Top Indie Food Podcast Reveals the Power Behind Two Thrones

Award winning indie food podcaster and journalist, Gilly Smith illustrates the power of the pod again this month with interviews with top food writers, among them the new Queen’s son, and the team behind Ottolenghi’s latest book.

Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith is based around four food moments chosen by the author, Desert Island Discs style. The 30 minute weekly podcast, now in its fifth year, has consistently featured interviews with the best of British food writers, including Claudia Roden, Yotam Ottolenghi, Tom Kerridge, Felicity Cloake, Olia Hercules, Sheila Dillon, Anna Jones, Raymond Blanc, Sophie Grigson,Chris Van Tulleken, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, James Rebanks among many others. 

This month (September 2024), Gilly talks to the three writers behind Ottolenghi’s new book, Comfort and reveals a fascinating dynamic behind the throne. With Yotam locked in an interview with old media, Gilly chats to Tara Wigley, Verena Lochmuller and Helen Goh who reveal how Ottolenghi, the brand and the man, really works on the page.

Later in the month, she chats to food writer, restaurant critic, and the son of Queen Camilla, Tom Parker Bowles. As they discuss his new book, Cooking and the Crown, they trace the culinary history of the British monarchy and the significance of royal feasts and personal meals from Queen Victoria to his stepfather, King Charles III. Tom provides personal insights and anecdotes from his own childhood, including Queen Camilla’s roast chicken recipe, and his stepfather’s influence on Royal tastes and the country’s food culture. King Charles has long been a vocal supporter of British farmers, and Tom emphasizes the Royal Family’s ongoing role in promoting British agriculture and sustainable practices.

Gilly is a powerful advocate for indie podcasting, and won The Guild of Food Writers’ Awards for Best Broadcast/Podcast in 2022, beating Radio 4’s flagship The Food Programme. She has been nominated for a Fortnum and Mason Award for Cooking the Books twice and for the delicious.Podcast for delicious. Magazine in 2017, just six months after its launch. She was invited by Robinson Publishing, part of the Hachette group, to write How to Start and Grow a Successful Podcast in 2020 which features interviews with Ira Glass, George the Poet, the My Dad Wrote a Porno team and Jessie and Lennie Ware, among many luminaries and hobbyists in the world of podcasting.