From punk rocker to pasta sauce pioneer, Lloyd Grossman has lived many lives—and he tells the stories with all the colour and humour you’d expect. In this episode, Lloyd looks back at his unlikely journey from fronting a chart-climbing band to backing Van Morrison on stage, before swapping guitar strings for restaurant reviews and TV stardom. His take on the difference between the US and UK punk scenes alone is worth the listen.

Food, of course, is never far away. Lloyd recalls arriving in 1970s London, a time often maligned for its bland cooking, and sets the record straight with tales of surprising sophistication: Margaret Costa’s influential writing, brilliant trattorias, and the early days of Le Caprice, when he was sometimes the only diner in the room. He explains how these restaurants, along with innovators like Peter Langan and Anton Mosimann, transformed London into a truly global dining city.

There are TV tales too. Lloyd shares the accidental phone call that led to him co-creating Through the Keyhole with David Frost—an idea born in Camden over steak and chips that went on to become one of Britain’s biggest entertainment shows. Then came MasterChef, which he fronted in its gentler, pre-competitive era. He reflects on why he stepped away when the format shifted, and on how the food people cooked on those early episodes reflected changing British tastes.

And then, of course, the sauces. Lloyd reveals the unlikely beginnings of his now 30-year-old range—how factory trials first turned out “absolutely bloody awful,” why supermarket buyers balked at olive oil, and the moment someone told him his sauces had “too much flavour.” Add to that his failed but fascinating battle to improve NHS food, and you’ve got an episode packed with stories of grit, wit, and the power of perseverance.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £64 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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Richard Corrigan has lived through—and helped shape—the restaurant revolutions that made London one of the world’s great food cities. From his early days with the eccentric genius Stephen Bull at Blanford Street, through his game-changing decade at Lindsay House, to opening Corrigan’s Mayfair on the very day he closed Lindsay House with a party, Corrigan’s career is a story of grit, brilliance, and survival. He remembers the 90s buzz alongside Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes, and Marco Pierre White, when Michelin stars were scarce, small kitchens did the impossible, and London’s dining scene finally came alive.

In this wide-ranging and unfiltered conversation, Corrigan recalls the madness and magic: Marco Pierre White denying he sat for a portrait—until it was bought by the National Portrait Gallery; Gordon Ramsay standing in his tiny Lindsay House kitchen asking how he pulled it off; and the supermodels who ran out mid-meal when told their limousines had arrived. He shares his passion for honest cooking, his disdain for overblown tasting menus and foodie fads, and his belief that hospitality is about turning even the worst customer into a loyal friend. Along the way, he dishes on everyone from Jay Rayner to Faye Maschler, from the King of Jordan to Kate Moss.

Always outspoken, Corrigan cuts through the noise with clarity. Pizza, he insists, “isn’t dinner, it’s just bread.” Long lunches are a dying art. And the future of food lies not in obscure herbs or gimmicky “Scandi bowls” but in intelligence, honesty, and produce that sings. Whether cooking for three prime ministers, the Queen, or just another guest with a bad day to forget, Corrigan has never lost sight of what matters most: generosity, joy, and a little bit of sea salt in his pocket, just in case.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £64 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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

Richard Corrigan is a chef who has lived many lives, each one bound by resilience, tradition, and an uncompromising love of food. In this conversation, he shares the stories that have shaped him, offering a rare glimpse into the philosophy behind one of the most distinctive voices in British and Irish hospitality.

From oysters and stout to the centuries-old legacy of Bentley’s, Corrigan speaks with passion and precision. He rails against culinary shortcuts, celebrating instead the perfection of a native oyster with lemon, pepper, and brown bread. As custodian of one of London’s great institutions, he reflects on Bentley’s survival through war and hardship, and his mission to keep its traditions alive. His plan to take the London oyster championships on the road captures both his entrepreneurial spirit and his conviction that food culture should be open, mobile, and inclusive.

The conversation also explores Ireland in vivid detail: his childhood on a small farm, learning the hard realities of food through animal slaughter and the making of black pudding, and his candid reflections on Ireland’s politics, diaspora, and culinary renaissance. Corrigan recalls his formative years in kitchens—from peeling potatoes in a local hotel at 14, to stepping into the Hilton Amsterdam at 17, and later forging a reputation in London that drew the attention of Albert Roux.

As the stories unfold—late nights at Lindsay House, his thoughts on the madness and magic of Irish hospitality, and the fine line between toughness and kindness in professional kitchens—what emerges is a portrait of a chef who has never lost sight of his roots. This is Richard Corrigan at his most unfiltered and insightful: a man who believes in the value of tradition, the dignity of work, and the enduring power of food to connect us to place, to people, and to life itself.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £69 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com

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

Tomos Parry—chef of London landmarks Brat and Mountain—joins us on location at fforest in Pembrokeshire for a special Brat × Mountain residency episode. We dive into his fire-led cooking and the thrill (and chaos) of bringing 30 team members to West Wales to cook with the producers who shape his food: think lobster caldereta cooked a stone’s throw from the boats, raw-milk fresh cheese that only exists for a week, and vegetables lifted straight from the farm. Tomos traces the sparks that forged his style—The Ledbury’s edge-of-service creativity, River Café’s seasonal discipline, a formative summer at Noma—and how he builds rounded chefs who understand sauces, fire, P&L and life after the pass. We talk the rise of British terroir restaurants, why Basque cheesecake became a London icon, the cult of dairy cow steak, and the nerve-jangling night he nearly smoked out the Royal Academy. Quick fires take us from Soho’s tiny Jugemu to blowout plates at Ikoyi, Galicia as the dream weekend, corn ribs as a hard no, and a play-out salute to Super Furry Animals.

Recorded at fforest, West Wales.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Blinq—POS made simple: £69/month, unlimited devices, 24/7 UK support, no contracts or hidden fees. Use code GOTOBLINQ for a free month. Got a true kitchen nightmare? Send it in—Ben’s favourite wins a year of Blinq.

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Our guest today is none other than Atul Kochhar, the genius who redefined Indian cuisine in Britain and became the first Indian chef in the world to win a Michelin star.

You’ll hear Atul laugh about an American guest who demanded “the spiciest dish you can make”—only to then bring his own vial of mysterious black liquid so fiery it nearly sent Atul to Mars. You’ll hear the story of him landing in London over 30 years ago, shocked at the state of “curry houses,” and how he helped transform the UK’s perception of Indian food from late-night lager fodder to multi-course, white-tablecloth artistry.

Atul also opens up about the education that made him: growing up in a Punjabi-Bihari household in Jamshedpur, where neighbours from every corner of India introduced him to a mosaic of regional flavours; moving as a teenager with a single iron trunk to Chennai, where he fell in love with idlis, dosas, and the tang of tamarind; and the brutal but life-changing discipline of the Oberoi Hotel kitchens, where he worked under Thai, Chinese, and French Michelin-starred chefs. These years gave him the precision, speed, and ingredient-driven ethos that he would later use to revolutionise Indian fine dining.

And then there’s the leap of faith that changed everything: being scouted to London, helping launch Tamarind, and winning that fateful Michelin star. Atul recalls the dizzying pride of the moment—how overnight he became a national hero in India, and how his father, a catering man who’d seen failure more than once, inspired him to push forward even when the business of running restaurants nearly broke him. From early struggles with sourcing the right onions in Britain to discovering the joys of cooking with venison, hare, and game birds, his stories are as textured as the dishes he plates.

Of course, no Atul story is complete without the drama of restaurant life. He shares nightmare days where gas pipes flooded on a Saturday service, or worse—the devastating fire that shut down his flagship for six months. He remembers the pain of sitting helpless in insurance limbo, and the joy of loyal friends and partners who stepped in to keep his dream alive. There’s humour too—like the “rudest customer” who managed to be offended even when given a bigger table on their anniversary, or his bemusement at Britain’s national dish, chicken tikka masala, which he insists is delicious but—make no mistake—a British invention.

Atul speaks candidly about adapting menus for a world where more diners are on weight-loss drugs, why smaller plates and non-alcoholic cocktails are the future, and how he sees the new wave of Indian chefs in India itself taking innovation to dazzling heights. There are also tender moments: memories of litti chokha eaten by hand and soaked in ghee, evenings when six Thai chefs “adopted” him as their little brother in Delhi, and the bittersweet guidance of Mrs Khanna, the royal-blooded matriarch who taught him the secrets of true Patiala cuisine.

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Step inside Covent Garden’s beating heart with this week’s episode of The Go-To Food Podcast, where we sit down with Will Palmer and Ian Campbell – the masterminds behind London’s legendary wine bar 10 Cases, the seafood temple Parsons, and the ever-buzzy Baudry Greene These two friends-turned-restaurateurs didn’t just build businesses, they created a street corner empire that has shaped how London eats and drinks. And their story? It’s as intoxicating as the wines they pour.

From the genius simplicity behind the 10 Cases name – only ever buying 10 cases of a wine and moving on once it’s gone – to the unforgettable proposal that unfolded at the very table where we recorded, Palmer and Campbell reveal the mix of romance, chaos, and grit that comes with running some of the capital’s most beloved spots. Expect tales of burnt toast experiments, staff dramas, and the exact moment Jay Rayner’s stinging review became the tough love they needed.

But this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. The duo dive into the hard truths of hospitality: how to keep wine lists fresh, why chasing percentages is a trap, and why value – not markups – has been their secret weapon for 14 years. Along the way, you’ll hear about the scallop slider so good it nearly stops the interview, the cocktail that reinvents a Negroni, and the young drinkers still hungry to learn despite the headlines of wellness and sobriety. Whether you’re in hospitality, a wine obsessive, or just someone who loves a brilliant behind-the-scenes story, this is an episode not to miss. Pour yourself a glass, settle in, and discover how two mates with no master plan ended up creating a corner of Covent Garden that Londoners can’t stop talking about.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £69 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com

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

In this episode of The Go-To Food Podcast—brought to you by Blinq (the UK POS rebels)—we sit down with fire-obsessed chef Lennox Hastie, the man behind Sydney’s cult restaurant Firedoor and the pintxo-loving Gildas. From starring on Chef’s Table to earning two Chef’s Hats (Australia’s Michelin-adjacent kudos), Lennox has built a career on cooking everything over live flame—no gas, no charcoal, just wood, nerve, and precision.

Lennox takes us back to the Basque Country, where a chance overheard conversation in a bar sent him up a mountain to Asador Etxebarri—and straight into Victor Arguinzoniz’s inferno. He shares how he went from three-Michelin-star kitchens to a tiny grill line where the ovens roasted your back and the fire seared your front, translating for Anthony Bourdain and learning that wood choice is as crucial as the cut. You’ll hear why turbot belongs flat on the grill (not in a cage), how prawns can stop time, and why simplicity hits harder when the flames are perfectly tuned.

Back in Australia, Lennox fought a four-year, site-by-site battle to open Firedoor the uncompromising way—100% wood-fired or nothing. He breaks down the nerdy magic of ironbark vs. oak, why the team builds log-cabin fires every morning, and how prep dances around rising and falling embers. Expect goosebump dishes and surprising ideas: live-marron split and kissed by heat, grilled lettuce that eats like a revelation, long-aged beef that hums with prosciutto-y depth, and flame-finished desserts that prove pastry belongs in the fire, too.

We also detour through San Sebastián and Sydney’s best bites—pintxos culture, tomato salads worth a pilgrimage, vermouth-forward Marianitos, and Lennox’s go-to Korean and Japanese haunts. It’s a story of obsession, patience, and learning to “slow dance” with fire—from mountain grills to a packed open kitchen where every lick of flame is on show. Plug in for craft, chaos, and crackling honesty—and leave hungry.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £69 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com

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

When Adam Handling sits down for The Go-To Food Podcast, you know you’re in for fireworks. The Michelin-starred chef pulls no punches, opening up about landlords who tried to strong-arm him, staff who faced his infamous “card machine punishment” for costly mistakes, and the emotional nights he locked himself in the restaurant bathroom and cried after service disasters.

The Michelin-starred chef relives the moment he took legal action against a trendy London bakery for using the “Frog” name, and the breakdown he suffered during COVID when he thought his entire restaurant group might collapse. Brutally honest, occasionally explosive, and always compelling, Adam holds nothing back about the cutthroat world of food and hospitality.

Adam also shares the rollercoaster of building his restaurant empire — from landlords evicting him overnight to resurrecting Ugly Butterfly 2.0 on the Cornish cliffs, and from bursting power supplies that shut Frog Covent Garden mid-service to dealing with chefs who jump kitchens every few months.

And then there are the customers. From finger-snappers unceremoniously kicked out mid-service to diners outraged when crab butter replaced his signature chicken butter, Adam has seen it all. Brutally honest yet fiercely passionate, he reminds us why restaurants are the most exhilarating, maddening, and life-affirming places on earth. This is an episode every foodie — and anyone who’s ever worked in hospitality — needs to hear.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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