The Food Chain

Charlotte Stirling-Reed, child nutritionist and author, gives practical tips for relaxed feeding. Sharon Wee, food writer from Singapore now in New York, shares family food traditions and involving kids in cooking. Anne Fischel, clinical psychologist and family therapist, explains mealtime research and why atmosphere matters. They discuss picky eating, cooking with children, rituals, and stress-free mealtime strategies.

Paula Radcliffe, legendary marathoner with decades of race experience; Steve Cram, former world champion turned coach; Valentijn Trouw, performance director for an elite running team. They discuss in-race fueling choices like gels and drinks. They cover carb-loading, practiced race breakfasts, avoiding new foods on race day, hydration and simple fueling plans for training and race morning.

Duc Ngo, an engineer-turned-restaurateur who rebuilt a Helsinki sandwich shop into a bistro. Judy Joo, ex-Wall Street financier turned chef and founder of Seoul Bird. Nisha Katona, former barrister who created Mowgli Street Food. They talk about leaving high-powered careers, starting in kitchens, the shock of running restaurants, pivots when concepts fail, and practical advice for career changers.

Ozoz Sokoh, Nigerian food writer who links sandwiches to colonial history and childhood memories. Barry Enderwick, recreator of historical sandwiches who explores trends across eras. Samira el Khafir, MasterChef Australia finalist who recalls Middle Eastern wraps and pita staples. Dr Annie Gray, British food historian who debunks sandwich myths and traces Victorian varieties. Josh Veasey, sandwich shop owner who talks menu hits and the economics of making sandwiches.

AJ Forge, author who cooks in a converted bus, shares tiny mobile-kitchen tricks. Janice from Kibera explains feeding a family from a single-room charcoal corner. Ryan Blackburn, Michelin-starred chef, describes running high-end service in a squeezed professional kitchen. Gina Lai, trainer in Hong Kong, shows life-cooking in a 30 sqm flat with a compact corner kitchen. They explore inventive adaptations, tight workflows and compact living.

Keith Bearden, CEO of Alta Eco Foods, shares his experience scaling a mission-driven chocolate and granola business. Adonis Norouznia, restaurateur of No Mask Gastrobar, talks about opening during COVID and later adding meat to a vegan-origin menu. Kim Kiarie, chef-owner of Five Senses Nairobi, describes building a fine-dining spot and pivoting to attract local diners. They discuss risky decisions, pivots and surviving shocks.

Kenji López-Alt, recipe developer and bestselling author, talks testing, timings and sensory cues. Emily Takoudis, cookbook editor, explains turning chef notes into clear recipes and editorial standards. Iona McCleary, food historian, traces how recipe formats evolved over centuries. Easter Belfridge, chef and writer, shares her notebook-driven testing and the tension between precision and creativity.

Claire Thornton-Wood, a paediatric dietitian offering low‑pressure, practical techniques. Dr Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist who studies smell and memory. Dr Dana Small, a brain and metabolism researcher explaining neural flavor learning. They discuss why dislikes form, how smell and memory shape aversion, and practical, gradual ways people try to shift food preferences.

Kheedim (Kadeem) Oh and Myung (Mama) Oh — family makers behind Mama Oh's kimchi — share a multi-generational recipe and cultural traditions. Adam Goldwater — commercial fermenter — explains industrial production, safety controls and SCOBYs. Professor Gabriel Vinderola — microbiologist — outlines the microbes behind fermentation. Sandor Katz — fermentation revivalist and author — offers practical home-fermenting tips and global traditions.

In this engaging discussion, Philip Doran, CEO of HelloFresh UK & Ireland, delves into meal kit innovations and how AI is personalizing recipes. Sarah Hewitt, CEO of UCOOK, shares insights on managing costs and sustainability challenges in the South African market. Dr. Rebecca Bennett presents intriguing survey findings that reveal younger demographics are driving meal kit popularity. Nandini Roy from Future Market Insights discusses the global meal kit industry's growth prospects, highlighting a significant rise in Asia-Pacific adoption.