A special Christmas treat for our final episode of the season, and who better to join us than Mr Christmas himself, Rick Stein! Rick is a renowned English chef, restaurateur, writer, and television presenter, best known for his love of fresh, simple seafood and for building a culinary empire in Padstow, Cornwall. After studying English at Oxford, he started out as a nightclub owner, running club nights in Padstow. In 1975 he converted the club into The Seafood Restaurant, which became highly successful and earned him a national reputation. Rick has since hosted numerous popular BBC cooking series, written over 30 cookbooks, and runs restaurants in the UK and Australia, receiving a CBE in 2018 for services to the economy. Rick's latest cookbook, Rick Stein's Christmas is his first book entirely dedicated to festive recipes, memories, and stories. What a treat!

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season, The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

Rick Stein's Joy Manual

Place: Istanbul - the home of food

Restaurant: Marisqueira Cervejaria Ramiro, Lisbon, Portugal

Movie: Whiplash (2014)

Book: The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin

Music: Van Morrison's entire catalogue - start with Astral Weeks (1968)

These Days by Jackson Browne, from For Everyman (1973)

Vintage LA swamp rock band Little Feat - start wtih Feats Don't Fail Me Now (1974)

Life advice: "Don't panic!" (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

Life advice: "All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why" (James Thurber)

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit https://www.joinblink.com/honey to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Episode Credits

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Tony Onochukwu

Sound Mixer: John Scott

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alison Roman is an American food writer, chef, and internet personality known for her popular, "highly cookable" recipes that often go viral online. She built her career in professional kitchens and as an editor at Bon Appétit and a columnist for New York Times Cooking. Alison is the New York Times bestselling author of several cookbooks, with her most recent, Something from Nothing: A Cookbook published in November 2025. In addition to writing, she runs a popular YouTube series called Home Movies and has opened a small market, First Bloom, in upstate New York.

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season, The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit https://www.joinblink.com/honey to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Alison Roman's Joy Manual

Restaurant: Cervos', New York

Book: The End of the Story, Lydia Davis

Album: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Sarah McLachlan

Film: The Taste of Things, directed by Trần Anh Hùng

People: us!

Place: London

Life advice to find joy: Trust the process, it will all work out

Episode Credits

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Melis Oslu

Sound Mixer: John Scott

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re joined on Honey & Co. The Food Sessions by British chef and television personality, Michael O'Hare. Known for his innovative, experimental, art-inspired cuisine and signature "rockstar" personal style, Michael gained prominence as the chef-patron of the Michelin-starred restaurant The Man Behind The Curtain in Leeds. He initially studied aeronautical engineering and trained as a pilot before discovering his passion for cooking in his mid-twenties, training at prestigious restaurants, including Noma in Copenhagen and L'Ortolan. He also studied classical and modern ballet in his youth, which he credits as an influence on his artistic approach to food presentation. Michael is such a character and we had a lot of fun talking about his journey to the kitchen and the things that bring him joy in his life.

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season, The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

Michael O'Hare's Joy Manual

Restaurant: Aponiente, Cadiz

Film: F1, dir Joseph Kasinski

Place: France

Advice: Find something that makes you happy and do it often

**bonus question** Piece of clothing/accessory that brings you joy: Hedi Slimane 2005 Dior Homme shoes, a pair in gold & a pair in silver

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit https://www.joinblink.com/honey to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Episode Credits

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: John Scott

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re joined on Honey & Co. The Food Sessions by renowned Mexican chef, Enrique Olvera. Enrique is celebrated for elevating traditional Mexican cuisine to a fine-dining level. He is the chef-owner of the acclaimed two-Michelin star restaurant, Pujol in Mexico City, which is consistently ranked among the best in the world, and has opened many more successful restaurants globally, including Cosme in New York City. He is also author of several cookbooks, including his latest, Sunny Days, Taco Nights. We talked about early memories of joy, what brings him happiness in his day to day, how to keep going at such a high level and we took a deep dive into molé.

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season, The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

Enrique Olvera's Joy Manual

Dish: Quesadilla

Book: Demian, by Hermann Hesse

Experience: Fasting for a month

Restaurant: Máximo Bistrot or Nicos, both in Mexico City

Earliest memory of joy: Baking a cake

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit https://www.joinblink.com/honey to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Episode Credits

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Tony Onochukwu

Sound Mixer: John Scott

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re joined on Honey & Co. The Food Sessions by Ravider Bhogal. Ravinder is an award-winning British chef, food writer, and restaurateur known for her "no borders" cooking style that blends Indian, Kenyan, and British flavours. She is the founder of one of our favourite London restaurants Jikoni in Marylebone, which is celebrated for its proudly inauthentic, immigrant-inspired cuisine. Ravinder is a dear friend and a wonderful storyteller, and it was pure delight to spend an afternoon talking about the things that bring her joy.

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season, The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

Ravinder Bhogal's Joy Manual

Dish: Dhal, rice achar, or kitchari

Book: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Restaurant: Quo Vadis, London

Film: Caramel, Dir. Nadine Labaki

TV: White Lotus

Place : Kenya

Advice : Keep yourself rare

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit https://www.joinblink.com/honey to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Episode Credits

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Melis Uslu

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re joined on Honey & Co. The Food Sessions by Tim Anderson.Tim is a chef, food writer, and broadcaster based in London. Winner of Masterchef 2011, Tim’s cooking is primarily informed by his American heritage and his love for regional Japanese food. Tim was the founder of the Japanese soul food restaurant Nanban in Brixton and is the author of five cookbooks on Japanese cuisine. He is also a longtime regular panelist on BBC Radio 4’s food show The Kitchen Cabinet.

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season,The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

Tim Anderson's Joy Manual

Dish: Tim's Brother Ben’s Red Sauce (see recipe below!)

Restaurant: Honey & Co.

Book: And Everything Will Be Glad to See You, by Ella Risbridger

Film or Album: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, sound track

Place: A sunny spot in the garden

Person: Baloo, Tim’s cat

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit https://www.joinblink.com/honey to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Mixer: John Scott

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co. Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Ben's Red Sauce Recipe

Olive oil

Medium onion

1 bulb garlic

140g tomato paste

1.6 Kg tinned mutti polpa tomatoes

60g fresh basil

Pepper and salt

Sauté onion and 6 cloves of garlic in a generous amount of olive oil on low heat. Do not burn but cook until very soft. Add tomato paste and tomatoes and pureé all until smooth. Add 30g chopped basil and salt and pepper, plus 1 clove finely minced raw garlic. Simmer for one hour. Add remaining chopped garlic and simmer for an additional hour. Taste for salt and pepper, then let sit overnight for flavours to meld. You can make this a meat sauce by cooking sausage or meatballs in the pan before the first step, keeping all the juices and then adding meat back into the sauce to simmer for the last hour. Garnish with remaining fresh basil. Enjoy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re joined on The Food Sessions by Jess Fostekew. Jess is a comedian, writer and actor whose stand up show, Hench was nominated for the 2019 Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show.The show is available as a stand up special on Amazon Prime and was adapted for BBC R4 as Sturdy Girl Club. Jess is and also a keen weightlifter and loves all things PE, which leads us to our conversation...

About the Joy Season

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but it doesn’t stop there. This season,The Joy Season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit joinblink.com to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Engineer: Louis Nash

Sound Mixer: Paul Brogden

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co. Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for Season 12 of Honey & Co. The Food Sessions, and the joy theme continues!

The world feels like a lot right now, and it can be hard to find those small moments that make us smile. In restaurants, we get three chances a day to bring joy - breakfast, lunch and dinner - but it doesn’t stop there. This season, we’ll be talking to some truly brilliant people about the sparks of joy that keep them going, on and off the plate.

We’re kicking things off today with Andi Oliver: national treasure, chef, broadcaster and joyful force of nature. Listen now!

Andi Oliver's Joy Manual

Restaurant: Shankeys, Hackney

Song: Sing In The Key of Life, Stevie Wonder

Book: Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo, Ntozake Shange

TV: Last Tango in Halifax

Film: The Apartment, Billy Wilder

Place: Nanyuki, Kenya

About Our Sponsor

Bring more joy to your workday — and your team — with Blink, the mobile platform built for busy restaurant teams. Goodbye, WhatsApp. Hello, employee experience app. From kitchen crew to front-of-house staff, Blink keeps everyone connected, informed, and in sync in one dedicated digital workplace. See why retail and hospitality brands — from local favourites to global food service chains — are choosing Blink to power their people experience. Visit joinblink.com to start free today, and use code HONEYJOY at checkout for 20% off your first year.

Sponsor: Blink

Producer: Miranda Hinkley

Sound Mixers: John Scott

Theme Song: Daniel Winshall

Honey & Co Team: Louisa Cornford & Winnie Thomas

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and share, it really helps us reach new listeners.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.