Would you believe it - today’s guest is an actual scientist! As in Ph.D. from Oxford in Materials Science scientist who happens to also be a world expert in fermentation and uses his scientific powers to help chefs and bars make food more delicious, in thoughtful, sustainable ways. I first heard about Dr. Johnny because of the work he does with Doug McMaster at zero-waste restaurant Silo and with Mr Lyan at his cocktail bars and restaurant Cub here in London where Johnny heads up the fermentation cave. Yes, a real below-ground bunker dedicated to fermenting things.  Despite only working in the food world for the last 6 years, Johnny has done so much - from fermenting butter at the Nordic Food Lab in Copenhagen to making ramen noodles in Switzerland, to co-founding MOLD magazine which explores the intersection of food and design, focusing on how we’re going to create a sustainable global food system that can feed 10 billion people by 2050. So yes, Johnny is a very cool, fascinating guy who cares a lot about food and creating a better, more sustainable food system. We chat about Johnny’s career so far, some of the interesting, wacky projects he’s worked on, what set him on the path to directing his work more around sustainability, and some ideas on what the future of food and restaurants could look like… 

Food Tribe

Ep 47: World fermentation expert - Dr. Johnny Drain

My guest today is farmer and butcher Ian Warren, who owns the family-run Philip Warren Butchers in Cornwall. They produce and sell some of the highest quality meat in the UK, supplying top restaurants in the country, and also selling directly to consumers. This year, during lockdown, they launched ‘On the Pass’, making their specialist cuts of meat, that would normally have been used by the likes of Brat and The Ledbury, available for people to order online and cook at home. Ian and I talk about the work he does and what is means to rear and sell quality meat, and he shares some background on livestock farming in the UK, and how we as consumers can make better, more informed decisions when buying and eating meat. I know meat can be a very contentious subject - my view is I believe meat is a specialist product, that it’s not a staple we should be eating every day, and if we do have the means, it would make a huge difference if more of us made the effort to seek out better quality meat farmed in a way that respects nature, where we pay a bit more, eat a bit less of it, and support the farmers producing it in the right way. Like anything in our food system, these small changes can have a big impact. So I hope this conversation gives you some food for thought, and provides some more info on the very nuanced world of meat and how we can do our part to help make it better... You can find out more and order online here - https://philipwarrenbutchers.co.uk/  

Ep 57: Farmer and Butcher Ian Warren - Philip Warren Butchers

My guest today is the creative, unconventional, and rather brilliant Willy Wonka of British wine. Ben Walgate is pushing the boundaries of winemaking in the UK - from the grape varieties he uses, the styles of wine he’s producing, his combination of aging methods, to his vision for the farm and his wine. Ben started Tillingham 3 years ago, on a gorgeous farm in East Sussex. When he took over the farm, there weren’t any vineyards on the land so he’s had to buy in grapes grown in the area to make his wine, while he set about planting his own vines (of which they’re around 35,000 now). This really is just the beginning for Tillingham… I’m in awe of what Ben has created in such a short space of time - aside from the fact that he has an incredible gift for winemaking and his wines are so acclaimed, not just in the UK but by some of the world’s top restaurants, he’s also set up a beautiful guesthouse and restaurant on the property which uses produce grown and reared on the farm. We recorded the episode in the winery at Tillingham, and Ben and I chat about the farm and how it came to be, and of course we talk about the wine and some of Ben’s methods. Ben is so charismatic, and his love for wine is infectious. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Ep 56: Winemaker and farmer Ben Walgate - Tillingham Wines

Towpath Café is a rare and precious treasure of a place that is loved by so many. My own long-standing love affair with Towpath started pretty much the moment I moved to London in the summer of 2016 while strolling along Regent’s canal - I was totally sucked in by the magic, and the divine food, and I’ve been visiting this gem religiously ever since.  They’ve been open for ten years and to mark the occasion, the owners, Lori De Mori and Laura Jackson have published their book Towpath - recipes and stories. Another piece of good news out of this wild year - usually, each November these four Towpath bunker doors close, bidding us farewell for the winter. And then just when you’re in need of a summer lifeline, they roll up in March, signifying spring, new beginnings, and the promise of good things to come. And now for the first time ever, Towpath is going to be open for the winter - you can bundle up and go for breakfast and lunch and they’re now also doing reservations for dinner. You can find out all about that, and order their beautiful book, on their website - https://www.towpathlondon.com/ Towpath is so much more than a place to go and eat. It’s a part of the reason London came to feel like home for me. And I know many others feel the same. It was an honour to be able to sit down with Lori and Laura and talk about the book and the whole Towpath journey and how they’ve created this piece of magic on a tiny stretch of Regent’s canal. I hope you enjoy! *For more recipes and stories from Towpath, tune into Lori and Laura’s podcast here.

Ep 55: Lori De Mori & Laura Jackson - the magic of Towpath

My guest today is none other than the brilliant chef and baking queen Pam Yung. Pam moved to London from New York last summer to take up the head chef position at James Lowe’s wine bar and bakery, Flor in Borough Market. When the restaurant had to close during the first lockdown, Pam and her team started making some of the best damn pizzas Londoners have ever laid their chops on. They called it ASAP pizza and it’s become a hit. People cannot get enough, and for good reason - these are New York style sourdough pizzas made using exceptional produce and heritage British wheats, and some seriously creative, delicious topping combos. I respect Pam’s whole approach to food and cooking - she’s extremely curious, meticulous about the produce she uses and how it’s grown, and takes pride in her relationships with farmers, growers and her diners. She cares so much about the craft of cooking and baking, and about doing it with integrity and an open mind. I met Pam a few weeks ago to talk about her story and background, and how she found her way into the kitchen. Pam has a lot of stories under her belt so this is a wide-ranging conversation - we cover everything from pizza, to travel, to differences between NYC and London,  and Pam’s experience of being a child of immigrant parents and finding the courage to follow her heart and do what she loves. I hope you enjoy this conversation with the wonderful Pam Yung.   *Flor is re-opening this week, and ASAP Sundays will continue every Sunday from Flor – you can book your spot here.

Ep 54: Chef, baker and wanderluster Pamela Yung

E5 Bakehouse in Hackney is a place very close to my heart, so I am super excited to share this episode with you. They may be a beloved neighbourhood spot but their impact goes way beyond Hackney – e5 is a seminal London bakery, whose foundations are built on sustainability, on using the best produce that’s grown in harmony with nature, and who see the community, relationships, and quality as absolutely key to building a successful food business. The owner and founder is Mr Ben Mackinnon - a fascinating guy who started e5 around his 30th birthday, after a career change where he decided he wanted to try his hand at baking. That was 10 years ago and lucky for us he turned out to not be too shabby at it… I met Ben at e5 a few weeks ago to chat about the e5 story and how it all came to be, the process behind making their sensational sourdough, and what it takes to run a sustainable café and bakery.

Ep 53: Owner and founder of e5 Bakehouse - Ben MacKinnon

My guest today is the very talented and oh so humble co-owner and head chef of Dinings SW3, Masaki Sugisaki. After selling his family's restaurants outside of Tokyo, Masaki moved to London to work at Nobu, and later formed part of the founding team at the original Dinings in Marylebone. The Japanese food culture and respect for produce governs his whole approach to cooking. He doesn’t compromise on quality, he cooks seasonally and uses the whole ingredient, and has direct relationships with his seafood suppliers (predominantly day boats in Cornwall), and it shows on the plate - fresh, thoughtful, and absolutely delicious. I met Masaki after having lunch at Dinings a few weeks ago and we chat about his background and the change that came with moving from cooking Japanese food in Japan to the freedom of being a chef here, and how he’s experienced the evolution of Japanese cuisine in London. And of course, we talk about his restaurant and his whole philosophy on cooking… I hope you enjoy! 

Ep 52: Chef Masaki Sugisaki

 Abby is the co-creator of the Farmerama podcast which heroes farmers and producers behind regenerative farming and highlights stories that bring us closer to the source of our food. They’ve recently released their new 6-part series titled Who Feeds Us? Abby has a fascinating story – she studied Physics at Oxford, then went on to do an art and design course, and later began working at her family’s farm in Chile where she discovered her love of farming and soil. And she now uses all her skills across technology, design, physics and farming. She’s devoted to creating a better food system and raising awareness about the importance of healthy soil and regenerative farming, and the fact that this is something that affects us all.   We chat about the brilliant new season of Farmerama, Abby’s background, her love of farming and soil and why it’s essentially the context to all our lives, and we also get onto some pretty niche topics like feminine land ethic, and One Health… I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with the wonderful Abby Rose. Farmerama podcast Abby’s family farm – Vidacycle Leah Penniman

Ep 51: Farmer, physicist, designer and podcaster Abby Rose

Today’s guest is the gorgeous, stylish, and lovely Ravinder Bhogal. Cooking always played a big part in her life, but it wasn’t until a twist of fate 13 years which led to her winning a national TV competition that she found herself suddenly entering the world of food - and she’s since gone on to have this incredible career as a chef, food writer and journalist, and restaurateur. Ravinder opened her restaurant Jikoni in Marylebone 4 years ago, and she’s now just published her second book; Jikoni - proudly inauthentic recipes from an immigrant kitchen. Ravinder’s unique mix of experiences, cuisines, cultures, and flavours that she grew up with has informed her approach to food which you won’t find anywhere else. Food without borders, that’ll leave you talking about the dishes long after the meal…  I headed over to Jikoni a couple of weeks ago to meet Ravinder - we chat about her wild career ride so far, the ups and downs of owning a restaurant, her background and how that inspires her food, and of course her new book. 

Ep 50: Cook in Boots - Ravinder Bhogal

Chef Douglas McMaster is the man behind the world’s first zero-waste restaurant, Silo. He believes a better future is possible, one in which we can mend our broken system and eradicate food waste. His restaurant, Silo is a living, breathing, working example of Doug’s vision; a sustainable food system for the future with zero waste as it’s point of difference - one in which we eat whole foods, upcycle ‘waste’ into something delicious and desirable, where there exists an eco-system of chefs, farmers, producers, makers who are growing and creating and going about their craft in ethical ways that respect nature - that’ll make you rethink what luxurious food and dining should be. This conversation with Doug goes into a lot more than just the food or the restaurant - I wanted to get and share some insight into this rather brilliant, creative, innovative man’s mind. I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Mr. Douglas McMaster...

Ep 49: Chef Douglas McMaster

Creating a chocolate company was the furthest thing from Raphael Dapaah's mind - he went into a career in politics, and despite cocoa being a huge part of his heritage, it wasn’t until reading a shocking fact on the industry in 2016 that led him to taking a trip back to Ghana to begin building his own ethical, sustainable craft chocolate brand. His two siblings Kwaku and Afia soon joined the company and in 2018 Dapaah Chocolates was born with a mission to uplift local cocoa-growing communities in Ghana, create new jobs, and pay farmers better, fairer wages. I’d heard about Dapaah because they won a Young British Foodie award last year, then I tasted their chocolate (which totally lived up to the hype) and I knew I had to get Raphael on the pod. The Dapaah story is an incredible example of a small food brand going against the mass-market status quo and standing for big, positive change.  I caught up with Raphael a couple of weeks ago to hear their story -  we chat about why he wanted to start the company, how he learnt to make chocolate, what makes their bars so unique,  and his long term dreams for the brand.

Ep 48: Raphael Dapaah - chocolate with a conscience

Farmer Abi Glencross is now head of Grains at Duchess Farms and is also one half of the Sustainable Food Story with her best friend Sadhbh Moore (you can listen to episode 30 to hear their story). Abi has had a rather wild career ride - she went from studying engineering to becoming a scientist growing meat in a lab, and then went to train under pioneering chef and sustainable agriculture advocate Dan Barber and his team at Blue Hill Farm in the US where she learned to farm. And it was there that she discovered her passion for heritage grains.  We talk about Abi’s journey from the lab to the field, what made her want to become a farmer, and she gives us the lowdown on heritage grains and why they’re better.  Abi is so passionate about what she does, and about doing it in a way that respects nature and our environment. It was great to speak to her again and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did… Happy listening! *To help Abi and the team at Duchess Farms buy their new flour mill, visit their crowdfunder page here*

Ep 46: Farmer Abi Glencross

Today’s guest is the owner and founder of Modal Wines. Nic imports small-batch, distinctive wines from independent producers who all make wine in a way that works with nature, using as little intervention in the vineyards and the cellars as possible. Pre-Covid Nic only supplied directly to restaurants but given the times has had to adapt and now lucky for us, supplies directly to consumers. Personally, I just love all his wines and Modal’s whole ethos and everything it stands for - sourcing product made with care in a way that respects nature, always placing importance on flavour and quality, and transparent supply chains that are built on human relationships. We talk about Nic’s background and how he set up Modal Wines, what he loves about working in the industry, and we also do a tasting of one of Nic’s wines. You may notice some new tunes in the episode... Nic also happens to be a talented musician and used to work full time in the music biz, until just last year, so all the music in this episode was created by him. Wine is such a vast, nuanced topic and it can feel difficult to even know where to begin. What I really enjoyed about speaking to Nic is that he makes it so unintimidating, and really approachable. Nic is super passionate about what he does, I loved chatting to him, and I know you’re going to enjoy hearing his story… Happy listening!  

Ep 45: Nic Rizzi - owner and founder of Modal Wines

Today I’m speaking to Franco Fubini, founder and owner of fresh produce purveyor Natoora. Franco founded Natoora 16 years ago with a mission to revolutionise the food system. Natoora has always stood for sourcing and supplying food in a sustainable way. They source radically seasonal produce with a focus on flavour that’s been farmed in a way that works with nature, their supply chains are transparent, and farmers and producers are celebrated. Franco has been on the podcast before (you can take a listen to episode 22 if you haven’t heard it) where he shares the whole Natoora story, talks about their mission, and answers some big questions on our food system.  In light of this pandemic, I wanted to speak to Franco again about the impacts it’s having on our food system, and what opportunities he’s seeing for positive lasting change. Natoora has a pretty remarkable story of how they’ve adapted their business model, and miraculously increased their supply of food during this time - pivoting from supplying to restaurants which was 60% of their business, directly to people’s homes.  We chat about this shift the company has made, what trends they’re seeing, and then more broadly about what this crisis could mean for our food system, how it’s impacting farmers and consumers, and what we hope may emerge from it.

Ep 44: Covid and our food system with founder of Natoora, Franco Fubini

 Today’s guest is going to takes you on a culinary trip to Indonesia… Chef and food writer Lara Lee has just released her beautiful debut cookbook, Coconut & Sambal – a collection of stories, images and recipes from this exquisite collection of islands. Lara is half Indonesian, half Australian and now lives in London with her husband Nick and baby Noah. After changing careers in her late twenties and training to become a chef, Lara went on a journey to explore her Indonesian heritage. She was mentored by Sri Owen, the leading figure on Indonesian cooking, and she embarked on a 6-month trip around Indonesia, which resulted in her new book.   Lara and I chat about her career in food, Indonesia and their food culture, and all things Coconut & Sambal.   Happy listening!

Ep 43: Chef and food writer Lara Lee

Food Tribe is a weekly show that explores the stories behind the people doing cool things in the world of food. Join host Georgie Creaven as she sits down with chefs, restaurateurs, food influencers, stylists, and cookbook authors to talk about their food journeys, where and what they love to eat and what it’s really like building a career in the industry. You’ll hear it all from the tribe of foodies at the top of their game...