The FoodTalk Show

Are you using your noodle?

We don’t want you to listen to the FoodTalk Podcast (just yet) if you’re in the industry. First, we want you to head over to www.foodtalkawards.com and enter if you fit in one of the categories. Entries close at midnight on Friday (7^th April). Okay, do it now…

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Welcome back. After filling out your application form, you deserve a fabulous hour of FoodTalk – Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge didn’t disappoint with the guests we had on.

First up, we had noodles in a pot, but Pot Noodles were a million miles away from the studio. We welcomed Damien Lee from Mr Lee’s Noodles, they are serving healthy (yes) and tasty (double yes) instant noodles. What are the chances of that? There’s a fantastic personal story behind the birth of the company too, so make sure you listen.

From healthy noodles to healthy drinks, we met some great companies at the IFE Show recently and one of those was Barracudos. Fahad Younas gave us the lowdown on his energising protein water.

Having heard from an exhibitor at a food show, it was fitting that we spoke to Maragarete Baltay from William Reade. The company helps organise exhibitions and is behind some fantastic publications like ‘The Grocer’ & ‘Meat Trades Journal’. She gave us a great insight into the food industry from an angle we don’t often see.

Fix your Biology with Pudology

Entries for The FoodTalk Awards are still open, so if you’re a UK company at the forefront of innovation in taste, packaging, writing or food tech – why not apply while you catch up on this week’s show with Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge.

First up, we got techy with it. David Booth from Tech City Ventures was on hand to give us some fabulous tips for businesses in the food industry… everything from branding to investment, you’d be mad to miss it.

From the world of tech, we explored a world that’s a million miles from computers – the English Channel. Yes, you may get big fishing companies using their sonar radars in some parts of the world, but Barry from Hollowshore Fisheries explained how the family business keep it simple when they’re catching Oysters.

After all that talking, it was time for pudding. Handily, we had Lucy Wager from Pudology as our last guest. They’re a bit special in the world of those on dairy-free and gluten-free diets – we found out exactly why after a quick taste. Find out for yourself.

Sue talks testicles

This week’s FoodTalk show seemed to be a thoroughly enjoyable one for Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge. I’m sure it was nothing to do with the concealed yet copious amount of alcohol we had in the studio.

Safe in the assumption that 99% of people have fallen off the dry wagon from their New Year resolutions, we invited Melanie Goldsmith on to the show to talk about her amazing pastilles.

Smith & Sinclair have launched their own range of alcoholic pastille sweets, but this is no horrible Chocolate Liquor, this is a patented technology and it tastes amazing (and very strong). Sue had enough to tip her over the drink drive limit, thankfully we were close to the train station.

Next up, what’s this? More alcohol? Surely not? Nope, we’re safe – we have Heineken but it’s their newly released alcohol-free version. Sue had caught up with Hendrik van Es earlier in the week to talk about the release.

The break had given us the chance to cool off and get our hands on some amazing research from Great British Chefs – Ollie Lloyd explained all.

Do you count yourself as a proper foodie? If so, you should take a look at this – it’s the biggest foodie survey ever conducted and covers everything from testicles to anchovies. You’d better take a listen to this.

Are you a FoodTalk winner?

Somebody better get Guy Routledge a doctor, he’s had the same cold for three weeks. Thankfully he battled through to present another belter of a show with Sue Nelson. 

First things first, if you haven’t heard about the FoodTalk Awards yet then you need to listen to this podcast as a matter of urgency. Are you a free-from pioneer? A gourmet guerrilla? Are making something bonkers but brilliant? Maybe you’re outside the box when it comes to packaging? You might even be a fabulous Fanny! Listen to Sue explain all, but visit the website for more info too: www.foodtalkawards.com

 Our awards night is part of London Tech Week in June, we invited Gabby MacSweeney over to the studio to tell us all about why the week should be so popular and what others to look out for.

 The weather’s warmed up a little bit this week, so it seemed right to get in a summery mood. What’s best to put a spring in your step? Cocktails, of course. Sue hosted some of the FoodTalk staff at her house to discuss their favourite cocktails and how to make them.

Moving on from lovely cocktails, our last conversation required some stronger stomachs. Insect diets have become more and more popular in the last couple of years. Being the fun guys that we are in the office, we decided to set our Social Media man Harry on the case to try the diet for a week. Would you be able to do it? Listen to the interview and let us know.

 

Cheerfy up, we know what you want

Variety is the spice of life and we had plenty of it this week; food, drink and tech – Sue Nelson and Guy Routledge had a treat in store for this week’s FoodTalk Show.

Now, with our first guest, it sounds pretty scary to think that a restaurant could paint a better picture of you than you yourself. However, Adrian Maseda has developed the fantastic Cheerfy; a wifi tool that is helping restaurants around the world to improve customer recognition and relationship.

Another company who keep the customer as no.1 priority is Pasta Remoli. Based at Westfield Stratford, Sibel Remoli tells us how he and his cook Carlo make the perfect Italian treats and elaborates on his hatred of the term ‘next please’.

It can be tiring and thirsty work in radio, thankfully Sue and Guy were able to welcome Rahi Daneshmand as the next guest. His company are called Virtue Drinks and they are making some lovely energy water. Refreshing and energising – what more do you need?

 

Splendid stories and making your mark

Hot on the heels of the breaking(!) news that Donald Trump likes his steak well done – and with ketchup – Sue Nelson was back in the studio to present another episode of The FoodTalk Show, and attempt to shore up some sanity to a crazy 2017.

Sue was joined behind the decks by Guy Routledge from The Food Rush to introduce our first guest, Helen Graves, who is a diverse freelance recipe developer, food and travel writer and editor. She enlightened us about her fabulous Food Stories website, her book on sandwiches, and her restaurant reviews around London.

We then had a pre-record from Moju Drinks from Food Matters Live. Founder Charlie Leet-Cook spoke to us about their super healthy cold-pressed range of juices – made for the people!

Solveiga Pakstaite from Bump Mark was our final guest. She was on hand to tell us all about her innovative food labelling solution that informs consumers when their food is ready for the bin! When the label goes from good to bad, your food does too, a great alternative to relying on ‘best before’ dates which can often be inaccurate.

Another reminder to check out The FoodTalk Awards, which are coming this June. If you’re a blogger or work on anything innovative in food tech then you need to be in it to win it! Entries open 7 March, so get involved!

Stop, in the name of the law!

Paul recovered from the shock of discovering that our recommended daily intake of fruit and veg has been doubled to 10 portions a day to present another edition of The FoodTalk Show with the lovely Sue Nelson.

This week two of our guests hailed from the Garden of England. The Blue & White Café is situated on the A20 and is a big hit with the police force, hence its arresting name. Tony Keserton was in the studio to talk about their all-day breakfasts and the changes that café culture has seen in recent years. He also revealed a surprising most popular dish.

Before we chatted to Tony - and after a cheesy tune introduction - Isabelle Legeron was on the line to talk about Raw Wine Fair, which takes place in London next month. This trailblazing event will particularly focus on the artisan wine movement in the UK.

Heading back to Kent, we were also joined by Nicki Cartmill from Hythe Brasserie. She manages the establishment with her husband, Darragh, and was on hand to talk about their locally sourced dishes and their motto of “fine dining without the frills.”

Don’t forget to check out the inaugural FoodTalk Awards, coming this June. If you’re a blogger or involved in food tech in any way then you need to be in it to win it.

Yummy, yummy, I've got love in my tummy

Love has been in the air this week… Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews discussed all manner of topics from aphrodisiacs to sexy food music, oh yes.

First up, we found a way to banish one of our pet hates with something we love. Spreads are so damn bad, but so damn spreadable (obviosuly) at the same time. Luckily, Nigel Lloyd has found the perfect balance with ‘The Softer Butter Co’ – he adds no nasties and instead relies on his fervently secret formula.

We know already that Paul loves a good feast in the office. He was, therefore, elated that we had Robert Hocking from Independence Market in the studio. The company is keen to answer the question ‘what’s for dinner?’ by providing weekly menus of premium quality ready meals and Robert showed us what they had to offer.

Finally, we spoke to Steve Keller. Steve has been conducting a very interesting experiment with the help of Cadbury’s chocolate. Do you reckon a certain song would make you pick a particular chocolate? Steve thinks so.

Banging Curry & specialiTea

With not a single iceberg lettuce in sight amid a worldwide crisis, Sue Nelson was joined by Lucy Ellis this week for some fabulous FoodTalk.

As Sue put it, we had something of a colonial special – a real celebration of Brits’ favourite food and drink. Curry is the most popular takeaway in the UK, while Tea is comfortably the most consumed drink.

From the Curry corner, we were delighted to welcome Bang Curry on to the show. Dr Shelly Nuruzzaman has a hugely scientific background, but her biggest passion is getting the brilliant Bangladeshi flavours into more kitchens. Bring a bang to your meals with these spice kits.

 It was then Tea’s time to shine… Not only did we hear from Roland Hill of Teapy from his appearance at the Great Hospitality Show, we also welcomed Dan Rook from Chash Teas into the studio. Any mix of tea you can think of, Chash probably have it – these are speciality teas with a capital S.

 

 

 

 

Great Hospitality Show & PR special

Smells and Tom Jones… They aren’t frequently discussed topics on FoodTalk but all bets were off this week as Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews presented a Great Hospitality Show special.

 Sue had a busy day up in Birmingham last week talking to all sorts of companies in the food tech industry, from the bizarre to brilliant.

The discussion didn’t stop with the exhibition though, we also welcomed Suzanne Howe into the studio. Suzanne runs her own PR business, Suzanne Howe Communications, and has fantastic experience in working with the food industry. She has some great tips too, so make sure you listen in.

Dieting with AI & sensational Cinnamon

In a week where it has been reported that burnt toast and golden brown potatoes will give you cancer, we had Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews in the studio to bring us back to reality and provide some quality FoodTalk.

While carcinogenic may be the buzzword of the week, there’s plenty of fantastically healthy stuff out there and we had a product in the studio that has been developed by a Doctor – ideal. Skanda Wijeyekoon introduced Cinnamora to us; a wonderfully healthy soft drink inspired by cinnamon – the only one of its kind.

 Elsewhere in the food industry this week, Birmingham’s NEC Arena has been playing host to the Great Hospitality Show. We met Ian Lee from BeerSaver6, whose cleaning product is revolutionising the pub industry. Hear more of the action from the Hospitality Show next week too.

Finally, we ventured into new territory on the FoodTalk show with some AI technology. Pri has developed the app Meal IQ which is using algorithms to create a shopping list and meal plan to match your budget and diet – we’re excited about this one.  

 

Morse Toad

There were some fantastic producers exhibiting at the Bread & Butter Show, but Sue managed to catch-up with somebody doing something slightly different, step forward Dicky Broadhurst from MorseToad.

You’ll know about companies like Moon Pig doing personalised greetings cards, but MorseToad are different and far tastier – they are offering greeting chocolates. Each box can come with its own message in the chocolate and a photo too.

It’s a fantastic idea for birthdays and Christmas, so please find out more information here and listen to the podcast here.

One brilliant breakfast bonanza

We had something of a Breakfast bonanza this week on FoodTalk – It’s a shame that the show is broadcast live in the afternoon because Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews tried two of the finest products to help prepare you for the day ahead. 

While we were in the process of contacting Tom Mercer on the phone, we were also firing up the kettles in order to prepare the wonderful MOMA porridge that Tom created. You may have seen the luxury product in the main supermarkets, as Tom explains how he had the idea for the mix of fine and chunky oats and shares his predictions for future breakfast trends.

One exception to our breakfast rule this week was our interview with Hayley Fyans from The Snaffling Pig. They have the tastiest pork products, but who says we can’t make them a morning treat?

For our next guest, the kettles were boiling again and by Jove we were smelling the coffee. Paula Lain came to our studio armed with a cafetiere and her amazing ‘Get in the Mood Coffee’. With flavours such as ‘Hectic Hamster’, ‘Fancy Cat’ and ‘Partied Out Panda’, she is sure to have the coffee to match your mood.

We’ll be back next week for more FoodTalk but make sure you listen out for the first mention of the first ever ‘FoodTalk Awards’ which will be coming this year…

 

Energising the food sharing revolution

Staying healthy and cutting down on waste are key issues in the food industry right now, so of course Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews are keen to discuss all on another topical FoodTalk Show.

First things first, do you loathe Lucozade, puke over Powerade or does Gatorade grate on you? The content of sugar in those products probably means you answer a resounding yes to those questions. Step forward Troy Linton and his all-natural Cocoshot health supplement powders. He’s giving you energy and keeping you healthy without all the nasties.

Moving on, 'tis the season for the sales. If you're heading to London this January, you’re bound to stop off in the staple of capital department store shopping, Selfridges. Listen to Adrian Boswell, a buyer at the store, explain what Selfridges are expecting to see in the food industry.

 Last of all, how many times have you been seduced by a gorgeous BOGOF deal? Lots of times, of course. The problem is that most of the time we don’t need that second freebie and it goes to waste. Saasha Celestial-One (the name is explained in the podcast) came to the studio to help us join the ‘Food Sharing Revolution’ with OLIO. There’s an app for that…

Spice up your food choices this year

Your 2017 starts here – Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews are back with an incredibly appetising show, in more ways than one.

Forget the preamble, we jump straight into the action because Sunny Mudhar has bought us a post-Christmas banquet to have in the studio. Sunny founded ‘Family Secret’ – he has travelled around the world picking-up secret recipes from locals and using them in the most amazing cooking sauces. 

Sunny also gives us a taste of the finest Bombay-style street food – it’s safe to say that it’s one of the nicest treats we’ve had before. If hearing our rumbling stomachs isn’t enough for you, head over to our Twitter where we streamed it live.

It was tough to take ourselves away from the food but luckily we had another fantastic guest to hear from. Phil Owens has something of a foodies crystal ball – his company ‘Flavour Feeds’ are keeping everyone up-to-date with the latest food and flavour trends for the future – a very useful listen.

FoodTalk 2016 - best bits

Christmas is over and now you’re wondering what to eat? –  sound about right? Have a listen to the best bits from 2016…

It has been an incredibly fun year for us at FoodTalk – the studio has been awash with fantastic produce from the best companies and we’ve been on the road at plenty of shows. 

Our presenter Sue Nelson has earmarked her favourite chats from 2016 in this special show. You’ll hear everything from top department stores and household names to a tipsy gin bar session and discussions around the future of food.

Enjoy the show and join us again in 2017 for even more FoodTalk.

Christmas spice and all things nice

It’s ever so nearly Christmas, and we decided to spice up the festive season with an Indian Cookery special.

If you ever find yourself struggling to buy a gift for the foodie in your life, as Sue Nelson points out, make sure you buy some cookery lessons at the Kent Cookery School rather than boring old socks.

Sue caught up with the fantastic chef Hari Ghotra as she was giving an Indian Cooking demonstration, and we heard all of the action from a great event. Hari has quite the reputation, seeing as though she’s a chef at the first Indian Restaurant to receive a Michelin Star restaurant.

We even had the fruits of Sue’s labour in the studio – much to the delight of Paul Andrews.

Swiping left or right for a gastro delight

Chocolate, lunch and alcohol… It must be Christmas time – luckily, Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews have plenty to taste and talk about.

We jump straight into a chat with Noelle Ghanem who is here to talk to us about her company, Food Swapp. The statistics around UK workers and their boring (and expensive) lunchtime habits are shocking, and that’s why Noelle has stepped forward with ‘The Tinder of Food’. Fancy swiping food left or right? – You need to take a listen.

Next up, we keep the festive spirit alive with a spirit of a different kind – both go hand-in-hand of course though. Sue caught up with Peter Andrew recently to talk all about his lovely White Heron Cassis – their ‘adult Ribena’ would be perfect alongside the Christmas Turkey.

We’ve had talk of lunch and alcohol, so the next logical step is to get the chocolates out. Thankfully, Grace Simpson has bought enough of her ‘Goupie’ chocolates to last us a lifetime. It’s known as a ‘devishly moreish chewy chocolate confection with a hint of crunch.'

How to make Farmers Markets Totally Sweet

Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews are plunged into the varying worlds of Farmers Markets, Fortnum & Mason and a healthy alternative to the traditional baddies that goes by the name of sugar in this week’s Food Talk. 

We start with a chat with Daniel Reeds from Total Sweet. Trying to cut sugar out of your diet isn’t easy but Daniel believes he has found the answer with the ingredient Xylitol. It looks, tastes and feels like sugar – but it’s better for you. We needn’t say anymore – take a listen for further information. 

Steve Woods was then able to tell us all about Farmers Markets work in Kent. His experience managing Tonbridge Farmers Markets and being on the board at Kent Farmers Market gives us a great insight into something we all ought to support.

Surely one of the goals for the stallholders at Steve’s market is to get their produce sold in one of the big department stores in this country – therefore it was apt that we heard from Andrew Cavanna, a buyer from Fortnum & Mason, arguably one of the best-known stores in London.  He explains exactly what you need to make the cut.

Food Matters Live 2016 Special (finale)

Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews present the final special show from Food Matters Live 2016 that took place at London's Excel Arena a few weeks ago.

We hear from some fantastic companies who were exhibiting at the event...Everything from a company growing greens underground in an abandoned WW2 bunker to a company creating easily chewable foods for Hospitals and Care Homes.

Join us again next week for some more FoodTalk.