Today we’re joined on The Food Sessions by Jess Fostekew. Jess is a comedian, writer and actor whose stand up show, Hench was nominated for the 2019 Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show.The show is available as a stand up special on Amazon Prime and was adapted for BBC R4 as Sturdy Girl Club. Jess is and also a keen weightlifter and loves all things PE, which leads us to our conversation...

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season,The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit joinblink.com to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Louis Nash

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co. Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for Season 12 of Honey & Co. The Food Sessions, and the joy theme continues!

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy - breakfast, lunch and dinner - but it doesn’t stop there. This season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

We’re kicking things off today with Andi Oliver: national treasure, chef, broadcaster and joyful force of nature. Listen now!

Andi Oliver's Joy Manual

Restaurant: Shankeys, Hackney

Song: Sing In The Key of Life, Stevie Wonder

Book: Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo, Ntozake Shange

TV: Last Tango in Halifax

Film: The Apartment, Billy Wilder

Place: Nanyuki, Kenya

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit joinblink.com to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Mixers: John Scott

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today marks the final episode of Season 11, AKA The Joy Season

And who better to finish this season with than the most joyous person you are ever likely to meet... Samin Nosrat!

Samin has been on the podcast before, back in 2018, with her Sunday Times Book of the Year and New York Times bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. We hosted her just before her hugely popular Netflix original documentary series based on the book came out, broke the internet, and changed her life and the way we cook forever. That was the start of a beautiful friendship and we are so happy to have her back on the podcast to discuss everything that has happened to her since. Samin has a new cookbook out called Good Things, which is about all the delicious things that come out of your kitchen and make your day better... could she be any more perfect for The Joy Season??

What a treat! We talked about how Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat changed her life and the opportunities and difficulties it brought, how she overcame the second book fear, the realisation that work doesn't have to make you miserable to be good, and the tools she has learnt to help bring joy to her everyday. From going to the beach to trying new hobbies, and from enjoying life through the eyes of her puppy Fava to making time for hanging in a hammock in her garden, Samin shared her own manual to joy.

Thank you for listening to The Joy Season. In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives. Make sure you catch up if you've just found us, you can listen to guests Emily Maitlis, Hassan Semay, Felicity Ward, Luke Holder and more.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Melix Oslu

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Additional Sound: Paul Ford

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In this episode we talk to Luke Holder. Luke is chef director at Hartnett Holder & Co at the Lime Wood Hotel in Hampshire, where he’s been cooking for 15 years. Raised in Dubai, Luke has cooked at The Orrery and Oxo Tower, as well as 3-starred Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, which left him with a love of Italian cuisine and focus on seasonal, locally sourced produce. I love Luke's approach to life and his advice on finding joy was really insightful. We talked about memories of cooking steam boats with his dad, travels across Asia with friends, coming up through high pressure kitchens and the move to the Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest. Funnily enough, despite working as a chef professionally, Luke's own joy comes from cooking feasts for friends and family for pleasure outside of work, from devoting a full day to cooking a feast and devoting time and effort to bringing people together around a table. What a treat! I am so glad we recorded this conversation, as I think it is the start of a beautiful friendship - after the recording we jumped on our bikes and went in search of mangoes on Drummond Street.

Thank you for listening to this latest episode of our season all about Joy. In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Tony Onuchukwu

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Additional Sound: Paul Ford

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In this episode we talk to our neighbour, British fashion designer Oliver Spencer, the self-taught tailor and shopkeeper behind Oliver Spencer menswear. He left art school to run a stall at Portobello Market, which left him with an enduring love of garments, fabrics and shopkeeping. After a decade running formalwear brand Favourbrook, he started Oliver Spencer menswear out of a shop on Lamb’s Conduit St, to offer contemporary tailoring with a relaxed, modern style, which has now expanded to three shops, and an international online business, stocked in Liberty and Selfridges. In 2023 he co-founded adventure travel magazine Secret Trips, indulging his life long love of travel, featuring recommendations from a collective of writers, photographers, stylists and publishers for under-the-radar destinations, independent hotels, and the restaurants the locals don't want you to know about.

This was such a wonderful conversation and one we could have continued for hours. We talked about the joy of shopkeeping and of building small businesses, the simple pleasure he found in taking the helm at the barbecue on a recent photoshoot, and his early memories of St Mawes, a place full of memories and many firsts. It was a pleasure to talk trader to trader about the world of shopkeeking and retail, Itamar made a sartorial confession, and we got to the bottom of that special feeling that putting on a tailored suit brings. Outside of the fashion world, we discussed Oliver's love for travel, what a Spencer family holiday looks like, and how this lifelong adventure has turned into a new venture, Secret Trips.

Thank you for listening to this latest episode of our season all about Joy. In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Additional Sound: Paul Ford

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

In this episode we talk to Sarah Winman, a British actor and author of some of our favourite books, including the critically acclaimed bestseller Still Life. She grew up in Essex and now lives in London. She attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to act in theatre, film, and television, but she decided that she wanted to write a novel. While taking an ‘Exploring Fiction’ course at City Lit, Sarah realised she was already writing what was to become her highly acclaimed debut, When God Was A Rabbit. Sarah went on to write Tin Man, A Year of Marvellous Ways and Still Life, which she is currently adapting for TV.

We love Sarah! We talked about joy as an act of rebellion, her first memories of joy, the serenity of the sea, morning pages, her love for Italy, singing, playing football and the trilogy: gratitude, joy and beauty. It was a true tonic to talk to Sarah, we hope you enjoy. 

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Melis Uslu

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Additional Sound: Paul Ford

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

In this episode we talk to London-based chef, presenter and writer, Alexina Anatole. Alexina is of mixed heritage: the granddaughter of chicken farmers from Cambridgeshire and Saint Lucian grandparents. She worked in finance for a decade before deciding to apply for MasterChef in 2021. After reaching the final, she made a brave career change from the trading floor to the food world. Alexina has written two cookbooks – Bitter and Sweet, with more on the way – and she also writes Small Wins, a Substack newsletter that enhances your cooking and your life in small, manageable ways. We talked about the joy of growing up in Paris, of picking blackberries with her grandparents and working in a fishmongers as a teen, all things that fed into her love affair food. We talked about the simple pleasures of working away to perfect a meringue recipe and the excitement of exploring new places to eat, plus the turning point at which she felt ready to make the switch from finance to the food world and finding her place within it.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Melis Uslu

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

In this episode we talk to Australian comedian, actor, writer and self-proclaimed knucklehead, Felicity Ward. We were more than a bit starstruck to meet Felicity, someone we've been following for ages... most recently her appearance as Hannah Howard, the first female lead in The Office Australia, and Dancing with the Stars Australia. Born in a small town just north of Sydney, Australia, she started stand up in 2008, following on from successful times writing and starring in The Ronnie Johns Half Hour Sketch Show. She’s spoken at length in her stand up and personally about her struggles with mental health including presenting a documentary Felicity’s Mental Mission, her Netflix special and Live From The BBC. It was so emotional to dig deep into the way she finds joy, from the simple pleasures of dancing to Billy Idol in Milton Keynes to building sand pools on Killcare Beach with her son. We talked about chasing the validation that comes with laughs as a stand up, the immediate joy of figuring out a tricky dance move, and her mother's solution to all problems: water.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Melis Uslu

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

In this episode we talk to chef, author and TV presenter, Turkish Cypriot Hasan Semay (or Big Has, as he is affectionately known). Hasan is a half Turkish Cypriot half British chef, YouTube and Instagram sensation, as well as a self-confessed “proper North Londoner”. Has was accepted onto the prestigious Jamie Oliver 15 programme in 2011 and his relaxed and informative approach to cooking without pretentiousness has won him legions of fans over on his YouTube platform, Sunday Sessions. His debut cookbook, Big Has: HOME is a Sunday Times Bestseller and his latest book, Smoke and Seasoned Bread: Recipes from Türkiye is out now. We talked about the joy of a pets unconditional love, of getting cab drivers to take you to their favourite spot, and of talking to strangers. Has is such an incredibly warm and engaging guest and it was such a pleasure to have him join us for an afternoon of conversation.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Melis Uslu

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Honey & Co: The Food Sessions is back for season 11 with a brand new theme: JOY.

In times like these, when the world can feel a little overwhelming, it’s more important than ever to seek out and savour the joy wherever we can find it. Working in restaurants, we have three moments in a day to bring joy: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what about the moments in between? This question is at the heart of the latest season of The Food Sessions which sees us sit down with brilliant people from all walks of life: chefs, broadcasters, comedians and fashion designers to not only talk about what they do day-to-day, but also to explore the passions that enrich their lives.

In this episode we talk to British journalist and news presenter, Emily Maitlis. She notably presented the BBC Flagship nightly current affairs show Newsnight where she specialised in election coverage in the UK and the USA. She's interviewed countless prime ministers, the Dalai Lama, and has been played by both Gillian Anderson and Ruth Anderson in drama adaptations exploring the story of her interview with Prince Andrew. Emily now hosts The News Agents, the Global daily news podcast, with Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall. It was such a delight to have Emily in the studio and to turn the questions on her for once! Itamar gave her a joyful grilling on all the important things – from fish with tomato (good or bad?) to her earliest memories of joy (a gerbil called Humphrey and birthday teas featuring heavily) to how her herb garden brings her peace and tranquility today.

This season is sponsored by Square, the point of sale system that we use in all our restaurants. You can use their software and hardware for payments, sales, inventory, bookings, orders, reports and more. Square are currently offering £4,000 worth of free hardware to eligible businesses, so if you're ready to get your business in better shape, head to square.com to learn more and book a demo with the team.

Hosts: Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Tony Onuchukwu

Sound Mixer: John Scott & Paul Ford

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.