The Caro Podcast

Shayne Brady is THE designer behind some of London’s beloved dining institutions: The Park, the Savoy, and the Mandarin Oriental are just a few to mention. Not only has Shayne built an extraordinary portfolio, but he has developed a design language that is unmistakably his own—thoughtful, relevant and beautifully executed. As someone who speaks passionately about narrative-rich spaces, emotional c...

Whether it’s making the best bread in the world, baking pastries that become addictive or creating warm and beautiful spaces, Landrace are the benchmark to the majority! As someone that’s seen Landrace grow since it’s fruition in 2019, it was a privilege to chat with founder Andrew Lowkes about how the brands identity has evolved and where his passion lies.  Andrew is VERY knowledgeable, and...

Woodshedding Brewery has been a very welcomed and exciting addition to landscape here in Somerset. At the destination that is Westcombe Dairy Adrian Peskin has provided quiet discernment and joyful times to be had for all. With such an impressive career working with brands such as Beavertown and people like Guy Ritchie, we to chat through his initiation into beer with a trip to California, home br...

I knew Higher Farm as a place just outside Bruton that did an amazing breakfast. However, it wasn’t long before I started to hear about the two brothers behind the brand and their ambition, energy and passion about growing food. They are on a mission to support the movement for regenerative food and farming. And it is Ketchup that is at the epicentre of their aspirations to change the way we eat.&...

When I think of Comins Tea, I think of friendliness, expertise and integrity. This comes across in everything they do from how they communicate, the partnerships they form, the service they provide and the beautiful products they offer. Describing herself and her husband - the other half of Comins - as translators of tea, it is clear they have a connection with tea culture that is full of cur...

I am yet to walk passed Briar and not see someone I recognise seated at a table! Since opening the doors, not even two years ago, this beautiful restaurant is hot on the lips of locals and visitors to Bruton. Housed in Number One, a Georgian townhouse hotel, Briar is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, recognised for exceptional food that does not break the bank. Chef Sam Lomas is warm, gener...

If someone was to ask me to name a business I admire from afar, it would be Pump Street Chocolate and Bakery. There is a magic about it that’s like stepping into a book that you really love. THE most delicious chocolate I have ever tasted, they have flavours such croissant, cinnamon bun and sourdough to name a few, as well as the classics, and wrapped in their iconic Suffolk pink paper.  A tr...

There isn’t a broadsheet or glossy mag that hasn’t featured this man’s name across their pages. Merlin Labron-Johnson’s, chef and owner of Osip, the Michelin starred restaurant in Bruton, has a reputation for quietly refined and deeply seasonal food that is rooted in the land has led to a foundation that is authentic and revered by many. This sense of identity is delivered not only in his culinary...

This week’s epsiode welcomes the artist Collette Woods. I have admired Colette’s ceramics and paintings on a daily basis since her studio opened on Bruton High St some 5 or so years ago. Each piece of art she make has a sense of storytelling about it, with proportions that feel unreal but confident, imperfect lines and unapologetic imperfections that culminate in a piece of beauty. I am insti...

I have been raving to all that will listen since first tasting the delicious, creamy and inventive flavours of Brickell’s ice-cream. The flavours are a perfect balance of that homemade feel, with natural ingredients, you just know that they are a brand about quality. I feel like everyone might have dreamt of having an ice ceram company at some point in their life, so I was excited to hear from 2 p...

Partners in life and work, Jules and Steve Horell bought an old cow barn in Somerset, built a fire kitchen and started running dining experiences which they launched under the name Horrell & Horrell in 2023.  I met Jules and Steve when I first moved to Bruton when he was the head chef and she was front of house at the Roth Bar & grill - the restaurant at Hauser & Wirth. Having wor...

For those of you who like fermented foods, and if you haven’t discovered it already, CultJar is the one to try. I fell in love with the brand when I first came across the very clever brand name! But not only is the logo pithy, so are the flavours with over 15 different ferments as well as nuts & seeds, pickles seasonings and shrubs.  It is a privilege to welcome founder Peter Prescott ont...

My guest this week is the artist Joel Parkes. His sculptures in stone, metal and wood are incredibly beautiful, transcendental and contemplative. Previously working in public art, Joel’s move into the world of fine art see’s a continuation in using rejected materials that reflect is interest in transformation and renewal.  It’s hard not to talk about interesting ideas and concepts with Joel....

Since moving to Somerset 10 years ago, I have been heading to the Beckford Inn’s in search of satiating that sense of true countryside; Heartening red wine, tasty food, cosy fires and those interiors that makes you feel like you’re back where you belong. Witnessing more pubs open by The Beckford Group over the years, it’s clear that they have a knack for knowing when it’s right, and an e...

Welcome to Series 4 of The Caro Podcast. I am really excited to share the next season of episodes with you. Who have I been chatting to - chef’s, sculptors, ceramists, artists, business founders, pub owners, oh and and an ice-cream maker - and there's all on my door-step here in Somerset. Without further ado, let’s start with my first guest.  Movement wasn’t exactly part of my childhood - I w...

This is the last episode of series 3. I have absolutely loved chatting to all the guests and feel very grateful for having met such inspiring people.  Today’s conversation is with Rosanna Philpott, founder of Pygmalion, a dinner candle company launched in August of this year. Lighting a tall dinner candle in anticipation for the arrival of guests, really is the moment before the fun is about...

Freight HHG has been on my radar for many years. With a paired back and tactile aesthetic, the acclaimed shop based in Lewes, Sussex understands the importance of materiality, beauty and the importance of creating atmospheric spaces. Launched in 2014, mother Helene, and daughter Adele, seem to have formed quite the duo with a wonderful mix of discernment, technical ability and the art of editing....

Zara Peters is the lovely face behind the name Queen of Bows. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but bows are featuring in quite a gib way at the moment and I am certain that it is something to do with Zara’s bows because her’s aren’t just any bows. From giant, oversized bows to bows to put on cars, mantelpieces and front doors, Zara hand makes to order in a beautiful range of understated, natural fa...

The next few guests on the podcast are the founders of brands that I have invited to be a part of the Caro Pop-Up running for 2 weeks, starting on the 7th December in The Space in Bruton. Katie Leamon, was the first stationery brand I bought for Caro. Introduced to me by a mutual friend, I remember the eponymous marble collection selling out extremely fast. You can now find her greetings cards, wr...

A wellness brand steeped in sustainability and innovation, Commune have an attention to detail & quality that brings a level of prestige to their products. From the formulations of their scents, to the metal pump of the bottles, there is a seamless and beautiful experience for those that use their products.  I have been aware of Commune since their launch in 2022 but sitting down with fou...

Mud Australia is a brand known for their timeless porcelain homewares, minimalist aesthetic and their extensive colour palette. Since opening their first store in 2007, there are now 12 MUD stores all over the world. I am delighted to invite founder Shelley Simpson onto the podcast today. As a shopkeeper of just one little shop in Bruton, it was a privileged to chat to Shelley about how she grew M...

When I was introduced to the Amateurism Collective in 2020, Leo Walton’s records were a happy distraction from the isolation of the pandemic when he, alongside his 3 other friends launched the Amateurism 24/7 radio station. The knowledge that I was tuning-in with a community that were also listening was a warming respite and one that was reinforced when I read the gratitude in WhatsApp groups...

My guest this week is the Interior Designer, Tom Morris. One of the many reasons i enjoyed this episode is because Tom and I worked together at the Monocle building in London before I moved to Somerset and it's been a while since i've seen him. Back then he was a Journalist and Design Editor but he now tells stories through interiors. His studio was recently credited as one of the House & Gard...

Bill Amberg is a name synonymous with quality, innovative design and a considered aesthetic. With a career spanning forty years, he has worked with some incredible people on a wide breadth of projects and taken his business across many landscapes. It is safe to say that Bill has seen the design industry through many times. It is an enormous pleasure and privilege to have him on the podcast talking...

My first guest for this series is a goodun. It is Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy - and is probably the most entrepreneurial person I know. Every time I see him he’s thinking up or in the middle of executing some amazing idea. Westcombe cheese are regularly name checked on the menu’s of great restaurants which is testament to the flavour and quality of the cheese they produce. Tom has taken a f...