Borough Market, the UK’s world-famous historic food market, has today launched its own monthly podcast – Borough Talks. Featuring conversations with some of the biggest culinary names tackling the most pressing food issues – from produce in danger of extinction to the importance of opening our minds, kitchens (and stomachs) to foods from around the world; Angela Clutton, food writer, historian and host of Borough Market’s Cookbook Club will be speaking to Dan Saladino of BBC’s The Food Programme in October, trail-blazing Iraqi chef Phil Juma in November and the legendary Claudia Roden in December. The Borough Talks podcasts will then continue to be monthly.
The first podcast sees journalist and author Dan Saladino discussing his latest book, Eating to Extinction – The World’s Rarest Foods & Why We Need to Save Them. From a tiny crimson pear in the west of England to pistachios in Syria and an exploding corn that might just hold the key to the future of food – Dan shares with Angela some of the produce around the world that is at risk of being lost for ever and tells the stories of the pioneering farmers, scientists, cooks and indigenous communities who are preserving food traditions and fighting for change.
In November, Phil Juma of Kubba’s Kitchen in Borough Market will talk about the Iraqi food of his heritage and how it inspired him to leave behind a career in finance and set out to bring Iraqi food to Londoners. In a conversation that crosses the intricacies of making the kubba dumplings that Market visitors happily queue up for, to the regionality of food in Iraq, Phil shows how food can challenge and change perceptions.
December’s guest is Claudia Roden, an incomparable figure in food. Since leaving the Cairo of her childhood and arriving in London to study at St Martin’s School of Art she has trailed a blaze for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food in the UK. Her influence is evident in every bottle of pomegranate molasses or dash of harissa we use in our modern kitchens. Still working in her mid-80s, she will share with us the stories behind her life and career, and why – when her children all left home – she set out to travel the Mediterranean alone and how that journey became her latest book, Med.
The Borough Talks podcast is available from today on Spotify and Apple.
Kate Howell, Director of Communications and Engagement said: “Borough Market is a place to connect – with the traders and producers who are so passionate about the food they grow and sell, and with people who love conversations about food and the culture that surrounds it – from home cooks to professional chefs. Food markets are so important for society; they are a place in the local community where we can feel connected to the food we eat and the people who produce it. Our new series of podcasts is an extension of this connection, aiming to inform and inspire our wider community by exploring important issues with some of the most interesting names in food today.”
The new Borough Talks podcast follows the successful live Borough Talks events from the Market, which moved online to Zoom during the pandemic.
