Borough Talks

Welcome to a brand-new season of Borough Talks, the Borough Market podcast.

Following publication of a new volume of her acclaimed book The Flavour Thesaurus, best-selling author Niki Segnit joins Angela Clutton at Borough Market. While exploring the stalls, they discuss the liberation that comes from cooking without a recipe, the difference between raisins and sultanas, and why allspice smells like clean ironing.

Belgian food writer, photographer and TV star Regula Ysewijn talks to Anegla Clutton about her fascination with British history and culture, her strong ties to Borough Market, and how Belgium's food traditions act as a bridge across the country's deep regional divides.

On a flying visit from Melbourne, the much-loved Australian food writer, broadcaster and self-proclaimed ‘vegelante' Alice Zaslavsky joins Angela Clutton for a stimulating stroll around Borough Market's stalls, complete with honey tasting, cheese shopping and lots of inspiring chat.

Mike Hill and Richard Dinwoodie of Utobeer and The Rake and drinks writer Emma Inch join Angela Clutton to discuss the shifting landscape of gay pubs, the battle against beer's macho image, and Borough's age-old links with brewing.

Clare Finney, author of Hungry Heart and a regular contributor to Borough Market, talks to Angela Clutton about the ties between food, love and human connection, her own complicated relationship with food, and the elemental power of breaking bread together.

Angela Clutton joins one of the regular surplus food collections run by Plan Zheroes and discovers how Borough Market produce that might otherwise go to waste finds its way to people in need. She chats to Plan Zheroes co-founder Chris Wilkie, chef and ambassador Jeremy Pang, traders, volunteers, and one of the many charities that benefit from the scheme.

Chloë Stewart of nibs etc. and TikTok star Martyn Odell (Lagom Chef) join Angela Clutton to discuss the devastating impact of food waste and how, by unlocking our creativity, changing our habits in the kitchen and redefining ‘waste' as ‘resources', we can all play our part in reducing it

Food writer and culture, diversity & comms consultant Mallika Basu offers her insights into writing cookbooks, building a personal brand, ‘feeding the beast' of social media, and bringing cultural sensitivity to the language of food.

Legendary food writer and organiser Henrietta Green joins Angela Clutton to discuss her role in the dramatic rebirth of Borough Market in 1998, the alarming shape of food retail, and the ongoing revolution in British charcuterie.

Romy Gill, the British-Indian chef, food writer, broadcaster and author of the beautiful On The Himalayan Trail cookbook, joins Angela Clutton to discuss the roots of her approach to food, and the intense experience of exploring the Himalayas.

This special episode looks back at the Frost Fairs – wild, spontaneous festivals that repeatedly erupted on the frozen River Thames. Mark Riddaway, author of Edible Histories, gives us the history, while Tim Wilson of Ginger Pig and Andy Geddes of The Cinnamon Tree Bakery discuss the food sold at the Frost Fairs and how these historic events resonate with today's Market traders.

For our second Christmas podcast Angela is joined by Jeremy Lee, charismatic chef-proprietor of Quo Vadis and author of the hit cookbook Cooking. The pair wander around the Market's stalls visiting butchers, greengrocers and cheesemongers and chatting about everything from Jeremy's memories of the Market's formative days to his predictably indulgent approach to Christmas food.

For the first of our special Christmas podcasts, the cookery writer and self-proclaimed ‘queen of leftovers' Melissa Hemsley wanders around the Market with Angela. They talk to traders, admire the design of Spanish fish tins, try Indonesian snake fruit and discuss Melissa's love of Christmas pudding with cheese. Less an interview, more two friends chatting about food with the microphones left on.

Creating a complex cookbook like Borough Market: The Knowledge is an epic undertaking, requiring the input of lots of people with a diverse range of skills. For this highly informative podcast episode, Angela Clutton is joined by photographer Kim Lightbody, graphic designer Dave Brown and publisher Liz Gough to lift the lid on how Borough's new cookbook came to be conceived.

The tables are turned in our latest podcast, as regular Borough Talks host Angela Clutton finds herself in the hotseat being interviewed by Itamar Srulovich of Honey & Co. Recorded live at the Market, she tells us about her love of history, theatre and food, her approach to cooking, and how she came to write our new book, Borough Market: The Knowledge, then shares some of the many insights she gained from traders along the way.

Our new book, Borough Market: The Knowledge, is published on 27th October. Written by Borough Talks host Angela Clutton, it explores how the specialist knowledge of Borough's traders can enhance your shopping, cooking and eating, and distils that expertise into beautiful recipes. In our latest podcast, Angela is joined by three traders who feature in the book: Nadia Gencas of Karaway Bakery talks about the wide world of rye breads, Steve Hook of Hook & Son discusses the wonders of raw milk, and Phil Juma of JUMA shares his recipe for three-cheese bourek.

Earlier this year, Cynthia's debut cookbook Rambutan made a huge splash, thanks to the vibrancy of her recipes and writing. In October, her restaurant of the same name will launch on Borough Market's Stoney Street – one of the most keenly awaited openings of the year. In our latest podcast, Cynthia joins Angela to discuss how her Sri Lankan heritage and her experiences growing up in Britain have shaped her approach to food.

Change Please is a social enterprise that provides homeless people with the skills, equipment and support required to become fully fledged baristas, selling high-quality coffee from distinctive mobile carts, one of which can be found in Borough's Green Market. In our latest podcast, Change Please founder Cemal Ezel joins Angela to discuss how the business helps people back into homes and employment.

For over 20 years Sheila Dillon has been one of the lead voices of The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4. In the latest Borough Talks podcast, she talks to host Angela Clutton about how the programme's focus has evolved over the years and tells us about the first official book to come from it, 13 Foods That Shape Our World. They are joined by the book's author, Alex Renton, who gives us an insight into how our ever-growing hunger for staples such as spices, oil and soy are changing the planet.

A special episode of Borough Talks for World Bee Day, hosted by Angela Clutton, in conversation with Sam Wallace of From Field and Flower. Sam and her husband, Stefano, have and continue to be committed to bringing fantastic raw honeys to London that are sustainably produced by beekeepers who know and love their bees - discussing how the production process of their honey keeps the naturally-occurring bacteria and flavours alive. Subscribe to Borough Talks and never miss an episode.

Join host Angela Clutton in conversation with award-winning food writer Georgina Hayden. Georgina talks about the influence her Cypriot heritage has on her cooking, the breadth of vegan recipes in her new book  Nistisima and the cultural inspirations behind them, and give us the inside track on being a judge on the Channel 4 TV show Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver.

Join host Angela Clutton in conversation with Ravneet Gill. There's not much, it seems, Ravneet Gill hasn't conquered: a pastry chef for over eight years, Ravneet studied at Le Cordon Bleu before working her way up the ranks in different pastry sections all over London (St. JOHN, Llewelyn's, Black Axe Mangal and Wild by Tart, to name but a few). In May 2018 she set up an organisation called Countertalk; a platform designed to help connect chefs, provide education and promote healthy work environments in the hospitality industry. Most recently, Ravneet published her second book, Sugar, I love you. And if that wasn't enough to keep her busy, she's also a judge on Channel 4's Junior Bake Off. Subscribe to Borough Talks and never miss an episode.

A special episode of Borough Talks for International Women's Day 2022, hosted by Angela Clutton. Food journalist Clare Finney - author of The Female Chef - and award-winning chef Chantelle Nicolson discuss the realities, opportunities and challenges facing women working in the food industry today. From the gender dynamics at play in being called a 'chef' or 'cook', to the role the media plays in perpetuating macho stereotypes within restaurant kitchens, and the empowerment that comes from a culture of support and collaboration. Subscribe to never miss an episode.

Join host Angela Clutton in conversation with Market trader, Charles Tebbutt of Food & Forest. Charles is committed to supporting and spreading the word on the benefits of agroforestry – discussing what sustainable farming can mean for maximizing flavour while protecting the environment.  Subscribe to Borough Talks and never miss an episode.

Join host Angela Clutton in conversation with much-adored food writer, Claudia Roden CBE, credited with revolutionising Western attitudes to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Since leaving the Cairo of her childhood and arriving in London to study at St Martin's School of Art, she has blazed a trail for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food in the UK. Her influence is evident in every bottle of pomegranate molasses or dash of harissa we use in our modern kitchens. Still working in her mid-80s, Claudia shares with us the stories behind her life and career, and why – when her children all left home – she set out to travel the Mediterranean alone and how that journey became her latest book, Med. Subscribe to Borough Talks and never miss an episode.

Join host Angela Clutton in conversation with Phil Juma – self-taught British-Iraqi chef, bringing traditional Iraqi cuisine to Borough. Discussing the Iraqi food of his heritage and how it inspired him to leave behind a career in finance, listen as they chat through the intricacies of making kubba dumplings, to the regionality of food in Iraq and how it can challenge and change perceptions.  Subscribe to Borough Talks and never miss an episode.

Join host Angela Clutton in conversation with Dan Saladino, of BBC's The Food Programme, discussing his latest book, Eating to Extinction - The World's Rarest Foods & Why We Need to Save Them.  From a tiny crimson pear in the west of England to pistachios in Syria and an exploding corn that might just hold the key to the future of food – Dan shares with Angela some of the produce around the world that is at risk of being lost for ever and tells the stories of the pioneering farmers, scientists, cooks and indigenous communities who are preserving food traditions and fighting for change. Subscribe to Borough Talks and never miss an episode.

The award-winning Honeys – Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich – join Borough Talks to share a culinary journey filled with flavour and fire. They'll be telling us all about their travels through their favourite cities of the Middle East, collecting recipes and the best of culinary culture along the way – the stories behind their latest book, Chasing Smoke. Join us for beautiful ingredient combinations, age-old tricks and techniques, curious kitchen tools, and clever ‘rainy day' advice for cooking over fire.

Veganism is often portrayed as being good for planetary and personal health – the implication being that meat production and consumption is, therefore, the problem. There is increasing acceptance, though, that the real picture for us and for the planet is not nearly as simple as that. Join us for a positive discussion of the reality of the environmental nuances of how meat and non-meat are farmed, as we try to unpick and give perspective on this too often polarised debate. Chair Angela Clutton – food historian, writer and host of the hugely successful Borough Market Cookbook Club – will be joined by chef and climate change campaigner Tom Huntand Jan McCourt of Northfield Farm, who has been trading at Borough Market for more than 21 years selling slow-reared, traditional British and rare breed meat.

Food offers a unique insight into community and culture. One of the joys of international travel is discovering a region through its food – not just for the pleasure of eating like a local, but for what doing that tells you about people, place and time. After a year of little if any travel for leisure (and perhaps more travel uncertainty ahead too), our panel will be discussing how the discovery of the foods of a nation impacts our cultural understanding of it – and in turn, how increasing or decreasing international tourism can impact a region's culinary landscape. Chair Angela Clutton – food historian, writer and host of the hugely successful Borough Market Cookbook Club – will be joined by panelists Russell Norman, who fell in love with Venice through its food and has spent years using the food of that city to communicate a greater understanding of its history and culture; and Yasmin Khan, whose recently published Ripe Figs is typical of her immersive work in food and travel.

Last year brought about huge changes in how we get and consume our food. As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, join our panel to consider the possible enduring impact of those changes and what – for better or worse – they mean for our food future. We'll be considering it all: where and how we get our food shopping; the role of supermarkets and local markets; the impact on both home cooking and dining out culture; and what it all means for the planet, our pockets and our wellbeing. Chair Angela Clutton – food historian, writer and host of the hugely successful Borough Market Cookbook Club – will be joined by panelists Carolyn Steel, whose work on food and cities is world-renowned; psychologist (and Great British Bake Off finalist) Kimberley Wilson, who is well placed to consider the emotional and mental health impact of the pandemic on our food culture; and best-selling food writer Anna Jones, whose cooking encourages all of us to take a more sustainable approach to food.

Mark Riddaway, author of the Borough Market: Edible Histories, joins Ed Smith, the man behind The Borough Market Cookbook, to explore the fascinating history of some of the everyday ingredients found on the Market's stalls. They discuss how a Persian rhubarb trader came to predict a bright future for tea, the centrality of Italy to the history of food, and why the British were once so suspicious of the tomato.

Chef Olia Hercules and pioneering food writer Elisabeth Luard will be sharing the joys of looking to the seasons when shopping for food and cooking and talking about late-summer cooking ideas, favourite seasonal recipes and insights into the best of summer produce. They will also look more broadly at why seasonality matters – for the land, for producers, and for anyone who cooks.

Three top restaurateurs – Ravinder Bhogal of Jikoni, Elizabeth Haigh of Borough Market's Mei Mei and Bā, and Jack Stein of Rick Stein Group – will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing restaurants in the next phase of the Covid world. The trio will talk about the pivot that many restaurants have done to adapt to lockdown, including collections, deliveries and delis; what their thoughts are on re-opening; and the future for dining out.

The last few months have seen a surge in popularity of comfort foods – from old-school classics that come with a hit of nostalgia to mood-boosting indulgent treats. Best-selling food writer Sabrina Ghayour and John Whaite, food writer and winner of The Great British Bake-Off, will be talking about what comfort foods mean to them and considering why we reach for them in uncertain times.

Britain's food and farming future in the post-Brexit era are set to be defined by the Agriculture Bill which is currently making its way through parliament. Its system of subsidies designed to reward sustainability rather than scale may have a positive impact on farmers, retailers, the environment and the wider public, but many in the food world are hugely concerned about the Bill's damaging impact in other areas. We invited a panel of experts from across the food industry to discuss positive aspects of the Bill alongside concerns that the legislation lack. The panel includes: Tom Parker Bowles, Food Critic; Minette_Batters, President of the NFU; Darren Henaghan, MD of Borough Market; and Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University London's Centre for Food Policy.  

Kimberley Wilson: Food and mental health

Sami Tammy and Tara Wigley: Falastin, the food and stories of Palestine

Yasmin Fahr, Rachel Roddy and Regula Ysewjin: a global city view on lockdown, food and community

Melissa Hemsley: global impact of food and sustainability in light of COVID-19