The Go To Food Podcast

Step into Soho’s most storied dining room with executive chef Neil Borthwick — Scottish straight-talker, lover of demi-pints, and guardian of The French House’s old-school rules : no phones, no music, proper conversation only. He walks us through the thrill of a handwritten, daily-changing menu and the cult dishes that vanish by Friday — calves’ brains with beurre noisette and capers, that famousl...

Step into the world of London’s most iconic cheese emporium with Patricia Michelson, founder of La Fromagerie , as she joins The Go-To Food Podcast . From a single wheel of Beaufort cheese smuggled home from a disastrous ski trip to running three of London’s most beloved food destinations, Patricia shares how a moment of serendipity sparked a movement that transformed how the city eats. Hear how s...

In this episode, Maison François founder Francois O’Neill shares what it really takes to keep restaurants thriving amid rising costs, changing diners, and constant uncertainty. From the realities of staffing and margins to the return of brasserie theatre — foie gras “burgers,” dessert trolleys, and caviar-topped chicken nuggets included — Francois reveals how optimism, generosity, and beautiful ch...

From punk rocker to pasta sauce pioneer, Loyd Grossman has lived many lives—and he tells the stories with all the colour and humour you’d expect. In this episode, Loyd looks back at his unlikely journey from fronting a chart-climbing band to backing Van Morrison on stage, before swapping guitar strings for restaurant reviews and TV stardom. His take on the difference between the US and UK punk sce...

Richard Corrigan has lived through—and helped shape—the restaurant revolutions that made London one of the world’s great food cities. From his early days with the eccentric genius Stephen Bull at Blanford Street, through his game-changing decade at Lindsay House, to opening Corrigan’s Mayfair on the very day he closed Lindsay House with a party, Corrigan’s career is a story of grit, brilliance, an...

Richard Corrigan is a chef who has lived many lives, each one bound by resilience, tradition, and an uncompromising love of food. In this conversation, he shares the stories that have shaped him, offering a rare glimpse into the philosophy behind one of the most distinctive voices in British and Irish hospitality. From oysters and stout to the centuries-old legacy of Bentley’s, Corrigan speaks wit...

Tomos Parry—chef of London landmarks Brat and Mountain—joins us on location at fforest in Pembrokeshire for a special Brat × Mountain residency episode. We dive into his fire-led cooking and the thrill (and chaos) of bringing 30 team members to West Wales to cook with the producers who shape his food: think lobster caldereta cooked a stone’s throw from the boats, raw-milk fresh cheese that only ex...

Our guest today is none other than Atul Kochhar , the genius who redefined Indian cuisine in Britain and became the first Indian chef in the world to win a Michelin star. You’ll hear Atul laugh about an American guest who demanded “the spiciest dish you can make” —only to then bring his own vial of mysterious black liquid so fiery it nearly sent Atul to Mars. You’ll hear the story of him landing i...

Step inside Covent Garden’s beating heart with this week’s episode of The Go-To Food Podcast , where we sit down with Will Palmer and Ian Campbell – the masterminds behind London’s legendary wine bar 10 Cases , the seafood temple Parsons , and the ever-buzzy Baudry Greene These two friends-turned-restaurateurs didn’t just build businesses, they created a street corner empire that has shaped how Lo...

In this episode of The Go-To Food Podcast —brought to you by Blinq (the UK POS rebels)—we sit down with fire-obsessed chef Lennox Hastie , the man behind Sydney’s cult restaurant Firedoor and the pintxo-loving Gildas . From starring on Chef’s Table to earning two Chef’s Hats (Australia’s Michelin-adjacent kudos), Lennox has built a career on cooking everything over live flame—no gas, no charcoal,...

When Adam Handling sits down for  The Go-To Food Podcast , you know you’re in for fireworks. The Michelin-starred chef pulls no punches, opening up about landlords who tried to strong-arm him, staff who faced his infamous “card machine punishment” for costly mistakes, and the emotional nights he locked himself in the restaurant bathroom and cried after service disasters.  The Michelin-st...

This week on The Go-To Mise en Place we are joined by chefs George Williams and Beth, the duo behind The Fat Badger, one of London’s most talked-about upstairs pubs and dining rooms. They set the record straight on that infamous “invite-only” myth, explain why they threw out the idea of menus altogether, and relive the chaos of their early days—from disastrous potato “risottos” to running a full s...

Seafood maestro Nathan Outlaw joins The Go-To Food Podcast for a candid conversation that charts his rise from washing dishes alongside his chef father in Maidstone to becoming the only British chef with two Michelin-starred seafood restaurants. Along the way, he recalls formative stints with culinary icons Gary Rhodes, Éric Chavot and Rick Stein—where he learned the art of speed, precision, and n...

We’re joined once again by the moustachioed marvel himself, Ben Lippett — ex-chef, recipe writer, and the creative force behind Dinner by Ben. This time he’s back with something truly special: his debut cookbook, landing next week. Over an incredible spread pulled straight from its pages, Ben talks us through the dishes that shaped the book — from chicken with hot green tahini to his legendary foc...

Today’s guest is Luke Dale-Roberts , the award-winning chef whose name has become synonymous with pushing the boundaries of fine dining. From steering La Colombe to global acclaim as the Best Restaurant in Africa & the Middle East and climbing to No.12 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, to redefining South Africa’s culinary landscape with The Test Kitchen —winning Restaurant of the Year...

In this episode of Go-To Mise en Place, we sit down with one of London’s most exciting young restaurateurs: Dom Hamdy, the founder of Ham Restaurants, the group behind Crispin, Bistro Freddie and the newly opened Canal in Ladbroke Grove. Recorded on the terrace at Canal, with the Grand Union Canal glinting beside us, Dom talks about the journey from Scotch eggs at Borough Market to running a 100+...

What does it take to go from microwaving jalapeño poppers at Old Orleans to co-founding two of London’s most beloved restaurants? In this episode of The Go-To Food Podcast, Tim Siadatan tells the story of his unlikely start in hospitality, the life-changing opportunity of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, and the discipline and creativity he absorbed while training under some of the city’s most influential...

From JP Morgan spreadsheets to hand-picking olive oil in Crete, Andreas Labridis has built a modern Greek food empire in London — and he’s only just getting started. In this fascinating conversation, the Opso and Kima co-founder recalls the wild early days of Opso, when guests would come expecting smashed plates and Zorba music, and how he set out to show the city what modern Greek dining could tr...

Seven Michelin stars. Inventing Multi-Sensory Dining. Triple-cooked chips. Bacon-and-egg ice cream. The Fat Duck. Dinner by Heston. Sous Vide. Changing the way the entire world thinks about food. In this unmissable conversation, culinary icon Heston Blumenthal sits down with us for a no-holds-barred deep dive into his life, mind, and food philosophy. From the teenage moment in Provence that ignite...

This week on The Go-To Food Podcast , we’re joined by a true multi-hyphenate: model, chef, bestselling author, and international TV star Lorraine Pascale. From gracing the covers of US Elle and hanging out with De Niro in New York, to conquering UK television screens and selling over a million cookbooks, Lorraine’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. But after years of intense public life, she...

Mitch Tonks didn’t start out as a chef. He was a 27-year-old dad trying to make ends meet when a fishmonger’s shop in Bath changed the course of his life. In this episode, Mitch shares the real, often chaotic, journey behind his seafood empire—from sleeping on a futon above his first restaurant to serving curry to Johnny Depp. He recalls the early inspiration he found in European markets, the fish...

This week on Mise En Place , we’re coming to you straight from Plates, the UK’s first Michelin-starred, plant-based restaurant. At the helm is executive chef Kirk Haworth , a Great British Menu champion and one of the country’s most forward-thinking culinary minds. In this unmissable episode, Kirk dishes on the behind-the-scenes drama of Great British Menu , his award-winning dessert that’s still...

Brace yourself for a riotous ride through the highs, lows, and absolute madness of Michelin-level cooking with the one and only Daniel Clifford, chef-owner of the legendary Midsummer House. In this epic episode of The Go-To Food Podcast , Daniel talks candidly about winning (and fearing the loss of) his stars, why he still shows up for every service after 21 years, and how a surprise phone call fr...

In this week’s Go-To Mise en Place, we sit down with the brilliant Jess Shadbolt—co-founder of King and Jupiter, two of New York’s most adored restaurants—for a wide-ranging conversation full of warmth, wit, and wild stories. From serving Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton, to launching a restaurant with no cash but a fridge full of free samples, Jess opens up about the joyful madness of hospitality...

This week, we’re joined by Eric Huang—Queens native, Juilliard-trained cellist, and the chef behind Pecking House, New York’s cult fried chicken sensation. In a wild ride of an episode, Eric walks us through his transformation from classical musician to Michelin-level chef, dishing on brutal kitchen culture, racial dynamics in fine dining, and the unexpected pandemic pivot that made his chicken wo...