The Recipe

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Dawn O'Porter, the bestselling author, broadcaster, and humanitarian whose work spans culture defining television documentaries to Sunday Times bestselling novels and whose emotional connection to food has shaped her entire life.

With ten books including her latest memoir Hungry Eyes: A Memoir of Appetite, Ambition and the Odd Bag of Wotsits for Dinner, a near win on Celebrity MasterChef where she poured her heart into every dish and sobbed when she didn't hear her name called as the winner, and Choose Love, the charity she co...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the legendary Michel Roux Jr, a true giant of modern gastronomy, the chef patron and broadcaster who spent three decades leading the iconic two Michelin star Le Gavroche and has helped shape the way Britain cooks and eats. From growing up in a household where fresh vegetables were grown in the garden and rabbits became dinner by Tuesday to training with Alain Chapel, the most respected chef in France during his heyday, taking over Le Gavroche in 1991 and navigating the weight of a family legacy that never quite let go, Michel's journey...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Jacob Kenedy, the visionary chef, author, and restaurateur who revolutionised how London experiences regional Italian cuisine and transformed Archer Street into one of Soho's most legendary dining destinations.

From growing up with a grandmother who was a Hollywood starlet and lived through La Dolce Vita, to training at Moro and falling in love with cooking, spending his DJ years in San Francisco playing at underground clubs like the Enduck, and opening Bocca di Lupo in 2008 with an open kitchen, a bar that broke up the space, and a...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Poppy O'Toole, the Potato Queen herself, a Michelin trained chef who transformed a pandemic redundancy into a multi million follower empire and has spent the last few years demystifying fine dining techniques and teaching the internet how to make comfort food truly extraordinary. From growing up eating handfuls of roasted mince in her nan's kitchen and making mini roast dinners at five years old to becoming the potato maker at a fine dining restaurant inside a London bank, losing her job during lockdown, and gaining a million TikTok followers overnight...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Tom Kerridge, the only chef in the world to hold two Michelin stars at a pub and a giant of British gastronomy who has redefined what pub food can be. From his early days as a child actor in Gloucester to washing dishes at 18 and falling in love with the energy of professional kitchens, Tom's journey is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, creativity, and cooking with purpose. With 21 years at the helm of the Hand and Flowers in Marlow, a second Michelin star that made history, and...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Clodagh McKenna, the celebrated Irish chef, food writer, and television personality who has transformed a neglected 100 acre estate into a thriving organic farm and believes that happy cooking is one of the most impactful tools for mental health. From growing up in a small Irish house where her mother secretly took out a loan to send her to Ballymaloe Cookery School, Clodagh's journey is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, creativity, and cooking with purpose.

With three years spent working with Slow Food in Turin, a...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Chetna Makan, the Flavour Queen herself, a former fashion designer turned culinary star who captured the nation's hearts as a semi-finalist on the Great British Bake Off and has since spent a decade on a mission to simplify Indian home cooking. From being scouted as a fashion designer in Mumbai to moving to Broadstairs in Kent where she discovered the transformative power of food as an icebreaker and community builder, Chetna's journey is a testament to the power of resilience, creativity, and cooking with purpose.

With 10 bestselling cookbooks...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Becky Excell, the Queen of Gluten Free, an ambassador for Coeliac UK, and an eight time Sunday Times bestselling author who has spent over a decade proving that eating gluten free should never mean missing out on a great meal.

From being diagnosed at 18 whilst at university and feeling isolated and frustrated to building a devoted community of millions who turn to her for accessible, delicious gluten free recipes, Becky's journey is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, creativity, and cooking with purpose. With her latest...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Alfie Steiner, better known to millions as Alfie Cooks, the self-taught home cook who has turned plant-based cooking into a global phenomenon. From his early days as a university student in Edinburgh taking photos of leftover meals and yellow sticker finds to gaining 700,000 followers in a single month and reshaping how the world thinks about vegan food, Alfie's journey is a testament to the power of passion, creativity, and making delicious accessible cooking that celebrates bold flavours without compromise.

With five million followers across social media, collaborations with...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Jamie Oliver, the global phenomenon, tireless campaigner, and one of the most influential voices in food who has spent his career making cooking accessible, joyful, and transformative for millions of people around the world. From his early days growing up in his parents' pub The Cricketers in Essex where he started cooking at just 11 years old, to training with the legendary Gennaro Contaldo at Neal Street Restaurant, working alongside Theo at The River Cafe, and becoming a household name with The Naked Chef at just 23, Jamie's journey is a testament...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Matt Tebbutt, the award winning chef and beloved presenter of BBC's Saturday Kitchen Live who has spent his career making high end cooking techniques accessible to everyone. From his early days training in the intense kitchens of Marco Pierre White and working alongside legends like Jun Tanaka and William Curley to running his own acclaimed gastropub in Wales and becoming one of the most trusted faces on British food television, Matt's journey is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and cooking with honesty and heart. With stints on...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Emily English, a nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author, and one of the most influential voices in making healthy eating accessible, delicious, and joyful. With three Sunday Times bestselling cookbooks including her latest So Good Express which is available to order now from Amazon and Waterstones; millions of followers across social media, and a mission to strip away the restrictive narratives that have dominated nutrition for far too long, Emily's journey is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, passion, and cooking with purpose. From being scouted as a model at 17...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Kirk Haworth, chef and co-founder of Plates London, a restaurant that achieved a historic Michelin star for its holistic plant-based methodology and was crowned the 2024 Great British Menu Champion of Champions. From growing up in Northcote with his father, chef Nigel Haworth, to battling Lyme disease for six years and rebuilding his life through food, Kirk's journey is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, creativity, and cooking with purpose. After working in legendary kitchens including The Square with Phil Howard and The French Laundry in California, Kirk stepped...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Barney Desmazery, the man often described as the architect of the modern British recipe and one of the most influential voices in food media. As Food Director at BBC Good Food for over two decades, Barney has overseen thousands of recipe tests, collaborated with every major celebrity chef in the country, and quietly shaped the way Britain cooks at home. From his early days training in the kitchens of southwest France to building one of the most trusted recipe databases in the UK, Barney's journey is a testament to the...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Sami Tamimi, a chef whose food is a powerful celebration of Palestinian heritage and one of the most influential voices in Middle Eastern cuisine. From growing up in the old city of Jerusalem in the Muslim quarter to building a remarkable career in London and co-creating the Ottolenghi empire, Sami's journey is a testament to the transformative power of following your passion, embracing your roots, and cooking with purpose. After spending two decades as head chef and partner at Ottolenghi, Sami stepped away to focus on his own voice, documenting...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Brin Pirathapan, winner of the 20th series of MasterChef UK in what judges described as the most exceptional victory in the competition's history. A veterinary surgeon who traded the operating theatre for the kitchen, Brin is bringing the bold, vibrant flavours of his Sri Lankan Tamil heritage to a wider audience through his debut cookbook Elevate. From growing up in Chelmsford surrounded by his parents' incredible feasts to discovering his passion for cooking at university and eventually winning over fifteen past MasterChef champions with a standing ovation, Brynn's journey is...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Carlo Scotto, a chef whose cooking is driven by memory, emotion, and fearless creativity. Born and raised near Naples, Carlo began cooking as a teenager after a life-changing encounter with a judge who saw potential in a troubled young man and offered him a path to redemption through food. From his early days washing pots at the legendary Don Salvatore in Naples to mastering his craft in London's most ambitious kitchens including Murano with Angela Hartnett and La Chapelle with the Galvin brothers, Carlo's journey is a testament to the...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Nargisse Benkabbo, chef, author, and one of the leading voices in modern Moroccan cuisine. From her upbringing in Brussels as the daughter of Moroccan immigrants to becoming executive chef at La Mamounia in the heart of the Marrakesh Medina, Nargisse has spent over a decade bringing a breath of fresh air to the Moroccan table. With her debut cookbook Casablanca and her latest release Madaq, alongside her residency at The Pilgrim in London, Nargisse is championing bold, accessible Moroccan flavours whilst honouring the traditions and stories behind every dish.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the legendary Gennaro Contaldo, one of the great champions of authentic Italian cooking and a true ambassador for the flavours of the Amalfi Coast. From his humble beginnings fishing for squid in the Mediterranean and foraging wild mushrooms on the mountains above his village to shaping how Britain fell in love with real Italian food, Gennaro's journey is a testament to the power of passion, heritage, and cooking with heart. As Jamie Oliver's mentor and the man who taught a generation of chefs what Italian food truly means, Gennaro has spent decades...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant John Gregory-Smith, a chef, best-selling author, and prolific content creator whose cooking is all about big flavour and food that brings people together. From launching his own spice company to traveling the world in search of the best dishes, John has built a career making global cooking accessible for the home cook. Whether he is filming three new recipes a week on his phone or researching his next cookbook, John’s journey is a testament to the power of "feeding the beast" of social media while staying rooted in authentic, bo...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Kerth Gumbs, Chef de Cuisine at Fenchurch in the Sky Garden and one of the most exciting voices in modern Caribbean cuisine. From his humble beginnings in Anguilla watching his mother Daphine cater weddings and funerals to mastering French technique under legends like Joël Robuchon and Tom Aikens, Kerth’s journey is a testament to the power of heritage, discipline, and cooking with purpose. After representing the UK at the World Championships in track and field, studying at Le Cordon Bleu, and working his way through Michelin kitchens across Lon...

In this episode, Theo is joined by Meera Sodha, best-selling author, Guardian columnist, and one of the most influential voices in modern plant-based cooking. With four acclaimed cookbooks to her name and a weekly Guardian column that has transformed the way Britain thinks about vegetables, Meera's journey from growing up as the only Indian family in a Lincolnshire village to becoming a celebrated food writer is a testament to the power of heritage, resilience, and cooking with purpose. From her early entrepreneurial ventures including the ahead-of-its-time dating site Fancy an Indian to working at Innocent Drinks and eventually finding...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Jack Stein, chef director of the Rick Stein Group and a passionate advocate for sustainable seafood. Growing up in Padstow surrounded by fishing boats, fresh crab, and his father's legendary seafood restaurant, Jack's journey has taken him from the kitchens of Michel Bras in France to building a thriving restaurant empire across Cornwall whilst championing British fish and sustainable fishing practices. With deep roots in Cornwall's fishing community and a commitment to preserving culinary traditions, Jack represents the next generation of the Stein legacy.

Jack prepares his beloved...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Thuy Diem Pham, chef, author, and one of the leading voices in Vietnamese cuisine. Born in a rural village in southern Vietnam and raised in the UK, Thuy's journey is a testament to the power of heritage, family, and cooking with love. From opening her own Vietnamese restaurant to becoming a consultant for Baxter Storey and writing three cookbooks, Thuy is championing authentic Vietnamese cooking whilst making it accessible and inspiring for home cooks everywhere.

Thuy prepares her beloved Bun Ga Hue, a traditional chicken noodle soup from...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Max La Manna, chef, best-selling author, and sustainability advocate who is pushing the boundaries of what low-waste plant-based cooking can be. With over a billion views across his recipe videos, Max is a leading voice in the movement to make delicious food with less waste. From his early days growing up in his father's quick-service restaurants to discovering the shocking reality of food waste at an Australian farmer's market, Max's journey is a testament to the power of creativity, frugality, and cooking with purpose.

Max prepares his ingenious...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Gigi Grassia, chef, nutritional coach, and a leading voice in modern plant-based cooking. With a thriving online community and her debut cookbook Plant Protein, Gigi is championing high-protein vegan dishes that are comforting, colourful, and full of heart. From her small village in Verona to studying in Hong Kong, running ultramarathons, and building a devoted following online, Gigi's journey is a testament to the power of creativity, curiosity, and cooking with love.

Gigi prepares her beloved Hearty Pasta e Fagioli, a traditional dish from the Cucina Popolare passed...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Ben Ebbrell, classically trained chef and co-founder of Sorted Food, one of the world's biggest online food communities with over 2.9 million subscribers. From his humble beginnings washing pots in a pub kitchen at 16 to building a global platform that's changed the way millions cook at home, Ben's journey is a testament to the power of making cooking fun, creative, and inclusive.

Ben prepares his beloved Classic Fish Pie, the very first dish he ever cooked for his family at age 12 - a hearty bowl of nostalgia that's stayed...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the remarkable Ayesha Kalaji, the talented chef behind Queen of Cups in Glastonbury, a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner celebrated for her bold flavours and modern Middle Eastern cooking. From studying Middle Eastern politics and languages to discovering her true calling at Leiths School of Food and Wine, Ayesha’s unconventional journey has taken her from the open kitchens of The Palomar to launching her own restaurant the day after indoor dining reopened from COVID - and she's never looked back.

Ayesha prepares her beloved Makmoura, a lesser-known celebratory dish from th...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Miguel Barclay, the Instagram sensation and best-selling author who revolutionised budget cooking with his groundbreaking £1 meal recipes. From his viral debut on This Morning to publishing nine cookbooks, Miguel has built a devoted following by proving that delicious, healthy home cooking doesn't have to break the bank. With a background in biochemistry and e-commerce, Miguel's unconventional journey into the food world has made him one of the most relatable and inspiring voices in accessible cooking.

Miguel prepares his beloved Cheat’s Katsu Curry, the dish that lau...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the extraordinary Ching-He Huang MBE, one of the most influential voices in modern Asian cooking - a chef, food entrepreneur, best-selling author, and TV pioneer whose mission has always been to make Chinese cooking joyful, healthy, and accessible. From her groundbreaking series Chinese Food Made Easy to her 11 television shows and appearances on Saturday Kitchen and Iron Chef, Ching has transformed the way people think about Chinese cuisine in the UK and beyond.

Ching prepares her beloved Mama Huang's Hot and Sour Soup, a traditional dish rooted in Sichuan cuisine...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Francesco Mattana, a Sardinian chef whose passion for wholesome, traditional cooking has captured millions online. After years of cooking across the world and leading Jamie Oliver's Cookery School, Francesco is now preparing to release his debut cookbook, Live Like a Sardinian: Live To 100 (available for pre-order now: https://www.ourcookingjourney.com/my-cookbook.html) From opening his own restaurant in Brisbane at just 21 to becoming a social media sensation, Francesco shares his incredible journey and the food philosophy that defines him.

Francesco prepares his beloved Live to 100 Minestrone, a...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the extraordinary Adam Handling MBE, one of the most exciting and influential chefs in modern British cooking - a Michelin-star talent, sustainability pioneer, and creative force behind some of the UK's most innovative dining rooms. Adam shares his remarkable journey from a 16-year-old apprentice at Gleneagles to becoming an MBE for representing British food at the G7 summit, all while building a thriving collection of restaurants, pubs, and even a luxury chocolate shop.

Adam prepares his spectacular Beef Wellington with Haggis and Black Pudding, a dish that celebrates his Scottish...

In this episode, Theo is joined by the remarkable Kate Austen, who made history as the youngest female head chef of a two-Michelin-star restaurant and became the first woman ever to win the main course on BBC's Great British Menu. Now thriving as a private chef, Kate shares her extraordinary journey from her first job at Morston Hall to cooking in some of Europe's most elite kitchens, including Copenhagen's renowned AOC and the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Frantzen.

Kate cooks her beloved Pasta alla Norma, a traditional Sicilian dish she learned whilst training in Italy, a recipe that's both...

In this episode, Michelin-trained chef Jonny Marsh joins Theo to cook his famous healthy Thai Green Curry, a dish he created while cooking for some of the biggest names in Premier League football. From working with Kevin De Bruyne and Christian Eriksen to creating nutritious meals for elite athletes, Jonny shares his incredible journey from cooking on super yachts to becoming a social media sensation.

You can find Jonny’s full recipe on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo and don’t forget to order a copy of Jonny’s brand-new cookbook, The Privat...

Welcome to the Recipe with Theo Randall! A new podcast coming soon.