Let Me Introduce You with Jane Milton

Let me Introduce you to Michelle Berriedale-Johnson who for me and many others has been our guiding light on all things ‘free from’.Michelle became interested in dairy free cooking when both her partner and son had dairy intolerances She set up a very early ‘free from' business in the late 80s making dairy free ice cream and meals.She created a newsletter forhealth professionals, then for people with intolerance themselves, Next she launched a magazine, a lot of the information from this and a subsequent website is now available HEREShe created what are now the Free From AwardsMichelle struggled to think of a time when she has stepped outside her comfort zone, not a surprise to me as she is incredibly confident and happy to ‘ have a go’ at lots of things.There is no doubt that she has been pivotal in encouraging many of the producers and manufacturers of free from products in the UK today – to have a go themselves or to constantly strive to improve products they make.

Helene is the CEO of Robinsons PLC, one of only 5% of the UK' s FTSE 500 CEO' s who is female .When I first met her she had established herself in the packaging industry and was sharing insights about good packaging on a judging panel for food awards.For many years she was at M&S latterly as head of food and drink packaging , and she really valued her foundations learned there in ethical supply chains something she has taken with her to every role since.She then stepped onto the Supply side and is now using all her knowledge gleaned in retail as the customer , in her role as CEO of Robinsons , to help them keep focused on customer needs.Cranfield University highlighted her as one of their top 100 women to watch, she is acutely aware that she is one of a very small number of FTSE 500 female cEO's nd thinks it is important for women to see people doing roles they may aspire to.She relishes her role a CEO which allows her to help give opportunities to others in the business and prepare them for roles they will go onto in Robinsons, or elsewhereHer interest in people, hearing their stories,how she can help them and help their careers is a common thread in every role she has done and loved.If she has any spare time it is spent with her family and dog and she also enjoys running and being outdoors.

Let me Introduce you to Claire Clark MBE ,consultant pastry chef,the only woman in the UK to be awarded an MOGB ( more of that in the episode).Claire and fellow pastry chef, Sarah Crouchman, partner in Pretty Sweet a high-end Patisserie catering service producing pastry treats for hotels, events like Chelsea Flower Show, Wimbledon and desserts for The Brit Awards. In the week we record this they are making 1100 Yule logs and hand decorating 350 Christmas cakes that they have baked as well as hundreds of small, individual desserts …. all with an incredible finish and eye for detail.Claire has workedat the Ritz, intercontinental, Claridges, Buckingham Palace and in California with Thomas Keller for 5 years at the French Laundry.She has worked alongside some of the best known chefs and pastry chefs in the UK, and has loved the opportunity to learn from them all.We talk about what her current day entails , about running a business as well as creating new products and working out the schedules, timings etc for all of that day’s productionWe talk about being organised, methodical, practical and if that is why pastry attracts a lot of female chefs rather than the main kitchen where things are very urgent and very much here and nowClaire reveals she is a Marmite loverShe talks about travelling to California to work with Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, as someone who is very close to her own family and had never missed a Christmas with them , and how it surprised her she did that, stayed 5 years and loved it.We talk too about the challenges facing the industry , about the shortage of skilled pastry chefs and how we can encourage more people into these jobsFor all that Great British Bake Off is a huge hit, there are still not the numbers of people we need wanting to learn these skills and work their way up, the way that Claire did …

Jennifer John and her senior team have many years of experience working within food and drink and believe that offers Ceres a unique understanding of the customer journey from every angle. She is honest and does not sugar coat things, but always has your best interest at heart and I hugely value her thoughts and often seek her opinion.Ceres is an integrated PR and Marketing business working with food, drink and wellness brands. They are great believers inin the power of recipes, developing and photographing them in their own studio, using the as a marketing tool for brands and products ,showcasing the brand & highlighting the benefits.Hear her discuss: how she came into the industry and went on to found CeresWho her influences have been in the industry, among her clients and in the wider community too. and what she admires about themStepping outside her comfort zone to cook live o Radio 4 the first timeWhat she has read recently and what that has taught herThe questions she would ask you if you were wanting to start your own businessand what would she want to pack if she was going to a desert island.

Let Me Introduce you to Marlena Spieler, the food writer whostarted to chat with me one day on a train from London to Bristol , and then encouraged me to join the Guild of Food Writers .Marlena has produced more than 70 cookbooks as well as contributing to Bon Appétit,Saveurand theSan Francisco Chroniclefood column "The Roving Feast."Her interest and curiosity about food has seen her write on Jewish food and culture, potatoes, barbecuing or 'grilling' as she would say,and she wrote the deliciously titled'Grilled Cheese- 50 recipes to make you melt !!'She has travelled to understand and experience food from China, to Naplesand was asked to be an ambassador for the UN Year of the Potato conference in Peru.We talk about misconceptions about Mexican food in this countryAbout pizza and its Unesco Heritage status, and generally naming of recipes respecting and honouring the culture and original recipe .... and her opinion on cauliflower crusts and pineapple on pizzasCooking, writing great recipes, having to relearn her skills all over after a very bad accident 10 years ago.Stories about recipes and ingredients that people share and the memories they evoke for everyone involved when you read that recipe or make it again.Her Jewish Heritage book and how those traditional recipes changed as communities moved across the globe.Eating with others and sharing food cooked from their heart, and the care that shows that they have for you and how special that food tastes when you eat it.Growing up in Sacramento, how he parents tried not to eat the food of her heritage and culture, but to conform and become more 'American' and how a trip to Israel lit her imagination about food and really led her to move away art to food and write her first cookbook.She talks about reading about Anthony Bourdain the great chef, and then going back and reading many of his books again.Her memories of Thanksgivings and her favourite meals eaten at that time of year.And what she would take to a desert island with her....She is currently writing a memoir. which I know will be filled with fun anecdotes, great food combinations and incredible knowledge and information about food as well as a life well travelled.Her excitement about food, cooking , recipe writing and sharing recipes and food with others is palpable in every word she speaks.

Kristen Frederickson is a former New York City art historian who has lived in London since 2006.She has a blog Kristen in London, which catalogues her life in London , often punctuated by food eaten by the family or shared with friends She s the author of Tonight at 7.30: One Family’s Life at the Table, with her daughter Avery Curran providing the photographs for both that volume and her second called Second Helpings and largely tested and photographed during the 2020 lockdown. She is Members Communications Director for the Guild of Food Writers.In this episode we talk abouther early memories of being in the kitchen with her grandmotherbeing 'allowed' to cook for the family from an early age, and having a pretty free reign on what she didhow she found her way into cookery writingsharing recipes with friends and the people who have influenced what she cooks and how she hosts people at homemastering sourdough bread with the help of her friend Orlando Murrin, and what she loves about itwriting her books, deciding what to include and cooking her way through all the recipes , testing and photographing themwhat she would take to a dessert island