Tim Hayward, a restaurant critic and owner of a bakery, challenges the negative perception of gluttony and explores the pleasure of enjoying food. With discussions on the definition and classification of gluttony as a sin, the hosts delve into the tension between taking food too seriously and not taking it seriously enough. They also share their love for indulgent meals from different cultures and discuss the motivations behind gluttonous behavior. Exploring the impact of decision making, the podcast concludes with a reflection on balancing the "robot brain" and "lizard brain" when it comes to gluttony.

Food and drink editor Harriet Fitch Little and restaurant critic Tim Hayward discuss the new season of 'The Bear', analyzing its portrayal of the restaurant world and culinary goals. They delve into the challenges faced by the characters, the appeal of chefs, and explore the show's impact on viewers. The hosts also share book recommendations for summer reading and reflect on the allure of successful restaurant-themed screenplays.

The announcement that the world’s top restaurant, Noma, will close in 2024, has spawned dozens of think pieces asking whether this is the end of fine dining. So this weekend, we went to the FT’s renowned food critic Tim Hayward to learn about the state of the industry. Running a restaurant has never been more expensive in cities such as New York and London. And now, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Tim says a bloodbath is coming: in order to stay afloat restauranteurs must ditch a corporate business model and return to more nimble roots. Tim tells Lilah that the good news is that he’s seeing it happen.--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – ‘The restaurant industry faces a bloodbath. But there are ways to survive’, by Tim Hayward: https://on.ft.com/3lfo2u6 –The column Tim mentions on the The North Circular’s Ace Cafe, which has perfect hospitality: https://on.ft.com/3Yl3dMr –Tim’s piece ‘A 14-course tasting menu? Don’t. Just don’t’: https://on.ft.com/40GuBGq – Our previous episode on Noma is here: https://www.ft.com/content/04bd9722-1d17-496d-aefc-fdae46d5d3b2 – Tim Hayward is on Twitter and Instagram @timhayward.  Clips from The Menu, copyright Searchlight Pictures—-------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.