Talking Tastebuds Podcast

Swatee Deepak is the Director of With And For Girls and a global expert and champion of girls rights. She has advised UN agencies, Governments, Private Foundations and High Net Worth Individuals on girls rights and gender equity strategies. She has been instrumental in increasing resources to girls most in-need around the world.With And For Girls is a group of organisations that share the common belief that girls are vital agents of change. They regard grassroots girl-led and girl-centred organisations supp...

Welcome to THE SLICE. Where I Talk Tastebuds with inspiring individuals who are working to get back to the root of how we consume, move, think and live.Charles Pelletier co-founded the hugely successful Michelin starred Serge et Le Phoque restaurant in Hong Kong and now owns Liberte Cherie on Portobello Road - a L’epicerie sans plastic.Liberte Cherie: https://www.instagram.com/libertecherie291/For 10% OFF your order, pop down to the store at 291 Portobello Road and quote ‘Talking Tastebuds’ at the checkout....

Laura Thomas is a Registered Nutritionist and podcaster, specialising in Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size & Non-Diet Nutrition. She has recently released her brilliant first book Just Eat It. This book is a simple step-by-step guide to help you phase out diet tools like meal plans and calorie trackers, to encourage a more peaceful attitude to food and your body.Laura is the co-founder of the London Centre For Intuitive Eating, more information here: https://londoncentreforintuitiveeating.co.uk/Laura's...

Rachel Ama is a London based home-cook, passionate about vegan living. She began by sharing videos on YouTube where she garnered a lot of attention for her all singing all-dancing delicious plant based recipes. In 2019, Observer named her the Rising Star of Food, and in June, she releases her debut cookbook: Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats.Rachel takes inspiration from naturally vegan dishes and cuisines as well as her Caribbean and West African roots to create great full-flavour recipes that are easy to make and w...

Livia Firth is the queen of sustainable fashion. After learning about the negative human and environmental impact of fashion, Livia began to dress in an ethically sound way when she accompanied her husband Colin Firth to various award shows. Her success at ticking the ethical aesthetic box, lead her to founding The Green Carpet challenge, which culminates in the Green Carpet Awards in Milan every September. Livia is the co-founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age, a consultancy firm and my go-to hub for all...

Michael Miller is the co-founder of London Meditation Centre. After learning Vedic meditation under the world renowned Thom Knoles, he saw positive changes in his own life. Thom suggested he became a teacher, which lead to leaving his corporate job to study for 2 years and undertake several extended trips to India.In 2007, Michael completed a three-month residential training programme and began a full-time teaching career. In early 2008, he founded the London Meditation Centre and New York Meditation Centre...

Chris Smalling is a professional footballer who plays for England and Manchester United. In 2018, he transitioned to a plant based diet for which he credits enhanced performance and recovery. I went to the Man U training ground to meet Chris and hear about his life with food and football.Find Chris On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smalling/Find Me On Instagram: https://instagram.com/venetiafalconer/Sign Up To My Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gdU0U1Join The Slow Fashion Exchange: http://bit.ly/SlowFas...

Dr Anita Mitra is an NHS doctor working in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, with experience in both clinical medicine and research. Anita goes by the name of ‘The Gynae Geek’ on social media, and it’s also the title of her first book. An accessible, informative guide to 'down there healthcare'.In this episode, we discuss Anita’s story with amenorrhea, the difference between a vagina and vulva, why we should stop using soap to clean our nether regions and ethical period products.Find Anita On Instagram: https://www...

Lucy Siegle is an author, journalist and presenter. She is a reporter for BBC’s The One Show and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Observer and Huffington Post.In 2010, she wrote ‘To Die For’, which is credited as being the go-to text on the fashion industry’s ecological and human footprint. After the release of the book, the worst industrial tragedy in the history of fashion took place in Bangladesh, where an eight-storey commercial building named Rana Plaza collapsed. Lucy’s book an...

I am delighted to be bringing you this very special episode in celebration of International Women’s Day, recorded LIVE on Saturday 9th March in Shoreditch at The Body Shop’s 'Celebrate She' event.I’m joined by three brilliant panelists: Nicole Crentsil, Natalie Glaze and Megan Jayne Crabbe to discuss female empowerment, being your own boss, failing, trusting your gut and so much more. I hope you love it! Please share the episode with your friends and on your Instagram stories - it makes a huge difference."F...

IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK! Please subscribe, leave a review and share with your friends!Jack Harries is a filmmaker, environmentalist and WWF ambassador. He rose to fame after he launched a highly successful YouTube channel which he ran with his identical twin brother Finn, to document his Gap Year. We discuss his journey to veganism, the hypocrisy of sustainability, mental health, therapy and of course, food. I’m only sad to say that this interview was recorded just a short while before Jack was arrested for pr...

Welcome back to Talking Tastebuds for a Veganuary Special, recorded LIVE at Foyles in London. It's always a pleasure to record in front of an audience, especially when my interviewees are as inspiring, eloquent and compassionate as these two.Listen back to the full episode with Gaz: http://bit.ly/TTxGazOakleyFind Gaz and his books: https://www.avantgardevegan.com/Follow Gaz: https://www.instagram.com/avantgardevegan/Find Kim-Julie and her book: https://kimjuliehansen.com/Follow Kim: https://www.instagram.co...

Welcome to a bonus, Christmas special edition of Talking Tastebuds, recorded with a LIVE audience at Kalifornia Kitchen in London.Brothers Jonathan and Alex Petrides are the founders of allplants. A plant-powered food delivery service, on a mission to inspire thriving lifestyles by exciting palates for people and planet.Loui Blake is a restaurateur and entrepreneur who has worked with Wagamama and founded Erpingham House restaurant in Norwich and Kalifornia Kitchen in London. Find allplants: https://allplan...

Surprise! As it's the season of goodwill etc, I have a little bonus episode for you, featuring marvellous psychotherapist Dr Robin Hart. We discuss how to manage our mental health during the festive period.Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I really hope you find something in this episode interesting or useful. Please remember, if you're struggling with your own mental health, you are not alone and there is help available for you.USEFUL LINKS:The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy: h...

Welcome to the season finale of Talking Tastebuds. The tables have turned and I’m being interviewed by my friend Melissa Hemsley. It was bizarre and enjoyable in equal measure. Melissa is someone who inspires me on the daily, so I really hope you find this episode insightful and uplifting, Thank you so much for your support this series, you give me all the Champagne Papi feelz.COME TO MY TALKING TASTEBUDS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EVENT on THURSDAY 13TH DECEMBER: https://bit.ly/2KHwImNThis episode is sponsored by L...

Emma Gannon is a Sunday Times Bestselling business author, podcaster and broadcaster. She has written for publications including The Guardian, ELLE, Refinery29 and The Sunday Times. This year, she was selected in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list and WEBBY nominated podcast Ctrl Alt Delete reaches millions worldwide and is consistently in the charts.Find Emma’s latest book The Multi-Hyphen Method: https://bit.ly/2S4ye54Listen to Emma’s podcast: https://apple.co/1VxS5bUFind Emma on Twitter: https://twitter....

Lucy Watson is a businesswoman, cookery book author and restaurant owner. She rose to fame on reality TV series Made In Chelsea, but has since gone on to build a plant-powered empire. Recently, she launched a range of frozen ready-meals and has released her second book: ‘Feed Me Vegan, For All Occasions’.Find Lucy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucywatson/Lucy’s new book: https://amzn.to/2QB3QyBFind me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venetiafalconer/Carnage: https://bbc.in/2A9QO2F...

Tony Riddle has spent the last 18 years developing and refining a robust way of life based on the principals of a natural lifestyle. Driven by fatherhood, Tony believes that his role is to embody the sustainable, natural and vibrant way of life he wishes for his children and their children to come.Find Tony: https://www.instagram.com/thenaturallifestylist/Find me: https://www.instagram.com/venetiafalconer/...

Adrienne Herbert is a Leeds born, Hertfordshire based runner, fitness blogger, TEDx Speaker, ADIDAS global ambassador and a mum. She is a bundle of positivity and with a brilliant attitude to health and wellness.Find Adrienne: https://www.instagram.com/adrienne_ldn/Find me: https://www.instagram.com/venetiafalconer/A big thank you to The Hoxton Hotel for giving us a lovely room in which to record the episode.Talking Tastebuds theme tune written and and produced by: williamhaxworth.com...

Jack Monroe is a campaigner, food writer and activist. Her latest book Cooking on a Bootstrap makes budget food fun and delicious and she has just won The Observer Food Monthly Personality of the Year Award.In this episode, we discuss cooking on a budget, privilege, veganism and mental health. Jack is fiercely intelligent and funny. She is an absolute trailblazer in the food space and it's a true honour to have her on the show.Find Jack: https://cookingonabootstrap.com/Find her new book: https://amzn.to/2EE...

Julie Montagu is an Illinois born, London based yoga teacher and author of four best-selling well-being books. Not only does she regularly teach classes in the capital and globally at festivals and retreats, she also manages her husband’s family estate in Mapperton. Julie is no stranger to TV, having appeared on reality show ‘Ladies Of London’ and most recently as a presenter for the BBC, corresponding on the Royal Wedding - with more to come!There is so much to be learnt from this remarkable human being. ...

Charles Spence is the head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at Oxford University. He is interested in how people perceive the world around them. In particular, how our brains manage to process the information from each of our different senses (such as smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch) to form the extraordinarily rich multi-sensory experiences that fill our daily lives. His research focuses on how a better understanding of the human mind will lead to the better design of multi-sensory foods, prod...

Cardiff born culinary wizard Gaz Oakley learnt his craft in professional kitchens, before deciding to spread his plant powered message through his own recipes via his social media platforms as Avant Garde Vegan. He has amassed over half a million YouTube subscribers in under 2 years and is the proud author of two books: The Vegan 100 and the recently published Vegan Christmas.Find Gaz: https://www.avantgardevegan.com/Follow Gaz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avantgardevegan/Best Speech You Will Eve...

Prue Leith has been at the top of the British Food Scene for nearly 60 years. She has has huge success not only as the founded of the renowned Leith’s School of Food and Wine, but also as a caterer, restauranter, teacher, TV cook, food journalist, novelist and cookery book author. She has been a leading figure in campaigns to improve food in schools, hospitals and in the home. Well known as a judge on the Great British Menu, she is now in her second season as a judge on the nation’s favourite TV programme, ...

Dr Rupy Aujla, also known as The Doctor’s Kitchen, is a medical doctor specialised in General Practice. In this episode he explains the reasons behind his passion for food and lifestyle change as medicine, drawn from his own experience with a serious health condition.Earlier this year, Rupy published his first cookbook, which promises to ‘supercharge’ your health, with the added bonus of clinical research behind the ingredients that he uses.Find Rupy: https://thedoctorskitchen.com/Buy his book: https://amzn...

Jada Sezer is a British model and mental health campaigner. She hit the headlines when she was the first ‘plus size’ model to walk at London Fashion Week. She’s a passionate diversity advocate and is at the helm of the body positivity movement, punching down beauty standard barricades, one billboard at a time. Earlier this year, she ran the London Marathon in her underwear, alongside Bryony Gordon for mental health charity, Heads Together.Things Mentioned:Bryony Gordon's Mad World Podcast: https://bryonysma...

Talking Tastebuds is back for a brand new series and we’re kick starting with a bang - or should I say BOSH?!Henry Firth and Ian Theasby are the vegan men in black behind viral video platform turned fastest selling cookbook of 2018, BOSH!In this episode, I find out how they built their quality content machine and learn more about their mission to get the globe eating more plants. There’s much more to this twosome than tofu, as will be clear when you hear about their fashion and DJ escapades.Find BOSH! and b...

How important is our hormonal health and how should we be eating to help maintain well-being down there…?In this bonus episode, I was joined by a panel of experts to discuss this very topic, recorded LIVE at Soho House, on Tuesday 31st July 2018. Dr Anita Mitra is a London based NHS doctor working in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, with experience in both clinical medicine and research. Alongside her clinical training, Dr Anita is currently completing her PhD on the vagincal microbiome and cervical precnancer.F...

How can what and how we eat, think, breathe and move impact our mental health? In this bonus episode, I was joined by a panel of experts to discuss this very topic. Recorded LIVE at Soho House, on Tuesday 22nd May 2018.Dr Robin Hart is a psychologist and therapist who specialises in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He’s also the co-founder of stress and anxiety app, Companion: http://companionapproach.com/Cat Meffan is an ex-gymnast and dancer turned yoga teacher, fitness and travel blogger. Find Cat on Insta...

The saying goes “Never meet your heroes”, but then low and behold, I found myself on a whirlwind trip to Greystones, Ireland, where I spent 48 hours with Steven and David Flynn, also known as The Happy Pear.These twins have built a veggie empire. Three cafes, three books (their latest linked below), an extensive product line and an awesome online presence - their YouTube channel alone boasts almost a quarter of a million subscribers. All of this and they’ve still managed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And...

Derek Sarno is one half of New England born, brother chef duo Wicked Healthy. Derek has been a professional chef for over 20 years with a focus on plant based food for a decade. Not only is Wicked Healthy a stunning forthcoming cook book, it’s also a product line stocked exclusively at Tesco, where Derek works as Head of Plant Based Innovation.Wicked Healthy: https://wickedhealthyfood.comPre-order the book: https://amzn.to/2qgVtwYFind them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickedhealthy/Derek Sarno: h...

Dolly Alderton is a journalist and writer. She co-hosts the brilliant pop culture podcast ‘The High Low’ and recently published her first book, ‘Everything I Know About Love’. In her words: “...it’s a memoir about growing up and learning lessons. A love story, but it’s not really about men.”Dolly had me round to her lovely Camden flat to record this episode and it instantly felt like less of an interview and more a conversation about food, family, self-care and self-love. And that’s due to Dolly. She’s the ...

Jasmine Hemsley is one half of sister cooking duo Hemsley + Hemsley. Before the best-selling books, Channel 4 TV show and Selfridge’s cafe for which we know the girls now, Jasmine was a successful model. She became interested in healthy living due to the conflicting information that we’re all too familiar with.She has dedicated over a decade to learning about Ayurveda, which forms the main chunk of this interview, as well as mindful eating and meditation. She has written a brilliant book on the philosophy c...

Anna Jones worked alongside Jamie Oliver for 7 years as a chef and food stylist. She has since written three best-selling cook books and is partly resposnible for putting vegetables at the centre of our plates. She has worked with some of the best-loved cooks and chefs of our time, including Antonio Carluccio, Yotam Ottolenghi and Nigella Lawson and writes regularly for The Guardian and The Pool.Anna is genuinely my favourite cookery author, so I spent the majority of this interview pinching myself.Anna’s l...

Roz Purcell is a best-selling cookery author, blogger, model and former Miss Universe Ireland. In this episode, we discuss how modelling distorted her relationship with food, before taking her recovery into her own hands to let go of guilt. You can find Roz on Instagram: @RozannaPurcellI’m so pleased to be bringing you this episode alongside Natural Cycles. For more information on their alternative, certified method of contraception, check out their app and website: https://www.naturalcycles.comIf you were ...

Max Lowery is a London based personal trainer and devoted intermittent faster. He has created The 2 Meal Day, an online programme and book to inspire people to live and eat more intuitively, with a focus on the nutritional content of food and mindful movement. Although always an athlete (he was a sport’s scholar and competitive sprinter), Max had a turbulent adolescence, being expelled from a few schools after getting involved with drugs. After working in the city, he decided to change his passion for fitne...

Melissa Hemsley is one half of sister cooking duo: Hemsley and Hemsley. Since 2010, Mel and Jasmine have pioneered healthy home cooking via private catering, their blog and two best-selling cookbooks. They also have their very own Channel 4 TV show and a cafe in Selfridges - home to a banging matcha latte.Melissa recently released her new book ‘Eat Happy: 30 minute feel good food’, which is a celebration of fast, real food, all made in under 30 minutes. She is also a proud supporter and volunteer for Cook F...

Dr Giles Yeo is a geneticist with nearly 20 years of experience studying obesity and the brain control of food intake. He obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge in genetics in 1998 and has been there ever since.He was in the initial vanguard that described a number of genes that when mutated, resulted in rare forms of severe obesity, thus uncovering key pathways in the brain that control food intake. His current research focuses on understanding how these pathways differ between lean and obese pe...

Zanna Van Dijk is a Yorkshire born, London based personal trainer, fitness and travel blogger, vlogger and author of ‘Strong’. When she launched her blog 5 years ago, Zanna set herself apart by speaking as honestly and openly as she could, writing as though her Instagram account was a personal diary. This instantly connected with her audience and she has since amassed over 200,000 followers. Zanna is now a global ambassador for Adidas and can be found HIITing and trotting her way around the globe, sharing f...

Tom Kerridge a Michelin starred chef and the proud owner of The Hand and Flowers, the only pub with two Michelin stars in the UK. He has appeared on countless television programmes including Masterchef, Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu, due to his affable and charming personality and unparalleled culinary skills. Once very overweight (30 stone at his heaviest), Tom decided to drastically change his lifestyle when he hit 40, giving up alcohol and going on a low carbohydrate diet. He has since written ...

Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert is the founder of Harley Street Clinic Rhitrition and author of the brilliant Re-Nourish: A Simple Way To Eat Well.Registered with the Association for Nutrition, Rhiannon obtained a first-class Bachelor degree in Nutrition and Health and a Master’s degree in Obesity, Risks and Prevention. She is also a Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders and Obesity having obtained a Diploma approved by The British Psychological Society from The National Centre For Eating Disorders.In this ...

Ella Mills, also known as Deliciously Ella, is a best-selling cookery author and entrepreneur, on a mission to make vegetables cool. She is the queen of the well-being bloggers and the brains behind three plant based delis, a recipe app, a hugely successful product line - sold everywhere from Sainsbury's to Starbucks - and of course, the proud owner of Austin the cocker spaniel.In this episode, we chat about the illness that changed her life, Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, how her whirlwind fairytale romanc...

Laura Whitmore is one of the UK's best known TV presenters. She started her career at MTV and has since gone on to host ITV's I'm A Celebrity, The BRITs, BAFTA and has also appeared as a contestant on BBC 1's Strictly Come Dancing.In this episode we talk about Laura's childhood in Bray, Ireland and university years in Dublin before winning a competition to become the face of MTV. She's a huge fan of running, yoga and food to make her feel great. She also shares some presenting tips, talks about her feature ...

Carly Rowena is a Norwich based personal trainer, vlogger and blogger, founder of the Get Gorgeous Guide Ebook and ambassador for Women’s Health Magazine. Carly is a Cross Fit fanatic, but she’s also the self-confessed ‘girl next door’ of the fitness world, with her workout videos being professional yet also accessible. If you’ve never done a burpee or a bicep curl, Carly is the girl who will make you feel ok about your first step into a gym. She isn’t afraid of speaking about taboo subjects like the female...

Niomi Smart is a London based lifestyle vlogger and blogger with a love for all things health and fitness. She makes videos about her healthy life to her audience of 1.8M YouTube subscribers and has gone on to write her first plant-based cook book Eat Smart. Niomi is also the co-founder of healthy snack subscription box, Sourced Box.In this episode, we chat about Niomi's positive and soft approach to a vegan diet and how she doesn't let it define her. She also talks about how she copes with online negativit...

This week I'm chatting to one of my favourite people in the world - Madeleine Shaw. Maddy is a three-time bestselling cookery author, a Nutritional Therapist, creator of the Glow Guides, a yoga teacher and an ambassador for Origins. In this episode we discuss Maddy's disordered eating habits as a young teenager, rediscovering self-nourishment in Sydney, building her blog into a business and now, becoming a mother to her baby boy - and the huge decision to keep his face off social media.I loved recording thi...

Patrick Drake is the co-founder and head chef of the UK's number one food delivery service, Hello Fresh. Launched in 2012, HelloFresh allows customers to pick their favourite recipes from a weekly menu, to receive the fresh ingredients delivered to their door in the exact quantities. You’ve probably spotted Patrick in the Hello Fresh TV adverts, or on their YouTube channel, cooking up a storm. He is soon to front their forthcoming cookbook ‘Recipes That Work’ - the 100 Best Recipes from the past 6 years of ...

Alice Liveing is a personal trainer, three time bestselling author and a Women's Health cover star and columnist. She is also the face of Primark sportswear (launching in December 2017). You may know her as Clean Eating Alice, but she decided to reclaim her actual surname earlier this year. Alice posts daily fitness and food updates via her Instagram account, which has a following of well over 600K.In this episode, we have a chat about Alice's recent globe trotting, her upcoming Primark collaboration and ho...

This week, I’m chatting to the king of wellness: James Duigan. Mr 'Clean And Lean' is the creator and founder of the international boutique gym Bodyism, the author of seven books and the proud parent of three children. When he’s not training celebrities (past clients include Elle Macpherson, Lara Stone and Emilia Clarke), you might find him perfecting his Ju Jitsu (he competes at a world class level), or in the kitchen with his kids rustling up his favourite seasonal stew. In this episode, James talks about...

In this episode, I chat to the wonderful Hazel Wallace. This Irish beauty is a junior doctor, personal trainer and author of her first book: The Food Medic. I was really intrigued to find out just how much our doctors and GPs are taught about nutrition in their training and I was so pleased when Hazel accepted my offer to chat about this. I went over to her house for a cuppa and felt like we could have chatted for hours. She is a beacon of knowledge and every opinion she puts out there into the world is wel...

Thank you for downloading this episode of Talking Tastebuds, please make sure you’re ’subscribed’ so you never miss a show. This week, I am joined by a professional ballerina, cookery author, creator of Ballet Blast and all round over-achiever, Sassy Gregson-Williams, AKA Naturally Sassy. This pint-sized wonder has trained at some of the best and most competitive ballet schools in world, so I wanted to find out whether the stereotypical restrictive ballerina diet is fact or fiction. Sassy also explains how ...

Thank you so much for downloading this episode. This week, I'm chatting to the incredible Jody Shield. She's a transformative life coach, meditation teacher, inspirational speaker and author of Life Tonic - a book which really helped ease my own anxiety. In this episode, we talk about Jody's journey - from making the life altering decision to leave her high powered advertising job, to travelling in South America where she took Iowaska which totally transformed her life and helped heal her eating disorder. W...

This week, I have the beamingly beautiful Clara Amfo on the show. You've probably heard her on Radio 1 where she takes to the studio every morning between 10am and 1pm. She's a brilliant talker with an infectious passion for everything music. She's also Beyonce's number one fan - hence this week's artwork.Clara's an avid runner and self-confessed 'struggle vegan' - trying to commit to a plant based diet as much as she can - making an exception for red velvet cake. In this episode, we chat about Ghanaian foo...

Thank you so much for downloading this episode. I am so thrilled to have my ultimate #fitspo on the podcast this week. Shona Vertue is a London based personal trainer, yoga teacher with a background in gymnastics and dance. I met Shona a few years ago when she had moved from Sydney to London and was working as a PT at my local gym. Her career has since gone from strength to strength. She is now an ambassador for New Balance and has also published her first book The Vertue Method, a 28 day reboot plan to lif...

Welcome to the first ever episode of Talking Tastebuds. A brand new series in which Venetia Falconer chats to a different guest about their relationship with all things food. First up, is stand up comedian Joel Dommett. Joel kick-started his career in showbiz as an unwitting actor, with appearances in the highly successful Skins and alongside Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller in The Edge Of Love. Joel is best known as a Stand Up Comedian, with regular TV appearances including Impractical Jokers on BBC3, Joel...