Table Talk

By The SpectatorHealth & Fitness Nutrition Arts Food

Table Talk episodes

March 11, 2025 With Ash Sarkar
Ash Sarkar is a journalist, academic and political activist known for her commentary on social justice and democratic socialism. She is a senior editor at Novara Media, and her work has been published extensively. Ash’s debut book, Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War, examines how ruling elites exploit cultural divisions to maintain power.

On the podcast, she tells Liv and Lara about early memories of her grandmother’s paratha, why she is not a vegetarian and why she prefers to think of herself as a ‘Cava communist’ as opposed to a Champagne socialist.

Photo credit: Jonathan Ring
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25 min
February 25, 2025 With Emma Fox, CEO of Berry Bros & Rudd
Emma Fox is the chief exec of Berry Bros & Rudd, the world's oldest fine wine and spirit merchant. A retail veteran, Emma's broad experience has been shaped by a career spanning over 30 years.

On the podcast, Emma tells Liv about early memories of 'sugar butties', what's the best bottle to bring to a dinner party and what she would pair with her desert island meal.

Photo credit: Elena Hearthwick
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29 min
February 11, 2025 With Groove Armada's Andy Cato
Andy Cato is a musician, record producer and DJ, and is perhaps best known as one half of the Grammy Award-winning electronic music duo Groove Armada.

Andy is also a farmer and now puts his energy into championing a better food system as co-founder of Wildfarmed, the UK’s leading regenerative food and farming company. Backed by Jeremy Clarkson and hundreds of farmers nationwide, regenerative farming methods place nature at the heart of food production: protecting natural landscapes, minimising pesticide use and building food security.

On the podcast, he tells Lara about nutrition on world music tours, his favourite food spot at Glastonbury Festival and why he sold the rights to his music to pursue regenerative farming.
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19 min
January 28, 2025 With Jeremy Chan
Jeremy Chan is the head chef and owner of Ikoyi, a West African-inspired restaurant that celebrates British seasonality. He is also the author of a cookbook of the same name.

On the podcast, he tells Liv and Lara about growing up with a number of different food influences – from Hong Kong to Canada – and why his two-Michelin-starred restaurant should never be pigeonholed.

Photo credit: Danny J Peace
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20 min
January 14, 2025 With Julian Baggini, on the 'philosophy of food'
Julian Baggini is a philosopher, journalist and author. He has served as the academic director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy and is a member of the Food Ethics Council. His new book, How the World Eats: A Global Food Philosophy, is out now.

On the podcast, Julian tells Liv about why he used to insist that shepherd’s pie was served at his birthday parties, the philosophical view of veganism and why it’s worth getting the expensive hazelnuts.
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32 min
December 31, 2024 With 'Caviar Queen', Laura King
Laura King is affectionately known as the 'Caviar Queen' and is widely regarded as the UK's foremost caviar expert. In this special episode of the podcast Laura takes Liv and Lara through a caviar tasting: from Beluga to Oscietra.
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32 min
December 17, 2024 With Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak is a novelist, political scientist and essayist. She has published 21 books – 13 of which are novels – and her books have been translated into 58 languages. Her most recent novel There Are Rivers in the Sky, is out now.

On the podcast, Elif tells Liv about the significance of food and drink in her writing, the many places she takes culinary inspiration from and reveals her love of heavy metal music.
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30 min
December 03, 2024 With Richard Madeley
Richard Madeley is a presenter, author and journalist who has been on our screens since the 1980s, most notably presenting This Morning with his wife Judy and more recently on Good Morning Britain.

On the podcast, he discusses his early memories of Heinz tomato soup, implores Lara and Liv to try 'tuna casserole' – his mother’s speciality made from tinned tuna, canned soup and crisps – and makes the case for fish paste as the 'food of the gods'.
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28 min
November 19, 2024 With Julian Metcalfe, founder of Itsu
Julian Metcalfe is a British entrepreneur and one of the most influential individuals on the London high street. He revolutionised the grab-and-go lunchtime food industry in 1986 by co-founding Pret and did the same again in 1997 when he commercialised Japanese cuisine with the first Itsu.

On the podcast, he tells Liv and Lara about the influence of his Ukrainian mother; why he decided to start Itsu, in many ways a competitor to Pret; what he thinks is the future of the grab-and-go industry; and why uni is the ultimate comfort food.
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28 min
November 05, 2024 With Terry Wiggins, Parliament Chef
Terry Wiggins is a chef who led the catering team at Westminster’s Portcullis House. During his time, he served 13 prime ministers and received an MBE for services to Parliament. He has recently retired.

On the podcast, Terry reminisces about 50 years of service in Parliament, reveals some of the weirdest requests he has received and gives the inside scoop on the eating habits of some of the House of Commons’ most recognisable names.
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19 min

About Table Talk

From the publisher's feed

Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts interview notable guests about their life, through the food and drink that has come to define it.Lara Prendergast is the Food and Drink Editor of Spectator Life.Olivia Potts is Spectator Life's Vintage Chef.