Journey to the Centre of Food

By Journey to the Centre of Food

What's Journey to the Centre of Food about?

For curious food lovers everywhere, jump onboard for a trip to discover the wonders of our simplest ingredients and to the furthest reaches of culinary imagination.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Journey to the Centre of Food episodes:

07.18.2022
102: Superhero Brands Origin Stories
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.
07.11.2022
102: Stranger Things (To Eat)
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.
07.04.2022
101: Extraordinary Places to Eat with Food Blogging Star Chef Dennis
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...
06.27.2022
100: The Sordid Secrets of your Spice Rack
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...
06.20.2022
99: Dinner of the Three Emperors - Cooking for Princes and Tsars
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. ...
06.13.2022
98: The Oldest Hangover Cure in the World & The Top 10 Healthiest Foods on the Planet
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...
06.06.2022
97: Time Travelling in a Pub
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...
05.30.2022
96: What The Royal Family Really Like to Eat + Inside the World's Most Expensive Restaurant
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...
05.23.2022
95: The Remarkable Story of the World's Most Famous Chef
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...
05.20.2022
94: The Top 8 Worst Foods in the World
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...
04.29.2022
93: The Wonders of Irish Cooking with Anna Haugh
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...
04.04.2022
92: The Chef Hall of Fame - New York Edition
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...
03.28.2022
91: The Most Extraordinary Food Experiences in the World (well some of them anyway)
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...
03.21.2022
90: Mind Your Tudor Manners - How Not to Annoy Henry the 8th
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...
03.14.2022
89: The Devil Wears Papaya! Secrets of the Food Magazine World
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...
03.07.2022
88: Is This The End of the Celebrity Chef?
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...
02.28.2022
87: The Oldest Cookbook in the World + Dinner with Darwin
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...
02.21.2022
86: How to Start Your Own Vineyard + Secrets of English Wine with Wine Masters Susie and Peter
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...
02.14.2022
85: Mexican Food Magic + Inside the Billion Pound Hotel and Cooking for the Queen
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...
02.07.2022
84: The Unexpected Origins of American's Food + Why Weightlifters Need to Eat More Bugs
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...
01.31.2022
83: Eating Rations - WW2 food with Winston Churchill
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...
01.24.2022
82: Is Food TV Dead?
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...
01.17.2022
81: The Murky, Magical, Mysterious World of Truffles + The Most Incredible Dining Table Ever
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...
01.10.2022
80: The Restaurant Crisis, How Can We Survive it? With Chef Cyrus Todiwala
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...
01.03.2022
79: The Sordid, Sensational, Sinful Story of Gin + the Purest Glass of Water on the Planet
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,...
12.27.2021
78: Food TV Secrets + Dinner with Elvis
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...
12.20.2021
77: How to Make Michelin Starred Dim Sum - Plus Marmite flavoured Toothpaste
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...
12.13.2021
76: Eating in Ancient Rome with Julius Caesar
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...
12.06.2021
75: Christmas Dinner with Queen Victoria + more Napoleon and Catherine the Great get a dinner party invite
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...
11.29.2021
74: The Kitchen On The Edge of the World with Valentine Warner + Dinner with Dictators and a Saucy Quiz
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...
11.22.2021
73: Cooking With Fire, Scandi Master Chef Niklas Ekstedt + Eating Ants on Toast and Fizzy Drink Origins
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...
11.15.2021
72: The Rare Tea Lady + Eating Wooly Mammoth and reading tea leaves
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...
11.08.2021
71: The spice master, Chef Vivek Singh + Top 5 Famous Foods Invented by Accident
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...
11.01.2021
70: The Incredible Story of Beer
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...
10.25.2021
69: Dinner with Henry the 8th - Tudor food secrets
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...
10.18.2021
68: Booze Special How to Drink like James Bond with Guest Host Olly Smith
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...
10.11.2021
67: Dinner at Stonehenge and Eating T-Rex
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...
10.04.2021
66: Kitchen Gadgets - the good, the bad and the useless
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,...
09.20.2021
65: Dinner on a Nuclear Sub and Attacking Rude Diners - Mailbag
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.
09.13.2021
64: Ovens
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...
09.06.2021
63: Fancy a Curry?
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...
08.30.2021
62: How To Build A Kitchen
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...
08.23.2021
61: Eating the World's Most Disgusting Food
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...
08.16.2021
60: Creating Heston's New Cook Book
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...
08.09.2021
59: Knives
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...
08.02.2021
58: Future Food - Hiccup curing lollies, zombie bananas and junk food body modifications.
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...
07.26.2021
57: Heston's Ultimate BBQ
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. ...
07.19.2021
56: Having Heston round for Dinner + Far too fancy Restaurants + Japanese Mochi
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...
07.12.2021
55: Choc Wars continue with Canada
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...
07.05.2021
54: Big Mushroom Jim
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...

What's Journey to the Centre of Food about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Journey to the Centre of Food episodes:

102: Superhero Brands Origin Stories

102: Stranger Things (To Eat)

101: Extraordinary Places to Eat with Food Blogging Star Chef Dennis

100: The Sordid Secrets of your Spice Rack

99: Dinner of the Three Emperors - Cooking for Princes and Tsars

98: The Oldest Hangover Cure in the World & The Top 10 Healthiest Foods on the Planet

97: Time Travelling in a Pub

96: What The Royal Family Really Like to Eat + Inside the World's Most Expensive Restaurant

95: The Remarkable Story of the World's Most Famous Chef

94: The Top 8 Worst Foods in the World

93: The Wonders of Irish Cooking with Anna Haugh

92: The Chef Hall of Fame - New York Edition

91: The Most Extraordinary Food Experiences in the World (well some of them anyway)

90: Mind Your Tudor Manners - How Not to Annoy Henry the 8th

89: The Devil Wears Papaya! Secrets of the Food Magazine World

88: Is This The End of the Celebrity Chef?

87: The Oldest Cookbook in the World + Dinner with Darwin

86: How to Start Your Own Vineyard + Secrets of English Wine with Wine Masters Susie and Peter

85: Mexican Food Magic + Inside the Billion Pound Hotel and Cooking for the Queen

84: The Unexpected Origins of American's Food + Why Weightlifters Need to Eat More Bugs

83: Eating Rations - WW2 food with Winston Churchill

82: Is Food TV Dead?

81: The Murky, Magical, Mysterious World of Truffles + The Most Incredible Dining Table Ever

80: The Restaurant Crisis, How Can We Survive it? With Chef Cyrus Todiwala

79: The Sordid, Sensational, Sinful Story of Gin + the Purest Glass of Water on the Planet

78: Food TV Secrets + Dinner with Elvis

77: How to Make Michelin Starred Dim Sum - Plus Marmite flavoured Toothpaste

76: Eating in Ancient Rome with Julius Caesar

75: Christmas Dinner with Queen Victoria + more Napoleon and Catherine the Great get a dinner party invite

74: The Kitchen On The Edge of the World with Valentine Warner + Dinner with Dictators and a Saucy Quiz

73: Cooking With Fire, Scandi Master Chef Niklas Ekstedt + Eating Ants on Toast and Fizzy Drink Origins

72: The Rare Tea Lady + Eating Wooly Mammoth and reading tea leaves

71: The spice master, Chef Vivek Singh + Top 5 Famous Foods Invented by Accident

70: The Incredible Story of Beer

69: Dinner with Henry the 8th - Tudor food secrets

68: Booze Special How to Drink like James Bond with Guest Host Olly Smith

67: Dinner at Stonehenge and Eating T-Rex

66: Kitchen Gadgets - the good, the bad and the useless

65: Dinner on a Nuclear Sub and Attacking Rude Diners - Mailbag

64: Ovens

63: Fancy a Curry?

62: How To Build A Kitchen

61: Eating the World's Most Disgusting Food

60: Creating Heston's New Cook Book

59: Knives

58: Future Food - Hiccup curing lollies, zombie bananas and junk food body modifications.

57: Heston's Ultimate BBQ

56: Having Heston round for Dinner + Far too fancy Restaurants + Japanese Mochi

55: Choc Wars continue with Canada

54: Big Mushroom Jim