The Go To Food Podcast

Go To Podcasts
  • 5.0 (18)
  • 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Henry Harris - From Simon Hopkinson’s Bibendum to Running London’s Greatest Restaurant; Bouchon Racine

    8H AGO

    Henry Harris - From Simon Hopkinson’s Bibendum to Running London’s Greatest Restaurant; Bouchon Racine

    Today we're joined by the wonderful Henry Harris fresh back from Sri Lanka — complete with tales of dog bites, hoppers, sambals and chicken curry for breakfast — Henry arrives in glorious form, reflecting on the journey that took him from the dining room floor to becoming one of the most admired chefs in Britain. From his early days around his father’s restaurant Le Grand Gésier in Brighton to falling in love with hospitality over long lunches and simple French food, this episode is packed with the stories that shaped him. Henry looks back on the pivotal people and places that defined his career: the magic of Karl Lauderer at Manley’s, the terrifying but transformative start to his cooking life, and the years spent learning under the legendary Simon Hopkinson at Hilaire and Bibendum. He recalls topping and tailing endless French beans in silence, watching great classical cooking up close, and later finding himself surrounded by an extraordinary generation of chefs who would go on to shape British food culture. There are wonderful glimpses of old restaurant London here — a time of Bobendum lunches, roast chicken revelations, and a generation of cooks learning that true greatness often lies in doing the classics absolutely right. At the heart of the episode is the story of Bouchon Racine: how a failed pub project, a false start in Farringdon, and one overlooked pub near the station eventually became the home of one of London’s most beloved dining rooms. Henry speaks beautifully about building the restaurant with Dave Strauss, doing the maths on a spreadsheet, keeping expectations modest, and discovering that what they had created was somehow outperforming even their most hopeful plans. He shares the philosophy behind the blackboard menu, the joy of cooking the food people actually want to eat, and the pleasure of running a restaurant full of character rather than polish — a place with good bones, brown carpet, old mirrors, cycling prints and the unmistakable feeling that you are in safe hands. The conversation wanders delightfully through stories of Racine, restaurant politics, pub culture, set lunches, offal, tartare, tongue sandwiches, and the dishes Henry believes never go out of style. He talks with disarming honesty about business partners, missed opportunities, Michelin disappointment, and the changing face of London, but always comes back to the same idea: restaurants should restore people. Warm, generous and full of hard-won wisdom, this is a portrait of a chef at the happiest point of his life — still cooking, still caring, and still finding enormous meaning in feeding people well. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 7m
  2. Andrew Clarke - A Rock 'N' Roll Story - Overcoming Addiction To Create One Of London's Most Iconic Restaurants In Acme Fire Cult!

    3D AGO

    Andrew Clarke - A Rock 'N' Roll Story - Overcoming Addiction To Create One Of London's Most Iconic Restaurants In Acme Fire Cult!

    This week, we’re joined by Andrew Clarke of Acme Fire Cult for an episode that goes everywhere — from fire cooking and restaurant building to addiction, recovery, music, and the moments that change a life. This is a conversation with a true original: chef, restaurateur, former Maverick of the Year, co-founder of Pilot Light, plant medicine facilitator, and owner of what may well be the best facial hair in London. We recorded this one at Acme Fire Cult in Hackney, and Andrew paints the full picture of how the restaurant grew from a scrappy lockdown car park operation into one of London’s most unique dining experiences. He talks about starting with barely any money, serving on palm leaf plates because proper crockery was out of reach, and slowly reinvesting every pound back into the space. There are brilliant details throughout — the dark walk down Abbott Street before you reach the yard, the old wine bar they inherited, the butternut squash cooking overnight in residual heat, the signature leeks with pistachio romesco, Marmite bread made from brewery yeast, and the way Acme turns into a “curry house” each winter inspired by his travels through Mumbai, Goa and Kerala. But what makes this episode really special is just how much Andrew gives us. He shares stories from his childhood eating pie, mash and liquor, his early years wanting to be a professional musician, playing in metal and hardcore bands, DJing to fund his record habit, and drifting into kitchens almost by accident. He takes us through working at places like The Square, St. John, Anchor & Hope, Rita’s, Brunswick House and St Leonards, with all the chaos that came with it — tattooed chef prejudice in old-school kitchens, sleeping on banquettes, wild post-service nights, and the intensity of trying to create great food while his life was unravelling behind the scenes. This episode also gets incredibly raw. Andrew speaks movingly about depression, cocaine addiction, telling his dad he didn’t want to live anymore, and the long road back through honesty, friendship, therapy, men’s circles and plant medicine. He tells unforgettable stories — a terrifying first ayahuasca ceremony in a blacked-out room in Essex, reviving a collapsing croquembouche at a wedding, a non-paying table turned into tequila-shot regulars, and the mad reality of building restaurants with brilliance and dysfunction happening at the same time. It’s hilarious, heavy, generous and packed with hard-won wisdom — and by the end, you’ll understand why Andrew Clarke is one of the most compelling figures in hospitality today. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    58 min
  3. Michael Caines - From Being Written Off After Losing His Arm In A Horror Crash To Winning 2 Michelin Stars & Becoming A Culinary Icon!

    MAR 5

    Michael Caines - From Being Written Off After Losing His Arm In A Horror Crash To Winning 2 Michelin Stars & Becoming A Culinary Icon!

    Michael Caines joins Go To Food for one of the most raw and revealing conversations we’ve ever had. Fresh from winning a Michelin star at The Stafford just months after opening — and still chasing that elusive second star at Lympstone Manor — he breaks down the realities of modern fine dining. From why tasting menus might be getting too long, to why à la carte is far from dead, to the financial tightrope of running a destination restaurant in rural Devon, this is Michael in full flow: honest, sharp and unapologetically ambitious. He takes us back to the beginning — a young lad from Exeter set on joining the Royal Marines before a last-minute pivot to catering college changed everything. We hear about staging at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, walking an hour each morning from a B&B just for the chance to cook for Raymond Blanc, and then heading to France to work under Bernard Loiseau and Joël Robuchon. The brutality of those kitchens, the silence, the stove inspections, the mind games — and a young Gordon Ramsay in the same brigade — it’s a masterclass in what elite training really looked like in the 90s. Then comes the moment that changed his life forever. Driving home exhausted, a split-second lapse, the car flipping — and waking up to see his arm gone. Michael recounts the crash in chilling detail: running from the wreckage, asking surgeons if they could save his arm, and returning to the kitchen just two weeks later with no insurance payout, no safety net. Teaching himself to cook left-handed. Learning to fillet fish and truss pigeons again. Being written off — and refusing to accept it. Four years later, he wins his second Michelin star at Gidleigh Park. A crowning moment earned through pain, grit and sheer bloody-minded belief. From building the Abode hotel brand, to rethinking pricing strategy with sold-out lunch offers, to explaining why too many chefs obsess over micro-herbs and tweezers instead of flavour — this episode is packed with stories, lessons and hard truths. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and why great chefs — like great restaurants — survive by evolving. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 1m
  4. Fadi Kattan - From Bethlehem to Notting Hill: The Untold Story Behind London’s Hottest Palestinian Chef

    MAR 2

    Fadi Kattan - From Bethlehem to Notting Hill: The Untold Story Behind London’s Hottest Palestinian Chef

    This week, we sit down with a man who is reshaping how the world sees Middle Eastern cuisine: the one and only Fadi Kattan. Born in Bethlehem, classically trained in Paris, and now leading acclaimed restaurants in London and Toronto, Fadi is more than a chef — he’s a storyteller, a cultural historian, and one of the most important voices in food today. From his grandmother’s kitchen to Michelin recognition, from Venetian influences to Palestinian terroir, this is a conversation about identity, resistance, generosity, and flavour — with a side of glorious beard and just enough nicotine to get us started. We dive deep into his London restaurant Akub in Notting Hill — a place where Palestinian produce and philosophy meet seasonal British sourcing. Fadi talks us through slow-cooked short rib with feta, coarse-textured hummus (the way it should be), mansaf with fermented jameed — the “Arab umami” — and eggs with sumac that honour sacred breakfast rituals with his father. He unpacks the politics of shakshuka, the beauty of kaleid mandala, and why hummus has absolutely no business being chocolate. It’s food rooted in Bethlehem’s old souq, in farmers knocking on the door at 7am, in adapting to what’s available — never cherry tomatoes in January. But this episode goes far beyond the plate. Fadi opens up about launching a gastronomic restaurant in Bethlehem during the Second Intifada, cooking by head torch when the electricity was cut, refusing to overcook 40-day-aged lamb, and building a wine list that proudly features Palestinian producers. He reflects on brutal kitchen culture in 1990s Paris, the scars — literal and emotional — that shaped him, and why culinary education must return to mothers’ kitchens instead of espuma machines. There’s sharp commentary on food appropriation, trends, terroir, and what it really means to cook with integrity. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  5. Mary-Ellen McTague - From The Fat Duck to The Godmother of Manchester’s Food Revolution

    FEB 26

    Mary-Ellen McTague - From The Fat Duck to The Godmother of Manchester’s Food Revolution

    Mary-Ellen McTague is one of the driving forces behind Manchester’s modern food scene: a chef, restaurateur and community builder whose cooking is rooted in place, craft and proper hospitality. In this episode, she joins the go-to food podcast to talk about the city she helped shape, the dishes she can’t stop thinking about, and the hard-won lessons behind building restaurants that people genuinely love. Her story runs from cooking for touring bands at Manchester’s Roadhouse as a student, to breaking barriers at the Michelin-starred Sharrow Bay Country House, and then into Heston Blumenthal’s inner circle at The Fat Duck. From the intensity and precision of a two-then-three-star kitchen to an R&D role exploring Britain’s food history at The Hind’s Head, Mary-Ellen’s career has been defined by curiosity, grit, and an obsession with flavour that actually means something. Back home, she became synonymous with Manchester’s dining renaissance—opening trailblazing restaurants, earning national acclaim, and feeding not just thousands of happy punters, but (as the hosts proudly put it) well over 150,000 people across the city. She shares what it’s really like to build a “rotation” of ambitious young chefs in Manchester, why a dish like Lancashire hotpot can carry identity and memory, and how her love of simple, brilliant produce started with a life-changing stint in rural Provence. The conversation also goes deeper: burnout, resilience, an ADHD diagnosis that “explained a lot,” and the purpose-led work of Eat Well MCR—turning surplus food and community energy into meals for people who need them most. Expect big laughs, kitchen war stories, and plenty of menu envy—especially when Mary-Ellen breaks down her PIP snack essentials and that signature hotpot (with oyster ketchup) that might just be the most “her” dish of all. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
  6. José Pizarro – How He Became The Godfather Of Spanish Food In The UK

    FEB 23

    José Pizarro – How He Became The Godfather Of Spanish Food In The UK

    This week on the Go To Food Podcast, we sit down with the godfather of Spanish food in London, José Pizarro. From carving jamón door to door in the 90s with a bottle of Rioja under his arm, to building a Bermondsey Street empire that changed how Britain eats, José’s story is one of graft, instinct and relentless belief in the flavours of home. We dive straight into Andalucía and his unforgettable Cádiz food trips during bluefin tuna season, unpacking the 3,000-year-old almadraba tradition, divers herding 450 kilo fish, and the almost mythical morillo cut from just above the eye. He explains how he would cook it, plancha, good salt, bread, maybe a perfect anchovy, and why that single bite can be one of the greatest things you will ever eat. We talk sangria with cava not prosecco, gin tonics done properly, and why Cádiz right now might be Spain’s most exciting region. Then we rewind to Extremadura: milking cows at dawn, sucking warm milk straight from the cow, cream skimmed thick off the top for toast and sugar, migas fried for hours in olive oil, and baby goat stewed simply with garlic, paprika and wine. He tells us about hating his mum’s lentils with chorizo as a child, only for them to become one of the last meals he would ever choose. We hear about concentration struggles at school, nearly becoming a dentist, the moment he realised he could not face a desk for life, and the six-month gap that changed everything when he fell in love with kitchens from the sink up. There are brilliant London stories too: arriving unable to speak English, nearly going home, wild Gaudí era parties, Air Brothers and the simplicity that shaped him, Brindisa and those electric early Borough Market mornings frying eggs, potatoes and jamón for shoppers with proper bags. He reflects on opening José and Pizarro before Bermondsey was Bermondsey, cooking for artists at White Cube, earning the Royal Cross of Isabel la Católica from the King of Spain, and still having his 92-year-old mum gently judging his cooking. Add nightmare kitchen floods, brutally honest takes on government and hospitality, a whistle-stop guide to where to eat in Cádiz, Galicia and Seville, and a perfect sign-off with Paco de Lucía, and you have one of the richest, funniest and most heartfelt episodes we’ve recorded. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min
  7. Karan Gokani - The Real Secret Behind Hoppers’ Success, What Most Restaurants Get Wrong About Value & How To Improve Spend Per Head Without “Upselling”

    FEB 19

    Karan Gokani - The Real Secret Behind Hoppers’ Success, What Most Restaurants Get Wrong About Value & How To Improve Spend Per Head Without “Upselling”

    Karan Gokani is one of London hospitality’s great shape-shifters: a former corporate lawyer who walked away from the safe path, then built something with genuine soul. We meet him inside Hoppers’ newest opening, a total reimagining of the old Lyle’s space, and talk about what it feels like to inherit “hallowed walls” without being haunted by them. The result is not a tribute act. It’s a new chapter, with a fresh personality, a different rhythm, and Karan’s fingerprints all over it. This conversation is a masterclass in why his restaurants never feel like “branches” (a word he hates). Karan explains how each site has its own character, shaped by postcode, clientele and timing, while still sharing a common DNA. From Soho’s starry-eyed early days to the evolution of the group into something closer to a family, he lays out what it actually takes to scale without turning sterile. We also get deep into the food and the thinking. Karan unpacks why he’s gone harder on hyper-regional South Indian cooking, why “dosa isn’t just a dosa”, and how research trips across India fed directly into new dishes you can only get at this opening. Expect stories from Mangalore to Chettinad to Chennai, plus the details that make it all feel lived-in: antiques carried back in luggage, a biryani with a deliberate spelling difference, and a menu built to guide you through discovery without turning into a high-street checklist. Finally, this is a proper behind-the-scenes look at modern restaurant craft: the “three-mile test”, the psychology of service, and why Karan thinks the lazy answer is simply pushing prices up. He talks about accessibility, kindness and value, the staffing reality post-Brexit, and the obsession with guest experience over ego. It ends with Bangkok as his ultimate food city, a dream of opening a pizza concept, and a Springsteen play-out that feels exactly right. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
  8. Ed Mcilroy - From Scaffolder To Creating The Plimsoll & Tollingtons, Burger Virality & His Disdain For Food Influencers!

    FEB 16

    Ed Mcilroy - From Scaffolder To Creating The Plimsoll & Tollingtons, Burger Virality & His Disdain For Food Influencers!

    The Go-To Food Podcast, brought to you by Blinq, the UK company revolutionising the POS game, and today we are joined by a man who has lived about five careers in one life. From scaffolder to delivery driver, chef to publican, and now the force behind two of London’s most-loved neighbourhood landmarks: The Plimsoll and Tollington’s Fish Bar. Ed McIlroy is funny, blunt, properly self-aware, and, crucially, he is building places that feel like they belong to the city, not the trend cycle. This episode starts with a tease that will have every North Londoner leaning in: a new opening is coming, and soon. Ed gives just enough away to be dangerous, but what follows is even better, a sharp take on originality, why design and personality matter more than “owning” a dish, and how he looks further afield for inspiration without playing copycat down the road. If you have ever rolled your eyes at another identikit “minimal” restaurant, his rant alone is worth the listen. Then it gets properly good: Ed explains how the Plimsoll burger went viral, why he is totally unbothered by internet backlash, and what it really means to run restaurants as a business. He talks candidly about money, margins, dishwashers breaking, and the bizarre shame people project onto hospitality owners for admitting they need to make profit to survive. There is also the legendary influencer story, the police station address, the morale boost, and the moment it all kicked off online. And underneath all the jokes is a serious blueprint for modern hospitality: build local, earn trust, offer value, and make people feel looked after. Ed talks about why pubs feel warmer than restaurants, why service is about to matter more than ever, and why he would rather open a dingy late-licence dive bar than chase Soho rent. If you care about restaurants, running a business, or just want to understand how London’s best neighbourhood spots actually happen, this is one you will fly through. Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523 Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/ Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr
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5
out of 5
18 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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