Life on a Plate

For this episode, Yasmin and Alison talk to the brilliant, funny and down-to-earth Scottish actor Ashley Jensen, known for her roles in Extras, Ugly Betty, Catastrophe – and star of the Waitrose 2021 Christmas ad! She chats about Heston’s mince pies and her taste for sprouts (with pancetta), and shares tales of growing up in Scotland in the 1970s, enjoying her grandmother’s mince and tatties and a range of classic crisps including Frazzles and Monster Munch. She describes her no-nonsense response to Hollywood glitz and glamour (and her rejection of the idea that actresses must ‘stay young’) and also expresses her admiration for footballer and campaigner Marcus Rashford and his work tackling child food poverty.To watch Ashley in the Christmas advert, go to waitrose.com/Christmas.To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducers: Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan CopelinA John Brown production for Waitrose & Partners

Actor, DJ, presenter, photographer, author, acclaimed documentary-maker and now a feature film director – there aren’t many things that Reggie Yates can’t do! In this episode, he talks to Yasmin and Alison about his career to date and how important it has been to stick to his guns when it comes to authenticity and speaking in his own voice. He reminisces about the West African food he grew up with, touches on the great plantain pronunciation debate and reveals some interesting ideas about how to eat crisps and chocolate (at the same time). Reggie also chats about his brilliant new film, Pirates, launched on 26 November, which celebrates UK Garage culture at the turn of the Millennium.You can follow Reggie on Instagram and Twitter @regyates. To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducers: Clarissa Maycock & Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan CopelinA John Brown production for Waitrose & Partners

This week’s guest is chartered psychologist and nutritionist Kimberley Wilson. In addition to working in private practice, lecturing, podcasting and co-hosting Radio 4’s Made of Stronger Stuff with Dr Xand van Tulleken, Kimberley has also found time to write How to Build a Healthy Brain, a book that makes clear the crucial connections between what we eat and how we think, feel and remember. Kimberley speaks passionately to Yasmin and Alison about the simple dietary steps we can all take right now to help combat depression, anxiety and dementia – while also sharing her love of hot tea, porridge and plum crumble.You can follow Kimberley on Instagram @foodandpsych and Twitter @FoodAndPsych. How to Build a Healthy Brain is in bookshops now and Made of Stronger Stuff is available from BBC Sounds.To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducer: Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan CopelinA John Brown production for Waitrose & Partners

We were thrilled to welcome the incredible Diana Henry to Life on a Plate for this episode. She is one of our most beloved food writers, delivering a steady stream of delicious recipes into homes across the land via her cookbooks (including Simple and How to Eat a Peach), Telegraph columns and daily Instagram posts. Legendarily hard-working and prolific, Diana experienced severe illness during the past two years: it slowed her down a little but has not dimmed her spirit one bit. In this conversation with Yasmin Khan and Alison Oakervee, she talks about those frightening times, but also about her childhood in Northern Ireland, her first experiences of cosmopolitan London in the 80s, and the people, places and ingredients that inspire and delight her now.You can read Diana’s weekly column in Waitrose Weekend and follow her on Instagram and Twitter @dianahenryfood.To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducers: Clarissa Maycock & Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan CopelinA John Brown production for Waitrose & Partners

This week, Yasmin and Alison enter the world of environmentalist and campaigner Chris Packham. With wit, warmth and enthusiasm, he describes his absolute passion for the natural world and outlines how he believes we can move towards a more sustainable future. He also talks about his work advocating for autistic people, reveals his deep appreciation of his partner Charlotte's cooking, and shares tales of his beloved poodles, Sid and Nancy, and their nightly digestive biscuit habit...Autumn Watch is available on BBC iPlayer. You can follow Chris on Twitter @chrisgpackham. To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducer: Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan CopelinA John Brown production for Waitrose & Partners

Brilliant young food writer Ruby Tandoh is the guest for this week’s episode. Ruby grew up in Essex as part of a big family, eating simple, hearty food and poring over cookbooks in her spare time, before arriving on our TV screens in 2013 when she reached the final of The Great British Bake Off aged only 21. Since then, she has carved out a place as a unique and utterly refreshing voice in the world of food: frank and fearless, her writing punctures pretension, calls out snobbery and questions convention. In this interview, Ruby explains to Yasmin and Alison why she tries always to focus on the pleasure and joy associated with food – rather than guilt or judgement, rules or routines – and how she has striven to make her latest book, Cook As You Are, as inclusive and accessible as possible.Cook As You Are in out now. You can follow Ruby on Instagram @ruby.tandoh and Twitter @rubytandoh. To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducer: Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan Copelin

In the first fabulous episode of season 4, Yotam Ottolenghi and his co-author Noor Murad chat to Yasmin and Alison about their new book, Shelf Love, which focuses on using store cupboard ingredients to create delicious everyday meals. They also talk about the diverse international influences reflected in their food, their exhaustive testing process, and the power that a good recipe has to make a real difference to someone’s day.Shelf Love is out now. You can follow them both on Instagram, Yotam @Ottolenghi and Noor @noorishbynoor.  To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducer: Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan CopelinA John Brown production for Waitrose & Partners

Season 4 of Life on a Plate is about to launch with a brand new host: writer, broadcaster and cookery book author Yasmin Khan. Listen to this trailer to find out more about Yasmin and what she’s looking forward to in this new season, featuring Yotam Ottolenghi, Ruby Tandoh, Chris Packham and many more... To find out more about the show, go to waitrose.com/podcast.Host: Yasmin KhanCo-host: Alison OakerveeProducer: Sera BerksoyExecutive Producer: Nikki DuffyEditor: Nathan CopelinA John Brown production for Waitrose & Partners