The Go To Food Podcast

At just 22 years old, Tom Adams launched Pit Cue from a tiny trailer beneath Waterloo Bridge, sparking a barbecue revolution and creating one of London's most exciting restaurants. Then, at the height of his success, he walked away from it all.

Today, Tom is the man behind Coombeshead Farm, a remarkable 66-acre operation in Cornwall encompassing a Michelin Green Star restaurant, bakery, butchery, charcuterie and guesthouse.

Ben and Freddy travel to the farm to discover the extraordinary story behind it all.

Tom reveals the chaos of Pit Cue's early years, the pressure of running one of London's hottest restaurants while feeling completely out of his depth, and the remarkable chefs and producers who shaped his career, including Jeremy Lee and April Bloomfield.

He also discusses the health scare that forced him to stop working, his obsession with rare breeds and exceptional ingredients, and how every high street bank turned him down when he tried to buy his dream farm.

From disastrous kitchen services and two-hour queues to the extraordinary gamble of starting again in Cornwall, this is a fascinating conversation about ambition, burnout, British food and knowing when to walk away.

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What makes a Michelin-starred chef give up fine dining to start selling pizza from a van? And how did he nearly lose his life working at one of the world's most extraordinary restaurants?

This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we're joined by the brilliant Tom Kemble, the Michelin-starred chef behind London's hugely popular Spring Street Pizza, for an extraordinary journey through some of the world's most famous kitchens.

From cooking for Sir Richard Branson at his luxury Alpine retreat to working under the legendary Magnus Nilsson at Fäviken, Tom has had a career unlike almost any other chef. He reveals the terrifying accident that nearly killed him in Fäviken's butchery, the brutal reality of working under Magnus, and the nightmare of cooking aboard a billionaire's private superyacht.

We also delve into his extraordinary years working alongside the famously uncompromising Mikael Jonsson at Hedone, where Michelin-starred cooking, celebrity diners and extraordinary restaurant dramas were all part of everyday life.

Having subsequently won a Michelin star at Bonhams in Mayfair, Tom explains why he eventually fell out of love with the pursuit of fine dining accolades and decided to dedicate himself to something completely different: making the perfect pizza.

From selling pizzas out of a van during lockdown to launching one of London's most talked-about New York-style pizzerias, Tom reveals the secrets behind Spring Street's incredible 18-inch pizzas and why pizza makes far more commercial sense than fine dining.

Plus, we discover why he thinks British Sunday roasts are overrated, why he's had enough of burrata, and what really makes a great restaurant.

A brilliant conversation about ambition, Michelin stars, extraordinary kitchens and rediscovering the joy of cooking.

Subscribe to The Go-To Food Podcast for weekly conversations with the biggest names in food, restaurants and hospitality.

Follow Spring Street Pizza: @springstpizza

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How did Dishoom go from an empty restaurant in Covent Garden to one of Britain's most successful and sought-after restaurant empires, with customers queuing for THREE HOURS just to get a table?

This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we're joined by **Dishoom co-founder Kavi Thakrar** to uncover the extraordinary story behind the Indian restaurant phenomenon that's transformed British dining.

From watching customers queue outside Jamie Oliver's restaurant next door while Dishoom sat empty, to creating Britain's most iconic breakfast, the Bacon Naan Roll, Kavi reveals the brilliant ideas, unconventional marketing strategies and extraordinary attention to detail behind Dishoom's success.

We discover:

- 🎲 The genius psychology behind Dishoom's famous dice game, which gives customers the chance to win their entire meal for free.
- ☕ Why free chai and three-hour queues have become part of the Dishoom experience.
- 🥓 How the legendary Bacon Naan Roll became one of Britain's most famous breakfast dishes.
- 🛍️ The surprising reason Dishoom deliberately removed the handles from its delivery bags.
- 🇮🇳 Why Dishoom takes hundreds of employees to Bombay and how its unique culture drives success.
- 🍛 The astonishing story of eating 693 dishes in just seven days.
- 🗽 The ambitious plans to take Dishoom to New York and conquer America.

It's a fascinating conversation about hospitality, entrepreneurship, restaurant marketing and the secrets behind building one of the most beloved restaurant brands in the world.

Whether you're obsessed with Dishoom, love Indian food or want to understand what makes a truly great restaurant, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

**Subscribe to The Go-To Food Podcast** for exclusive conversations with the world's greatest chefs, restaurateurs and food personalities.
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From selling homemade pâté at a market in Cork to becoming one of Ireland’s best-loved chefs and television personalities, Clodagh McKenna has had an extraordinary journey.

This week, Clodagh joins Freddy and Ben to share some of the wildest stories from her career, including how she managed to shut down New York, partying with Bob Geldof, the reality of life on television and the people who helped shape her love of food.

We also delve into her incredible 100-acre Hampshire home, Broadspear, where she's built a remarkable working farm, complete with a walled garden, orchards, bees, pigs and cattle. Clodagh discusses her passion for growing and cooking her own food, her latest cookbook Clodagh at Home, and why the simplest things in life often bring the greatest pleasure.

Expect hilarious stories, plenty of laughter and a fascinating insight into the life of one of the food world's most infectious personalities.

Subscribe to The Go-To Food Podcast for more incredible stories from the biggest names in food.

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After two years of chasing him, we've finally got him! This week we're joined by the brilliant Matt Tebbutt, Saturday Kitchen presenter, former MasterChef judge and one of Britain's best-loved TV chefs, for an outrageously funny and revealing conversation over lunch at Café François.

And what a career he's had.

Matt takes us back to the wild days of London's great kitchens, including working under Marco Pierre White, who once pretended to be a French waiter just to wind him up, before eventually sacking him in the middle of service. The following day, Marco phoned him demanding to know why he wasn't at work!

We hear about his experiences working with some of the country's greatest chefs, his struggles running a restaurant in rural Wales, the moment he found himself in tears wondering how he'd pay the bills, and the unexpected phone call that changed his life forever.

Matt also opens up about his controversial departure from MasterChef: The Professionals, revealing how he was told at 5pm the day before a planned appearance on The One Show that he would not be returning.

Plus, we get into his fascinating relationship with James Martin, the truth about their supposed rivalry, Saturday Kitchen's most disastrous live television moments, accidentally swearing on air, and the time a particularly heavy weekend involving two enormous Chinese meals ended with him in hospital.

There's also his hilarious relationship with Anna Haugh, his worst-ever restaurant customers, tales of working with Bruce Poole, and his dream of escaping to France to open a tiny restaurant of his own.

From being sacked by Marco Pierre White to becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British television, this is Matt Tebbutt as you've never heard him before.

An absolute belter of an episode. Enjoy!

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