Heston's Pod & Chips

Discover the unexpected, peculiar and funny origins to some of the best loved brands on the planet.  From Nachos to Coke, Digestives to Mustard, explore the stories behind the foods we all love. 

Take a trip back in time to explore the weirdest dishes ever served, as Jay and James are joined by Food Historian Marc Meltonville to delve into the strangest techniques, ingredients and ideas ever presented for dinner.  

Jay and James are joined by one of the world's most successful food bloggers this week, to explore some of the most extraordinary food experiences the world has to offer with Chef Dennis.  From camel milk to Gooseneck Barnacles and ice cream floats, it's a globe trotting trip across the food world.  Plus they explore how you become a food blogger and the future of food teaching in schools.  

Join the guys as they take a trip deep into your spice rack, to discover the blood soaked history of our most popular spices.  From invasions to modern day organised crime it's an amazing, often unexpected story.  Plus they delve into the new 'rare' spices, that are now worth as much as gold. 

This week the guys are introducing another hugely influential chef into their Hall of Fame, this time Adolphe Dugléré, pupil of Careme, a man who has both a fascinating life story and a big impact on how we cook today.  Master of the kitchen he is most renowned for the incredible Dinner of the Three Emperors, a truly remarkable piece of cooking.  So don you tallest chef's hat and join a trip back to the 19th century France. 

Join Jay and James as they delve into healing foods on the podcast.  Exploring both the good and bad of dining cures.   Firstly they chat about James' recent dining experience flying first class, before opening the history books to explore hang over cures from both ancient Rome and ancient Egypt.  Before then holding a quiz to see if James can guess the top 10 healthiest foods on the planet.  

Join Jay and Marc live from a very noisy pub, as they delve into the fascinating history of the mainstay of British life that is the magnificent PUB!  From its murky beginnings in people's living rooms to the open plan 'gastro' world we see today, it's a unexpected journey that says as much about the Brits as it does about the pub itself.  So grab your pint glass, pull up a stool and come pub time travel

In celebration of the jubilee the guys delve behind the scenes of Buckingham Palace to discover the guilty food pleasures of the royal family.  Plus they delve inside the menu of the world's most expensive restaurant, coming in at a whopping £2500 PER PERSON.   They also delve inside the mysteries of Manchester Tart and their school dinner memories.   

Take a trip inside the life of Escoffier, arguably the most influential chef ever, as the guys induct him into their 'chef hall of fame' and reveal his incredible life story, full of glamour, innovation and controversy, that sounds like a Hollywood movie.  

Get ready to binge, as Jay and James discover what are the very worst foods that we can eat, entering the remarkable realm of 'ultra processed foods' and counting down the top eight most sinful - what's on the list may very well surprise you!  So loosen your belts and get ready for a walk on the wrong side of food.

Jay and James are joined by the delightful owner of Myrtle restaurant and Irish cooking Queen, Chef Anna Haugh, for an insightful chat into everything from the perfect ingredients in an Irish stew to spotting rancid butter in Michelin Starred restaurants and finding joy in cooking wherever you grow up.  Dive in for a wonderful trip to the cooking delights of the emerald isle.  

This week the guys take a trip to New York to put forward their first suggested entrant for their new 'Chef Hall of Fame'.  Stepping back to the glory days of the city to explore one of the most glamorous restaurants in the world and its charismatic head chef Charles Ranhofer.  From inventing new dishes to hosting the famous and powerful of the time, he's a fascinating character with a big story in an amazing town. 

This week the guys are again joined by Marc Meltonville as they take a trip inside some of the most remarkable food experiences they've be lucky enough to have.   From the depths of the rainforest to the middle of the ocean, the top of mountains to inside royal palaces, this is a trip into the amazing breadth and wonder that food can bring.  

Sit up straight on the podcast this week, as the guys are getting a lesson in historical table manners from expert Marc Meltonville.  Learning how to eat 'properly' at the table of Henry the 8th.  From the origins of 'keeping elbows off the table' to the importance of not farting the 'wrong way', this is how to fit in when hanging out at the royal palace.  So grab your napkin and best serving knife and take a seat for a lesson in manners, Tudor style.  

Delve inside the world of food magazine magic on the pod this week, as the guys are joined by one of Britain's most respected and talented food magazine editors, to explore how she transforms food from the plate to the pages of a magazine.  From the tricks used on photographing the food to how they select the stories that grab your attention, how they spot trends to the best way to deal with complaints.  Plus Jay and James are presented with another terrible food TV idea.  

This week Jay and James chart the rise and fall of the celebrity chef, from the very first to possibly the last, in a bid to answer the question, is the time of the celeb chef over?  Along the way they will discover the selling power of the big cookery names over the years, how some of the best have fallen away and what the next wave of celeb cooks might look like.  They also celebrate their 100th episode by looking into James' new gig on local radio and  ahead to future shows.  So grab your autograph book and jump in for some celebrity chef adventures.

The guys welcome in historian Marc Meltonville to delve inside the oldest cookbook in the English language, exploring the recipes and ideas from 1390, including medieval salads that will surprise you and a meat dish that will shock you.  Plus they invite in Darwin and Galileo to try and win a spot at their dream dinner party.

Jay and James are joined by the delightful 'First Couple' of wine, Master of Wine Susie and Peter, to discuss everything from the amazing explosion in English wine producers to the nostalgic Blue Nun and Babycham brands.  Plus they'll be exploring what it takes to start your own vineyard (clue you'll need some cash!) and how you become a master of wine.  So grab your glass for a journey to the centre of wine.

This week the guys are joined by the fabulous Chef Fernando Stovell, Mexican cooking genius and host of Master Chef Mexico, to explore all the hidden secrets of Mexican food.  From using ants, worms and crickets to using lava cooking implements and top tips on chilli selection, it is a delicious delve into a rich and delightful cuisine.  Plus Fernando will be revealing what it's like to cook for the Queen and other heads of state and celebrates and James will be taking us on an exclusive trip inside the new Dubai Billion Pound hotel he is helping build a restaurant inside.  So grab your sombrero for a journey to the centre of Mexican food.  

Grab your baseball hats, we're heading to America!  Jay and James are joined by Frank Clark, Master of Historic Food at Colonial Williamsburg, the incredible living history town that's more like WestWorld than a museum, to explore the beginnings of American food.  From the hidden influence of Africa to the impact of British gentlemen and grumpy French chefs, it's an unexpected journey back to a time we know so little about.  Plus they'll be exploring new discoveries about Panda's eating habits and revealing how weightlifters really should be eating more bugs.

Welcome to WW2, as the guys sit down with Winston Churchill (and the rest of Britain) during the dark days of the 1940s, and delve into what rationing tasted like, with resident historian Marc Meltonville.   From fake Crab Sandwiches to Mock Duck, cases of Champagne to incredible increases in flatulence, this is an eye opening trip into how our ancestors ate as the bombs fell.   Grab a tin hat for a journey to the centre of rationing.  

Join Jay and James this week as they discuss the past and future of food television.  From Fanny, to Jamie, Ramsey to Masterchef, they pull back the curtain to reveal how food TV shows are first put on screen and analyse the legacy of the biggest shows from the past 80 years.  Then they look into their crystal balls to try and figure out what the future of food television might look like and if there even is one!   So grab your remote and settle back for a journey into food television.  

Joining Jay and James this week is Mr Truffle, one of Britain's leading truffle experts and the perfect person to explain the dodgy, delightful and delicious business of truffles.  From spending 60k on a single white truffle to trading thousands on them in nighttime car park deals, where to find them in the forest to the right time to hunt them , it's an amazing trip inside this hidden world.  Plus two famous ladies join the Dream Dinner Party, one with the most amazing table you'll ever encounter.  

This week the guys step onto the front line of the restaurant world, to discover the scale of the crisis facing the industry today, with Chef Cyrus Todiwala.   One of the most respected, successful and experienced chefs in Britain, Cyrus reveals the issues facing the food industry and how, as the owner of the Cafe Spice Namaste group, he is adapting his business to survive.  Plus they take a trip back to Cyrus' food origins in India and delve into some of his award winning food work, including the remarkable 'Clink' prison cooking initiative.  

Join the guys to see in the new year with a large glass of gin, as they welcome back food historian Marc Meltonville to delve into the remarkable story of this infamous drink.  From coded recipe books to deadly ingredients, the most ridiculous law breaking, drinks service you've ever heard of to how the drink almost brought down the British Empire, it's an amazing delve into the colourful origin of gin.  Plus they'll be exploring the best hangover cures and discovering where on earth you can get the purest glass of water.  Cheers! 

Join Jay and James for a festive peek behind the curtain of food television.  With thousands of hours of food TV creation between them they spill the beans on how some of our favourite shows are made and what goes wrong when doing it.  Plus more guests apply for the dream dinner party including Elvis and Pavarotti.  

The guys are joined by two Michelin Starred chef Andrew Wong this week, to discover how he has built his award winning Dim Sum restaurant, the best way to make a Chinese chef swear at you, the story behind his Salted Duck Custard Bun and how he became inspired to push the boundaries of Chinese cooking in Britain.  Plus the mystery of Oomite is solved.  

Grab your toga is week as the guys take a trip back for a dinner with Julius Caesar, as they are joined by food historian Marc Meltonville to discover how people ate two thousand years ago.  From fast food stalls on the edge of Pompey to the dining table of the Emperor himself, this is a surprising trip into just how good Roman food was and what we'd want to eat today...plus an appearance from a very phallic god!  Also they invite some more guests to their dream dinner party.

On this episode the guys are again joined by food historian extraordinaire Marc Meltonville to discover the fascinating origins of our Christmas dinner traditions and pull up a plate alongside Queen Victoria.  From why we eat turkey to the  plum porridge origins of our Xmas pud, the lost tradition of booze fuelled carol singing to how Scrooge really was very inconsiderate with his gifts, come take a festive trip back in time, to see you Christmas dinner in a brand new way. 

The guys are joined by the amazing chef and food explorer Valentine Warner this week, to explore his new Kitchen On The Edge of the World food venture in the arctic circle, delve into his passion for foraging and discover some of his secrets of his nature inspired spirit making.  Plus they'll be looking into the dining habits of notorious dictators as they try to select some guests for their dream dinner party and you can pit your wits against James' devilish food quiz, as he makes things saucy.  

Guest host today is the Michelin starred fire master Niklas Ekstedt, live from Sweden.   Exploring the origins of his unique cooking style, how to make ice cream with wood, techniques for fire cooking, his past exploits eating ants on toast and how to know when your restaurant is on fire!  Plus the guys will again be 'cooking the impossible' with Porcupine and Turtle and exploring the unexpected origins of some famous fizzy drinks.

The guys delve into the wonderful world of tea this week, with world renowned expert 'Rare Tea Lady' Henrietta Lovell.  From the most expensive tea in the world to the sordid history of British tea origins, how we fell out of love with 'proper tea', to the chemistry of the perfect cup, this is an in-depth trip inside everything about tea...they even have a chance to read the tea leaves too!  Plus once again they are 'cooking the impossible', trying to figure out what Mammoth would taste like.  

The guys are joined by one of Britain's finest chefs, Vivek Singh, Exec Chef of the Cinnamon Club group of restaurants, to explore his early struggles in the business, his tips for creativity and his spice secrets.  Plus they induct another item into the 'Gadget hall of Fame' and you can try your luck at guessing the famous foods that were invented by accident, in this week's quiz.

On this weeks episode the team welcome guest host Marc Meltonville, food historian and beer expert, to explore the history of our favourite liquid.  From how it was made thousands of years ago, to the birth of the pub, the wonderful and varied types of ale over the centuries to the myths of beer vs water, plus the incredible story of the Great 'Beer Flood of London' (prepare to be washed away).  Grab your pint glass, sit back and pour yourself a large journey to the centre of beer. 

Take a trip back to the court of Henry Tudor on the show this week, as Jay and James welcome in guest host and Food Historian Marc Meltonville, to explore what was eaten in the royal palaces, the ingredients being used and the power that the food had over the whole country.  Also they vote in another useless kitchen gadget to the hall of fame and try to figure out where food trends come from.

You deserve a bottle of wine!  Join Jay, James and special guest host Olly Smith as they delve inside celebrity drinking habit, including Gary Barlow, Pink and Steven Seagal, explore how best to drink yourself into becoming 007, pick avocados with Tom Sellek and explore the biggest alcohol cloud in the universe.  

On this show the guys take a trip back in time, as they welcome in special guest archeologist Ed Simons to explore amazing new findings about how people ate at Stonehenge, they induct three new gadgets in the 'rubbish kitchen gadget hall of fame', and they set out to cook the impossible, by discovering what T-Rex would taste like 85 million years ago.

Join Heston, Jay and James as they crack open the kitchen cupboard and have a rummage through the remarkable variety of wonderful and rubbish gadgets we all have hidden there.  From Spiralisers to electric Knives, Melon ballers to apple de-corers, this is a joyous trip inside everything good and bad about kitchen gadgets. 

Delve into another mailbag with Heston as he explores everything from fried chicken and ice cream sandwiches to dining on a submarine, stories of trying to attack rude diners to the best way to eat Scandinavian fermented fish.

Join Heston and he gets all hot and bothered talking about ovens.  From hundred thousand pound creations to the humble home oven, Agas to Fat Duck specials, take a deep dive inside this most important of kitchen devices to discover how best to maximise yours and the adventures Heston has had with his over the years.

Join Heston, Jay and James as they delve into the wonderful world of curry.  From Heston's adventures in the spice markets of India to fond memories of the British curry house, they explore the unexpected history and unique cooking techniques of curry, whilst also trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of the hot towels.   A spicy adventure into Britain's favourite food.

Grand Designs Heston style.  In this episode we explore all Heston's thoughts on the best way to build both a professional and domestic kitchen.   From a £12 million pound masterpiece to a normal home kitchen, we look at what it takes to make the best space to cook in and how Heston's previous kitchen experiences have shaped his cooking completely.  So grand your tool belt and get ready to rethink your culinary space. 

The big day has arrived, as Heston, Jay and James finally try and eat the most disgusting food on the planet.  Before they tuck into their fermented fish, they explore other gross dishes eaten around the world and discuss how our minds can bend the idea of 'disgusting' within our eating.  Then it's time to open their cans and try Scandinavia's finest, an experience none of them will forget!

This week we take an exclusive trip inside Heston's experimental food lab, to witness how he is creating his new cook book.  Hearing from the team helping him build it, discovering what the book will be all about, and delving behind the scenes of Heston's creative process to change how we all think about cooking and eating.  

Join Heston and he opens his knife roll to present his ultimate guide to knives.  From selecting the best to his tips on cutting and caring for your knives and some of the history and science behind them, this episode cuts right to the heart of it.  

Set phasers to stun as Heston heads to the future once more, delving into the latest stories of how we may all be eating and drinking in the next decades.  From fruit and veg created to be more nutritious to short-circuiting our bodies to allow us to eat more junk food, this is a step into the future with the world's most inventive chef.  

Heston gets his coals hot as he explores the wonderful world of BBQ and shares all his tips and hints.  From using hay in cooking to the best way to cook ribs and how to avoid burnt sausages and burgers.  Celebrate the summer with a BBQ Heston style.  

Heston opens the mailbag on this weeks episode, as he delves into all your questions.  From debating the good and bad of garlic to exploring cornflake ice cream, the perils of having Heston over for dinner to the worst experiences in fancy restaurants and the wonders of Japanese Mochi.

Heston and the team enter a new country into the 'best choc bars' competition, with Canada throwing its finest treats into the fray.  Plus discovering the secrets behind how After Eights are made and new entries into the best food movies list.  

Heston and the guys welcome on a very special guest this week, Mushroom scientist Mushroom Jim Fuller, to take a deeper dive than ever before inside the amazing world of mushrooms.  From Heston's overdose experience with fungi to the power of mushrooms to control us all and Jim's controversial cooking tips, this is a remarkable insight into the mysterious and delicious world of fungus.  

Join Heston for a trip onto the silver screen, as the guys step through their favourite foodie flicks from the past decades.  From Willy Wonka to Ratatouille, Big Night to Indiana Jones, delve into the best films to make you love food.