Desert Island Dishes

I've admired Asma and her work for many years now, I absolutely loved her episode of Chefs Table on Netflix, Ihighly recommend if you haven’t seen it. So it really was a pleasure to sit down with her and hear her story first hand. The work she does is truly amazing and it feels like she's only just getting started. I hope you enjoy todays episode. Thank you to our sponsor Wild Nutrition. Wild Nutrition are so confident you’ll see a difference with their Food Grown supplements that they’re offering Desert Island Dishes listeners 50% off for three months when you visit wildnutrition.com/desertislanddishes. If you don’t feel the benefits within 30 days, they’ll give you back your money. Ts and Cs apply.

Martha is something of an anomaly these days. She grows (a lot of) her own food… and is an avid urban gardener from London. With over 1 million followers on Instagram, Martha’s straightforward and calming approach to growing your own food is digestible and relatable to the masses. Not only is it informative, but I find Martha’s content is such a celebration of what nature can do and how a little bit of sunshine can grow the most wonderful ingredients. Her debut book Give It A Grow has been an instant success, climbing to a top spot immediately in Amazon gardening books. It has chapters on veg, fruit, herbs, flowers and wildlife, with over 40 of her favourite projects to make the most of your garden, patio or balcony plus bonus recipes for how to cook with your produce.Thank you to our sponsor Wild Nutrition. Wild Nutrition are so confident you’ll see a difference with their Food Grown supplements that they’re offering Desert Island Dishes listeners 50% off for three months when you visit wildnutrition.com/desertislanddishes. If you don’t feel the benefits within 30 days, they’ll give you back your money. Ts and Cs apply.

As Gordon prepares to open his most ambitious project to date, 22 BISHOPSGATE, Margie got the chance to sit down with him and talk about the dishes that have shaped his life. He’s a chef, restaurateur and television presenter, known for Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and Hell’s Kitchen. He’s one of the most famous and recognisable chefs in the world with the kind of success most only dream of, and yet you may not know that he did not have the easiest start in life. Him and his siblings were on lunch vouchers at school, they moved house 15 times and a difficult relationship with his father marred his childhood. With a strong sense of purpose from a young age, and a determination to make a better life for himself, Gordon was a talented footballer with a bright future ahead until an injury on the pitch changed things overnight and he was back to square one.He set his sights on culinary school and it was the Banbury round table charity that bought him his first set of chefs whites and knives in order for him to start work. He went on to open his own restaurant , Aubergine, at the age of 27 and within 3 years it was awarded 2 Michelin stars. He then opened his flagship restaurant Restaurant Gordon Ramsey in 1998 which very quickly earned him the most prestigious accolade in the culinary world – three Michelin stars and Today, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is London’s longest-running restaurant to hold this award, and he is one of only four chefs in the UK to maintain three stars.

Ferne is a TV presenter, reality TV star, social media sensation and entrepreneur. She shot to fame on hit reality series The Only Way is Essex where she quickly became a fan favourite. She’s gone on to front her own ITVBE series Ferne Mccann - First Time Mum which ran from 2018 - 2024 and documented her journey into motherhood with her two daughters. Since then she has graced our screens on shows like I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and Celebrity SAS - who dares wins. She made it to the semi final of Celebrity Best Home Cook and says that food is her love language.

We have a bonus episode for you today in the form of Nuno Mendes. Described as the chefs chef, Nuno has had an incredible career. He thought of becoming a marine biologist but quickly changed direction and after enrolling at culinary school, he's never looked back. He has worked with some of the world’s leading chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck before moving to London and opening the cult ground breaking Loft Project and world famous Chiltern Firehouse. His latest restaurant Lisboeta is an ode to his home country and has already made waves since it’s opening.Thank you so much to Comté Cheese for sponsoring this episode of Desert Island Dishes. Comté Cheese is genuinely one of my favourite cheeses in the world. It’s a delicious cheese to eat on its own, worthy of any cheese board but it’s also so brilliant to cook with. I love it with baked pasta, or gratins or the most amazing toasted cheese sandwiches. The taste and texture changes as it ages - so you get some young Comté that tastes buttery and almost with caramel notes and then more matured Comté is a bit more nutty and slightly fruity. So incredibly good. And the best news is they are now available at all major supermarkets. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the season finale and my guest today is Manon La Greve.Born and raised in France, Manon came to the UK to work as an au pair and then rose to fame as a quarter finalist on The Great British Bake Off in 2018 and has become known and loved for her delicious French inspired recipes. Described as a culinary sensation, she’s now the author of two cookbooks, She says she takes inspiration not only from her French heritage, and her London discoveries, but also from her travels around the world. When asked to describe her cooking style in 3 words she’s said it is French food made easy.Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Sarah, Duchess of YorkSarah is a Sunday Times and New York Times best-selling author, award winning producer and philanthropist.For over 30 years she has been committed to being a voice for forgotten children around the world. She founded Children in Crisis in 1993 and the charity has educated over 1.4 million children. The Duchess also champions the Teenage Cancer Trust, the Children’s Air Ambulance, the British Heart Foundation and Julia’s House to name just a few and it was recently announced she is now a patron of Prevent Breast Cancer, as patron, she will focus on spreading the word about the importance of early detection.Over the course of her career, she has written over 70 books and her latest children’s book Wonder in the Woods - a joy filled celebration of the power of community and being connected to the world around you is out now.Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Melissa Thompson Melissa is a writer, author and broadcaster. A columnist for BBC Good Food magazine, she is also ambassador for Weber Grills and an award-winning writer covering food for publications including The Guardian, Waitrose Magazine and Stylist. Her debut book Motherland was published in 2022 to critical acclaim. It is an extraordinary combination of recipes from Jamaica and an exploration into the island’s history and the influences on the food. By others she’s been described as "a creative powerhouse" : On her own website Melissa describes herself as a London-based food & drink writer with a love of ice cream, fried chicken and anti-racism.Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.comThis episode was produced by Rutherford Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Marco Pierre White. The original rock and roll chef, Marco Pierre White was the chef who cooked like an angel, looked like a rock star and changed the way the world thought of British food. Born in Leeds, to a chef father and Italian mother he was the third of four sons. As a teenager he travelled to London with just £7.36 in his pocket to pursue a career in cooking. He trained under some of the most famous chefs in the world - Pierre Koffman and Albert Roux. He opened his own restaurant in 1987, aged 25 and at the age of just 33 he became the first British chef to win 3 Michelin stars and the youngest chef in the world to achieve such a thing...He would also be the first chef to hand back his Michelin stars. He now runs the Rudloe Arms in Bath where we are today working with his daughter. He says family is the driving force behind everything he does. Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.comThis episode was produced by Rutherford Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Eleanor Wilkinson. Eleanor is a content creator and recipe developer from East Yorkshire. Having always loved food and cooking she made the decision to quit her job in the charity sector and embark on turning her passion into a full time career.She started her series, One Pot, One Portion - recipes for people who eat, cook, or live alone but are tired of washing up and was soon getting millions of views on social media and quickly amassed some 600,000 followers on Instagram. She has now released a cookbook of the same name and counts the one and only Nigella Lawson as a huge fan.Nigella described the book as a “brilliant, beyond brilliant idea” and we know Nigella is never wrong.Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.comThis episode was produced by Rutherford Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Matt AdlardMatt is a self taught baker, author and social media pastry sensation.You may have known him in the early days online as The Topless Baker and he’s known for hosting his own show on the Food Network as well as being a judge on various different baking shows including the BBC’s Platinum Pudding Competition. Despite growing up above his fathers Michelin starred restaurant, Matt says he had little interest in pursuing a career in food and fell into baking as a hobby while studying at university. He is entirely self taught and now teaches his millions of followers how to to become a professional level baker through his videos and courses. He has an online cooking school called Bake it Better and published his first book last year with the same name. Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.comThis episode was produced by Rutherford Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Ruby WaxRuby really needs no introduction from me, she’s a household name. She’s a woman of so many talents - she’s a comedian, Actress, author, writer and mental health activist.Her life in show business began when she went to the RSC - she says of herself she doesn’t think she was a good actress but Alan Rickman saw in her a talent for comedy and that was what started her on her road to success. She went on to become a TV star interviewing some of the world’s most famous people from Donald Trump to Goldie Hawn, The Spice Girls and OG Simpson.Her second career has been as a mental health campaigner. She trained as a psychotherapist and got a Masters from Oxford in mindfulness based cognitive therapy. Her dissertation formed the basis for her first sell out stage show, she launched the Frazzled Cafe in 2017 and was also awarded an OBE in 2015. For tickets to Ruby's show find out more on her website here and follow her on instagram here.Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.comThis episode was produced by Rutherford Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Clare Smyth (MBE). Clare is one of the world's most respected chefs. She is the first and only British female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars which she achieved for her restaurant Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill. Growing up on a farm in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, her passion for food began at a young age and even inspired some of her most famous dishes from her restaurant. By the time she was 17 she had graduated from culinary school and moved to London to work with and learn from the world best chefs. She went on to train in some of the most celebrated kitchens in the world including with Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay. She would go on to break new ground by becoming Chef Patron of three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay before going on to open her own restaurant in 2017. It took less than 3 years for her to be awarded her own 3 Michelin stars. Clare has received numerous awards including the title of the World's Best Female Chef 2018 And in 2013 Clare was awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality industry. Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.comThis episode was produced by Rutherford Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.