Our guest today is none other than Atul Kochhar, the genius who redefined Indian cuisine in Britain and became the first Indian chef in the world to win a Michelin star.

You’ll hear Atul laugh about an American guest who demanded “the spiciest dish you can make”—only to then bring his own vial of mysterious black liquid so fiery it nearly sent Atul to Mars. You’ll hear the story of him landing in London over 30 years ago, shocked at the state of “curry houses,” and how he helped transform the UK’s perception of Indian food from late-night lager fodder to multi-course, white-tablecloth artistry.

Atul also opens up about the education that made him: growing up in a Punjabi-Bihari household in Jamshedpur, where neighbours from every corner of India introduced him to a mosaic of regional flavours; moving as a teenager with a single iron trunk to Chennai, where he fell in love with idlis, dosas, and the tang of tamarind; and the brutal but life-changing discipline of the Oberoi Hotel kitchens, where he worked under Thai, Chinese, and French Michelin-starred chefs. These years gave him the precision, speed, and ingredient-driven ethos that he would later use to revolutionise Indian fine dining.

And then there’s the leap of faith that changed everything: being scouted to London, helping launch Tamarind, and winning that fateful Michelin star. Atul recalls the dizzying pride of the moment—how overnight he became a national hero in India, and how his father, a catering man who’d seen failure more than once, inspired him to push forward even when the business of running restaurants nearly broke him. From early struggles with sourcing the right onions in Britain to discovering the joys of cooking with venison, hare, and game birds, his stories are as textured as the dishes he plates.

Of course, no Atul story is complete without the drama of restaurant life. He shares nightmare days where gas pipes flooded on a Saturday service, or worse—the devastating fire that shut down his flagship for six months. He remembers the pain of sitting helpless in insurance limbo, and the joy of loyal friends and partners who stepped in to keep his dream alive. There’s humour too—like the “rudest customer” who managed to be offended even when given a bigger table on their anniversary, or his bemusement at Britain’s national dish, chicken tikka masala, which he insists is delicious but—make no mistake—a British invention.

Atul speaks candidly about adapting menus for a world where more diners are on weight-loss drugs, why smaller plates and non-alcoholic cocktails are the future, and how he sees the new wave of Indian chefs in India itself taking innovation to dazzling heights. There are also tender moments: memories of litti chokha eaten by hand and soaked in ghee, evenings when six Thai chefs “adopted” him as their little brother in Delhi, and the bittersweet guidance of Mrs Khanna, the royal-blooded matriarch who taught him the secrets of true Patiala cuisine.

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Step inside Covent Garden’s beating heart with this week’s episode of The Go-To Food Podcast, where we sit down with Will Palmer and Ian Campbell – the masterminds behind London’s legendary wine bar 10 Cases, the seafood temple Parsons, and the ever-buzzy Baudry Greene These two friends-turned-restaurateurs didn’t just build businesses, they created a street corner empire that has shaped how London eats and drinks. And their story? It’s as intoxicating as the wines they pour.

From the genius simplicity behind the 10 Cases name – only ever buying 10 cases of a wine and moving on once it’s gone – to the unforgettable proposal that unfolded at the very table where we recorded, Palmer and Campbell reveal the mix of romance, chaos, and grit that comes with running some of the capital’s most beloved spots. Expect tales of burnt toast experiments, staff dramas, and the exact moment Jay Rayner’s stinging review became the tough love they needed.

But this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. The duo dive into the hard truths of hospitality: how to keep wine lists fresh, why chasing percentages is a trap, and why value – not markups – has been their secret weapon for 14 years. Along the way, you’ll hear about the scallop slider so good it nearly stops the interview, the cocktail that reinvents a Negroni, and the young drinkers still hungry to learn despite the headlines of wellness and sobriety. Whether you’re in hospitality, a wine obsessive, or just someone who loves a brilliant behind-the-scenes story, this is an episode not to miss. Pour yourself a glass, settle in, and discover how two mates with no master plan ended up creating a corner of Covent Garden that Londoners can’t stop talking about.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £69 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com

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In this episode of The Go-To Food Podcast—brought to you by Blinq (the UK POS rebels)—we sit down with fire-obsessed chef Lennox Hastie, the man behind Sydney’s cult restaurant Firedoor and the pintxo-loving Gildas. From starring on Chef’s Table to earning two Chef’s Hats (Australia’s Michelin-adjacent kudos), Lennox has built a career on cooking everything over live flame—no gas, no charcoal, just wood, nerve, and precision.

Lennox takes us back to the Basque Country, where a chance overheard conversation in a bar sent him up a mountain to Asador Etxebarri—and straight into Victor Arguinzoniz’s inferno. He shares how he went from three-Michelin-star kitchens to a tiny grill line where the ovens roasted your back and the fire seared your front, translating for Anthony Bourdain and learning that wood choice is as crucial as the cut. You’ll hear why turbot belongs flat on the grill (not in a cage), how prawns can stop time, and why simplicity hits harder when the flames are perfectly tuned.

Back in Australia, Lennox fought a four-year, site-by-site battle to open Firedoor the uncompromising way—100% wood-fired or nothing. He breaks down the nerdy magic of ironbark vs. oak, why the team builds log-cabin fires every morning, and how prep dances around rising and falling embers. Expect goosebump dishes and surprising ideas: live-marron split and kissed by heat, grilled lettuce that eats like a revelation, long-aged beef that hums with prosciutto-y depth, and flame-finished desserts that prove pastry belongs in the fire, too.

We also detour through San Sebastián and Sydney’s best bites—pintxos culture, tomato salads worth a pilgrimage, vermouth-forward Marianitos, and Lennox’s go-to Korean and Japanese haunts. It’s a story of obsession, patience, and learning to “slow dance” with fire—from mountain grills to a packed open kitchen where every lick of flame is on show. Plug in for craft, chaos, and crackling honesty—and leave hungry.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £69 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com

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When Adam Handling sits down for The Go-To Food Podcast, you know you’re in for fireworks. The Michelin-starred chef pulls no punches, opening up about landlords who tried to strong-arm him, staff who faced his infamous “card machine punishment” for costly mistakes, and the emotional nights he locked himself in the restaurant bathroom and cried after service disasters. 

The Michelin-starred chef relives the moment he took legal action against a trendy London bakery for using the “Frog” name, and the breakdown he suffered during COVID when he thought his entire restaurant group might collapse. Brutally honest, occasionally explosive, and always compelling, Adam holds nothing back about the cutthroat world of food and hospitality.

Adam also shares the rollercoaster of building his restaurant empire — from landlords evicting him overnight to resurrecting Ugly Butterfly 2.0 on the Cornish cliffs, and from bursting power supplies that shut Frog Covent Garden mid-service to dealing with chefs who jump kitchens every few months. 

And then there are the customers. From finger-snappers unceremoniously kicked out mid-service to diners outraged when crab butter replaced his signature chicken butter, Adam has seen it all. Brutally honest yet fiercely passionate, he reminds us why restaurants are the most exhilarating, maddening, and life-affirming places on earth. This is an episode every foodie — and anyone who’s ever worked in hospitality — needs to hear.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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This week on The Go-To Mise en Place we are joined by chefs George Williams and Beth, the duo behind The Fat Badger, one of London’s most talked-about upstairs pubs and dining rooms. They set the record straight on that infamous “invite-only” myth, explain why they threw out the idea of menus altogether, and relive the chaos of their early days—from disastrous potato “risottos” to running a full service with no water.

We hear about starry guests from Cesc Fàbregas to Raymond Blanc and Lewis Capaldi, the Ballymaloe roots that shaped their cooking, and how they’ve evolved from pub toasties to a £85pp tasting menu that changes nightly and even features a KP-invented Hasselback technique. Along the way, George recalls a gruesome pasta machine accident, Beth tells the story of a missing plaster in 150 kilos of sourdough, and both deliver some sharp words on chef egos.

There’s travel chat too, from pints and sea swims in Galway to Mexico City tacos, plus their pitch for why London desperately needs a proper hot-dog joint. And don’t forget—you can win a year of Blinq POS by sending us your most chaotic hospitality nightmare day. DM @thegotofoodpod or email [email protected]

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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

Seafood maestro Nathan Outlaw joins The Go-To Food Podcast for a candid conversation that charts his rise from washing dishes alongside his chef father in Maidstone to becoming the only British chef with two Michelin-starred seafood restaurants. Along the way, he recalls formative stints with culinary icons Gary Rhodes, Éric Chavot and Rick Stein—where he learned the art of speed, precision, and never sending a sauce in batches.

Nathan shares the behind-the-scenes tales that shaped his cooking: a wild TV adventure across Europe with Valentine Warner that inspired Fish Kitchen; the madness of breaking down 200kg tuna like a side of beef (“320 plates from one fish”); and why he actually loved cooking breakfast for guests at his Cornwall guesthouse. He opens up on the decision to step away from two Michelin stars after COVID, choosing freedom and flavour over formality, and explains why his menus now change daily depending on what the boats bring in.

This is Nathan Outlaw as you’ve never heard him before: talking honestly about the challenges of luring diners to Cornwall in winter, the sheer joy of a perfectly made crab sandwich, and why most home cooks are terrified of fish. From his Cornish hit list of must-visit restaurants to his nostalgic go-to meal (toad in the hole followed by trifle—“the best kept secret breakfast”), it’s a rollicking, generous episode with one of Britain’s most influential seafood chefs.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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We’re joined once again by the moustachioed marvel himself, Ben Lippett — ex-chef, recipe writer, and the creative force behind Dinner by Ben. This time he’s back with something truly special: his debut cookbook, landing next week.

Over an incredible spread pulled straight from its pages, Ben talks us through the dishes that shaped the book — from chicken with hot green tahini to his legendary focaccia — and why he believes real cooking at home doesn’t need to be rushed, dumbed down, or intimidating. We dig into the philosophy behind the recipes, the importance of seasoning (and knowing when to stop), why mistakes are part of the process, and how to find joy in cooking food you’re actually hungry for.

Ben also reflects on his journey from tough restaurant kitchens in Melbourne, New York, and London to food media, Mob, and now his first solo book. Expect candid stories of nightmare staff meals, offal experiments that didn’t make the cut, dream restaurant weekends away, and the dishes that still blow his mind.

With 110 recipes across 10 chapters, Ben’s book is generous, deeply practical, and packed with the kind of know-how that makes you a better, more confident cook. Pre-order now (link in bio) and join us for a behind-the-scenes taste of one of the most exciting cookbook launches of the year.

Order Ben's Incredible Book Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Cook-really-cooking-recipes/dp/0008715998

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further -as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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

Today’s guest is Luke Dale-Roberts, the award-winning chef whose name has become synonymous with pushing the boundaries of fine dining. From steering La Colombe to global acclaim as the Best Restaurant in Africa & the Middle East and climbing to No.12 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, to redefining South Africa’s culinary landscape with The Test Kitchen—winning Restaurant of the Year multiple times and breaking into the world’s top 25—Luke has consistently raised the bar. Now, with his latest venture SALON, crowned Africa’s Best New Restaurant and winner of the 2025 Luxe Restaurant of the Year, he continues to innovate and inspire.

We talk about the origins of his legendary Café au Lait sauce, why Cape Town now rivals any global food capital, the tough reality of running fine dining in a changing world, and the extraordinary impact of his Fledglings initiative, which has given opportunities to young cooks from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Along the way, Luke reflects on his early years in London’s kitchens, the failures that shaped his cooking, the high points that took him to the top 50 restaurants in the world, and why, despite the challenges, he still adores the theatre and intensity of fine dining.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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

In this episode of Go-To Mise en Place, we sit down with one of London’s most exciting young restaurateurs: Dom Hamdy, the founder of Ham Restaurants, the group behind Crispin, Bistro Freddie and the newly opened Canal in Ladbroke Grove.

Recorded on the terrace at Canal, with the Grand Union Canal glinting beside us, Dom talks about the journey from Scotch eggs at Borough Market to running a 100+ person restaurant group, why his bistro tribute to his father became one of London’s buzziest dining rooms, and the philosophy that runs through all his places: great produce, cooked simply, served with joy.

Along the way we get into the power of critics versus TikTok, how to keep consistency across restaurants while giving chefs freedom, why ice cream might be his next move, and why the real magic of restaurants has less to do with portion sizes and more to do with connection.

A wide-ranging conversation with a man who has gone from frying schnitzels at home to building one of the most dynamic groups in the capital.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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

What does it take to go from microwaving jalapeño poppers at Old Orleans to co-founding two of London’s most beloved restaurants? In this episode of The Go-To Food Podcast, Tim Siadatan tells the story of his unlikely start in hospitality, the life-changing opportunity of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, and the discipline and creativity he absorbed while training under some of the city’s most influential chefs.

Tim shares how formative stints at St. John and Moro shaped his approach to food, fire, and flavour, and why opening Trullo felt like the right moment to bring his own vision of Italian cooking to life. He reflects on the lessons of building a restaurant with soul, the tough realities of the industry, and the importance of serving food that people really want to eat.

Then came Padella — the pasta bar that would go on to attract legendary queues. Tim lifts the curtain on its creation, the sheer logistics of cooking 700 plates of pasta a day, and the decisions that go into everything from whether to serve fresh or dried pasta to how you manage a team through the challenges of Covid and Brexit.

From his Old Orleans beginnings to the queues outside Padella, Tim’s journey is packed with memorable moments: Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen and its transformative sourcing trips, learning fire cooking at Moro and the art of salads at St. John, the logistical realities of serving 700 plates of pasta a day, and the endless debate of fresh versus dried. He recalls near-drowning off the coast of San Sebastián, long Italian lunches from Tuscany to Amalfi, banning one very creepy regular, and why a Tuscan mixed grill followed by his mum’s lemon-crunch pie would be the dream way to end any meal.

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Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.

Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that’s always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you’re live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/

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