Always In Season – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, James Golding speaks with chef lecturer and food-education advocate Ashley Marsh, a member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, educator at the University of West London, and lead for the Chefs Adopt a School programme. His career spans professional kitchens, international events and extensive community outreach, all driven by a commitment to building young people's confidence and curiosity through food.

Ashley shares how his passion began with family influences especially his grandmother and uncle and how cooking helped him gain confidence as a teenager. Early career experiences in Australia taught him discipline and the value of strong mentors. After time in business and industry catering, he moved into education, combining practical expertise with a mission to support the next generation of chefs.

At the University of West London, Ashley focuses on practical skills, leadership, sustainability and seasonality. He and James discuss the importance of collaboration between hospitality and education to attract and retain new talent.

Ashley outlines the Chefs Adopt a School programme, which teaches taste and sensory exploration, knife skills and cooking to help children understand food origins, build confidence, and try new ingredients. With many families lacking time or confidence to cook at home, school engagement becomes crucial and the results are immediate: children grow more curious and willing to taste new foods.

The conversation highlights challenges young people face, from social media pressure to increasing anxiety around food. Ashley believes food education provides grounding, community and resilience. He shares memorable stories from working with young people and about his annual Christmas volunteering with Ronald McDonald House, where cooking for families reinforces the emotional impact of hospitality.

James and Ashley compare international food cultures, reflecting on Italian festivals where teenagers confidently prepare traditional dishes. These experiences reinforce Ashley's belief that the UK needs stronger food engagement across homes, schools and communities.

Ashley also uses pure maple syrup in teaching to discuss seasonality, provenance, natural sweetness and healthier alternatives to refined sugar showing how any ingredient can spark learning.

The episode closes with a call for deeper partnerships between chefs, schools and the hospitality sector, and a more positive narrative about careers in food. Ashley believes hospitality offers creativity, opportunity and global pathways and that early, inspiring food education helps young people grow in confidence and find their place in the industry.

Follow https://www.instagram.com/alice.fevronia/ and Maple from Canada UK www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.  

South African born chef Jean Delport, the creative mind behind Michelin starred Restaurant Interlude at Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex, joins us to share his journey from Cape Town to the UK. In 2019, Jean became only the second South African chef to earn a Michelin star, celebrated for blending French and British cuisine with his South African heritage and nature inspired philosophy.

Jean recalls how his love of food began at home after his mother's accident, and how time spent on farms and in the bush with his father shaped his farm to table approach. He reflects on the challenges of leaving South Africa, his career progression in England, and his experience competing on Great British Menu.

At home, Jean keeps cooking simple with roast chicken, pasta and pies, while championing natural ingredients and sustainability. He shares his appreciation for pure Canadian maple syrup, from flapjacks and crumpets to exploring its similarities with birch tapping at Interlude's garden estate.

Jean also opens up about the emotional moment of winning a Michelin star, calling it a dream come true. Looking ahead, he hopes to achieve two stars, continue creating memorable dining experiences, and expand his work with the Prept Foundation, inspiring young people to cook and eat well.

Follow Jean https://www.instagram.com/delportjean/ and Maple from Canada UK www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.  

To discover more about Jean's culinary journey and to learn more about Restaurant Interlude, visit Jean's website.

In this episode, James sits down with two special guests: Dan Wade, a former chef and founder of the Prept Foundation (previously known as Table Talk Foundation), and Paul Dayman, a Chef Lecturer at Bournemouth and Poole College. Together, they dive into the pressing issues of rising childhood obesity and diabetes, discussing how these can be eased through better food education in schools and greater awareness among the younger generation of how food impacts our mental and physical health.

Through their work with thousands of children, they are helping to reshape the way the next generation understands nutrition, health, and the food they eat. Tune in to hear how Dan and Paul's initiatives are making a real impact, the challenges they are facing, and why this topic is more relevant than ever.

Follow www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.  

James' recipes are available here: www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/   

Follow Prept Foundation here https://www.instagram.com/prept.foundation/  and Bournemouth & Poole College here https://www.instagram.com/thebpcollege

Resources mentioned in the interview: 

Prept Foundation https://prept.foundation/

Bournemouth and Poole College https://www.thecollege.co.uk/college/

Jamie Olivier https://www.jamieoliver.com/

Gordon Ramsay https://www.gordonramsay.com/

Adopt A School https://royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk/aboutaas

Royal Academy of Culinary Arts https://royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk/

The Ritz https://www.theritzlondon.com/

In the latest episode, James serves up a delicious conversation with recipe developer, chef and presenter, Julie Lin. Here, Julie shares how a friend entering her into MasterChef changed her life, Julie's first street food stall in Glasgow, how a Malaysian background inspires her cooking, appearing on Netflix's hit foodie show – Somebody Feed Phil and lots more.  

Follow www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.   

James' recipes are available here: www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/    

Follow Julie here: https://www.instagram.com/julielincooks/  

Resources mentioned in the interview:   

MasterChef https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t1k5  

Gaga https://www.gagaglasgow.com/  

Somebody Feed Phil https://www.netflix.com/title/80146601  

Dhruv Baker's podcast episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/6VSXYTfpQvh3wsTf9Qwg3m?si=126f82487b694b53  

Pre order Julie's cookbook Sama Sama here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/sama-sama/julie-lin/9781529935370  

In episode two, James is joined by wine expert, Tom Surgey, for a conversation that delves into the rise of sober curiosity and more drinking trends for the future (spoiler, apparently pale rosé is on its way out!). Tom shares tips on what to look for when purchasing wine and champagne from supermarkets, along with top picks for a low and no tipples. This conversation discusses why opting to go for an alcohol-free drink isn't an inferior experience anymore, thanks to some great brands, and why we are going to see more people opting for low and no drinks.  

Follow www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.   

James' recipes are available here: www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/    

Follow Tom here: https://www.instagram.com/tomsurgey/  

Resources mentioned in the interview:   

The Ivy https://ivycollection.com/menus/  

Table Talk Foundation https://www.tabletalk-foundation.com/  

Plumpton College https://www.plumpton.ac.uk/  

A.A. Badenhorst Curator White Blend: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/a-a-badenhorst-curator-white-blend/433357-756693-756694  

Zeno https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/zeno-alcohol-liberated-white/765544-793974-793975  

Lucky Saint https://luckysaint.co/  

Agua De Madre https://aguademadre.co.uk/  

Momo Kombuca https://momo-kombucha.com/collections/all-products?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-Myf1aaIhwMVr5RQBh2ZQA2OEAAYASAAEgJLOfD_BwE  

Punchy https://www.punchydrinks.com/  

No Madic Sporadic https://nomadicsporadic.odoo.com/  

ITV's Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh https://www.itv.com/watch/love-your-weekend-with-alan-titchmarsh/10a0437  

Pre-order Tom's new book here: https://geni.us/howtodrinkwine  

Season 4 of Always in Season launches with one of the world's most esteemed patisserie chefs, the incredibly talented Cherish Finden.

Learn how Cherish brings her Singaporean background into her world-famous afternoon teas, why Cherish fell in love with British culture (spoiler, it involves cups of tea), top tips for aspiring home bakers, how she ended up as a judge on Bake Off: The Professionals and lots more.   

Follow www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.   

James' recipes are available here: www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/    

Follow Cherish here: www.instagram.com/cherish_finden/  

Resources mentioned in the interview:   

 Adopt A School royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk/aboutaas  

Langham Hotel www.langhamhotels.com  

The Savoy Hotel www.thesavoylondon.com/   

Benoit Blin www.instagram.com/benoitblinmca/  

Check out Cherish on Bake Off: The Professionals here: www.channel4.com/programmes/bake-off-the-professionals   

For our season finale, the legendary Brummie chef Glynn Purnell sits down with James to chat all things food. Here, Glynn goes back to his humble beginnings of how making beans on toast for his siblings led him to finding his love for cooking. He shares the incredible moment he was awarded a Michelin Star, what to expect from the diverse food scene in Birmingham, what his time was like on Great British Menu and lots more.  

https://www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK https://www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.    

James' recipes are available here: https://www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/     

Follow Glynn here: https://www.instagram.com/chefpurnell/ 

Resources mentioned in the interview:    

Great British Menu: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0071y6r  

Gary Rhodes https://garyrhodes.co.uk/  

Gordon Ramsay https://www.gordonramsay.com/  

Alastair Little https://byalastairlittle.co.uk/  

Marco Pierre White https://www.marcopierrewhite.co/  

Original Patty Men http://originalpattymen.com/  

Good Food Guide https://www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk 

Check out Glynn's restaurants here: https://purnellsrestaurant.com/#section-057e1a2  

Our guest today is Breakthrough Chef of the Year, Ben Murphy. Here, Ben chats about how his dreams of becoming a footballer were crushed when he broke his collarbone, and how the accident led him into working in a kitchen. Here, he delves into his time working at The Berkeley with world-renowned chef, Pierre Koffmann and shares his experiences of working in the South of France, why he feels lucky doing something he loves and lots more.  

https://www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK https://www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.    

James' recipes are available here: https://www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/     

Follow Ben here: https://www.instagram.com/benmurphychef/  

Resources mentioned in the interview:    

Westminster Kingsway College https://www.capitalccg.ac.uk/westking  

The Berkeley www.the-berkeley.co.uk  

Pierre Koffman https://www.instagram.com/pierre.koffmann/ 

Les Prés d'Eugénie https://lespresdeugenie.com/  

Hospitality Action https://www.hospitalityaction.org.uk/  

Check out Ben's restaurants here: https://www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk/book-a-table/  

James' guest today is one of Cornwall's most loved chefs, Jack Stein, Chef Director at Rick Stein Restaurants. In this conversation, Jack shares how he kicked off his cooking career by helping at his dad's restaurant in school holidays, what it was like growing up in Cornwall and how it's changed since the 90's, top tips for cooking fish at home and how he finds working with his family at one of the UK's most successful seafood restaurant groups.  

https://www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK https://www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.    

James' recipes are available here: https://www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/     

Follow Jack Stein here: https://www.instagram.com/jacksteinchef/  

Resources mentioned in the interview:    

Black Pig Restaurant http://www.blackpigrestaurant.co.uk/  

Nathan Outlaw's podcast episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/18YojqlKQvijdjBb7r9E7h?si=9fd364a7618d4d50  

Paul Ainsworth https://www.paul-ainsworth.co.uk/  

Camel Valley https://www.camelvalley.com/  

River Café https://www.rivercafe.co.uk/  

Cooking with The Stars https://www.itv.com/watch/cooking-with-the-stars/10a1356/10a1356a0013  

Alistair Petrie https://www.instagram.com/petriealistair/  

Rock Oyster https://www.rockoysterfestival.co.uk/  

Check out Rick Stein's restaurants here: https://rickstein.com/  

This week, James chats to Thom about how life has changed since his time on Great British Menu, taking over the restaurant he first worked at when he was just 17 years old and suffering with imposture syndrome. Thom shares the format and equipment he uses for his viral social media cooking videos, which he posts regularly to his 2.5M+ TikTok followers, and tonnes more.

https://www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK https://www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.   

James' recipes are available here: https://www.maplefromcanada.co.uk/benefits-of-maple/ambassadors/james-golding/    

Follow Thom Bateman here: https://www.instagram.com/chefthombateman/ or on TikTok here https://www.tiktok.com/discover/chef-thom-bateman?lang=en

Resources mentioned in the interview:   

Pub In The Park: https://www.pubintheparkuk.com/

Great British Menu: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0071y6r

Check out Thom's restaurant here: https://www.theflintlockcheddleton.co.uk/