The Go To Food Podcast

Today we bring you something slightly different, as when I was uploading our interview with Melissa at the end of last week, we suddenly received a message from Pete Hewitt (Owner 'Everday People' Michelin Bib Gourmand/ Jay Rayners favourite Ramen shop) saying that we need to discuss the real issue that's killing our industry and forcing so many great restaurant's to close and that's the fact we'v...

Today we're joined by one of the hottest chefs in the city in Chet Sharma who's in charge of the critically acclaimed Bibi, which last year won the best restaurant in London. In this wide ranging interview we cover everything from; the story behind the incredible food at Bibi, the highs and lows of working in Michelin Starred classical kitchens, being hospitalised for a terrifying condition bought...

Today we bring you a very silly yet entertaining hour with the wonderful 'What Willy Cook' aka William Hughes to discuss his incredible rise to fame over the last couple of years. We discuss; the fallout he's experienced since launching his homeware company 'Pleasant Home', his near death experience working in a professional kitchen as a teenager, a terrifying coked up old Head Chef he used to wor...

Today we bring you the fascinating story behind London's Best Rated Italian Restaurant 'Ida', as we're joined by owner Simonetta Wenkert. She's a writer by profession, who 20 years ago fell in love with the idea of having her own Italian restaurant and convinced her engineer husband Avi, to risk it all and open up their dream place in Queens Park. She takes us through the incredible challenges the...

They don't come greater than Michel Roux JR. and so for our 50th Episode we're delighted to be able to bring you such a treat. Michel is on incredible form as he takes us through; his greatest memories of running the 2 Michelin Starred Le Gavroche, what he's missing most from working in the kitchen, what he cooked for the Queen for her 90th Birthday, who the greatest chef he ever worked with was a...

Today we're at the world famous Dorchester Grill, where we're joined by the Executive Chef the wonderful Tom Booton,to celebrate his incredible career to date; which has taken him from being one of the youngest Michelin starred Head Chefs of all time to now running one of the most famous restaurants. Tom started cooking professionally at just 16 years old and has since worked in some of the finest...

Today we're joined by one of the most followed food creators in the world in Alfie Steiner to discuss his meteoric rise which has taken him from almost being fired as a waiter at a high street restaurant for ruining a couples anniversary to boasting more followers than there are Croatians on this planet! We hear about; how discovering a mouldy beetroot in his fridge changed his life, the shocking...

Today we sit down in the holy grail of pubs in The Devonshire where we're joined by the most famous publican in the world in Oisin Rogers to unveil his secrets behind turning this place into the most popular Pub in the world. We discuss; the secrets behind what makes his Guinness taste so good, what it's like creating an award winning menu with Ex Fat Duck Head Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts, the import...

Today we’re joined by a chef who’s had such a huge impact on London’s food scene it’s almost immeasurable, especially with the creation of The Dairy - a restaurant that defined the Nordic-flecked, produce-focused fine dining movement that has become commonplace in London today. He’s worked for the best chefs in the industry from Marco Pierre White to Raymond Blanc to René Redzepi & is now cham...

Today we're joined by multi-award winning photographer David Loftus who's worked with everyone from Jamie Oliver to Nigella Lawson and everyone in between and is the most in demand food photographer in the world. He's also shot some of the biggest celebrities, musicians and models and in this no hold barred interview reveals all the craziest sights he's witnessed in his career so far. From A Liste...

Today we pay Ben Marks a visit at his neighbourhood restaurant Perilla in Newington Green, sadly it was closed for Lunch on the day so we couldn't sample any of his creations, but we did get to hear about his incredible career so far. As a young boy, Ben Marks loved food and enjoyed cooking with his father in London. At 13 years old, he was already working in professional kitchens. and at 15, on t...

We're honoured to be joined by one of the most important food writers in the world in the incredibly charming Melissa Hemsley, who takes us through her ridiculously successful career as a figurehead in the healthy eating movement, initially with her sister as part of Hemsley & Hemsley and now on her own. From her times working as a private chef for some of the most famous and musicians and act...

Welcome back to another episode of Mise En Place and today we're in Chelsea sitting down for an absolutely stunning meal with Chef Masaki Sugisaki at his restaurant Dinings SW3. He's on incredible form as he takes us through his journey from; working as a child for his dad at the family restaurant in the early hours of each day, to moving to London and being disgusted by the state of Japanese food...

Having risen from being Nathan Outlaw's protégé to go onto open his own Michelin Starred restaurant 'Cornerstone' & latterly the award winning 'Pearly Queen'; Chef Tom Brown is one of the most respected chefs in London. Today he opens up as he talks about; the struggles he's faced with having to close Cornerstone and the personal identity crisis which followed, bullying in the kitchen, the fig...

We're joined today by Rishabh Vir, the co-owner and exec chef at Caia in Golborne Road. Rishabh was working in property in Mumbai before moving over to London to pursue his love for food and trained at the esteemed Cordon Bleu. It was then to work for Heston Blumenthal at the 3 Michelin Starred 'Fat Duck' followed up by bagging a job at one of the best respected restaurants in the city 'Kiln'. Ris...

Today we're joined by the Head Chef of the critically acclaimed Maison Francois and a man who's managed to amass a loyal following of over 2 million foodies in the incredibly charming and talented Matthew Ryle. He takes us through his incredible career so far; running some of the best kitchens in London, his controversy at loosing the final of Masterchef the Professionals, the challenges of hiring...

Today we're bringing you something slightly different as we sit down with Depop & Delli founder Simon Beckerman & one of their 'makers' Lil Wong Bakes to discuss their ambitious plans to take over the weekly shop, reinvent the online food scene and what they've learnt from the trends in the fashion world and brought to the food industry. We also find out what it was like taking Depop from...

Is there a more respected Chef in this country than John Williams? The answer is no. He's the only British Chef in history to receive both an MBE and to be conferred with a CMA (the equivalent of an MBE) by the French Government for his services to food, and away from the Kitchen championed young people getting into cooking through his presidency at the 'Royal Academy of Culinary Arts'. The son of...

What a joy it is to be joined by the incredibly charming and stupendously talented Dan Pelles, Head Chef of the best restaurant I've been to in all year in 'The Coal Office' in Kings Cross. Having honed his skills working for years under the guidance of the iconic Jean-Georges in his multiple Michelin Starred restaurants in New York, Dan then was headhunted by the legendary Assaf Granit and set to...

Today we're delighted to be joined by Sally Abé who is a Michelin Starred Head Chef and recently released her tell all memoir about the hardships of growing up as a female chef at the high end of the restaurant industry. From several emergency hospital visits to being abused by her colleagues to suffering from severe panic attacks, today Sally lays bare the realities of fighting your way to the to...

You're in for an absolute treat today as we're joined by arguably the coolest and most talented brothers since the Gallagher's ruled the roost in the 90s. Brothers Fin and Lorcan (Time Out Chef Of The Year 2023) Spiteri are no strangers to London’s food and drink industry, being the sons of renowned restaurateur Jon Spiteri (St John's, French House & Sessions Arts Club) and Rochelle Canteen co...

Today we sit down with award wining musician turned chef and cookbook writer Denai Moore to discuss her incredible journey from growing up in Spanish Town in Jamaica to becoming one of the most famous faces in the vegan global food scene! Denai's also released 3 critically acclaimed albums and worked with everyone from Plan B to SBTRKT, but is nowadays mainly focusing on her upcoming new vegan Pat...

We're honoured to be joined today for a special by the wonderful Kitty Coles, a name you may not have heard before, but I can guarantee you would have enjoyed her work. She has either; created, styled or written the best selling cookbooks over the last 10 years and today joins us to celebrate her incredible career and work. From growing up in her families restaurant in Wiltshire and helping out wi...

We're honoured to be joined today by the youngest ever British 2 Michelin starred chef in the trail blazer Tom Aikens, to discuss his incredible career which has taken him from working for arguably the 2 greatest chefs of all time in Pierre Koffmann & Joël Robuchon to running some of the finest restaurants to ever grace the London dining scene. For the first time ever Tom reveals all of his da...

Today we're joined by the incredibly charming and wonderfully knowledgable Jordon Ezra King, to hear about his journey from being a trainee tailor on Saville Rowe (working for everyone from Stephen Fry to some of the most renowned gangsters in the country) to becoming a chef and working at some of London & Paris's top restaurants. Jordon is currently on a culinary tour around Europe where he's...