The Full English

The show that sees the world through food. Hosted by chef and researcher Lewis Bassett, with music and mixing from Forest DLG.

Winner of the Guild of Food Writers podcast award 2023.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last refreshed: July 16th, 2025 at 4:15 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Did Margaret Thatcher invent Mr Whippy Ice Cream?

Did former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher help invent Mr Whippy Ice Cream? And what can Mr Whippy tell us about the Conservative Party today? With guests: Zoe Philipson, award winning ice cream retailer from Tyne Valley Ices Jon Agar, author of Science in the 20th Century and Beyond Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Wansbeck Will Davies, author of Nervous States Created by Lewis Bassett. Additional editing and sound design from Forest DLG. Follow The Full English on Instagram , TikTok and Twitter Host...

Oct 20, 2022•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1

The fish finger bhorta

In this final episode of season one, Lewis Bassett and Forest DLG make a fish finger bhorta with the journalist and commentator Ash Sarkar. Does the fish finger bhorta count as English food? We hear from the academic Jason Edwards on what national cuisine actually is. Lewis eats Ghanian food in London with the cook and author Riaz Phillips. The chef Andrew Wong and the academic Catherine Hall question the boundaries of national cuisines. And journalist Adam Ramsay, Sunder Katwala from the think ...

Jul 02, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 6

The invention of 'modern European' food in England

How did the English go from eating cans of baked beans to dribbling olive oil over a fresh rocket and sundried tomato salad? In this episode, we’ll look at how a movement of cooks and cookery writers helped to challenge the status of elite, classical French cuisine as the gold standard of food in England with provincial French and Mediterranean cooking. It’s also the story of the rise of a new middle class movement whose European tastes not only assumed a central place at our dinner tables but l...

Jul 02, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Factory farms

Is regenerative agriculture the answer to the problems caused by factory farms, or might modern forms of food production have an important role to play in the future of food in England? In this episode, Lewis Bassett speaks to: Matt Chatfield, sheep farmer and advocate of alternative farming techniques; the nutritionist Lucy Williamson; the historian David Edgerton; the farmer and director of the Soil Association Liz Bowles, Oxford based climate scientist Michael Clark; author and journalist Aar...

Jul 02, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 4

A nice cup of tea (with sugar)

What could be more innocent than a nice cup of cha? In this episode we hear from Seren Charington-Hollins, Markman Ellis, Mathew Mauger and Mukta Das on how England's love of tea is deeply intwined with the British Empire, including how Britain once forced the trade of opium for tea in China. The historians Catherine Hall and Padraic Scanlan also tell us about England's taste for sugar and its origins in slavery. This show was produced by Lewis Bassett. Music comes from Forest DLG. Hosted on Aca...

Jul 02, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 3

A land of sheep and glory

Why did the English stop eating mutton? And what can sheep farming tell us about the birth of capitalism in England? In this episode, Lewis Bassett visits Smithfield's meat market with Pen Vogler, the author of 'Scoff'. He speaks to Maia Pal and George Comninel about the what, where, when and why of capitalism. We hear from Susan Rose on how wool made England rich. Ben Rogers explains how the English cooked their meat with the help of dogs. We visit Matt Chatfield's farm in Cornwall. Hear how Je...

Jul 02, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Breakfast

What is English food? And what is England? Looking at the English breakfast can tell us something about the character of England and how the country acquired a bad reputation when it comes to food. Featuring: David Edgerton, Kaori O'Connor, Ben Rogers, Paul Freedman and Rowley Leigh Music by Forest DLG. Hosted and produced by Lewis Bassett. Sign up on Patreon for extra content and to support the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 26, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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