The FoodTalk Show

Free From Fairy

Vicki the Free From Fairy is not from Neverland, as Paul Andrews quickly learns, but she does have a pioneering gluten free flour blend which is both wholegrain and rice free. They meet at the Allergy and Free From Show at Olympia and Vicki generously shares some treats that she's made with this world first in flour with our hosts Christie Ellis and Paul.

Eat Grub

Shami from Eat Grub drops by our pod at the Allergy and Free From Show at Olympia, for a chat with Christie Ellis and Paul Andrews about what inspired him to becoming an edible insect innovator! Paul confesses that he secretly loves munching on crickets, whilst Christie crosses some new insect eating boundaries. 

Biteappy

Caroline Oldham is a lactose intolerant coeliac who after struggling to find safe places to eat, thought it was about time there was an app to help people with food intolerances eat out without the worry. She talks to Christie Ellis and Paul Andrews about her fantastic creation as a response to a need.

Dr Marilyn Glenville

Dr Marilyn Glenville is an expert in natural health, especially when it comes to women. She meets Christie Ellis and Paul Andrews and enlightens them on how to improve your wellbeing and be more healthy through proper nutrition.

Savvy Foods

Jonathan Drury of Savvy Foods talks to Christie Ellis and Paul Andrews about the inspiration behind their guilt free, delicious snacks based around the super legume carob.

Live Wheatgrass

Christie Ellis and Paul Andrews meet Dr Britt Cordi of Live Wheatgrass and try a shot or two of this wonder plant mixed with a little bit of juice. Better than Popeye's spinach addiction, wheatgrass is a nutrition packed boost of a shot with quite the positive kick.

Qnola

Danielle's love for granola was at odds with her desire to look after herself, so she created Qnola. Qnola is a range of nutritionally enhanced, low sugar Quinoa based breakfast goods made solely with this wonder pseudo grain and absolutely no other grains or cereals meaning she gets to eat what she likes without any of the bad stuff. So if you fancy upping your breakfast game, listen back to her interview and visit her website.

The FoodTalk Show 14 July 2016 - An Allergy & Free From Show Special (Part 1)

Listen live here every Thursday at 4pm and again on Monday at midday.

An Allergy & Free From Show special (part 1)

Christie Ellis and Paul Andrews wander around the Allergy & Free From Show 2016, meeting up with the best producers and innovators in the sector. In this show they speak to Dr Marilyn Glenville about the relationship between nutrition and wellness,  try some Live Wheatgrass with Dr Britt Cordi, who are the only company in Europe to grow organic wheatgrass outside. Next we hear from Jonathan of Savvy Foods who brings a great selection of guilt-free snacks along for our hosts to indulge in which Paul happily polishes off whilst reminiscing about eating twigs in his youth.

After discussing the benefits of looking at what's really in our food and Paul's deceivingly filling raw pizza experience, we get to meet Danielle from Qnola and how to eat the things you like by making smart substitutions for gluten and sugar. Finally we hear from the marvellous Caroline from Bite Appy which is the free app helping people eat for their own diet all over the world.

The FoodTalk Show 7 July 2016 - Little pearls that pop and proper good vinegar

Innovation spotlight - Jools Drink:

Antonio Lorenzon talks the FoodTalk team through his unique approach to making award winning bubble tea using spherification and original flavour combinations to make fun, funky adult soft drinks. 

We hate Heston - Hollandaise sauce and asparagus:

Hilde Smith is joined by the lovely Christie Ellis to talk us through how to make a Hollandaise sauce from scratch that will impress every good cook's children.

Posh, flavoured vinegar from Womersley Foods

Rupert Parsons does our first ever phone interview teaching Paul Andrews what apache chillis are whilst Christie Ellis & Brady Last toast Brady's birthday with his beautiful, flavoursome award winning vinegars which apparently go rather well with gin! Hooray!

The FoodTalk Show 30 June 2016 - delicious traditional gelato and food apps for everyone

Innovation spotlight - Vita Mojo:

Tom from Studio Graphene talking about how using new, developing technology and food apps are helping people balance or record their meals whilst changing the landscape of the food industry. Sue Nelson is interested in the personalisation and consumer control of food technology and Paul Andrews is impressed that there's yet another gadget to help him with his perpetual dieting.

We Hate Heston - Spanish tortilla:

Christie Ellis talks us through her favourite lunchtime tortilla recipe whilst teaching her husband Billy how to make it. 

Morelli's Gelato:

Bibi Morelli discusses the difference between ice cream and gelato and how to stay current with a traditional, family product. Sue Nelson fondly remembers her childhood, summer frozen treat and Paul Andrews is most impressed with the pistachio ice cream all the way from first taste down to the packaging.

The FoodTalk Show 23 Jun 2016 - sizzling sausages and what it means to be vegan

Innovation spotlight - Carnivore Foods:

Richard Douglas started Carnivore Foods less than two years ago. It's a butcher's shop and deli in Sidcup. Working in the meat trade since he was 13, Richard regularly supplies top chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, James Martin and TV shows such as MasterChef, Saturday Kitchen and the F-Word. He brings some hot cooked sausages to taste, and Paul Andrews couldn't be happier. 

We Hate Heston - Steak with chimichurri sauce:

Lucy Ellis explains how to cook the perfect steak, with the addition of some spicy chimichurri sauce. 

Veganism:

Emily Bailey explains why she has become a committed vegan, less than a year after being a very happy meat eater. She tells Paul Andrews and Sue Nelson how to make amazing, protein-filled salads and what is the best vegan cheese. 

The FoodTalk Show 16 June 2016 – Juice without the natural sugar and getting hooked on mead

Innovation spotlight - Muddles:

Sugary drinks, even those with natural fruit sugars, are a major cause of obesity in kids. Julian Hallam had the inspiration to make a lighter, hydrating and naturally sweet juice while travelling around Vietnam on a motorbike (as you do). Sue Nelson wants to know how he has managed to reduce the sugar content by up to 70% and Paul Andrews just wants to know where he can buy the apple and raspberry flavour.

We Hate Heston - The four 'must have' cocktails:

Sue Nelson gets together a group of girls one evening to make and taste their favourite four cocktails - Espresso Martini, Negroni, Bloody Mary and something to do with maple syrup. What could go wrong?

Kingsmead Cider and Mead:

Kevin is a cider maker. He’s been producing cider for three years and last year won CAMRA Best Cider in the South of England award. Kevin makes all sorts of varieties of cider including blackcurrant,raspberry and lemon, along with traditional, medium and dry. This year he has expanded the business to make mead from a traditional old English recipe. Sue Nelson is bowled over.

The FoodTalk Show 9 June 2016 - Celebrating Kent and chewing over the merits of BlockHead gum

Innovation spotlight - BlockHead:

Danny Lowe started BlockHead when he was still at university. Like the rest of us, he had nothing better to do at the end of his second year than start up a company, speak to manufacturers across Europe and set about making a whole new type of chewing gum. No, we didn't do that in our holidays either. His product contains caffeine, taurine and vitamins which are released by chewing and absorbed through your gums instead of your stomach. This gives an energy boost five times faster than an energy drink. Paul Andrews is stunned by the commercial success Danny has achieved, and he's still only 24 (Danny not Paul).

We hate Heston - salmon and asparagus pasta:

Sue Nelson explains why she loves English asparagus and cooks a quick and easy supper dish using Scottish salmon, taking less than 15 minutes in total. Naturally it needs to be served with a glass of ice cold white wine. 

Celebrating the county of Kent:

Sarah Sturt is an award winning journalist and editor of Kent Life magazine. She talks about her experiences of writing about Kent for over a decade and her favourite eating places in the county. She also introduces Paul and Sue to traditional Kent dishes such as Huffkins, Canterbury pudding and gypsy tart.

The FoodTalk Show 2 June 2016 - The world of potatoes and protein pow!

Innovation spotlight - protein pow:

Anna Sward began a blog in 2011 and ended up making a protein powder that is now available across the UK. She pretty much uses it instead of flour for everything from baking cakes to making protein bars. Just to prove how tasty it is she brings in some banana bread and naturally Paul Andrews scoffs the lot. 

We hate Heston - mash potatoes:

Sue Nelson explains how to make the perfect mashed potato - clue: make sure you start with very salty cold water and get the temperature of the butter just right. Yum.

The wonderful world of potatoes:

Hilary Steel is a very busy woman who runs Health and Beauty Awards and the Kent Women in Business magazine, among many other business interests. But, she's fallen in love with the potato, the whole world of potatoes in fact, and has even taken on a new marketing manager to help her and he's called Spud.

The FoodTalk Show 26 May 2016 - Detoxification, jam and pickles

Innovation spotlight - nosh detox:

Nosh Detox was founded by Geeta Sidhu-Robb in 2008 after her baby son nearly died of a food allergy. He had spent over 240 days in hospital over an 18 month period and Geeta was forced to give up her job as a corporate lawyer to look after him. She started developing her own recipes and a regime of nutritious balanced meals, alternative therapies and natural supplements. Now Nosh Detox has become the UK's first home detoxification deliver service and is used by Gwyneth Paltrow, Georgia May Jagger and a host of other famous people. Here, Geeta explains her simple plan for losing weight and feeling great, but will Paul Andrews follow her advice and ditch his diet coke habit?

We hate Heston - spaghetti bolognese:

Sue Nelson explains why spaghetti bolognese is the best meal in the world and how to cook her version. It's not a quick dish as you need to simmer it slowly for at least an hour or so, but it's well worth the wait!

Home made pickles and Aga lessons:

Sian Bennett runs Sianie's Kitchen from her home in Swanley, Kent and she manages her own allotment. She makes pickles and preserves using her home grown seasonal produce, and they're delicious. But she also used to be a cookery demonstrator with Aga and now runs her own Aga lessons from home. Learn Sian's top tips. 

The FoodTalk Show 19 May 2016 - English sparkling wine and food waste

Why Kent makes the best sparkling wine:

Well in our opinion wines from the South East of England are right up there with the French champagnes. Sue Nelson tastes some Woodchurch Wine and talks to Graham Barbour about waking up one morning and deciding to set up a vineyard. 

We hate Heston - mushrooms on toast:

The guys at Smithy Mushrooms produce amazing exotic mushrooms (obviously) but also know a thing or two about cooking. Here they explain how to make the perfect mushrooms on toast, yummy for lunch or for a quick snack when you get home from work. 

Innovation spotlight - food minder:

British families are throwing away the equivalent of 24 meals a month, which amounts to £60. That's a lot of food waste and also a big waste of hard-earned income. The clever people at Food Minder have come up with an idea to warn you when your food is going off in your fridge. Listen to Emma Rothwell explain just how the company developed this personalised early warning system. Paul Andrews wants to take some of these gadgets home with him. 

The FoodTalk Show 12 May 2016 - Food intolerance and food cravings

Working out your food intolerance:

Jeremy Eames explains how he finally worked out that his health issues were linked to food, and how an analysis he received in Singapore showed that lactose was literally ruining his life. 

Innovation spotlight - food cravings:

Sofie Dralle had an eating disorder in her teens and after an accident that left her immobile for a few months, she decided to work out why she suffered from terrible food obsessions. Soon afterwards she developed an app called StopMyCraving, to help others tore-calibrate their relationship with food.

The Food & Drink Expo 2016 (part 3):

Sue Nelson wanders around the Food and Drink Expo 2016, meeting up with the best producers and innovators in the sector. These final interviews showcase the stories behind Eco For Life, Teaforia, Super Treats, Jim Jams Spreads and Stoats.

The FoodTalk Show 5 May 2016 - the Food and Drink Expo 2016, part 2

Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews wander around the Food and Drink Expo 2016, meeting up with the best producers and innovators in the sector. In this show they meet the Chilli Jam Man and learn about his innovative barbecue techniques and admire the farming skills of the team behind Borderfields Rapeseed Oil.

Sue talks through the touching story behind Frieda's Pantry and realises that you should always listen to your mum. Then there are the delights of tasting Get Fruity bars, the Just Bee Honey Drink, TPlus Green Tea and Two Birds cereal. But you can't disguise the utter joy of guzzling back a couple of gins with The Bath Gin Company. 

The FoodTalk Show 28 April 2016 - the Food and Drink Expo 2016, part 1

A Food & Drink Expo special from the NEC Birmingham - part 1

Sue Nelson and Paul Andrews wander around the Food and Drink Expo 2016, meeting up with the best producers and innovators in the sector. In this show they eat a mountain of cakes made by Cobbs Bakery from the Highlands of Scotland, and Paul cannot disguise his delight in discussing the world famous black puddings from the Bury Black Pudding Company. 

Sue gets very hot and flustered talking about sausages with the outrageous owner of Westaways Sausages and is bowled over by the new product development from the people behind Spice Drops. Not to mention the exotic mushrooms from Smithy Mushrooms, the frozen cocktails from The Ice Co, the double cream packed Purbeck ice cream and getting converted to British Quinoa.

Two Birds Cereals

Alison Saunders from Two Birds Cereals chats to The FoodTalk Show at the Food & Drink Expo 2016.