
Desert Island Dishes
What would you choose as your last meal? Chef Margie Nomura talks to a special guest about the seven dishes that have shaped their lives.
In this podcast you will find conversations with interesting people from the world of food and beyond uncovering the seminal dishes and experiences that have shaped who they are today. We will find out about their favourite childhood dishes, the dishes they eat the most often, and the dishes that mean the most to them. And of course we will also discover what their last dish would be before being cast off to the desert island.
Latest episodes

Sep 14, 2023 • 50min
S14 Ep25: Fred Siriex on the dishes that have shaped him, moving to England and how his parents taught him about loyalty
Fred has become known as the nation’s favourite maitre d’ and TV personality.
He initially wanted to be a chef, but having decided that the repetitive nature of professional cooking would stifle his creativity, he switched his attention to the front of house and has never looked back. Fred worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in both France and the UK, and rose to fame back in 2013 on Channel 4’s BAFTA-winning matchmaking show First Dates, where his warmth and charm was a tonic to the nerve-wracked daters entering the first dates restaurant.
A very successful TV career has come off the back of that and he’s become a well-known and in-demand presenter, as the presenter of Remarkable Places to Eat on the BBC, and and he also travels the world with Gordon Ramsay and Gino D’Acampo on ITV’s Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip series.
Thank you to our sponsor Deliveroo for supporting us this season and helping us to bring the show to you every week.
Don't forget to come and find us on Instagram and Tiktok @desertislanddishes
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Sep 12, 2023 • 25min
Side Dish: The Dream Dinner Party with Tom Kerridge (mini episode)
Hi I’m Margie Nomura and welcome to another episode of our side side dish: The Dream Dinner Party. This is the mini episode where we invite a guest to tell us their dream dinner party.
A returning guest today in the very lovely form of Tom Kerridge. I really truly appreciate so much how much thought the guests are putting into their answers and Tom was no exception. I think a lot of people would be behind Tom as Prime Minister!
Tom's brilliant new book – Pub Kitchen – the ultimate modern British food bible is out this week and it’s a delicious collection of pub classics, with a twist that you can make at home. I’ve got a copy and it looks fantastic – despite being a Michelin starred chef, Tom's recipes are always so accessible and achieveable.
But I do hope you enjoy today's episode and thank you so much or listening to the Dream Dinner Party.
Buy Tom's book here.
Find me on instagram @desertislanddishes
Sign up to the newsletter Dinner Tonight here.
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Sep 7, 2023 • 51min
S14 Ep24: Diana Henry one of the most prolific and well loved recipe writers of a generation on the dishes that have shaped her life
I'm so excited that today Diana Henry is sharing her Desert Island Dishes with me. Diana is one of my favourite recipe writers and it was a total joy to sit down with her. Diana is a multi award-winning food writer, journalist, broadcaster and cook book author. Described as one of the most prolific recipe writers of a generation but also one of the most beloved.
She is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer, After a career as a tv producer - working for both the BBC and Channel 4 - Diana started writing about food after she had her first child.
Through her work with the Telegraph she shares recipes each week for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
Yotam Ottolenghi, has said of her work: “Everything Diana Henry cooks I want to eat.” Whilst Nigella Lawson has said, “She can write a recipe for cucumbers with radishes, cherries and rose petals,” and “With another writer you wouldn’t trust it, but with Diana you want to give it a go because it feels both safe and inspiring.”
Thank you very much to Deliveroo for sponsoring this episode of Desert Island Dishes. You can find out more about the brilliant work Deliveroo and the Trussell Trust are doing together at https://deliveroofulllife.com/
Thank you for listening. If you've like to sign up for my brand new newsletter, here is the link: https://dinnertonight.substack.com Cant wait to see you there! Margie x
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Sep 5, 2023 • 14min
Side Dish: The Dream Dinner Party with BOSH! founders Henry and Ian (mini episode)
This week we have the boys from Bosh! Henry and Ian telling us all about their dream dinner party. They take two slightly different approaches – just because you’re best friends doesn’t mean you will have the same dream dinner party so that was quite interesting to hear their different apporoaches.
Would love to know who you would choose to invite to your dream dinner party. I think it's impossible not to think about your own answers!
Thank you so much for listening.
See you on Thursday for another episode of Desert Island Dishes.
Don't forget you can follow me on instagram @desertislanddishes and you can sign up for the newsletter at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
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Aug 31, 2023 • 56min
S14 Ep23: Poppy O'Toole on her ultimate sandwich, internet stardom and the highs and lows of working in restaurants
If you were on your phone through lockdown, there is no doubt at all in my mind that you will have seen today’s guest across your screens teaching us how to make potatoes all kinds of delicious ways.
Poppy O’Toole, also known as Poppy Cooks, is a Michelin-trained professional chef, who turned to tiktok upon losing her job in 2020 to fill some time. 3 years later, Poppy has amassed over 4 million followers on tiktok and her second cookbook is about to be released. She is a judge on Junior Masterchef and as the self-proclaimed Potato Queen, teaches her audience to make all sorts of potato delights as well as a whole host of other lovely recipes that aim to make cooking and food accessible to all audiences.
She has said “I realized I’m not very fancy. I like very standard food. I like to pretend I like oysters. I don’t… I like eating potatoes and cream. That’s about it.”
Really hope you enjoyed today's episode. Thank you so much to our sponsor Milk and More for making it possible. Don't forget you can get a whopping 30% off your first order by using the code DISH30 at checkout. Head to www.milkandmore.co.uk and get a little bit of doorstep magic today!
See you next week!
Margie
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Aug 29, 2023 • 15min
Side Dish: The Dream Dinner Party with Millie Mackintosh (mini episode)
Millie Mackintosh joins us for The Dream Dinner Party this week.
I know so many of you enjoyed her episode of Desert Island Dishes so we persuaded her to share her Dream Dinner Party with us too!
This is the mini episode where we invite a guest to tell us their dream dinner party. The only rule is that they are only allowed to invite 4 guests – but they can be anyone they like dead or alive. And they are also going to be talking us through their dream menu.
I think it's impossible to listen to this and not think about who your own guests would be - I know my own guest list is constantly evolving.
This is a lovely episode and I do hope you enjoy!
Thank you very much to Milk and More for sponsoring this week's episode of the podcast and don't forget you can get a whopping 30% off your first order by using the code DISH30 at checkout. Head to www.milkandmore.co.uk and get a little bit of doorstep magic today!
Thank you for listening and see you next time for more Desert Island Dishes!
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Aug 24, 2023 • 37min
S14 Ep22: Will Shu the founder of Deliveroo on his love of food, his mum's dumplings, the best dish he's ever eaten and why he still personally delivers food on his bike to customers
Will Shu, founder of Deliveroo, discusses his love for food, his mom's dumplings, and the best dishes he's ever eaten. He shares funny stories about being banished to a desert island and his first impressions of London. He also emphasizes the importance of passion and timing, as well as his obsession with Malaysian cuisine.

Aug 22, 2023 • 26min
Side Dish: The Dream Dinner Party with Sophia Money-Coutts (mini episode)
Sophia Money-Coutts joins us today to talk all about her Dream Dinner Party. Sophia is a British journalist and author. She writes regularly for The Telegraph, has written 5 novels and has been described as the new "queen of rom coms".
Her latest book Looking for Love is out now. Sophia did her own brilliant podcast a few years ago on freezing her eggs, it's honestly fantastic and I really recommend having a listen if that's something you might be thinking about. She's warm, witty and I was so happy to have her on The Dream Dinner Party.
Find Sophia on Instagram @sophiamcoutts
Find us on instagram @desertislanddishes. Thank you so much for listening!
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Aug 17, 2023 • 51min
S14 Ep21: BOSH! founders Henry Firth and Ian Theasby talk all things plant based, working with your best friend and the best dish they've ever eaten
My guests todays are Henry Firth and Ian Theasby
Broadcasters, Sunday Times best sellers and vegan chefs extraordinaire, you may know them by their other name BOSH! The vegan food empire they’ve been growing for the last 7 years. From what began as a successful Youtube channel, these boys from Sheffield have now gone on to host their own ITV show, Living on the Veg and now have more than a million followers across their social media.
They offer fans a refreshing no fuss approach to veganism and plant based living,
Their debut cookbook has become one of the UK’s all time best sellers. Described as a powerful duo famed for their easy to follow recipe videos.
Their most popular recipe video was viewed over 50 million times and their videos get over 25 million views a month.
They’ve been called everything from the Bosh Boys, the Bosh Brothers, regardless of all that it is clear they are vegan superstars who have tapped into the culinary zeitgeist and conquered the virtual world.
Their new cookbook is out now!
Thank you so much for listening, see you next week for more Desert Island Dishes.
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Aug 15, 2023 • 16min
Side Dish: The Dream Dinner Party with David Gandy (mini episode)
Welcome to another episode of our side side dish: The Dream Dinner Party. This is the mini episode where we invite a guest to tell us their dream dinner party. The only rule is that they are only allowed to invite 4 guests – but they can be anyone they like dead or alive – and it’s 4 guests because really I think personally 5 people is the optimum number for a great dinner party. And they are also going to be talking us through their dream menu.
It’s time for David Gandy’s Dream Dinner Party. I know so many of your enjoyed his episode of desert island dishes so I'm so happy to share this episode of the side dish with you.
David might well be known as the most famous male model on the planet and now entrepreneur with his clothing brand David Gandy Wellwear but he’s also a fantastic cook – and loves his food. He is a keen dinner party host when he has the time but if you ever get invited to one of his dinner parties don’t linger in the kitchen – unless you happen to be Michelle Pfeiffer - he’s a master at work an
I do hope you enjoyed today’s episode and make sure you’re subscribed to catch all episodes of The Dream Dinner Party and Desert Island Dishes. Thank you so much for listening, bye!
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