Get Back In The Kitchen

Veganism in the UK - love them or hate them, they're not going anywhere

Vegans. Whether you love them or hate them they're here to stay. And in fact their numbers are growing at an astonishing rate. There are around 600,000 vegans in the UK - up from 150,000 in 2006. Veganuary has had a big role to play. Last year, 250,000 people signed up do go meat and dairy free. Around the world veganism is nothing new - some Rastafarians follow an Ital diet which is vegan. But who are the people driving this second-wave of veganism in the UK? In this episode we meet Catherine Salway and Andrea Waters who were laughed out of meetings when they told investors of their plans to open an alcohol-free and plant-based bar in the centre of London. Five years on, they're the ones laughing as their Redemption Bar brand has grown to three branches with a luxury vegan cookery retreat later this year. We also chat to Veganuary's Toni Vernelli about how the movement has changed and the drives - and she offers important advice to anyone considering going plant-based themselves. Have you ever tried a vegan diet or do you think it's not the answer? Let us know. Leave a comment or connect with us on social media at @fowlmouthsfood.

Asma Khan of Darjeeling Express on chefs who 'degrade women', finding her feet - and the 'Chef's Table effect'

When Asma Khan came to England in the early 90s, she couldn't boil an egg. Homesickness would change that - she went back to Calcutta intent on learning the recipes she grew up with so she could recreate them back in the UK and bring a bit of India back with her. In this episode of Get Back in The Kitchen, Asma reveals all - her rise to international fame and why she will never be quiet when confronted by sexism, or any prejudice whatsoever. Fast-forward nearly 30 years from when she first arrived here, she is a doyenne of the British restaurant scene. She began a supperclub, which grew into a pub residency in Soho. When a restaurant reviewer gave her a glowing write-up, the residency took off. Her restaurant came later. Darjeeling Express was already doing well when the producers of Netflix's hit show Chef's Table got in touch. The rest is history. Now Asma leads something of a double-life. When not at the restaurant pass, she mixes with celebrities who are keen to try her food - from Lupita Nyong'o to Queer Eye's Antoni and Keira Knightley. And she has also become a vocal campaigner for women's rights - visiting a cafe run by Yazidi women in Iraq to mark her 50th birthday, and berating out-dated male chefs including Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal for their sexism. Get Back In The Kitchen is a podcast about women in food. It celebrates everyone from those running world-famous kitchens to those providing brilliant food on a smaller scale. it also looks at issues facing women working in food. It's run by Melissa Thompson, a journalist-turned-pop up cook, who now runs food & recipe project Fowl Mouths Food. You can follow her at @fowlmouthsfood and the podcast at @getbackinthekitchen.

Masala Wala Cafe's Saima Thompson on 'brown people' food, being force-fed curry by your mum and how cancer has affected her eating

Saima Thompson was just 26 when she took a punt and opened a restaurant in South East London.Her mum Nabeela - a brilliant cook - had struggled to make ends meet since the breakdown of her marriage. So Saima found a spot, transformed it on a shoestring budget and the rest is history. The award-winning Masala Wala Cafe is an institution, winning awards and legions of dedicated fans. But last year, Saima had to step away from running the restaurant when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Her mum and sisters stepped in to run it instead. Now Saima writes on her Curry and Cancer blog and campaigns for better representation - both for those cancers considered 'taboo', and of BAME people living with cancer who are left out of the narrative in discussions about the disease. Here, we discuss how Masala Wala Came about and how it came close to closing following Saima's diagnosis, the undervaluing of 'brown people' food and - shock horror - Saima reveals she doesn't like avocado. You can follow Saima here. Get Back In The Kitchen is a podcast about women in food. It celebrates everyone from those running world-famous kitchens to those providing brilliant food on a smaller scale. it also looks at issues facing women working in food.It's run by Melissa Thompson, a journalist-turned-pop up cook, who now runs food & recipe project Fowl Mouths Food. You can follow her at @fowlmouthsfood and the podcast at @getbackinthekitchen.

Bleecker's Zan Kaufman talks burgers, babies, butchers and the infamous Bleecker Black

Zan Kaufman started a movement when she began Bleecker in 2012. She upped the burger game - using the best beef and keeping things simple yet delicious. Little wonder it's still got cult status seven years later. Now they've opened their fourth permanent site - likely to be their busiest yet - and we catch up with Zan to discuss the highs and lows of running a food business. We record in Old Spitalfields Market so excuse the background noise. A new mum, she also talks about motherhood after she and her wife had a baby (and all the annoying things people say when you're a parent in a same-sex relationship). She also reveals what led her and The Butchery - their beef supplier for the last 7 years - to part ways, and who they're now getting their beef from. And good news - the Bleecker Black may be making a return, finally. Get Back In The Kitchen is a podcast about women in food. It celebrates everyone from those running world-famous kitchens to those providing brilliant food on a smaller scale. it also looks at issues facing women working in food. It's run by Melissa Thompson, a journalist-turned-pop up cook, who now runs food & recipe project Fowl Mouths Food. You can follow her at @fowlmouthsfood and the podcast at @getbackinthekitchen.