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 Foo...
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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29:21
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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28:00
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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27:43
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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18:10
With Tim Spector
Tim Spector is a leading professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and a renowned expert in nutrition, gut health, and the microbiome. He is the founder of the Zoe Project, which focuses on personalised nutrition and how individual responses to food impact health. His new book, The Food for Life Cookbook, is out now.
On the podcast, he tells Lara about his time growing up in Australia, how a skiing accident changed his view on nutrition, and why ham-flavoured crisps are his guilty pleasure.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Joe Bedell-Brill.
Click here for tickets to our Americano live event, with Nigel Farage.
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.