The Go-To Food Podcast, brought to you by Blinq, the UK company revolutionising the POS game, and today we are joined by a man who has lived about five careers in one life. From scaffolder to delivery driver, chef to publican, and now the force behind two of London’s most-loved neighbourhood landmarks: The Plimsoll and Tollington’s Fish Bar. Ed McIlroy is funny, blunt, properly self-aware, and, crucially, he is building places that feel like they belong to the city, not the trend cycle.

This episode starts with a tease that will have every North Londoner leaning in: a new opening is coming, and soon. Ed gives just enough away to be dangerous, but what follows is even better, a sharp take on originality, why design and personality matter more than “owning” a dish, and how he looks further afield for inspiration without playing copycat down the road. If you have ever rolled your eyes at another identikit “minimal” restaurant, his rant alone is worth the listen.

Then it gets properly good: Ed explains how the Plimsoll burger went viral, why he is totally unbothered by internet backlash, and what it really means to run restaurants as a business. He talks candidly about money, margins, dishwashers breaking, and the bizarre shame people project onto hospitality owners for admitting they need to make profit to survive. There is also the legendary influencer story, the police station address, the morale boost, and the moment it all kicked off online.

And underneath all the jokes is a serious blueprint for modern hospitality: build local, earn trust, offer value, and make people feel looked after. Ed talks about why pubs feel warmer than restaurants, why service is about to matter more than ever, and why he would rather open a dingy late-licence dive bar than chase Soho rent. If you care about restaurants, running a business, or just want to understand how London’s best neighbourhood spots actually happen, this is one you will fly through.

Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523

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

Joe Otway has built one of the most exciting restaurant groups in the country, and in this episode he tells the full story, properly. From Brighton to Manchester by way of Cape Town, New York, San Francisco and Copenhagen, Joe charts the long, obsessive road that led to Higher Ground, Bar Shrimp and Flawd. We meet him fresh off national recognition and immediately get into what really matters: not lists, not PR, but full dining rooms and food that actually moves people.

At the heart of the conversation is Higher Ground’s farm-led philosophy. Joe explains how Cinderwood Market Garden shapes everything, from baby cabbages grilled hours after picking to a cheddar tart that’s never left the menu. He talks candidly about putting offal ragu on the menu, expecting guests to run a mile, and instead watching the North embrace it. It’s serious cooking without the theatre, light-hearted on the surface but absolutely ruthless underneath.

The origin story is wild. Joe and his partners meet at Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns, get snowed in during a historic freeze, and decide they are going to build something together. What follows is an education in chaos and intuition: farm chores, goose slaughter, no written menus, thirty-five dish services changing daily. He then stages at Benu just before it wins its third star, learns brutal discipline in an Indian kitchen back in Brighton, and eventually lands in Copenhagen at Relæ, where the four-day week model reshapes how he thinks about leadership and life in restaurants.

Along the way there are smashed windows in Copenhagen, racist guests thrown out in Cape Town, bike thieves, nightmare services, and a brutally honest take on chasing accolades in modern hospitality. We finish with Joe’s ultimate three-course meal, from cockles on Brighton beach to chicken biryani and rhubarb and custard, and a glimpse at what might come next: a Manchester deli and farm shop to rival anything in London. It’s funny, sharp and properly revealing, and if you care about where British food is heading, this is one you need to hear.

Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523

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

From washing pots in Cumbria to cooking at The Square, Hof van Cleve and Geranium, and winning the Roux Scholarship along the way, Tom Barnes has taken the long road to the top. In this episode, he reflects on patience, loyalty and why not rushing your career can still lead you to the very highest level. It’s a rare, honest look at what two decades in elite kitchens actually teaches you, long before you ever open your own restaurant.

That journey now culminates at SCOF, one of only two Michelin-starred restaurants in Manchester. Tom talks about opening the restaurant he always wanted to eat in, celebrating his first star with a no-frills Chinatown Chinese, and designing an experience that feels warm, fast-moving and generous rather than formal or intimidating. From hot broths arriving within minutes to a dining room full of return guests, SCOF is built around instinct, rhythm and pleasure.

We get deep into the detail. Why there are three menus. How a 17-course tasting can still feel light and brisk. Why there’s no such thing as a filler dish. Tom breaks down blending their own beer, structuring services so guests are never left waiting, and hiding a confit duck leg inside bread because great food should still have moments of joy and surprise.

The episode finishes on something deeply personal. Tom shares the story behind Barney’s tiramisu, a dessert he still makes exactly as he once did for his dad, now served as a quiet tribute at the end of the meal. Add in football chat, non-alcoholic pairings done properly, hot towels, frozen plates and a city finally getting the food scene it deserves, and this is a conversation that shows how the long way round can be the right way.

Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523

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