The Go To Food Podcast

This week on the Go To Food Podcast, we're joined by one of the most fascinating figures in British food today: Cynthia Shanmugalingam, founder of Rambutan, the Borough Market restaurant that's redefining how London experiences Sri Lankan cuisine. From studying economics at Cambridge and working at HM Treasury to building one of the UK's most celebrated restaurants, Cynthia's journey is anything but conventional.
We dive into the extraordinary story behind Rambutan, from losing her first restaurant site during the pandemic to spending six months travelling around Sri Lanka researching family recipes and village cooking for her award-winning cookbook. Cynthia shares why opening an open-fire kitchen in Borough Market was so important, the realities of running a thriving restaurant in today's hospitality landscape, and why she already has plans for what's next.
Along the way, we explore the food that shaped her—from childhood meals in Coventry and her grandmother's cooking to the incredible breakfasts, curries and street food of Sri Lanka. She explains why "rice and curry" is far more complex than people realise, reveals the dishes she'd love to bring to London next, and gives us the ultimate guide to eating your way around Colombo.
Plus, we chat meal deals, supermarket pork pies, Borough Market favourites, why oysters might be the most overrated thing on restaurant menus, and the economics behind building a successful restaurant. It's a brilliant conversation about food, family, culture and entrepreneurship with one of the industry's most original voices.
BUY TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE ON MONDAY 27TH JULY - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/go-to-food-podcast-live-with-chef-adam-byatt-tickets-1992111901323?aff=oddtdtcreator

You can book a virtual demonstration with Quooker to find the right setup for your kitchen and remember, until the end of August, if you use the code GO TO FOOD, you’ll get free installation and a free Quooker glassware set. Just head to www.Quooker.co.uk now!

Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/

Watch and Subscribe To Our Youtube Videos Here - https://www.youtube.com/@gotofood

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What was it really like growing up as Rick Stein's son?
This week we're joined by Jack Stein for one of our favourite conversations yet. From washing pots aged 12 and accidentally deleting his dad's first cookbook, to training in Paris, Sydney and Japan before returning to help lead one of Britain's most iconic restaurant groups, Jack tells the stories you've never heard before.
We dive into the reality of family businesses, the pressures of carrying one of the biggest names in British food, why Michelin stars were never his obsession, and the lessons he brought back from some of the world's greatest kitchens. Along the way there are hilarious tales of Wimbledon, Padstow, kitchen disasters, late-night bowling, and the drink he'd choose every single time.
BUY TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE ON MONDAY 27TH JULY - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/go-to-food-podcast-live-with-chef-adam-byatt-tickets-1992111901323?aff=oddtdtcreator

You can book a virtual demonstration with Quooker to find the right setup for your kitchen and remember, until the end of August, if you use the code GO TO FOOD, you’ll get free installation and a free Quooker glassware set. Just head to www.Quooker.co.uk now!

Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/

Watch and Subscribe To Our Youtube Videos Here - https://www.youtube.com/@gotofood

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

From a remote dairy farm in New Zealand to the most feared kitchens in the world, this week we're joined by one of the greatest chefs you've probably never heard enough about. Josh Emett spent over a decade as Gordon Ramsay's right-hand man, helping lead Michelin-starred restaurants across London, New York, LA and beyond before returning home to build one of New Zealand's most celebrated restaurant groups.
Josh takes us inside the reality of life at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay during its golden era, working alongside chefs like Paul Ainsworth and James Knappett, the pressure of chasing Michelin stars, opening iconic restaurants like The Savoy Grill, and the brutal kitchen culture that shaped him. He also shares incredible stories from New York, including running Gordon's restaurants through union disputes, launching Michelin-starred kitchens in America and why working for Ramsay was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating.
We also dive into what life looks like after leaving one of the biggest names in hospitality. Josh explains how he built a thriving restaurant empire in New Zealand, why he's rethinking how hospitality businesses should be run, and the financial model that's transforming staff culture. Plus, we hear about cooking with Gwyneth Paltrow at her house, judging MasterChef New Zealand, and why Michelin finally arriving in New Zealand is such a landmark moment.
BUY TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE ON MONDAY 27TH JULY - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/go-to-food-podcast-live-with-chef-adam-byatt-tickets-1992111901323?aff=oddtdtcreator

You can book a virtual demonstration with Quooker to find the right setup for your kitchen and remember, until the end of August, if you use the code GO TO FOOD, you’ll get free installation and a free Quooker glassware set. Just head to www.Quooker.co.uk now!

Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/

Watch and Subscribe To Our Youtube Videos Here - https://www.youtube.com/@gotofood

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

Chef. Filmmaker. Bestselling author. Restaurateur. Streetwear pioneer. Former lawyer. Former drug dealer. There aren't many people who have lived as many lives as Eddie Huang. In one of our favourite conversations ever, Eddie joins us for an unfiltered deep dive into the decisions, failures and moments that shaped one of food's most original voices. This is funny, brutally honest and completely unpredictable.
We talk about everything from opening BaoHaus and changing the perception of Taiwanese food in America, to why he fell out of love with restaurants before rediscovering his passion for cooking. Eddie also explains why he believes modern food has become over-styled, why "don't fool people with shrubbery" has become his plating philosophy, and what actually makes a great restaurant in 2026.
Away from food, the stories are unbelievable. Eddie reveals how getting fired as a corporate lawyer led him to dealing weed on the streets of New York, promoting comedy nights, building clothing brands and eventually creating the career that made him a cultural icon. He also opens up about the making of Fresh Off the Boat, why he hated the TV adaptation, directing films in Hollywood, and what Quentin Tarantino unknowingly taught him while living across the street.
This is Eddie Huang at his absolute best: hilarious, provocative, deeply thoughtful and never afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. Whether you're obsessed with food, fascinated by creativity, or simply love hearing extraordinary life stories from extraordinary people, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Thankyou to the Standard Hotel for hosting us for the recording - you can check out more - https://www.standardhotels.com/
BUY TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE ON MONDAY 27TH JULY - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/go-to-food-podcast-live-with-chef-adam-byatt-tickets-1992111901323?aff=oddtdtcreator

You can book a virtual demonstration with Quooker to find the right setup for your kitchen and remember, until the end of August, if you use the code GO TO FOOD, you’ll get free installation and a free Quooker glassware set. Just head to www.Quooker.co.uk now!

Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/

Watch and Subscribe To Our Youtube Videos Here - https://www.youtube.com/@gotofood

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

Margaux Aubry has quietly built one of London's most influential neighbourhood restaurants. As the owner of Naughty Piglets, she's spent the last 12 years helping redefine what modern London dining can be: brilliant produce, fearless cooking, incredible natural wine and a restaurant that genuinely feels part of its community. In this episode, she joins us to tell the remarkable story behind one of the capital's most beloved independent restaurants.
We dive into her journey from growing up in Lyon to arriving in London as a teenager, falling in love with hospitality and eventually opening Naughty Piglets with almost no blueprint to follow. Margaux shares the highs and lows of building an independent restaurant, why she's happier running the business on her own terms today, the famous jambon beurre that has become a London institution, and why Paris still pulls at her heartstrings every time she visits.
As always, the conversation is packed with brilliant food stories. Margaux reveals her favourite bistros in Paris, the dishes that defined her childhood, why Comté might just be the perfect cheese, the legendary fox that once became trapped inside the restaurant overnight, and the wild days serving millionaire yacht owners on the French Riviera. We also chat natural wine, London's changing restaurant scene, and why she believes the industry's constant negativity risks putting off the next generation of restaurateurs.

BUY TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE ON MONDAY 27TH JULY - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/go-to-food-podcast-live-with-chef-adam-byatt-tickets-1992111901323?aff=oddtdtcreator

You can book a virtual demonstration with Quooker to find the right setup for your kitchen and remember, until the end of August, if you use the code GO TO FOOD, you’ll get free installation and a free Quooker glassware set. Just head to www.Quooker.co.uk now!

Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/

Watch and Subscribe To Our Youtube Videos Here - https://www.youtube.com/@gotofood

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