The What's Cooking Podcast

For episode 7 of ‘Adjusting, with…,' we are talking to Andrew, owner of  Vanilla Black. Vanilla Black are a pioneering vegetarian restaurant created by Andrew and his wife, Donna. To hear our first interview with Andrew, go back and  listen to season 3,  episode 28. 

Follow Andrew @vanilla_black_uk and www.vanillablack.co.uk. 

Keep in touch and let us know if you’re enjoying these episodes on  Instagram @whatscookingpodcast or via thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying our podcast, please support us by reviewing and  subscribing. 

These episodes are recorded over video chat so please bear with us if the sound quality isn’t perfect!

For episode 4 of ‘Adjusting, with…,' we are talking to Alex Head, founder of Social Pantry. We talk about the impact of the restrictions and how the Social Pantry team are monitoring and managing any ongoing developments in addition to maintaining employee morale and wellbeing.  To hear our first interview with Alex, go back and listen to season 4, episode 32. 

Follow Alex on Instagram @alexhead_sp or visit alexhead.co.uk. Find Social Pantry @social_pantry and socialpantry.co.uk

Keep in touch and let us know if you’re enjoying these episodes on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast or via thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying our podcast, please support us by reviewing and subscribing.

These episodes are recorded over video chat so please bear with us if the sound quality isn’t perfect!

For episode 3 of ‘Adjusting, with…,' we talked to Tessa Stuart. Tessa is an in-store researcher, business consultant and author, helping food and drink brands to understand the market and create stand-out messaging for their products. To hear our first interview with Tessa and find out more about what she does, go back and listen to season 2, episode 20. 

Follow Tessa on Instagram @tessa_stuart or visit www.tessastuart.co.uk. Find her two best selling books on Amazon - these are a must-read for any food business owner, we cannot recommend them enough.

Keep in touch and let us know if you’re enjoying these episodes on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast or via thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying our podcast, please support us by reviewing and subscribing.

These episodes are recorded over video chat so please bear with us if the sound quality isn’t perfect! 

For episode 1 of ‘Adjusting with…,' we talked to Nikki of City Harvest. City Harvest redistribute surplus food to charities and organisations around London to help those in need. To hear our first interview with Nikki and find out more about City Harvest, go back and listen to season 6, episode 52. 

Follow City Harvest on Instagram @cityharvestlondon or visit www.cityharvest.org.uk. Find their Go Fund Me at https://uk.gofundme.com/f/help-keep-city-harvest-feeding-london039s-vulnerable 

Keep in touch and let us know if you’re enjoying these episodes on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast or via thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying our podcast, please support us by reviewing and subscribing.

These episodes are recorded over video chat so please bear with us if the sound quality isn’t perfect! 

Welcome back to The What's Cooking Podcast! 

We were due to begin recording season 7 around now but it doesn’t really feel like the right time to be hearing new stories. Instead, we’ve decided to speak to some of our past guests and put together a miniseries around adjusting in business. These shorter conversations will give an update on their businesses and look at any new initiatives they might be working on. We’ll talk about how they're adapting to challenges and generally keeping going during what we can all agree is a challenging time. The aim is to share an honest and realistic snapshot of how people are getting on. This is a difficult time for all businesses and the hospitality industry is certainly one of those suffering in what is a demanding space at the best of times. We hope you will enjoy hearing what our guests have been up to and that you might find comfort and inspiration in the stories they have to tell. We will be releasing episodes on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays for the next few weeks so make sure you’ve subscribed to be alerted when a new episode is available. 

Keep in touch on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, Twitter @whatscookingpod or via email on thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. Find us individually at www.ekbakery.co.uk and www.katbakeslondon.com. 

Creating connections through food, thriving on pressure and drawing on personal experiences to start a new business, with co-founders of Karma Cans and Karma Kitchen, Eccie and Gini. 

For our final episode of the season we sat down with Eccie and Gini, founders of catering company Karma Cans and Karma Kitchen – a community of co-working kitchens and offices to support food and drink businesses. We hear how Karma Cans began and how they have shared their ethos of creating connections through food in delivering delicious healthy lunches to offices around London. We discuss the importance of a good culture and how Eccie and Gini have built their company around the team's shared obsession with food! It’s amazing to hear how the sisters built this business organically and that they still work with their first ever client. Karma Kitchen grew from Eccie and Gini’s personal experiences with the difficulty of finding suitable, affordable kitchen space as a new food business. They now provide co-working kitchens for food and drink businesses at any stage, allowing them to grow and adapt. Through their growing portfolio, they provide collaborative spaces which offer a support system for other businesses – something that is so necessary as the industry shifts to accommodate delivery-only demands and increasing consumer expectations. Other topics we touch on include raising funds, creating separate roles as founders and drawing on that organic growth experience while expanding the new business. 

Find Karma Cans on Instagram @karmacans and on www.karmacans.co.uk / Karma Kitchen on Instagram at @karmakitchenlondon and on www.karmakitchen.co. 

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, Twitter @whatscookingpod or via email thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. 

Rebranding plant based living, creating a chef led culture & focusing on sustainability - with Alex and Joey from allplants. 

We chatted to Alex, chief strategy officer and co-founder of allplants, along with allplants Senior Development Chef, Joey. Alex took us through the story of how he and his brother JP started allplants – creating delicious and nutritionally balanced meals delivered frozen to your door with the view to benefit both people and planet. We hear why and how it all began, from serving food cooked from frozen at their first supper clubs to now working with a team of 80, making everything in-house to ensure their chef led culture continues as they grow. Joey talks us through the recipe development process and the various stages of testing that each menu item goes through – not just within the company but through close connections with customers who provide valuable feedback. As a B Corp, sustainability is very important to the team and we hear the different ways in which allplants ensure their packaging, ingredients and delivery processes conform.  This is a company with an inclusive approach to plant based living and the connection between people and food is evident in everything they do. 

Find allplants on Instagram @allplants and order via their website www.allplants.com.

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or drop us an email on thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. 

Root to Fruit eating, redefining what we see as food waste and championing sustainability in every area - with food writer, chef and campaigner, Tom Hunt.

For this episode, we chatted to Tom Hunt. Tom is a food writer, chef, sustainability campaigner and founder of Poco Tapas Bar - who have just become the first restaurant to be inducted into the Food Made Good Awards ‘Hall of Fame’, for their ongoing sustainability efforts. We hear what it takes to create (and maintain) a restaurant with sustainability at its heart, from analysing plate waste to treating their staff well. We also discuss Tom’s manifesto of 'Root to Fruit’ eating; where this holistic approach began for him and how he continues to explore it for himself and educate others. Tom also talks about the Forgotten Feast, his social enterprise which began with feeding 200 guests on a London bridge using only food that would otherwise have been wasted. It’s through this celebratory way of working that Tom continues to spread his message, ultimately encouraging people to “cook with love, confidence and creativity” - we strongly recommend looking out for his new book, Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet, released in March 2020, to learn more.

Find Tom on Instagram @cheftomhunt, via his website www.tomsfeast.com or check out Poco in Bristol on 45 Jamaica Street, BS2 8JP. 

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or email thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. 

We sat down with Annabel Thomas, founder of Scotland’s leading 100% organic and sustainable whisky distillery, Nc’nean. Inspired by the location of their family home on the west coast of Scotland, Annabel decided to embark upon creating whisky in a different way – uninhibited by tradition and with full focus on doing things sustainably, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of their production process at every stage. 

Nc’nean apply a creative approach to the way they distill whisky, doing things differently with the hope of getting people thinking about Scotch in a more approachable way. We also discuss the Botanical Spirit which is available to buy now, before their first whisky release in 2020. Created from unaged whisky - redistilled with mostly local herbs and fruits which are foraged by the team - this new type of product is a perfect demonstration of the passion, creativity and innovation that runs through this amazing business.  

Find Nc’nean on instagram @ncnean and via their website www.ncnean.com.  

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or drop us an email thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. We hope you’re enjoying the series so far, please don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review or star rating. 

For this episode, we spoke with Saima, founder of The Hampstead Kitchen. Saima is a private chef, philanthropist and activist who cooks for private events all over the world. We hear the story of how a chance meeting with and opportunity to cook for her now mentor, Warren Buffet, led to her starting the business. Saima talks us through The Hampstead Kitchen's approach to food -  telling stories through their menus and creating events which provide a three dimensional experience - from the drinks and the table linen to the ingredients and where they are sourced. Through this, they encourage guests to connect the food they are being served with a bigger picture and Saima now speaks at most events, supporting this approach and highlighting her charitable causes. We also discuss the zero waste philosophy within the company – redistributing leftovers to the homeless and cooking meals for food banks and others in need. Saima’s commitment to her causes and the integrity with which she conducts her business is unfaltering. Towards the end of the conversation, we hear the story of her first visit to a refugee camp and how this experience has changed her approach to life. Other topics we touch on are Saima’s mentorship of new businesses, employment of refugees and ex-offenders and commitment to giving a percentage of profits to charity. 

Find The Hampstead Kitchen on Instagram @hampsteadkitchn and via their website www.thehampsteadkitchen.com. 

Find us on Instagram @whascookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or drop us an email thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. 

For our first episode of season 6, we spoke to the founders of Form Nutrition - Damian and Natalia. Form provide products to support holistic nutrition for body and mind – all plant based and backed by scientific research. The company was launched to fill a need for a different kind of nutrition brand and through their design-led branding, strong research based content and an obvious love of what they do, Damian and Natalia give a high quality, functional, great-tasting product. We discussed Form’s charitable actions, environmentally friendly packaging and their desire to offer a solution with positive value – not just highlighting a problem but creating a way to solve it. We also spoke about the different uses of their protein range and about nootropics – the other side to the Form product offering. This conversation was inspiring, insightful and endlessly interesting – we hope you learn as much as we did! 

Find Form Nutrition on Instagram @formnutrition or via their website www.formnutrition.com. 

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or drop us an email: thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com.  

Demystifying kombucha, the learning curve of scaling up and building a business with friends - with Adam, co-founder of JARR Kombucha.

For the penultimate episode of the season, we spoke to Adam - co–founder of JARR Kombucha. JARR are an East London based kombucha brewery who have based their business around creativity, connection and innovation. They create delicious kombucha in their classic flavours – original, passion fruit, ginger and recently launched raspberry – along with collaborations which allow them to further explore the possibilities of this amazing fermented tea. We discussed the benefits of building a business with your friends and the trust that goes along with this, as well as the importance of splitting roles between co-founders to play to the strengths of each team member. We also talked about the challenges of scaling up, finding the right investment partner and the thinking behind their toned back packaging and their journey of creating a new identity for kombucha within this growing category.

Find JARR on Instagram @jarrkombucha and on their website www.jarrkombucha.com.

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or email us on thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com.

Raising awareness of food waste, creating value from surplus and what it takes to run a crowdfunding campaign, with Jenny - founder of Rubies in the Rubble.

For this episode, we sat down with Jenny, founder of Rubies in The Rubble – makers of “condiments with a conscience.” Rubies in the Rubble make delicious relishes, mayos and ketchup from ingredients which would otherwise be wasted. We heard about Jenny’s no fear approach - starting the business through her passion for raising awareness of the amount of food being wasted everyday and not being afraid of what people thought of her decisions. We also talked about their crowdfunding campaign, which was in full swing at the time of recording and ended considerably above target. We learned about the hard work and preparation that goes into a crowdfunding campaign and that it’s definitely not as easy as it sometimes appears. Jenny has been getting people to think about food in a different way since launching and continues to do so with all her products, celebrating food and taste. 

Find Rubies in the Rubble on Instagram @rubiesintherubble or online at www.rubiesintherubble.com. 

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast on Twitter @whatscookingpod or via email thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com.

Winning MasterChef, writing a book and campaigning for better NHS meals with Saliha - cook, NHS doctor and author of new book Khazana.

For this episode we spoke to Saliha about her experience as a contestant, and eventual winner, of MasterChef UK - we talked about the parallels between working in a high pressure kitchen and working as an NHS doctor and discussed how she balanced the two commitments during filming, alongside her family life. We also heard about her campaign for better NHS meals and better hydration in hospitals - why this is so necessary and what her plans are for bringing it to the forefront. Saliha talks about the amazing platform that MasterChef has given her and why she felt it so important to create a name for herself within the food industry to assist with her mission for change. Saliha also told us all about her book writing process - how the deal came about and the story behind Khazana. 

You can find Saliha on Instagram @salihacooks and on her website www.salihacooks.com.

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or via email thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com.

Creating a product with surplus bread, tackling food waste through positive action and putting the mission for change before profits with David, Head Breadwinner at Toast Ale. 

We spoke to David from Toast Ale about all things food waste and how to tackle it. We heard how Toast are making their ale using surplus bread – leading the way in a new side of the food industry and demonstrating how a change of view about what we consider unusable food can make a big difference. In focusing on their mission over profits, they hope to spread the word about the food waste issue. Toast give all of their profits to Feedback, the charity started by Toast founder Tristram Stuart, and in doing so are making real steps towards creating systemic change. We also talked about the Toast team and heard how they are creating an ethos that sidesteps traditional hierarchy to give every member an equal voice. 

We recorded this episode at Toast bread quarters within the Bankside sustainable workspaces – there is some background noise on the episode as it’s a bustling space but it’s a great conversation so we hope you’ll bear with us! 

Find Toast at www.toastale.com or on Instagram at @toastale. Check out their Crowd Funder page at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/craft-beer-can

Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or drop us a line on thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. 

Manufacturing a frozen product, building a white label success into a one of a kind retail brand and creating a family business, with Howard & Vivien - co-founders of Little Moons, makers of delicious, high quality mochi. 

For this episode, we chatted to siblings and co-founders of Little Moons, Howard and Vivien. This was such an interesting and eye opening conversation, giving us insight into the highs and lows of manufacturing a product in house - and the even greater challenge of that product being frozen! We heard how Little Moons began by selling their mochi into some of the UK's best known restaurants before developing into a hugely successful retail brand - still the only producers of mochi in the UK and now being name checked on those very restaurant menus.  We also talked about the challenges of gaining space in store, how their innovative 'pick n mix' concept has been received in different markets and the importance of quality - and building a brand known for this.  There's so much to learn from this hugely inspiring episode - we suggest you listen while snacking on a mochi...or four! 

Find Little Moons on Instagram @littlemoonsmochi and via their website, www.littlemoons.co.uk. Buy them online on Ocado and Amazon or instore at Selfridges, Wholefoods and more! 

Find us on Instagram @whatscooking podcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or drop us an email on thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. 

Launching a top podcast, the importance of sharing accessible recipes and throwing yourself in at the deep end with Margie, creator of Desert Island Dishes, chef and food writer.  

For this episode we spoke to Margie about her hit podcast Desert Island Dishes – where the idea came from, how she got her first guest and the journey it’s taken her on so far. It was fascinating to hear about the business she has created from this and how it has led to her sharing further foodie content across her website and social media. Further to this, we discuss the importance of providing accessible recipes and kitchen tips and we hear about the origins of her popular ‘supermarket snoop’ series on Instagram. We also talked about the start of Margie’s career, working in restaurant kitchens, and how this led to work as a private caterer - which is still one of the many sides to her business today. From her first job after cookery school to starting a podcast from scratch, Margie has taken many brave steps to get to where she is.  

Find Margie on Instagram @margienomura and via her website www.desertislanddishes.co  Find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or email us thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com

Fulfilling a need with a new product, constant innovation and the importance of mentorship with Melanie, co-founder of Smith & Sinclair. 

We chatted to Mel about how she and co-founder Emile started their brand to fulfil a need for non-liquid alcoholic treats at their event nights and how this quickly lead to being thrown straight in to business with an order for 20,000 of their gummies! We discussed their mission to “make adult more fun” and how they have done this through their range of entirely new to market products. We also talked about the challenges of moving to a manufacturer, educating consumers, collaborating with brands to demonstrate the scope of innovation and the most important factor of all… good management. Talking to Mel was truly inspiring and she has a lot of incredible advice to impart from her experiences in business. We can’t wait to follow the next stage of Smith & Sinclair’s journey…

You can find Smith & Sinclair on Instagram @smithandsinclair or their website www.smithandsinclair.com. 

You can find us on Instagram @whatscookingpodcast, on Twitter @whatscookingpod or send us an email thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com. 

Growing a catering business into a six site operation, employing ex-offenders and going with your gut with Alex, founder of Social Pantry.

For this episode, we sat down with Alex of Social Pantry to hear the hugely inspiring story of how she has grown her catering business into a company which now manages up to thirty events per week, has a café, kiosk, restaurant and event space. We talked about maximising what you have until your demand allows for growth, working dynamically to meet the differing requirements of contracts - from weddings to corporate lunches – and what you learn from doing everything yourself at the beginning. We also discussed Alex’s employment of ex-offenders, who make up at least 10% of her work force at any time. It was incredibly inspiring to hear about the realities of this and to understand how important it is for businesses to recruit from prisons. Alex’s attitude to her team in general is really admirable and an example of how to grow a team who will not only work hard but enjoy and excel in their roles. 

Find Social Pantry @social_pantry on Instagram or visit their website at www.socialpantry.co.uk. Social Pantry café is at 170a Lavender Hill, London. Soane’s Kitchen, Pitzhanger Manor and the kiosk are all in Walpole Park, Ealing, London.

Find us @whatscookingpodcast on Instagram and @whatscookingpod on Twitter. Drop us an email on thewhatscookingpodcast@gm

Building an eco-community kitchen and what that means, creating fun but educational experiences around food and adapting to the reality of the business with Sarah from Made in Hackney. 

Welcome back to The What’s Cooking Podcast! For episode 1 of season 4, we spoke to Sarah, founder of eco-community kitchen and charity Made in Hackney. Sarah has created a space where those in need can learn valuable skills in food and healthy living. In their 100% plant based kitchen, Made in Hackney offer courses to allow fun and inspiring experiences centered around cooking and eating. We learn about the early days of the business where an initial disaster turned into the community coming together and how a business plan is just an assumption and you have to adapt it constantly to stay in line with what excites people and what actually makes you money. We also spoke to Sarah about raising funds and get an insight into the emotional as well as financial highs and lows of this side of their operation. This business is truly inspiring, from their unfaltering ethical money policy to the structure of the working week around childcare and family responsibilities, Made in Hackney is doing a lot of things right! 

Find Made in Hackney @madeinhackney on Instagram or visit their website at www.madeinhackney.org for information on courses, masterclasses and events.

Find us @whatscookingpodcast on Instagram and @whatscookingpod on Twitter. Drop us an email on thewhatscookingpodcast@gmail.com.

The power of fermentation, balancing high and low energy tasks and recognising your achievements with Joey, co-founder of High Mood Food, the London café offering delicious gut-friendly dishes. For this episode, we chatted to Joey, co-founder of High Mood Food, the London café offering delicious gut-friendly dishes. It was fascinating to learn about the power of fermentation and creating complex flavour profiles from veg-centric cooking, as well as discussing the concept of veg-centric cooking and why it’s more inclusive than other dietary choices. We also heard how Joey balances high and low energy tasks – allowing the former to feed her motivation! Another part of our discussion was around the importance of stopping and recognising your achievements, especially when there may not be an end in sight. This was such an interesting conversation both around the food itself and Joey’s experiences so far in bringing it to the customers at High. We recommend making it a priority to visit 

Disrupting the market, taking time over decisions and creating an opportunity from obstacles with Hugh, co-founder of Ugly Drinks, creators of 100% natural flavoured sparkling water. We sat down with Hugh, co-founder of Ugly Drinks – the sugar and sweetener free, flavoured sparkling water brand who are disrupting the drinks industry one can at a time! We talked to Hugh about the importance of taking time over decisions – especially when it comes to branding and design. We also spoke about recognising a shift in consumer behaviour and giving them the opportunity to make an informed choice about what they are drinking, nurturing a sustainable culture within the brand and working with other creative people and allowing their input to create something new and exciting. Oh…AND the imminent launch of Ugly in the US and the exciting developments this will bring. There is SO much wisdom in this episode, drawn from Hugh’s incredible wealth of experience in the industry

Organically growing a business, the benefits of supper clubs and changing the perception of Indian food with Mira Manek. In this episode, we sat down with Mira Manek – chef, author and entrepreneur to hear about how she has grown a business organically through doing what she loves. Mira is changing the perception of Indian food through her nutritious recipes, now available in her first book Saffron Soul. We discussed how she is making Indian food more accessible to all by focusing on the flavour and nutritional properties of spices within her dishes. We also heard about her incredibly successful supper clubs – the process behind these and why she feels the concept is important. Mira has drawn on the wealth of information on Indian food which is available to her through her family and we talked about the importance of learning like this and why it might be the greatest form of cookery school! Find Mira on Instagram @miramanek and through her website at www.miramanek.com.