Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The FoodTalk Show

Over the last ten years, Chef Paul Ainsworth has build a very special business in Cornwall that has expanded far beyond his eponymous Michelin stared restaurant in Padstow. Initially he took over a local restaurant that had been through many incarnations, creating an family Italian called Caffe Rojano. He went on take over a much loved local pub, The Mariners across the other side of the Camel Estuary, that is now regarded as the 3rd best gastro pub in the UK according to Estrella's list. On top of this there is a coctail bar, boutique hotel with 6 rooms and an academy that speaks volumes of his commitment to the local area and nuturing local talent. 

He has now released a cookbook, called For the Love of Food that is firmly rooted in his Michelin starred restaurant without being too fancy or complex. It is all sharing plates and clever takes on dishes that the family will love. His food is deeply rooted in his training with some of the best chefs in the UK but leans towards a relaxed and fun approach to food that he is known for.

Joining Ollie, who he knew back in the day when Great British Chefs was in its infancy, they talk about the changes in the food scene and the importance of backing small food and drink businesses. Both of them believe passionately in getting kids into food early and trade tales of culinary adventures of their kids. 

Edited by Stella Gent

Ollie Lloyd talks to Eoin Keenan, founder of Goodrays, one of the UK's first CBD brands offering drinks. Eoin shares his journey of discovering CBD in university whilst dealing with anxiety and sleep issues. After working on CBD farms in the US and Canada, Eoin returned to the UK to advocate for CBD legalisation. 

He founded Goodrays because he believed there was an opportunity to offer high-quality, accessible CBD products, focusing on beverages as the most mainstream and effective format. He believes passionately about the need to educate both consumers and regulators on the potential benefits of CBD. 

The brand which is positioned around the idea of offering a "deep breath for your brain," takes a very natural approach to the category rather than being explicitly counter-cultural. They offer a very strategic set of products designed to meet the key consumer needs of the day: oils (morning and evening), drinks (throughout the day), and gummies (on the go). They are the only CBD drink in Tesco and are expanding into Europe, working very closely with their retail partners to establish these emerging product forms.

As one of the most talked about ingredients of recent years, Eoin has a unique perspective on the CBD journey of the last 10 years.

Danni Malone, the Chief Network Officer of the Trussell Trust, an anti-poverty charity that supports a network of food banks across the UK, joins Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warran-Smith to explain the challenges they face.

The Trussell Trust is campaigning and working towards a vision where we no longer see food banks in communities. Their network of 1,400 food banks, all run by independent charities, provide emergency support and food parcels to people who are left without enough money to afford the essentials. Danni explained how around 75% of people referred to their food banks have some sort of disability or someone in the house has a disability.

Whilst the actual number of food banks in the UK is pretty static, the level of need and the number of people being pushed through their doors is increasing year on year. In fact, last year they distributed 3.1 million emergency food parcels through their network, which is the highest level ever, and over a million of those were for children. This reflects a 94 per cent increase over the last five years.

Despite getting both Ollie and Susie depressed by all the statistics and need - it is clear that people want this issue changed. It feels like their is increasing will to tackle some of these long term challenges and whilst this podcast was recorded before Labour's landslide election win, the idea of change was already feeling like a reality.

Edited by Stella Gent

Dr Duncan Robertson, from Dogtooth, joins Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warren-Smith, to talk about a new way to address the labour shortages that are impacting seasonal fruit and vegetables, a problem that Susie has seen first hand in her role as Chair and Executive Director, Produced in Kent.

Dogtooth, are working on a revolutionary plan, which involves bringing robotics to farming. This isn't a far off dream, it is actually happening and at scale in farms in the UK. Using computer vision and machine learning, they are creating robots that can pick ripe soft fruits. Imagine an army of robots, often working through the night, collection the best berries, under the watchful eye of human managers who make sure things don't go wrong.

Dogtooth, doesn't want this kind of technology to be limited to mega farms and is exploring ways of working with small scale producers too. Is it possible that in 20 years all the strawberries at Wimbledon will picked by robots?

Edited by Stella Gent

Freddie Webb, is the founding partner of Father, a creative music and sound design studio. In this episode he explains to Ollie Lloyd why he passionately believes that many brands are missing a trick when it comes to the way they use sound. He thinks that sound should be an integral part of brand design and used strategically. Father have worked with brands like EE, Aston Martin and The Modern House Company to help them create distinctive sonic palettes that helps them stand out.

There are a few food and drink brands that are doing this, Magnum Ice Cream being a rare exception.  In crowded categories, where brands are pumping out digital content, there is a need to be strategic in both the images you pick and the sounds you choose. If you have ever wondered how to start this process it is worth listening to Freddie's experience in this area as it is certainly gets one asking questions.

Edited by Stella Gent

Scott Davies, the founder of Hill Top Honey has built an incredible business with the combination of tenacity and a £5,000 bank loan. He was a bricklayer who hurt his back and decided to change tact and set up a honey business. He came on the Food Talk Show with Ollie Lloyd and Susie Warran-Smith many years ago, but alot has happened in the last 8 years. Hill Top Honey, based in Newtown Wales, now turns over £43 million and has more than 130 employees.

He had to be patient at the beginning, paying himself tiny amounts, exhibiting at trade shows to get close to his consumers and ultimately living within his means. He got a local Welsh packaging agency to create his early designs for £500 and admits that he didn’t even know what a brief was when he first started.  He has taken a radical approach for a challenger brand where he has decided to be cheaper than the market leader and fundamentally better, on taste and method of production.

Scott thinks too many brands splash the cash and waste money on getting people to buy their products once. He thinks he hasn’t made a sale unless someone buys his brand twice. He is a committed employer and only recently got his B-Corp status to allow him to talk more meaningfully about their approach to business. As he says, it matters to him that his team can afford to live well, and in a small town, everyone knows how you run your business. 

The business recently did a big packaging refresh with Big Fish. He has waited this long because it is only now that he thinks the business is ready, as it knows where it is going and has the funds to do this. As the saying goes, it is often the tortoise that wins the race.

Edited by Stella Gent

Harriet Lamb, the CEO of WRAP (the climate action NGO behind Love Food Hate Waste and Food Waste Action Week), strikes a positive note about tackling food waste and how so many people from different sectors are trying to tackle this seemingly intractable challenge. 

In her chat with Ollie Lloyd, she talks about innovative businesses like Dizzie, which is creating reusable packaging for groceries, and Notpla, which is manufacturing single-use compostable sachets from seaweed (that the CEO will eat on stage to show how good they are)! 

They discuss the positive benefits of personally getting involved by volunteering with charities like The Felix Project and apps like Olio. There is so clearly a community of people who have the time and will to go the extra mile to make an impact and lead from the front. 

There is also a debate about how banana bread is better when made with blackened bananas and why moths are great as they encourage people to do visible mending, something Ollie has tried from time to time.

Edited by Stella Gent

Ben Branson is a true pioneer in the non-alcoholic drinks space. He created Seedlip, the first of the major brands in this sector, thus sparking an arms race and setting the stage for a new exciting era in the industry.

He chats with Ollie Lloyd on the FoodTalk Show about his home experimentation with herbs and how a £50 home distilling kit purchased online led to something bigger. Sometimes, things felt completely out of control, and rarely, for an entrepreneur, does he admit to hating these moments. But he persevered and ultimately sold the business to Diageo but is still involved to this day.

However, he has now started something new, Seasn, that is as he describes it, the "Salt & Pepper" for drinks. He is taking on an industry that has been dominated by one player, Angostura, for ever but believes that now is the time for change.

As if this isn't enough, he has recently set up a podcast, the Hidden 20%, that is trying to tell engaging stories about Neurodiversity. Having recently being diagnosed with ADHD he felt he had the opportunity to give back and encourage the 80% to understand more about Neurodiversity.

Edited by Stella Gent

Tom Hunt is an eco-chef who has been championing the right food for years. He is passionate about inspiring people to think creatively about cooking and eating. 

He writes a column for the Guardian on Food waste, founded a zero-waste restaurant in Bristol, has lived off-grid with his family and recently created a genuinely Happy Meal with the Soil Association.

He catches up with Ollie Lloyd and recounts stories of cooking with the legendary Francis Mallamann, milking goats as a child before school and his plans for a new ice cream brand.

Edited by Stella Gent

Toby Hopkinson co-founded All Things Butter with chef / social media phenomenon Thomas Straker, who went viral on TikTok and Instagram with a series of recipes that incorporated flavoured butter and owns a highly regarded restaurant in Notting Hill.

Their business is taking a somewhat different approach to many challenger food brands. It tackles an incredibly old-fashioned category, having been invented in 2000 BCE or maybe earlier, and is trying to modernise it by returning to the basics. They are focused on lovingly creating a product with some truly committed farmers (Brue Valley) that is organic, twice-churned, hand-salted and sometimes flavoured. They are taking on a category dominated by one mega player, Arla (who makes butter for other brands and retailers), which has been neglected for too long and, in some people’s eyes, is irrelevant.

After a year, they have more social media followers than all other butter brands combined and are focused on creating content that inspires people to cook. Retailers are giving them listings, and they are raising money to fuel their ambition. Their product is premium, but at less than £3, you could easily argue that it is an affordable luxury that packs a punch in the kitchen. 

Robert Thompson MBE is one of the youngest chefs in the UK to receive a Michelin star and has helped put the Isle of Wight on the culinary map.

At ten, he became interested in food, designing his own restaurant/club as part of a school project. He has worked at several top rated restaurants, from Winteringham Fields to Cliveden, before establishing Thompson's on the Isle of Wight. He was one of the first chefs to work with us at Great British Chefs and cooked a memorable lamb carpaccio at our press launch event and a smoked eel puff in Old Street (London) the day we launched the website. During lockdown, he re-invented his business with a chef-designed food box called You Be Chef, which he continues to run. 

In his chat with Ollie Lloyd, he discusses the changing nature of food on the Isle and how people's expectations have changed due to various factors, such as Instagram, home cooking trends, supermarkets expanding ranges, and the cost of living crisis. Making things work in the hospitality sector is not easy, but Robert is committed to making it work. He is incentivising his team so that they are part owners of the business, is about to launch two new restaurants and remains dedicated to working with a growing list of local suppliers. 

Edited by Jasper Schofield

Orlando Murrin has one of those careers in food that makes anyone who loves food jealous. He edited BBC goodfood, helped create Olive magazine and has also run highly successful hotel / restaurants in France and Britain.

He has now embarked on another career branch by writing a murder mystery novel about a chef who has an unexpected experience running a cooking school in Belgravia.

Edited by Stella Gent

Ben Davies is the founder of VYPR, a consumer research business that is designed to metaphorically put the consumer on the shoulder of brand leaders as they optimise their mix or launch new products. 

Ben is a serial entrepreneur and an ex-supermarket buyer who passionately believes that most innovation processes are designed to produce sub-optimal products (and this is backed up data, as 85% of product launches fail after 12 months across Europe). He believes too many run processes that are rigid, take too much time and cost too much money. His platform encourages brand owners to ask lots of little questions, evolve their hypotheses over time and truly understand via A/B testing what is really working. Put another way he wants people to adopt a more agile way of developing products.

He shares with Ollie Lloyd a whole host of examples of categories where most brands are getting things wrong and argues that a new approach can deliver a genuinely more interesting and successful outcome. The truth is that too often brands add too many reasons to believe on their packs, are more focused on what other brands are talking about than what consumers actually need and want. Decisions are made quickly and so brands need to get their messaging at shelf right or products fail. VYPR is a great example of a business that is trying to help brands get things right from the start. 

Edited by Stella Gent

Elin Roberts is the CMO and one of the Co-Founders of Better Nature, a tempeh company. She is leading the charge to inspire more people to embrace the world of tempeh and eat a little bit more sustainably.

Tempeh is a weirdly neglected Indonesian product that is made from fermented soybeans. Whilst it is a stable of Indonesian cuisine it hasn't been embraced around the world even though it has a higher content of protein, fibre and vitamins than tofu.

Already stocked in a broad range of retailers, from Tesco to Lidl, they have strong momentum and are focused on helping people understand that meat free products don't have to be highly processed.

Charlie Bigham, the founder of Bigham's, is one of the emerging giants of the food world. He is passionate about creating a food business that demonstrates the real benefits of long term thinking, a thing he believes we are sorely lacking in the UK at present. To understand his philosophy, all you need to do is look at the award-winning architect designed production facility (aka kitchen), in Somerset, that cooks over 50% of their food.

During his chat with Ollie Lloyd on The Food Talk Show he explained how he is focused on improving their core products rather than getting obsessed by the excitement of innovation. He champions the idea of EFD (Existing Food Development) rather than NPD or NFD (New Food Development) as he calls it. He loves to climb into the metaphorical weeds of his supply chain to find the best possible ingredients. He hates fake meats and believes they are doing immeasurable harm, something it is hard to challenge. His approach is different but it is having a major impact and is winning with customers and retailers. A business that more should be looking to emulate.

Edited by Stella Gent

Toni Vernelli, the head of communications at Veganuary, chats with Ollie Lloyd about the organisation's mission and how it came into being. They discuss what the best of vegan food looks like and how their mission is far from the militant view of veganism that some parts of the press would like you to associate with it. They understand that change is hard and are trying to encourage people to take a step towards more sustainable eating.

Dr Morgaine Gaye, a food futurologist joins Ollie Lloyd on The Food Talk Show to discuss the evolving food landscape and how brands can tap into consumers changing attitudes.  With discussions ranging from the adoption of new food traditions to hyper local consumption and the challenges around plant-based food. 

Edited by Stella Gent

Pete Russell joins Ollie Lloyd on The FoodTalk Show to tell him about his mission to connect small scale farmers with their local consumers. As the founder of Ooooby, an online platform that provides the tools for farmers to manage fruit and veg boxes, he is passionate about finding a way to put customised technology into the hands of farms.

Already working with 70 farms and food hubs across the UK, his business is helping growers connect with local communities. He believes passionately that this model has the potential to create new employment opportunities on farms, help people get closer to the food they eat and also provide a new revenue stream for small scale growers. 

Episode edited by Stella Gent

Rupert Pick, Co-Founder and CEO of Hot Pickle, shares his lessons from 14 years at the cutting edge of experiential marketing. His career started at Unilever, included time as an Inventor at !What If?, and an MBA from Cambridge, all of which explains his strategic approach. He talks about the need to create content platforms far beyond events that engage consumers in a dialogue they care about. He warns brands to avoid being narcissistic and focus on the human element of experiences. But ultimately he convincingly argues that experiential marketing can be both a profit centre and a way of delivering growth if done right. So listen in to learn from one of the masters of this space.

Joanna Allen, the CEO of Graze, comes to our virtual studio to tell Ollie Lloyd all about how she is helping a teenager become a leading voice in the B Corp community. Graze recently turned 15 and is on a mission to help people make small changes that can have big impacts, from both a sustainability and health perspective. 

Graze was one of the early innovators in D2C, dropping boxes full of healthy snacks through consumer’s letterboxes. Nowadays D2C only makes up 20% of its business and it plays a more nuanced role. The team use it as a way of collecting data, for media targeting, product testing and selection and as a recruitment vehicle for a cohort of fans that can spread the word on social media.  

The story Joanna tells, reminds us that the brands trying to do the right thing from a sustainability and health perspective are choosing the harder road. It just comes down to consumers to back these choices, which isn't always easy during a cost of living crisis.

Marcus Wareing comes into the FoodTalk studio to talk about his work with Angela Hartnett, Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux among others. How potatoes have shaped his life, Masterchef ("it was like being asked to be in The Beatles") and his new BBC 2 series Tales From A Kitchen Garden. Fascinating stuff with Susie Warran-Smith and Ollie Lloyd. 

Susie and AJ admit they doesn't really know anything about fermentation and yet it underpins so much of the foodie stuff they love - sourdough, vinegar, beer, pickles etc etc. What is the mother thing? How do you get a starter? All is revealed with our two experts from Peter's Yard and Slow Vinegar. We never thought you could find a vinegar that genuinely tastes better than some wine, and the cheese and crackers are to die for!

Scotland has a glorious history of whisky making. It's romantic, almost magical and definitely world-class. In this episode of the FoodTalk programme, Jane and Susie get to taste some English whisky with renowned whisky expert and Scottish whisky distiller Annabel Thomas. What do they all make of the new English kids on the block and is it really whisky as we know it? Listen to find out. 

Listen again. Susie is overjoyed that this week's programme is about porter and stout - her favourite type of beer. AJ prefers the hoppy taste of IPAs but as always is open to trying anything. Luckily Clare Pope the beer writer is in the studio to take them through the tastings of the black stuff in an orderly fashion. In the end they all agree that the best is an extraordinary stout that is a mind-blowing 11% ABV.

Susie is back from holiday and AJ is relieved to hand the hosting reins back again! This week, they welcome caviar expert, Alison McKenzie to the show. Alison is the official UK partner for Adamas Caviar, which she imports through her business Caviar and Cocktails. The team are absolutely fascinated learning how Caviar comes to be and what lengths the best suppliers are doing to make sure it’s sustainable. Susie admits that she sometimes eats a whole tin for breakfast. AJ is so chuffed to try caviar for the second time in her life, that she can hardly get the words out!  

Join hosts Susie Warran-Smith and AJ Sharp for an exciting episode of the Food Talk Show. In this episode, they are joined by guest experts Joe Moruzzi from Pleese, the pioneers of frozen cheesecake, and Andrew Chelley from Pots & Co, the innovators behind delectable desserts. AJ is as excited as ever to taste sweet treats, but Susie takes a little more convincing. 

Join hosts Susie Warran-Smith and AJ Sharp who are joined this week by two guest experts. John Chater from Dug Drinks, the mastermind behind an incredibly authentic and delicious plant-based milk alternative. And Nat Cooper from Simply Roasted Crisps, whose revolutionary technology has given birth to the crispiest, healthiest and tastiest crisps in town. Nat sheds light on the cutting-edge techniques employed to achieve such a delectable crunch. Can you guess what crisps and plant-based milk has in common?

This week, Susie Warren-Smith is back in the studio with AJ Sharp and they’re talking about heritage this week. Our experts are Scott Goodfellow from Tiptree and Neil Franklin from Brogdale, home of the National Fruit Collection Heritage Orchards. We learn why heritage is really important for topfruit farmers. And although it’s one of her favourite condiment producers, Susie is keen to quiz Scott on why Tiptree is also called Wilkin and Sons.

This week, AJ is joined again by the lovely Suzy Pelta who is a food presenter, demo chef, food judge, recipe writer, brand consultant and condiment enthusiast! This week AJ and Suzy are very excited to meet Lian White from Dr Will’s and Roddy Perkins from Barries, as they deep dive into the world of condiments, from vegan mayos to perfectly balanced ketchups. And Suzy is really excited and interested to hear about the new developments happening around Sriracha!  

Our co-host and Taste Expert AJ Sharp is back in the hosting hot-seat, and she is joined again by guest presenter Suzy Pelta, who is a food presenter, demo chef, food judge, recipe writer, brand consultant. They are joined in the studio this week by Ed Rigg from Eager Drinks, and the team taste their way through the entire bar range and talk about the developments in drinks. And whether or not sugar really is as bad as they say it is! 

Our co-host and Taste Expert AJ Sharp is back in the hosting hot-seat, and she is joined again by guest presenter Suzy Pelta, who AJ describes as an all-round foodie legend! Together they get very excited about what might be described as the World’s best hot chocolate, as Jen Knoop from Knoops joins them in the studio. From 72% to 54%, who knew how multifarious the world of hot chocolate could be?! Are you a chocolate orange lover? Or is it a tiny pinch of sea salt which really floats your boat? There’s something incredibly comforting about Knoops hot chocolate.

This week, AJ is joined by guest Presenter Suzy Pelta. Suzy is no stranger to TV and radio as she first burst on to our screens a few years ago after winning a baking competition on ITV’s Lorraine; she’s also a demo chef, food judge, recipe writer and brand consultant. Our experts are Joe Woolf from Tasty Mates, whose range of sweets have unique flavours relating to personality traits found in many a friendship group. Maya Simler joins us from Playin Choc, which is an organic chocolate and game designed to inspire creative and educational play. We discover that Suzy has a special connection with one of the guests on the show today. And how important it is for us all to play a little more! 

This week, AJ is joined again by Taste Kent Magazine editor, Clare Pope and together they explore the fascinating world of snacking dough! Cookie dough is an un-cooked blend of cookie ingredients, however our experts this week have taken this dough to a whole new level! In the hot seats this week we have Kathryn Bricken from Doughlicious and Erin Moroney from Nibble Simply. AJ gets every excited, as usual, about tasting all the different flavours, while Clare wants to know about the functional benefits. 

This week, AJ is joined by drinks writer Clare Pope who is intrigued by this week’s theme, drinks with a difference. The experts joining them in the studio are Eoin Keenan from Goodrays and Zak Tozer the founder of Zak’s Zombucha. Clare and AJ are really interested to understand the functional elements of different drinks and are especially fascinated by CBD infused drinks. Are they safe? What do they actually do? And is it legal? 

This week, it’s AJ Sharp back in the hosting hot-seat and she is joined again by guest presenter Elles Hale, a professional chef and flexitarian for a show about plant-based meat and cheese alternatives. They learn how plants can disguise themselves as cheese and meat, and why it’s really important to look at the composition of products before eating them. The experts on the show this week are Charlotte Stevens, the cheesemonger who famously received death threats in the post after setting up her plant based “cheeze” shop. And Steve Swindon from Love Seitan, who explains that gluten (as long as you aren’t allergic to it) really isn’t so bad after all. 

This week, AJ is joined by professional pâtisserie chef, Eloise (Elles) Hale, and they are both very excited to meet Harriet Hastings who founded Biscuiteers. Harriet is one of those wonder women, who has four kids and built this incredible multi-million-pound company, which shares happiness around the UK (and soon around the World too) by creating beautiful pieces of edible artwork, for every occasion. AJ has a girl-crush and wants to know how Harriet has achieved so much, so quickly, especially with four kids. Elles is very impressed with the craftsmanship and interested to know how they create so many biscuits, so quickly! 

Susie and AJ have a bit of a party in the studio this week. There’s ham, sparkling wine and gin to taste, with Chloe Wilcock from Oink and Udder, who is running what is described as the “hot desking” of farming. And Jackie Wilks from Terlingham Vineyard, who is channelling a lot of female energy into her incredible wine range. As they’re local to the studio here in Ashford, this show certainly felt like a bit of a party! 

This week, Susie and AJ meet Nutritionist Virginia Hill and Ros Heathcote from Borough Broth. We learn about how real broth is made and why it tastes so much better than other broths you might have tasted. AJ has her mind completely blown about the health benefits of bone broth and Susie vows to order more immediately after the show. 

This week, Susie and AJ meet Tom Walker a BT employee, who started a guacamole business after a disagreement with his colleague Gaz Booth about the correct amount of coriander to use in Guacamole. There was not really a business plan back then, they just Googled how to do things, until they found themselves on an avocado farm in Mexico and realised that things had escalated!  Today, Holy Moly is a multi-million-pound business.  

AJ is still in the hot spot while Susie is on holiday, and Charlotte Pike joins the presenting team again this week as they meet Sophie Grigson. Charlotte knows Sophie already, but AJ is really excited to meet her. They learn about her life since permanently relocating to Puglia in Italy. She shares her experiences living on the heel of Italy’s boot and the joy of enjoying fresh local produce. Will Sophie convince AJ and Charlotte to set off on a Mediterranean adventure?  

AJ is still in the hot spot while Susie is on holiday, and Charlotte Pike joins the presenting team again this week as they explore fermented foods and what they really do to your body. This week, our guest is Zakinah Nori from Zambur Ferments, and Nathan her brewing business partner. Listen as Charlotte shares her knowledge on a variety of different fermentation techniques and gives insights on how to do this yourself at home. AJ is delighted to discover how to delete Cadbury’s Crème Eggs after eating them. And did you know what a space mushrooms are good for?

Listen as AJ takes over the reins for a few weeks while Susie is away on holiday, and she’s joined by professional chef and cookbook author, Charlotte Pike. This week is all about honey and preserves. Charlotte and AJ are joined by Chris Barnes a beekeeper from London, who runs a honey cooperative called Black Bee Honey, making honey by the season. And Jeff Higgins from The Wooden Spoon Company, who explains the best way to eat chilli jam, which wonky fruits go into his preserves and how to make the best lemon curd. Will Jeff and Charlotte agree about the best way to make a Rumtopf? And will Chris convince AJ that you can keep bees in the right postcode?

AJ and Susie are tasting and discussing coffee this week. They are being guided by expert Ashley Palmer-Watts. Ashley is a bit of a (Michelin) star chef, world renowned in fact, but he is also a self-confessed coffee addict. He decided to set up an artisan coffee company in 2019 and is bringing his wondrous blends and flavours to revolutionise the way we think and talk about coffee. They are all joined in the studio by Will Little, a second generation coffee blender. Naturally he makes 'proper' coffee but has also decided to disrupt the world of instant coffee. Susie won't even have instant coffee in her house - will she be persuaded that Little's Instant can get past her door?

Ready meals are something Susie just doesn’t buy. She still thinks they’re like the 1970s ‘tv dinner’ offerings, but AJ, as a very busy mother, has different views. They have invited Milly Bagot the co-founder of ByRuby and Bronzie Kee from Little Lunch Box to explain how everything has changed since then. Bronzie produces well-balanced meals for children that leaves them feeling good and Milly is convinced Susie will not be able to tell the difference between her own home-made lasagne and hers. Well, let’s see!

AJ and Susie are moving recording studios during February, so they're going to repeat 4 of their favourite programmes of last year. Back live as usual on 27 February . . .  Jane Peyton reckons rum isn't taken as seriously as it should be and is mostly associated with cocktails. But in a tasting session led by Jake Sedge of Anno Distillers, AJ and Susie also start to eulogise about this underrated drink too and it seems that Susie may have been somewhat over enthusiastic in her tasting duties.

AJ and Susie are moving recording studios during February, so they're going to repeat 4 of their favourite programmes of last year. Back live as usual on 27 February . . .  This week Susie and AJ are joined by drink's expert, Jane Peyton, to taste a selection of still waters. We currently drink 2.5 million litres of bottled water a year in the UK, but is it worth it? The trouble is, while Jane and AJ discuss the merits of each one, Susie just can't tell the difference at all. That is, until it comes to the famous 'Corporation Pop'. 

AJ and Susie are moving recording studios during February, so they're going to repeat 4 of their favourite programmes of last year. Back live as usual on 27 February . . .  Susie and AJ are somewhat shocked by the contents of the programme this week and you might find it unsettling too. Ben Greensmith of Tony's Chocolonely uncovers the dreadful world of child slave labour in the chocolate industry and why we should be asking some difficult questions of the major chocolate brands in the UK.

AJ and Susie are moving recording studios during February, so they're going to repeat 4 of their favourite programmes of last year. Back live as usual on 27 February . . .  Jane and Susie welcome two tea experts for our programme this week. Nick Gandon of Reginald Ames and Nigel Abbott of Bergamia. Both have a huge amount of experience in importing and blending tea. What size teabag is best? How long do you leave the finest tea leaves to brew? With milk or without? All these questions and more are debated. But if you want to know how to make the perfect cup of breakfast tea first thing in the morning then Nigel has the definitive answer. 

AJ and Christabel Cairns know more about The Great Taste Awards than probably anyone else on the planet. For 2022 there were 14,000 food and drink products to be judged but what was chosen as the best of the best of the best from all those marvellous entries? A cider? Jam? Cured meat? Cheese? Pastry or cake? We will not be divulging the clear winner here - you'll need to listen in as Susie, AJ and Christabel taste the world's best food and drink product in the studio and give their opinion. The answer is, it's amazing!

The World Cheese Awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food and were first held in 1988. It was originally established to shine a light on artisan cheesemakers and to raise their profile, as well as rewarding quality in cheese making. 

It is by far the world’s largest cheese-only event and the 34th competition was held at the ICC Wales in Newport this year. There were a record-breaking 4,434 entries; sent to Wales by boat, truck, train, and plane via 19 consolidation points around the world, ensuring as many artisan cheese producers can enter as possible.

AJ is in her seventh heaven and Susie doesn't really talk much this week as she keeps stealing all the cheeses on offer in the studio, amongst them the world's best cheese (official!). Again they are joined by Christabel Cairns of the Guild of Fine Food who are organisers of the World Cheese Awards and Tom Chatfield who represents the World Champion Cheese La Gruyère Surchoix AOP.