The Go To Food Podcast

Go To Podcasts
Go To Podcasts
  • 5.0 (21)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

The Go-To Food Podcast is where the world’s most influential chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and critics share the stories behind their craft. Hosted by award-winning presenter Freddy Clode and chef and food writer Ben Benton, this weekly show dives deep into the experiences, inspirations, and “Go-To” favourites that define a life in food. From hidden gems to the restaurants they return to time and again, each episode serves up intrigue, insight, and the untold moments that shaped their journey. With food and drink inspired by their stories, expect stories from the food world, insider knowledge, and a true celebration of food culture at its finest.

  1. 3d ago

    Matt Tebbutt - From Getting Fired by Marco Pierre White to Saturday Kitchen Success

    After two years of chasing him, we've finally got him! This week we're joined by the brilliant Matt Tebbutt, Saturday Kitchen presenter, former MasterChef judge and one of Britain's best-loved TV chefs, for an outrageously funny and revealing conversation over lunch at Café François. And what a career he's had. Matt takes us back to the wild days of London's great kitchens, including working under Marco Pierre White, who once pretended to be a French waiter just to wind him up, before eventually sacking him in the middle of service. The following day, Marco phoned him demanding to know why he wasn't at work! We hear about his experiences working with some of the country's greatest chefs, his struggles running a restaurant in rural Wales, the moment he found himself in tears wondering how he'd pay the bills, and the unexpected phone call that changed his life forever. Matt also opens up about his controversial departure from MasterChef: The Professionals, revealing how he was told at 5pm the day before a planned appearance on The One Show that he would not be returning. Plus, we get into his fascinating relationship with James Martin, the truth about their supposed rivalry, Saturday Kitchen's most disastrous live television moments, accidentally swearing on air, and the time a particularly heavy weekend involving two enormous Chinese meals ended with him in hospital. There's also his hilarious relationship with Anna Haugh, his worst-ever restaurant customers, tales of working with Bruce Poole, and his dream of escaping to France to open a tiny restaurant of his own. From being sacked by Marco Pierre White to becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British television, this is Matt Tebbutt as you've never heard him before. An absolute belter of an episode. Enjoy! Brought to you by Blinq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Matt Tebbutt - From Getting Fired by Marco Pierre White to Saturday Kitchen Success

  2. 4d ago ·  Bonus

    Chef Feuds, Restaurant Gossip & A Reluctant Straker | Patreon Preview

    Chef feuds, restaurant gossip, outrageous rumours and a rather reluctant Thomas Straker... Welcome to the Go-To Food gossip show! To celebrate the launch of our brand-new Patreon, we're giving you a FREE taste of our exclusive weekly gossip round-up, where we discuss everything happening behind the scenes in the food world. Coming to you from Coombeshead Farm in Cornwall, we're spilling the beans on our complicated relationship with Thomas Straker, the latest chef gossip, London's hottest restaurant openings, ridiculous food trends and everything else that's been getting us talking this week. No guests, no scripts, no filters. Just Freddy and Ben letting loose, sharing stories and occasionally saying things we probably shouldn't. Enjoyed this? There's plenty more where it came from! Every week on Patreon, we'll be bringing you an exclusive gossip round-up, alongside ad-free listening, behind-the-scenes content, the chance to ask our incredible guests your own questions and much more. Join the Go-To Food Patreon from just £3 a month! 👉 SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheGoToFoodPodcast/membership Your support helps us keep bringing you the biggest names in food, incredible adventures and plenty more mischief along the way. Thanks for being part of the journey! Freddy & Ben x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 6d ago

    Anna Higham - River Café Secrets, Reinventing British Baking & Why She Refuses To Sell Croissants

    Why would one of London's most exciting bakeries refuse to sell croissants? This week on the Go To Food Podcast, we're joined by the brilliant Anna Higham, the acclaimed pastry chef behind Quince Bakery and the brand-new Clementine. Having worked in some of the world's most celebrated kitchens, including New York's Gramercy Tavern, Lyle's, Flor and The River Café, Anna has become one of the most exciting voices in British baking. We sit down with her at Quince to uncover the secrets behind its extraordinary success, from the famous brown butter buns and oat cookies to her determination to create a bakery that doesn't follow the crowd. Anna reveals what it was really like working alongside Ruth Rogers at The River Café, including the extraordinary kitchen budgets, spending around £1,000 a month on vanilla, and the pressures of working inside such an iconic institution. We also discuss why she refuses to sell croissants, the problem with Instagram-driven bakeries, the worst day she's ever had in the kitchen, why pastry chefs don't get enough recognition, and how she's taking everything she's learned into her exciting new opening, Clementine. Plus, her controversial opinions on chocolate-covered strawberries, overfilled pastries and the desserts that have changed her life. A fascinating conversation about creativity, ambition, British baking and what it really takes to build a successful independent food business. Subscribe to Go To Food Podcast for more conversations with the world's greatest chefs, restaurateurs and food personalities. #AnnaHigham #QuinceBakery #GoToFoodPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Anna Higham - River Café Secrets, Reinventing British Baking & Why She Refuses To Sell Croissants

  4. Oct 15

    Jean-Georges Vongerichten - Trump's Wedding, Marco Pierre White's Meltdown & Losing His Third Michelin Star

    Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs of all time. From revolutionising New York's restaurant scene to building an empire of around 60 restaurants across the world, his career has been nothing short of extraordinary. But behind the Michelin stars and iconic restaurants are some truly unbelievable stories. This week, Jean-Georges joins us to reveal what it was really like cooking Donald Trump's wedding, why Barack Obama publicly objected to his infamous pea guacamole, and the extraordinary night he witnessed Marco Pierre White chasing a young chef down the street with a frying pan. He also tells us how a kitchen mistake led to the creation of his legendary molten chocolate cake, how a producer behind Michael Jackson's music videos handed him $250,000 to open his first restaurant, and why losing his third Michelin star was one of the worst moments of his career. We trace his remarkable journey from growing up in Alsace and training in France's greatest kitchens to discovering the flavours of Thailand and transforming the way Americans thought about French food. From JoJo and Vong to the legendary Jean-Georges restaurant and the $350 million Tin Building project, this is a fascinating conversation about ambition, creativity, extraordinary success and the realities of building a global restaurant empire. An unforgettable hour with one of the true legends of the culinary world. Subscribe to The Go-To Food Podcast for more conversations with the world's greatest chefs, restaurateurs and food personalities. Brought to you by Blinq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Jean-Georges Vongerichten - Trump's Wedding, Marco Pierre White's Meltdown & Losing His Third Michelin Star

  5. Oct 12

    Spudman: The Secrets Behind Britain's Most Viral Food Business

    How do you turn a humble jacket potato into one of Britain's biggest viral food sensations? This week we're joined by the one and only Spudman, the man behind Britain's most famous jacket potatoes, to uncover the extraordinary story of how he built his potato empire. From queues stretching for hours and millions of followers around the world to earning £40,000 a month through TikTok and turning down a staggering £1 million offer, Spudman reveals what it really takes to turn a simple food business into a global phenomenon. But behind the viral success is an equally remarkable personal story. We discuss his ongoing battle with kidney disease, spending 25 hours a week on dialysis, the challenges of running a business in the public eye and how his life changed almost overnight. We also get into the secrets behind the perfect jacket potato, the realities of social media fame, meeting Queen Camilla and what comes next for the Spudman empire. An extraordinary story of resilience, entrepreneurship and the power of a really good potato. Subscribe to Go To Food for more incredible stories from the world of food and hospitality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Spudman: The Secrets Behind Britain's Most Viral Food Business

  6. Oct 8

    Dylan Jones: Inside London’s Wildest Restaurant Era | David Bowie, The Groucho Club & Boris Johnson

    Dylan Jones has spent more than four decades at the heart of British culture, from i-D and The Face to GQ, the Evening Standard and some of London’s most legendary dining rooms. In this episode, Dylan joins us to talk about the wild years of 80s, 90s and noughties London, from The Groucho Club, The Ivy and Le Caprice to David Bowie, Robbie Williams, Boris Johnson and the extraordinary overlap between restaurants, fashion, music, media and drugs. We also get into the characters who made London dining what it was, the rise of the power restaurant, Jeremy King and Richard Caring, the changing face of Soho and Mayfair, and whether that era could ever exist again. A brilliant, outrageous and incredibly entertaining journey through a very different London. Buy his book here -https://www.amazon.co.uk/Table-Hopping-Restaurants-Brasserie-Wolseley/dp/0349000727 Recorded Live At Decimo London - The Standard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Dylan Jones: Inside London’s Wildest Restaurant Era | David Bowie, The Groucho Club & Boris Johnson

  7. Oct 5

    Jacob Kenedy - How Bocca di Lupo Changed Italian Food in London & Why Great Restaurants Struggle to Survive

    Today we're joined by one of the most important figures in modern Italian cooking in Britain, Jacob Kenedy, chef and co-founder of the legendary Bocca di Lupo and Gelupo. Jacob's journey is anything but conventional. Before becoming a chef he studied science, was a glassblower and a DJ, before a stint at Moro changed the course of his life and eventually led him to create the restaurant he simply wanted to exist in London. Jacob takes us inside the extraordinary story of Bocca di Lupo, from opening in the middle of the financial crisis to becoming one of London's most celebrated restaurants. He reveals the brutal workload behind its early success, including the moment he became so exhausted he knelt down beside a customer's table and physically couldn't stand back up. We also get into the economics of restaurants today and why Jacob believes there is something about the industry that can actually “favour the worst”. Plus, we talk pasta. Jacob reveals the biggest mistakes British home cooks make, why you should take pasta out of the water while it's still almost raw, the secret to seasoning properly, and the thinking behind his new book Pasta Tricolore. Over mezcal, tacos and a few strong opinions at Decimo at The Standard Hotel London, this is a brilliant conversation about food, creativity, restaurants and nearly two decades at the top of London's dining scene. Recorded Live At Decimo London - The Standard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Jacob Kenedy - How Bocca di Lupo Changed Italian Food in London & Why Great Restaurants Struggle to Survive

  8. Oct 1

    Robert Reid & J-C Slowik: The Madness of Running Harveys, Winning 3 Stars for Marco at The Oak Room & Working for Raymond Blanc, Joël Robuchon & Roger Vergé

    Between Robert Reid and Jean-Christophe “JC” Slowik, you have nearly 80 years of extraordinary restaurant history. From Roger Vergé and Raymond Blanc to Marco Pierre White, Harvey’s, The Oak Room and some of the defining restaurants of their generation, the pair have witnessed first-hand the madness, brilliance and brutality of elite restaurants. They join us to share incredible stories from those years, including life inside Marco’s legendary kitchens, the intensity of three-Michelin-star cooking and how London’s restaurant world has transformed since the 1980s. Then, in their mid-50s, they decided to start again. During Covid, a phone call between two old friends became Les 2 Garçons, the tiny French bistro they built largely themselves, initially cooking with IKEA induction hobs, a £150 Argos oven and no dishwasher. What followed was extraordinary: huge demand, national acclaim and the creation of one of Britain’s most celebrated neighbourhood restaurants, built around simple French cooking, great wine and the belief that a restaurant should above all be somewhere people actually want to spend their time. This is also a brilliantly funny and candid conversation about everything they have learned along the way. Robert and JC discuss why fine dining became too complicated, why chefs are returning to simplicity, whether Michelin stars still matter, what restaurants get wrong about wine, the importance of value for money and why getting older completely changes the way you think about cooking. After decades spent chasing perfection at the highest level, their conclusion is refreshingly simple: forget most of what you learned, keep the best bits, cook things people want to eat and enjoy the good summers you have left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Robert Reid & J-C Slowik: The Madness of Running Harveys, Winning 3 Stars for Marco at The Oak Room & Working for Raymond Blanc, Joël Robuchon & Roger Vergé
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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

The Go-To Food Podcast is where the world’s most influential chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and critics share the stories behind their craft. Hosted by award-winning presenter Freddy Clode and chef and food writer Ben Benton, this weekly show dives deep into the experiences, inspirations, and “Go-To” favourites that define a life in food. From hidden gems to the restaurants they return to time and again, each episode serves up intrigue, insight, and the untold moments that shaped their journey. With food and drink inspired by their stories, expect stories from the food world, insider knowledge, and a true celebration of food culture at its finest.

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