she made the decision to quit her job in the charity sector and embark on turning her passion into a full time career. She started her series, One Pot, One Portion - recipes for people who eat, cook, or live alone but are tired of washing up and was soon...

Welcome to another episode of our side dish: The Dream Dinner Party and our guest today is Gizzi Erskine This is the mini episode where we invite a guest to tell us their dream dinner party. They are allowed to invite 4 guests – dead or alive because really I think personally 5 people is the optimum number for a great dinner party. And they are going to be talking us through their dream menu – wha...

My guest today is Matt Adlard Matt is a self taught baker, author and social media pastry sensation. You may have known him in the early days online as The Topless Baker and he’s known for hosting his own show on the Food Network as well as being a judge on various different baking shows including the BBC’s Platinum Pudding Competition.  Despite growing up above his fathers Michelin starred restau...

Welcome to another episode of our side dish: The Dream Dinner Party. This is the mini episode where we invite a guest to tell us their dream dinner party. They are allowed to invite 4 guests – dead or alive because really I think personally 5 people is the optimum number for a great dinner party. And they are going to be talking us through their dream menu – what are they going to serve when there...

My guest today is Ruby Wax Ruby really needs no introduction from me, she’s a household name. She’s a woman of so many talents - she’s a comedian, Actress, author, writer and mental health activist. Her life in show business began when she went to the RSC - she says of herself she doesn’t think she was a good actress but Alan Rickman saw in her a talent for comedy and that was what started her on...

Welcome to another episode of our side dish: The Dream Dinner Party. This is the mini episode where we invite a guest to tell us their dream dinner party. They are allowed to invite 4 guests – dead or alive because really I think personally 5 people is the optimum number for a great dinner party. And they are going to be talking us through their dream menu. We have a returning guest for you this w...

My guest today is Clare Smyth (MBE). Clare is one of the world's most respected chefs. She is the first and only British female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars which she achieved for her restaurant Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill. Growing up on a farm in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, her passion for food began at a young age and even inspired some of her most famous dishes from her...