This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with David Ellis—restaurant critic and Going Out editor at The London Standard, and the man who inherited Fay Maschler’s legendary column. Recorded at The Orange in Pimlico (a place David knows but has never reviewed), this episode is a no-holds-barred look at the realities of restaurant criticism—from the dishes that blew his mind to the meals that nearly broke him. David talks about the awkwardness of replacing Jimmy Famurewa, why the pressure t...
Jun 30, 2025•54 min
This week we sit down with the inimitable Lee and Kate Tiernan, the creative force behind F.K.A. Black Axe Mangal—the boundary-pushing, heavy metal, nose-to-tail hotspot that changed London dining and earned cult status around the world. They talk us through the BAM origin story, from their formative years at St. John to opening one of the most chaotic and exciting restaurants in London. We hear about the pop-ups that reignited Lee’s love for cooking, but not before the longest queue in Copenhag...
Jun 26, 2025•54 min
Today we're delighted to bring you another 'Legends Roundtable Restaurateur Special' where we're joined by 3 of the greatest restaurateur's in the country in Lady Ruth Rogers (River Cafe), Jeremy King OBE (Arlington, The Park & Simpsons) & Francois O'Neill (Maison/Cafe Francois) to unleash their wisdom and share their secrets to success, for an honest, warm, and often hilarious conversation about what it takes to survive and evolve in the restaurant industry. Over the course of this roun...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 4 min
This week on The Go-To Mise en Place, we sit down with Gabe Pryce — chef, writer, ferret-wrangler and co-founder of Rita’s in Soho. From a legendary (and surreal) childhood acting debut in Casualty to the kitchens of New York and the streets of Mexico City, Gabe shares the winding path that led him to co-create one of London’s most beloved neighbourhood restaurants. We talk early days, industry heartbreaks, philosophical food writing, and why there’s no shame in simply wanting to make a great ch...
Jun 19, 2025•44 min
Today we're joined by the legendary actor, BAFTA-winning writer, and one half of People Just Do Nothing – Allan Mustafa, aka Seapa, aka MC Grindah – for a hilarious and heartfelt deep-dive into the meals that shaped him, and some hilarious stories from; firing Post Malone's guns at his house in LA, to helping trigger Craig David's comeback, to getting forcefully removed from a 'ping-pong' show in Bangkok to surviving a food disaster in Mexico! Allan shares everything from the Kurdish-inspired di...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 8 min
To celebrate 15 years of Koya — the quietly iconic udon bar that helped change the way London eats — we’re joined by its founders: John Devitt and Shuko Oda. From early-morning queues to feet-kneaded noodles, we go behind the steam with the pair who brought serious broth and bounce to Soho. Shuko shares how a childhood in Japan shaped her savoury cravings, how miso soup became her first solo dish, and how Tokyo’s obsessive Italian food scene first lured her into the kitchen. John reflects on wha...
Jun 12, 2025•37 min
Today we're bringing you a very special episode indeed as we're joined by Ruth Leigh and Oli Brown, the owners of Updown Farmhouse in Kent which over the last couple of years has become to be recognised as the best restaurant led hotel in the country. What started as a pop-up in a dilapidated 17th-century farmhouse has become a destination in its own right, serving wood-fired dishes that feel somewhere between rustic Italian trattoria and hyper-local British larder. Ruth and Oli talk us through ...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Today we're delighted to be joined by Michelin Starred Head Chef and Owner of Kol and Fonda - the genius Santiago Lastra to unpack his incredible career that started off with him working in an Italian restaurant in Mexico and has taken him around some of the greatest kitchens in the world including working for Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugartiz and leading René Redzepi's Noma during its residency in Mexico. Santiago's restaurant Kol was just voted the 17th best restaurant in the world and he takes u...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 3 min
In this episode of The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with the unapologetically fearless Sabrina Ghayour — bestselling author, supper club pioneer, and one of the most influential voices in Middle Eastern cooking today. Sabrina talks about; fleeing Iran during the revovlution in 1979, working illegally as an 11 year old at her local Chinese supermarket and some nightmare happenings between her and customers, working at McDonalds, her love and obsession with Ken Hom, how losing her job during th...
Jun 01, 2025•53 min
Welcome back to a farming and butchery special by the man who’s been supplying some of the UK's best restaurants for over 2 decades including ST. John, Lyle's, Camille, The Camberwell Arms, and more and has recently opened his own butcher's shop in Bermondsey, the legendary Farmer Tom Jones. We find out how he went from turning down a career being an actor and playwright and then Harry Hill's assistant to becoming the most respected and sought after meat supplier in the country. It's been a toug...
May 29, 2025•38 min
This week on The Go-To Food Pod, we’re joined by the much-missed voice of London restaurant criticism, former Evening Standard food writer Jimi Famurewa. For years, Jimi helped define what made eating out in the capital exciting, accessible, and culturally relevant. From neighbourhood heroes to headline-grabbing launches, his reviews brought warmth, wit and sharp insight to every corner of the scene. But earlier this year, in a surprising move, Jimi’s column was abruptly axed during a major rest...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of The Go-To Mise en Place, we sit down with Samyukta Nair, the powerhouse behind London’s boldest and most elegant dining destinations. As the creative director of LSL Capital, she’s responsible for a growing portfolio of restaurants that blend storytelling, design, and deeply personal heritage — from the Michelin-starred Jamavar to the vibrant, cinematic Bombay Bustle, the maximalist charm of MiMi Mei Fair, and the newly launched KOYN, Elenas, and Élan. We delve into Samyukta’s...
May 22, 2025•51 min
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with one of Britain’s most recognisable chefs, Tom Kerridge, for a refreshingly honest conversation about the journey from wild, hard-drinking kitchens to becoming a household name with multiple Michelin stars. Tom opens up about the early days of The Hand and Flowers, how he went from not even knowing what a Michelin star meant to becoming the first pub in the UK to earn two. He reflects on the sacrifices, personally and professionally, that came...
May 19, 2025•1 hr 11 min
In this episode of The Go-To Mise en Place, we sit down with Amy Poon, chef, food entrepreneur, and heir to one of the most iconic names in Chinese dining, for a wide-ranging, laugh-out-loud conversation that covers everything from opening a champagne bar with a newborn to scrubbing pots at midnight when staff don’t show. Amy reflects on her family’s pioneering role in transforming the perception of Chinese cuisine in Britain, particularly her father Bill Poon’s groundbreaking achievement of ear...
May 15, 2025•37 min
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with legendary Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli — the man who helped redefine Italian cuisine in London. From his early training at The Savoy to becoming the first independent Italian chef in the UK to earn a Michelin star, Giorgio takes us through the highs, lows, and unforgettable moments of a career that has shaped the city’s food scene for over four decades. In this wide-ranging and often hilarious conversation, Giorgio reflects on the golden ye...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 6 min
This week on The Go-To Mise en Place, we’re celebrating 15 years of Hawksmoor Seven Dials—one of London’s most beloved restaurants—with co-founder Will Beckett. Over a very special lunch from their 15th birthday menu (available Monday to Friday lunchtimes for just £19.50—arguably the best value lunch in the West End), Will reflects on the journey that took Hawksmoor from a scrappy East London opening to a globally respected restaurant group with sites in New York and Dublin. In a conversation as...
May 08, 2025•57 min
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with London’s original restaurant protege Stevie Parle - one-time pop-up poster boy, chef, restaurateur, and the creative force behind Dock Kitchen, Rotorino, Pastaio, and most recently, the soon to be hardest restaurant in London to get a table at, Town on Drury Lane. Stevie shares the story behind his unconventional journey through the food world, from formative years at the River Café, Moro and Petersham Nurseries, to building a career that spa...
May 05, 2025•39 min
This week, we’re joined by the brilliantly warm and wildly talented Rosie Kellett - writer, food creator, and author of In For Dinner. From comforting nostalgia to weeknight saviours, Rosie takes us through her dream menu from breakfast to pudding. We get into her favourite hangover-busting salt and vinegar potato soup, a citrusy macaroni-spaghetti hybrid born out of broke London flatshares, and the pudding inspired by her Grandma Margaret’s legendary raspberry cakey concoctions (somewhere betwe...
May 01, 2025•47 min
The Go-To Food Podcast proudly introduces The Legends’ Roundtable— a brand-new monthly series celebrating the chefs, kitchens, and ideas that have shaped modern gastronomy. Each episode, we gather some of the most respected names in the industry to reflect on where food has come from, where it's going, and what it truly means to dedicate a life to hospitality. For our inaugural Round Table, we are delighted to be hosted in the extraordinary Trinity restaurant where we are joined by Michelin star...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 18 min
This week, we head Behind the pass—literally—with chef-owner Andy Benyon, the Michelin-starred mind behind one of East London’s most intimate and inventive restaurants. From langoustines with truffle yakisoba to clam shell madeleines, Andy’s flavour-first, technique-driven cooking has built a cult following and earned him a Michelin star just 20 days after opening. In this episode, Andy shares what it was like working under culinary greats like Phil Howard and Claude Bosi, and how their influenc...
Apr 24, 2025•28 min
Welcome back to Mise en Place where this week we sit down with Jake Finn, the chef-owner behind Cinder – the neighbourhood restaurant where everything hits the charcoal. Jake shares his journey from being one of the first Ritz apprentices in 2006 to opening Cinder in the middle of a pandemic, and building it into a two-location favourite for fire-cooked, produce-led food. We talk about his formative years under the notoriously exacting Raphael Duntoye at Le Petit Maison, then going onto Coya whe...
Apr 17, 2025•43 min
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with the legendary Rosemary Shrager — self-taught chef, bestselling author, and TV favourite — for a wide-ranging conversation full of warmth, grit, and unapologetic passion for food. Rosemary opens up about her unconventional journey: from a turbulent childhood and being sectioned as a teen, to carving out a place in top kitchens alongside icons like Pierre Koffmann and Jean-Christophe Novelli. We talk about leaving her marriage to follow her dre...
Apr 13, 2025•1 hr 3 min
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with Luke Farrell — the modern godfather of Southeast Asian cuisine in London. From the neon-lit Speedboat Bar to his innovative Thai greenhouses in Dorset, Luke unpacks what it takes to run four award-winning restaurants rooted in authentic Southeast Asian flavours: Speedboat Bar (Thai-Chinese), Plaza Khao Gaeng (Southern Thai), Bebek! Bebek! (Indonesian), and Viet Populaire (Vietnamese). Expect stories of late-night noodle runs in Bangkok, froze...
Apr 10, 2025•36 min
This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with legendary chef Theo Randall to talk about his incredible journey through the world of food. From starting as a kitchen porter at just 14, to working his way up through some of the most influential kitchens in the world, Theo shares how a transformative stint at Chez Panisse shaped his approach to ingredients and how 17 years at the River Cafe saw him rise to head chef and win a Michelin star. He had a front-row seat to the beginning of Jamie ...
Apr 07, 2025•59 min
Welcome back to Mise en Place, where this week we sit down with Taco Manny at his spot Guacamoles. Manny is a Mexican refugee who fled death threats for a cartel and rebuilt his life in London—one taco at a time. With just £70, he launched a pop-up that made £3,000 in 15 days, all of which he donated to his church. Now, his tacos are celebrated as the best in London, with both The Financial Times and The Infatuation crowning his food as the city’s finest Mexican offering. Manny shares how his fa...
Apr 03, 2025•34 min
Today we’re delighted to be joined by a chef who was once the youngest 2 Michelin star female chef in the world and after working in 4 Michelin Starred restaurants around Europe and then working for Gordon Ramsay, she casually became the first woman to ever win the Great British Menu main course, in over 20 years of the shows history! Kate opens up about; why she decided to leave the restaurant industry and become a private chef rather than try and open her own restaurant, the struggles emotiona...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr
Welcome back to Mise en Place where this week we take a deep dive into the mind of Ramael Scully, the powerhouse behind London’s critically acclaimed Scully. From his early days grafting in Australian kitchens to learning from Ottolenghi and carving out his own culinary empire, Scully’s journey is packed with inspiration, grit, and game-changing ideas. Expect no-nonsense insights, jaw-dropping behind-the-scenes stories, and a masterclass in creative cooking. He opens up about what it’s really li...
Mar 27, 2025•44 min
Welcome back to The Go To Food Podcast ! Today, we’re joined by the country's most famous food critic and journalist, and perhaps once the angriest man in Britain , Giles Coren. Giles has been the restaurant critic for The Times since 2002, following stints as a critic for Tatler and The Independent on Sunday . He’s also hosted over 30 TV shows in both the UK and US, landing his big break in 2005 with Gordon Ramsay’s F-Word . Known for never shying away from controversy, Giles has found himself ...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Welcome back to the podcast whereby his week, we’re joined by Danny Winer, the man behind one of the most talked-about cookware brands in the game: HexClad. From aspiring actor to cookware kingpin, Danny’s journey is anything but ordinary. He opens up about his early missteps, including the juicing business that collapsed overnight, and how he kept the faith when things looked bleak. He shares how HexClad was built on sheer graft—begging, borrowing, and (not-quite) stealing their way through the...
Mar 20, 2025•39 min
Today we’re joined by arguably the most iconic female chef in the country in the legendary Sally Clarke, who's been the owner and chef patron at Clarke's in Kensington for over 41 years. Sally ironically failed her O level in cookery and yet has gone on to become one of the most successful chef and restaurant owners in the country. Clarke's is a London institution and the restaurant is the favourite of everyone from Mick Jagger to Bono - David Hockney to Paul Smith and all in between. In only he...
Mar 17, 2025•54 min
