The FoodTalk Show (FoodTalk Group Limited)

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!

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.

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? 

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

Listen to the repeat of our podcast from January 2020. What is the greatest food TV programme ever?

It’s a family affair in the studio today, as the team are joined by Ollie’s sister, Antonia – who just happens to be a BAFTA award-winning producer who has worked on many of the UK’s top food and drink programmes.

She gives us some behind the scenes glimpses of life in foodie television, such as MasterChef: The Professionals and The Great British Menu. Plus, we hear from two other guests who are no strangers to the small screen. Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE is BBC Radio 2’s resident GP and has appeared on numerous TV shows, while Sally Bee is a well-known healthy cook for ITV.

So, what are the greatest TV programmes about food ever made? Opinions vary as Sue, Ollie and Holly share their personal favourites and discuss the heroes and villains of the genre.

Looking to the future of food programming, Sally and Dr Sarah certainly know where they would like the spotlight to rest. As members of the advisory team to Lo Salt – the all-natural alternative that has 66% less sodium than regular salt – Dr Sarah and Sally want to see delicious, healthy food getting more coverage in mainstream cookery shows.

Sally has survived five heart attacks, so she knows about the importance of raising awareness and feels that TV has a huge role to play.

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!

AJ doesn't think she can do any tastings today. As a student she had a bad time on tequila once and she's never touched it since, even the smell makes her wince. Can Jane Peyton the drinks expert, Susie, a self-confessed margarita fan and our friends from Vivir and Mijenta change her mind?

Using AJ's knowledge of PR and marketing and Robyn Simms experience at Square Root Soda, Susie wants to understand the pros and cons of using a brand ambassador to promote your foodie product. Should you use a brand ambassador such as Donald Trump, Gary Lineker or Wallace and Gromit or hire an influencer?

Susie meets Marie Prebble from Kent who holds the world record for sheep shearing. Along with Kristina Boulden of Romney Marsh Wools she explains why British lamb is best in the summer and why we should all being eating the much maligned mutton. 

Susie and AJ don't really know what a B Corp is, but they know that more and more consumers want to know where their food comes from and that it is being sourced and made responsibly. Enter Guy Tullberg of Tracklements and Jonathan Parker of Foodari who can both demonstrate why sustainability and good ethical practices make good business sense.

Vegan chocolate? Is it a thing? It certainly is. Sue and Jane are bowled over by two producers who’ve been making vegan products for decades, well before ‘plant-based’ went mainstream. Apparently, milk chocolate (and some dark chocolate) contains milk powder which means they’re unsuitable for vegans. Not these delicious bites though.

Listen again to our podcast of April 2019 to cheer us up in 2021.

Who ate all the pies? Not Sue, Holly or Ollie, because Calum forgot to bring any with him. The extraordinarily talented pie maestro, who is the Executive Chef at the Holborn Dining Room, breezed into the radio studios to talk all things pastry covered. The star of the short film The Geometry of Pie has opened the Pie Room at Holborn with a new menu dedicated to perfectly crafted pies. Sue just cannot contain her enthusiasm and reckons that steak and kidney pudding is probably the best dish in the whole world ever. Calum's 80,000 followers on instagram might well agree.

Pie could go with sprouts but we're not talking Brussels! Sprouts are seeds that germinate to become young plants after a few days and are extremely nutrient. They're great in salads, soups, pasta sauces, wraps and stir fries and are becoming increasingly popular. How do you use these type of sprouts?  Ratna reveals all.

There are now so many media channels to choose from that it's really hard to work out where to get the most bang for your buck. Media expert Emma Liddiard of Global explains how to plan a media campaign and Henry Jeffreys the food writer tells Susie and AJ how to get your press release noticed.

We are very lucky to have Ellie Webb in the studio today with her incredibly popular non-alcoholic drink Caleño. We also have Matt from Lixir, which is just as well as he mixes some fabulous non-alcoholic cocktails with Ellie for AJ and Susie to taste. Did you know you can use a pineapple spike as a garnish? Nor did we and what is the thing about having too much ice? You really can get that cocktail vibe without the alcohol and not have to wake up with a headache. 

How will AI transform the way you shop and eat in 2020?

Holly has finally given up her globetrotting in order to re-join Sue and Ollie in the studio. Once they’ve checked in on how their New Year’s resolutions are going, they take a look at tomorrow’s world by investigating the hot foodie topic of artificial intelligence (AI).

From self-service supermarket checkouts to the algorithms that push online advertising at us, we interact with AI every day. But how is it being put to good use in the food sector?

Markus Stripf from Spoon Guru explains how his company set out to become the “Google of food”, enabling consumers to search for the products that suit their particular dietary needs.

How often have you visited a restaurant or ordered a takeaway and struggled to understand which dishes are truly right for you? Helping people to eat with convenience, control and transparency is a passion for Nick Popovici of Vita Mojo. The company provides an ultra-personalised menu, allowing customers to control macros, calories and quantities.

What does gut health mean to you? Possibly not very much, so it’s good that Helena Rogers from Troo is on hand to explain why it’s so important to our wellbeing. The vegan-friendly brand has created high-fibre products that contain no potential gut irritants, plus they’re a plastic-free company.

We have a great combination in the studio today, and we aren’t talking Holly and Ollie, we’re talking Gin and Charcuterie! We're joined by Shaun Cannon of Cannon and Cannon and Talula White of Sekforde Drinks.

British charcuterie was a bit of an oddity when Shaun started out. The general perception was that you couldn't possibly make charcuterie in the UK because the weather conditions "weren’t right". Well, just like British cheese, we now have a burgeoning charcuterie industry and according to Shaun we're rather good at it.

He takes Sue and the team through a tasting feast of extraordinary British bresaola, air dried hams and chorizos. All from animals that are free range and ethically reared. Eating all this charcuterie made Sue extremely thirsty, so thank goodness Talula was in the studio. If you're overwhelmed by the range of weird mixers that now populate the supermarket shelves and can't work out the perfect combination to go with your Sipsmith, Talula has solved the problem. Sekforde make the perfect mixers to go with a range of spirits and she's enlisted the help of Sharon to make some gin combinations to prove it.

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

Listen again to our podcast from February.

Food history and writing are both under the spotlight this week, as two culinary wordsmiths share their very different outlets for gourmet expression. 

Sam Bilton is a freelance food historian, writer and cook who also runs a supper club, Repast, where she showcases her modern interpretations of historical food. If you fancy a blast from the past, you need to get a seat at Sam’s table, but what is her own favourite gastronomic era? Her answer might just surprise you…

Once they’ve finished tucking into yesterday’s delicacies, Sue, Ollie and Holly welcome Zeren Wilson, acclaimed writer of Bitten and Written, which was crowned Best Food Blog at the 2019 Guild of Food Writers Awards.

After a lively discussion about the do’s and don’ts of negative restaurant reviews, Zeren’s experience in wine selling leads the team to explore the role of beverages throughout the ages.

While Sam and Zeren are no strangers to adding colour to their writing, Exberry has been doing that in a more literal sense for over 40 years. By using fruits, vegetables, edible plants and water, Exberry helps food manufacturers to make their products look amazing, the natural way. Paul Collins is here to tell us more about the company’s colourful history.

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 honoured to have Renée Elliott and Sam Wigan as their guests on today's programme. The food, drink, agri and hospitality sector have taken a real hit in the last two years. Almost everyone's health has been affected by covid one way or another. How do we keep our entrepreneurial heads above water and remain healthy and true to ourselves? Renée explains how her experience of setting up Planet Organic all those decades ago has shaped her approach to running a successful business, and Sam runs us through how to clarify purpose, resolve challenges and attain desired results in these difficult times.

Especially for New Year's Eve, we're discussing the world's most popular cocktails and what makes the top ten list. Sue is flabbergasted that her favourite Negroni doesn't make it but sangria does?! and Jane highly recommends the 'theatre' of cocktail making when your guests arrive. They're joined by Karl Wozney and Laura Taylor in a make-shift studio bar where they make their own version of an Espresso Martini. Cheers and a very Happy New Year to you all. 

We're back again with Sue and Ollie getting all serious, dissecting the annual Great British Chefs Survey with the help of Charlie Parker, a renowned nutritionist. Using her experience as Head of Nutrition for Sainsbury's she gives an interesting perspective on Ollie's infamous love of food statistics and trends.

This show is the second of two, with the team dissecting the results to find out what UK consumers are thinking, their motivations and what they're buying and eating in 2019.

Is alcohol consumption really on the decline? What’s the story about the interest in plant-based food and just what do foodies have in their store cupboard? The team give their views and for a copy of the full GBC research click here.

Susie and AJ go paleo and tuck into pork scratchings and beef jerky. Founders Nick Coleman of Snaffling Pig and Will Yates of Billy Franks explain how they make the traditional high protein meaty snacks and discover that pork scratchings are quite possibly the oldest snack on earth.

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

Sue and Jane rediscover the joys of milk. Proper milk that's been pasteurised and not homogenised like the supermarket stuff. It’s a revelation taking them both back to their childhood when doorstep deliveries in glass bottles was the norm and you got to drink a small bottle of free milk a day at school.

This week Sue and Ollie are getting all serious, dissecting the annual Great British Chefs Survey with the help of Charlie Parker, a renowned nutritionist. Using her experience as Head of Nutrition for Sainsbury's she gives an interesting perspective on Ollie's infamous love of food statistics and trends.

This show is the first of two, with the team dissecting the results to find out what UK consumers are thinking, their motivations and what they're buying and eating in 2019.

Is alcohol consumption really on the decline? What’s the story about the interest in plant-based food and just what do foodies have in their store cupboard? The team give their views and for a copy of the full GBC research click here.

This week Sue tests the presenters on the top favourite Irish foods and can't stop eulogising about the humble spud. The team discuss Irish stew, soda bread, colcannon, champ and boxty (what?) and of course, Ireland's love affair with potatoes. Irish chef Anna Haugh, owner of London's Myrtle Restaurant, kindly brings in a huge hamper of great food and drink from the Emerald Isle for everyone to taste. 

Sue also reveals that she goes to Harrods to get her favourite beef dripping in the world, from James Whelan butchers of County Tipperary. Ollie is aghast at this revelation.

From Ireland to Greece as Sally Dorling of Tim's Dairy explains how they make traditional greek yogurt in the heart of the Chiltern Hills. Chris, Peter, Bides and Tony Timotheou have brought traditional Greek methods to producing the finest yogurt in batches using fresh pasteurised British milk, natural ingredients and bio-live cultures. 

Sue explains coelic disease, and why, if you are unfortunate enough to have this life changing condition, eating out is a nightmare. Kerry Clare and Sarah Wren are committed to providing gluten free food that tastes incredible. Kerry owns a completely GF bakery and Sarah a GF restaurant, while Jane lists the best GF drinks to go for. On top of that, Kerry has brought a whole range of gluten free baked goodies which Sue and Jane feel obliged to eat their way through. 

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?

Sue travels to Margate to meet the lovely people at Speciality Breads, the artisan bakers. Neil, the development chef explains the range of products they make, then Sue goes for a tour around the factory to watch them make a huge batch of teacakes. Meanwhile, Neil can't help himself and cooks up a real treat for Sue's lunch which is waiting for her when she gets back to meet Simon the managing director. It looks like a scene out of British Bake Off. Yum!

Part 2 of our favourite cookbooks. What better present for your loved one on Valentine's Day than a cookbook? Forget the flowers and chocolates and get them something beautiful and useful. Jane Peyton our resident beer sommelier and expert on cider, discusses the best books about drink including Noble Rot and The Brewmasters Table. We are also honoured to have Charlotte Pike in the studio. Charlotte is not only a chef, award winning cookery writer and a food educator, she is the Chair of the Guild of Food Writers. You can't get a better person to advise us on cookbooks than that. Sue chips in with her favourite Giffords Circus Cookbook but what else do they recommend? 

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! 

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?

Great chocolate and delicious coffee that are gentle on the environment.

Coffee is a big deal in Ollie’s world, so Guy Wilmot from Bird & Wild Coffee is under pressure to impress. Luckily, he’s up to the challenge – Bird & Wild is the UK’s only bird-friendly and shade-gown coffee.

Although coffee naturally grows in the shade, it’s commonly grown in the sun by commercial producers in order to increase yields and speed up the process. This has a negative impact on bird populations, due to the removal of nesting sites and the presence of insecticides and pesticides.

Once Sue and Ollie are amped up on coffee, it’s time to chill out with some amazing treats from Prodigy Snacks. The chocolate is plant-based and vegan-friendly, plus it’s free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar. It’s even plastic-free, thanks to the recyclable packaging.

Prodigy are on a mission to reinvent the classics, so you can enjoy the taste of your favourite chocolate bars while consuming only low levels of natural sugar. Sue thinks they’re out of this world…

This week our presenters are joined by Bronte Aurell of ScandiKitchen and Will Evans of Eat Farm Now. When we contemplate Scandinavian food, we typically think of pickled herrings, gravlax and Ikea meatballs, but Bronte opens our eyes to the abundance of other wonderful produce. Sue is a little confused by the term "hygge" and wants to understand why Sweden has obesity levels as low as 10% compared to us relatively lardy people in the UK, with a quarter of us being classified as obese. Is it hygge or is there something else going on here?

Ollie and Holly are then stunned by Sue's knowledge of the UK countryside and how little of it is actually built on. We are a rural country after all and no one knew. Did you also know that agriculture in the UK uses 69% of the country’s land area but we produce less than 60% of the food we eat. Crazy. Will has joined us to talk all things farming and agriculture and explain his mission to promote the work of farmers and why they are so important to us all.

Jamie Oliver described Calum Franklin as "The king of pies", we think he produces the best looking pies in the UK and probably the world. He is Executive Head Chef at The Pie Room at Holborn Dining Room - a treasure trove of savoury delicacies, and somewhere for every food-lover to swing by and take away one of the beautifully intricate pastry creations including the humble sausage roll.

Calum discusses the art of pie making and we also talk to Matt from Kentish Mayde who make thousands of pies a day, all by hand for very happy customers. 

One of our most beautiful islands, the Isle of Wight, has lots to offer. The weather, sailing, beaches, wonderful walks and great food and drink. The local delicacies of home grown garlic and crab and chips are world beating. However Susie and AJ are keen on the local tipples which are infused with locally foraged herbs and plants. They speak to Xavier Baker of Mermaid gin and Ruth Green of Tipsy Wight the vodka people. There is so much to taste but our intrepid presenters reckon they pretty much agree on the best of the bunch. 

The studio smells wonderful today – the lovely aroma of freshly ground and brewed coffee being prepared by two experts wafting around the microphones. We are joined by the founders of Garage Coffee and Cold Blow Coffee who share their knowledge and expertise on the subject.

Hari Ghotra joins Sue as a guest presenter this week and the subject is black pudding. The first mention of this interesting delicacy can be found way back in Homer’s Odyssey. The family business of our studio guest, Colette Twomey, doesn’t go back quite that far, but Clonakilty Blackpudding Company certainly has an impressive history. Founded in the 1880s and still family run, the company produces truly delicious black pudding, along with equally tasty sausages. Sue fails to get the secret family recipe out of Colette but does get lots of insight into how to cook this hugely underrated breakfast treat. 

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

Susie has always loved vermouth and has been banging on for six years about how underrated it is. She has never understood why the art of mixing botanicals has been so associated with gin making. Sigh! Obviously AJ hasn't a clue what she's talking about but starts to warm to the theme. They are joined by artisan vermouth makers Guy Abrahams and Gnina Balchin who talk them through the process. 

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! 

Susie and Jane admit that they don't really know anything about salt, except our bodies need it but not too much. Is there any difference between common old table salt and seasalt or rocksalt? How is it 'made'? Luckily they have Gregorie Marshall of Blackthorn Salt on hand to explain how they make this amazing stuff up in Ayr. The story of salt is truly fascinating.

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. 

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. 

"Eat cake now" proclaim AJ and Susie. If you just look at the beautiful creations hand-made by Eloise Hale you would not be able to resist tucking in either. She explains how she makes her beautiful creations and is joined by Darren Little of Cocoba who talks about hot drinking chocolate. We're not talking Nesquik here, it's the soothing, cocoa based heaven for grown ups. Should we have marshmallows with that or not? Whooshy cream as well? Possibly.

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.  

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

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.

Amazing sourdough and gin fuelled by romance – what more could you want?

Ollie has temporarily moved house and he’s now living above an amazing bakery. But there’s no time for Sue and Holly to feel jealous, because there’s some delicious bread right here in the studio.

Lovingly Artisan Bakery has a mission to return bread to the centre of the table. Baker Aidan Monks makes incredible double fermented artisan sourdough from heritage grains that has been a huge hit with discerning shoppers. Of course, he’s brought some along for the team to try, much to Sue’s delight.

We all adore a good love story and there’s a true romance behind the origins of Manchester Gin. You’ll have to tune in to hear Seb Heeley’s tale, but suffice to stay it has resulted in a fabulous brand that started life in his dining room and is inspired by Manchester’s industrial heritage.

What’s your favourite Spanish or South American tipple? Lucy Shaw, editor of The Drinks Business, is here to share her love of these countries’ produce and give her views on the impact of the burgeoning English sparkling wine industry.

Sue visits the Cheesemakers of Canterbury to see how cheese is made and arrives at the studio with some lovely samples. Meanwhile Robin Betts, the International Cheese Award Winner, explains what makes the perfect cheeseboard and does a thorough tasting from soft to semi-hard cheese. Jane then explains what to drink with cheese - no, not red wine but cider! and Sue gives a top tip on how to keep your cheese in perfect condition in the fridge.   

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.

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. 

You might have a fabulous brand, a great venue or the best tasting product in the world, but how do you cut through the social media noise to get heard and be seen? AJ and Jon Mills explain to Susie the use of 'experiential' marketing and how it helps to win customers and build a community of ambassadors.

We hear about the state of the drinks industry and the new ideas bubbling up.

Sue starts this week’s show with a pop quiz – can our hosts and guests guess at the bestselling spirit brands? Or the most popular lagers, tonic waters and soft drinks? There may be a few surprises in there…

One of today’s guests has some insider knowledge about this topic. Richard Chamberlain from Drink Warehouse has some interesting insights of his own to add, along with a top tip for low and no-alcohol drink producers.

Fran Pearce is no stranger to fun alcoholic products, thanks to her work with Smith and Sinclair. But today she’s here to talk about a new venture, Pollen, which is taking the growing trend for CBD products one step further by exploring the use of CBD in cocktails and gummies.

Finally, Jess Latchford from Waste Knot explains how they’re helping to build relationships between farmers and chefs. When farmers have surplus fruit and vegetables that they can’t sell through their usual channels, Waste Knot can connect them with chefs who are looking to buy great quality produce – thus reducing food waste in a big way.

Sue and Jane admit to being a bit piggy on the programme today. They are joined by the marvellous James Golding of the hotel and restaurant chain 'The Pig'. He brings along some delicious food he has prepared for the occasion and they just can't help themselves. James extols the virtues of sourcing from local producers and we can't help wonder why everyone doesn't support the local guys. 

Christabel Cairns organises the Great Taste Awards and is heavily involved in the World Cheese Awards. How do you manage the pure logistics of judging 14,000 products each year and how do you get three stars? Christabel joins Susie and AJ as a guest presenter for the next four weeks and brings a whole host of Great Taste Award winning products to assess. First, off she talks about Try January - why not try something new that you haven't before - much more exciting than Dry January and possible a bit more daring than Veganuary.

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! 

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!

Ultra convenience and almost zero food waste, is this the food solution that has supermarkets on the run? Ollie Lloyd and Susie talk to Timo Boldt from Gousto. He started his company ten years ago and has been offering an alternative to the supermarket ever since then.

Customers can choose from a huge selection of online recipes, then the ingredients (in the correct amount) appear on their doorstep ready to cook. As well as offering high levels of personalisation, this could be the ultimate low-waste business – Gousto boasts an impressive 0.35% waste rate in the supply chain and factory. Could this be the shopping mechanism of the future?

Sue and Jane are great fans of bees, those beautiful pollinators that keep our flowers and plants alive. They are mysterious creatures though, so they are joined by Michael Bispham of North Downs Bees to explain what goes on inside those hives. After that, they get to taste some mead probably the oldest drink in the world. Tom Gosnell of Gosnell's Meadery brings along his innovative canned and sparkling mead to see what Jane makes of it. Clue: It's a big hit!

Two companies that are striving to tackle the single-use plastics problem.

Coffee capsule machines are big business these days and everyone seems to have one (except Sue). But they are, in the opinion of Lex Thornley from Blue Goose Coffee, the next environmental disaster just waiting to be acknowledged.

Blue Goose coffee capsules are compostable, while still being compatible with many of the popular machines on the market. In addition, their boxes are all sustainable sourced, printed with vegetable ink and assembled with plastic-free glue.

Most importantly, of course, he’s brought along some of his delicious coffee for Sue and Ollie to taste.

Frugalpac are also driving the environmental cause forward with their product, which is the only paper cup that can be recycled as part of the mainstream waste process. George Rumble is here to explain how their unique manufacturing process makes a cup that is easily recycled and to discuss what the future holds for the recycling issue.

We’re hot to trot with this exotic episode.

There’s a spicy atmosphere in the studio this week and for once, it’s got nothing to do with Ollie’s shirts.

Arun Kapil from Green Saffron has brought in an array of fabulous spices, which the company provides in a variety of different blends. They aim to create blends that bring out the best in each element on a plate and treat spice as a flavour ingredient, not just a regional touch.

Jack Galliano of Galliano Dining is well aware of the challenges of keeping the spice in mass catering – how do you feed 600 people and still serve up top quality food? Jack has some interesting insights into feeding the masses, along with his views on the new dining trends to watch.

Inspired by 12 years of doing PR for innovative food brands, Hannah Glasson has launched the new INTUNE range of fruit and botanical drinks to share the benefits of CBD. Having found that CBD helped to boost her concentration at work while undergoing medical treatment, Hannah wanted to share her discovery with the world in a tasty, refreshing way.

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?

AJ and Susie meet Katy Cox and Floortje Hoette (Flo for short) this week where they discuss the merits of rescued food. Flo describes the wonderful FoodLoop app, which is a sort of Tinder for the food sector. It connects food left on the shelf with someone who is looking to cherish it and let it shine. So those businesses who have unwanted goods can connect with those who want to turn it into something delicious. Katy is the founder of Wasted Kitchen. If you want a lunchbox, cocktail box, meeting box, party box or whatever, she is your saviour. A mouth-watering assortment of dips, rice dishes and salads in compostable kraft brown boxes made from unloved veg is her forte. She makes amazing pickles with all that unloved veg too. Yum.

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

What better present for your loved one on Valentine's Day than a cookbook? Forget the flowers and chocolates and get them something beautiful and useful. Jane Peyton our resident beer sommelier and expert on cider, discusses the best books about drink including Noble Rot and The Brewmasters Table. We are also honoured to have Charlotte Pike in the studio. Charlotte is not only a chef, award winning cookery writer and a food educator, she is the Chair of the Guild of Food Writers. You can't get a better person to advise us on cookbooks than that. Sue chips in with her favourite Giffords Circus Cookbook but what else do they recommend? Part 2 next week.

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

Re-listen to our podcast of 20 March 2020 - just before COVID-19 struck. 

This show begins with some fond reminiscing as Sue recalls the best meals she’s ever had at London’s Moro restaurant.

Luckily, among today’s guests is Sam Clark, who founded Moro with his wife in 1997 to celebrate the food of the southern Mediterranean. Both Sue and Ollie are huge fans, so they’re delighted to welcome a true food hero to the studio.

They’re joined by another chef with a very different style – Nick Deverell-Smith, whose menu at the Churchill Arms in Chipping Campden reflects its beautiful Cotswolds surroundings.

Nick has brought some fabulous spiced pear Bakewell tart for everyone to try, which goes brilliantly with our third guest’s offering. Coconuts Organic make all-natural ice cream from coconut cream and refined coconut sugar. It’s a vegan-friendly dessert that has an amazing taste and texture to rival traditional brands.

This sparks a fascinating conversation about the evolution of food and the way that vegan sensibilities are – or aren’t – requiring chefs to adapt their menus to keep in step.

Farming is a science, coupled with some trial and error and a good deal of experimentation. Naturally the weather plays a big part too. AJ and Susie talk to two farmers who both happen to be called James and have generations of experience behind them. They want to know how today's farmers play a part in the local community. How they are so important for preserving and caring for our landscapes and whether you need to wear shorts all year 'round! In addition, they taste some bread that is simply sensational. 

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 are joined by Lisa Marley who pretty much knows everything there is to know about plant-based cooking. Her inspirational recipes have been featured in ELLE magazine, Women's Health, Time Out and Take a Break, to name a few and Cosmopolitan magazine regularly teams up with Lisa to offer their readers virtual plant-based masterclasses. As well as writing magazine articles, she does interviews and live demonstrations at food festivals, and is a trained nutrionist. Oh yeah, and does a lot of work in schools. Phew! They're also joined in the studio by the splendidly named Biff Bloom Burrows to sample his Biff range of vegan products - how did he go from working in McDonald's to making plant-based burger sauces? And what the hell is jack fruit?

Sue has changed her name, no longer is she Sue Nelson but is now Susie Warran-Smith. Something to do with getting married apparently. Anyhow Jane and Susie have two wonderful guests this week - AJ Sharp and Stu MacDonald. AJ is a seasoned judge for the Great Taste Awards and explains how the judging works and exactly what constitutes the star ratings they give. That's just as well, as Stu is our other guest. He is the founder of ManiLife peanut butter, which just happens to be the most Great Taste awarded peanut butter in the UK, including a coveted 3 star. Find out how he makes the nutty breakfast favourite and why he needs some recipes for his new cookbook.

Susie and AJ discuss the merits of drinks in a can. They've now got used to craft beer wrapped in aluminium but think that wine in a can may be a step too far, but what about cocktails? Susie reckons that as you can get a negroni in a 100ml can now, she might put that in her toiletry bag at the airport instead of her shampoo and toothpaste as its much more useful. That aside there are many more advantages to canned cocktails, from the financial savings, to the eco advantages, the chill factor and foregoing the faff of making them. What do you think?

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

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

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!  

Tracking down the best dishes in town and shaking up FMCG.

Where can you get the best cheese toastie around? Or the most delicious doughnut? Or the most sensational sushi?

Well, it’s time to share your recommendations because a new app is taking the guess work out of making your next gourmet discovery.

Originally inspired by a hunt for raspberry sorbet, Eaten compiles user reviews of dishes, rather than restaurants. So, if you’re in the mood for a great Sunday lunch and don’t have time to search endless restaurant reviews or websites, Eaten can cut out the middle man and take you straight to the best roast joint in town. Co-founder Jeeho Park is in the studio to tell us more.

The world of fast-moving consumer goods, or FMCG, is a pretty daunting one, but it’s also where more and more food start-ups are making their debut. Young Foodies is a business hub and community that helps start-ups deal with the challenges of getting their products onto retailers’ shelves and scaling up when the big players come calling, as Theadora Alexander explains.

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.

AJ and Susie are joined by Jane Peyton the drinks expert this week to talk about Japanese sake wine made from rice. They all admit they know next to nothing about it, but Jane does explain about koji, the fungus that breaks down the rice starch into fermentable glucose. It influences the aroma and flavour apparently. They go in for a good old tasting of different sakes but realise they need to know much more about this mysterious drink. 

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. 

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

Our host Sue Nelson is beyond excited for this very special edition of The FoodTalk Show. She’s joined by legendary food journalist, Sheila Dillon, who has been presenting BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme for over 20 years.

Once they’ve finished sampling some tasty treats from Sheila’s native Lancashire, the pair get talking about Sheila’s remarkable life in food and the media. After starting out with a very public critique of her college’s unappealing dinners, Sheila’s career was driven by a passion for exploring the food industry and its impact on consumers.

She spent time in Finland and then the US where she helped break down more barriers in her pursuit of gender pay equality. Alongside some colleagues, Sheila brought a class action against her employers in publishing for equal pay – and won. 

Don’t miss this classic edition of The FoodTalk Show. 

Breakfast heavyweights this week; we meet Liz Baker of Wilkins & Sons and Scott Davies from Hilltop Honey

As producers of this show, we often take pleasure in arranging our recording days so that our presenters are drinking some sort of strong alcohol early in the morning.

Maybe we’ve turned a new leaf now though, because we arranged a session which was quite breakfast themed…and this was recorded on a sunny London morning. Go us! 

It was good timing for Holly Shackleton, who joined for the first time as guest presenter. The Editor of the Speciality Magazine came to us on an empty stomach…shame on her.

You don’t need much introduction to our guests…Tiptree and Hilltop Honey are two brands which have cracked the supermarkets in UK and both are favourites of ours when it comes to a breakfast spread.

We were delighted to chat to Liz Baker from Wilkins & Sons – makers of the Tiptree brand. They know what they’re doing; they’ve been going since 1885, have survived two World Wars, a hurricane, and have even had a visit from The Queen. Like your jams and preserves…these guys are for you.

Next up, there was a buzz around the studio…who can guess what we were talking about? That’s right honey, we bee talking honey.

We had Scott Davies of Hilltop Honey come to the studio to explain how he turned from ‘normal’ jobs to be a beekeeper and the maker of some amazing honey products. We learned the difference between normal products and ‘Manuka Honey’ but there was one taster which had Sue running for the water…

Joe Taylor of Real Handful joins Simeon van der Molen of Moving Mountains Foods

Leave the fate of the geraniums to the gods, cry for the chrysanthemums and live in hope for the hydrangeas; there’s a hosepipe ban looming and your pottering time in the gardening will be greatly reduced. You need to find something to fill the void.

Don’t you worry, our first guest on the FoodTalk podcast this week can help you to complete an ironman. Not heard of one? Pretty simple really, it’s a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile run…the gardening takes longer, probably.

Joe Taylor tells us how his penchant for physical activity powered him to creating the fantastic Real Handful range. Forget complex and counterproductive creations from their competitors, these guys keep it simple, good and proper. They taste amazing.

If, however, for some crazy reason, you aren’t up for an ironman, we do have another option to pass the time while the reservoirs fill-up. Just go out for a burger, sounds good, right? Of course, that’s not always an option if you happen to be a vegan, but we were delighted to welcome Simeon van der Molen on the show. He is the founder of Moving Mountains Food and they have created the first burger in the UK that is 100% plant-based and bleeds in the middle like a proper beef burger. It is creating a massive buzz and Simeon tells us the story.

As a country, we (or rather our politicians) may find it difficult to negotiate our way out of Europe or even work out what party we belong to, but we're very good at lots of other things.

In 2018 we managed to win a penalty shootout in a football game, we didn’t finish bottom of Eurovision and globally we continue to be the best at queuing. In fact, we even produce the best food-related podcast in the world (us, obviously).

One of the things that we haven’t been famed for, until recent years, has been making wine. However, over the course of the last 20 years or thereabouts we've been climbing up the quality ladder. We could even claim to be among the best at creating sparkling wine.

What about normal red and normal white though? We're not as famed for that yet, but we’ve found a company to rival the French, Spanish and Portuguese – they're the Redhill Farm Estate.

Henry Boorman came to walk us through their story and explain how they're the only vineyard in the country to produce more red than white wine. We had a bit of a taste too…obviously.

Another string to Redhill Estate’s bow is their sustainability. Their wines have a unique cork made from sugar cane waste and they don’t have a plastic capsule on the bottle. Their sustainability angle is thanks in no small part to Paul Foulkes-Arellano. Paul works for the design consultancy company, Precipice, and they're working with a whole host of manufacturers in the hope of ridding plastic from the planet.

Wine – good. Sustainability – good. Anti-plastic – good. This week’s FoodTalk episode – good!

Listen again to our Boxing Day podcast from last year. 

Only Sue and Ollie have managed to struggle into the studio today, with straining stomachs after the usual Christmas excess.

However, they’re never too full to enjoy some fresh flavours, so they’re delighted to extend a festive welcome to three fascinating guests.

Charlie Holland from Gusbourne Estate in Kent has brought in some of their fantastic sparkling wine to keep the party going, which sparks a conversation about the quality of English wines today. How do our home-produced sparkling wines compare with France’s output?

If you’re looking for less alcoholic alternatives to beer or wine, you’ll be glad to hear about Binary Botanical. Boasting a prosecco-like taste, this lower calorie table beer is gluten and sugar-free and suitable for vegans. Danielle Bekker joins the team to explain more.

For those who are still in the mood for a cocktail, Tipplesworth produce “fun, faff-free” products to make mixology a breeze. Their range of ‘just add spirits’ cocktail mixers are quick and easy to use. Frankie Snobel has brought in a hot cocktail for the team to try, plus she reveals the secret of a great espresso martini with a Canadian twist.

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.

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?

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. 

A packed studio today with 3 guests from Kent vineyards. It’s an all female line-up from Terlingham Vineyard, Gusbourne and Wayfarer Wines. Jane explains how you should open a bottle of fizz and what glass you should use for serving – flutes are out apparently. Meanwhile Sue is very unkind about French champagne.

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!  

Sue admits that she just adores pigs but has to balance that with her love of charcuterie. Luckily, we have Chloe Wilcock of Oink and Udder who explains how she raises happy pigs in a stress-free environment, to ensure they make the best dried meats, bacon and sausages. Needless to say, after that Jane and Sue go on a marathon charcuterie tasting session.

Non-alcoholic drinks innovation means you can enjoy the party without the hangover. Listen again to our podcast of December last year. 

It’s just two weeks to go until Christmas and Sue, Ollie and Holly are getting into the festive spirit. There’s talk of turkey versus chicken, the best Christmas breakfast and – most controversially – how early is too early to break out the alcohol?

Well, with the UK non-alcoholic drinks market on the rise, you might decide not to risk a Boxing Day headache at all. Innovators like today’s guests are working to offer drinks that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve been on Santa’s naughty list, just because you want to bypass the booze.

Ellie Webb is here to add a far-flung flavour to Christmas with Caleno, a tropical non-alcoholic spirit that balances exotic botanicals with citrus and spice.

Beer drinkers are becoming ever more discerning, but do you need to have the alcohol in order to enjoy great taste?

In the studio to contribute to the debate is Chris Hannaway from Infinite Session, a beer lover who wanted the freedom to enjoy both alcoholic and booze-free ales. Chris has brought with him samples of Infinite Session’s IPA, pale ale and pilsner varieties, to see if he can convince the team to down some alcohol-free pints this Christmas.

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.

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

After seeing in the New Year, Sue and Jane decide they should do a non-alcoholic beer tasting for all their listeners who are embarking on Dry January. As Jane is an accredited beer sommelier and author on numerous books on beer, who better to judge the non-alcoholic offerings against the real stuff. Sue is not as knowledgeable but knows what she likes. They have ordered 16 bottles and cans from Dry Drinker and give their very honest views on each. What gets the thumbs up and what should you avoid?!

Fruits contain large amounts of nutrients including fibre, vitamins, minerals and various antioxidants. They taste wonderful and we probably don't know enough about them. Luckily for AJ and Susie, Sarah Calcutt is on hand of the National Fruit Show to tell us all about British top fruit and soft fruit AND she has brought loads of delicious samples. They are also joined by Laurie Fermor of Freddie's Farm which makes delicious apple treats for little people. 

We’ve done it again…January is just about out of the way so we can get back to eating sweet things now. Creamy ice cream and dark dark chocolate.

It’s absolutely freezing outside, snow has covered most of Scotland and so we should have invited somebody who makes stew, hot chocolate or something like that…but Coconuts Naturally are producing such damn good ice cream that we just had to invite Cecily Mills into the studio. We're fighting ice with more ice.

100% organic, 100% vegan…their reputation for creamy excellence is growing too. The South West made treats are already available in Ocado and expect to see more of them as the mercury starts to rise. 

From Ice Cream to chocolate (a warning to diabetics), our other guest is producing comfort food which is just as good. We admit it's not hot although it does give a warm glow.

Oli Shorts (another Oliver in the studio) came to visit us with his amazing Seed & Bean Chocolate. They don’t specialise in just one variety; white, mild, dark, pure cacao – they are producing brilliant chocolate bars across the board.

We hope you find this podcast as sweet as we do…

Dog ice cream is a thing apparently. Just so you don't get confused we mean ice cream for dogs. You have to be careful to make sure the ingredients can be consumed by pooches obviously but they can be eaten by humans too. Enter Sally Newall of the multiple award winning Simply Ice Cream company who has just launched her first doggie ice cream. Susie and AJ have a taste and give it the thumbs up. They're also joined by Keith Morrison of Solley's Ice Cream and along with Sally they spend the rest of the show, well . . . just tasting a succession of new flavours until they run out of time. Hello summer.