Wilder Podcast Ep. 044: The Quiet Revolution of Growing Your Own with Gaz Oakley
In this episode, Tom and Chloe sit down with chef-turned-homesteader Gaz Oakley to explore his remarkable journey from the high-pressure kitchens of Cardiff and London to a more grounded life growing food and foraging in the Welsh hills. With 1.8 million YouTube followers, five cookbooks, and a deepening connection to land, Gaz shares how food, nature, and simplicity became the foundation of his transformation.
This honest conversation explores the systemic challenges of modern living, the healing power of growing your own food, and how small acts like growing herbs on a windowsill can become a radical form of resistance.
Key Takeaways
Nature deficiency is real. Gaz describes the anxiety and disconnection he felt in city life — and how growing his own food and spending time outdoors radically improved his wellbeing.
Food is medicine. From fermenting tomatoes to foraging yarrow, Gaz has reimagined food not just as fuel but as nourishment for body, soul, and soil.
Start small, grow meaningfully. Whether it's a tomato plant on a windowsill or an allotment plot in the city, Gaz encourages listeners to take accessible first steps towards food autonomy.
Authenticity over aesthetics. Despite his large digital following, Gaz speaks candidly about the tension between online influence and offline peace, and his longing to connect with people in-person through real-world projects.
Music, clothing, and relationships change. When you reconnect with nature, everything else aligns — even your Spotify playlist.
Timestamps
00:00 – A sip of hibiscus and a warm welcome
01:00 – Setting the tone: hospitality, herbs, and grounding rituals
03:00 – What’s The Grange Project? An intro for new listeners
06:00 – Upcoming community day highlights (apple pressing, polytunnel building, wood meadows)
08:00 – Meet Gaz Oakley: chef, YouTuber, homesteader
11:30 – From burnout to foraging: Gaz’s turning point during COVID
15:00 – How growing food changed Gaz’s entire relationship with cooking
18:00 – The deeper meaning of foraging, soil health, and nourishment
22:00 – From beats to birdsong: how Gaz’s music taste reflects his transformation
25:00 – Systemic critique and compassion for city dwellers
28:00 – Social media, influence, and the silent revolution of self-sufficiency
34:00 – How self-sufficient is Gaz? The ups and downs of growing most of your food
38:00 – Time, joy, and the rhythm of gardening
41:00 – Herbalism, slow living, and detoxing from industrial life
46:00 – Gaz’s advice: practical steps for rewilding your life — even in the city
50:00 – Final reflections and future plans
52:00 – Postscript chat: bromances, polytunnels, and McDonald’s metaphors
Guest Bio
Gaz Oakley is a chef, author, YouTuber, and passionate homesteader based in Wales. Best known for his plant-based recipes and hugely popular channel "Avant Garde Vegan", Gaz is now on a mission to grow his own food, live more naturally, and inspire others to reconnect with the land.
Links & Resources
- Gaz Oakley on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/avantgardevegan
- The Grange Project: https://www.grangeproject.co.uk
- Join the WhatsApp Community: https://www.grangeproject.co.uk/whatsapp
- Newsletter Signup: Stay updated
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Visit & Stay at the Grange Project
Would you like to escape the trappings of the modern world and wake-up in the morning to one of the best views in South Wales, where only the birds are noisy? We have two beautiful and sustainably built ‘tiny homes’, carefully located in secluded locations across our 80 acre rewilding project.