Podcast · Arts & Books

The Go To Weekend

by Go To Podcast Company · English · Arts & Books

The Go-To Weekend is your essential guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by former two Michelin starred head chef and Great British Menu winner Kate Austen, this weekly show delivers the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what you should not miss. Each episode, Kate welcomes

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 48 min
Latest: 26 Dec 2025
Language: English

Latest episode

26 Dec 2025 · 41 min

John Gregory-Smith - The brutal truth about cookbooks and social media!

In this festive episode of The Go-To Weekend , Kate Austen is joined by bestselling author and content creator John Gregory-Smith for a Christmas catch-up packed with food, family and unfiltered conversation. Over questionable mulled wine, John cooks harissa beef meatballs with giant couscous from his new book The Greatest Tray Bake Cookbook Ever , sharing why tray bakes still matter, how convenience has reshaped modern cookbooks, and why slow cooking deserves more respect. The chat moves from publishing pressures and social media algorithms to John’s unconventional route into food,…

Play episodeWhatsApp Download

Earlier episodes 18 most recent

19 Dec 2025 · 44 min
Chef Tom Brown - From Great British Menu to Boiling Point - Fame, Pressure, and Modern Kitchens!
Welcome to The Go-To Weekend , where chef Kate Austen welcomes one of the most influential voices in modern British seafood cooking into her kitchen. This episode features Tom Brown, former Michelin starred head chef of Cornerstone, Great British Menu winner, and the chef behind some of London’s most talked about openings in recent years. From Cornwall to Hackney Wick, Brown’s career has been defined by ambition, precision, and a refusal to stand still. Tom reflects on the reality of competing on Great British Menu, from the chaos behind the cameras to the life changing effect it had on his…
12 Dec 2025 · 29 min
Lee Tiernan - Teaching Will Poulter To Cook - The Wild Early Days of FKA & Why He's Closing After 11 years?
Step into this week’s episode of The Go-To Weekend as Kate Austen swaps her Michelin-trained kitchen for one of London’s most talked about cult restaurants. Formerly known as Black Axe Mangal, the space feels charged with history and flavour, and Kate joins chef owner Lee Tiernan for an unforgettable deep dive into food, culture, and the reasons behind his bold decision to pause the restaurant after eleven influential years. It all begins with a borschtback, a punchy signature drink that sets the tone for the afternoon. From there, Kate and Lee roll up their sleeves to cook one of the…
5 Dec 2025 · 39 min
Big Has - How Jamie Oliver Saved My Life & Getting Bullied Out Of A Shocking Michelin Starred Restaurant!
Ex Michelin chef and Great British Menu winner Kate Austen is back in The Go To Weekend kitchen, this time with towering 6 foot 6 Sunday Times bestselling author and MasterChef judge Big Has. Together they cook one of the sleeper hits from his new book Smoke and Seasoned Bread : stuffed onions with rice, caramelised shallots, heaps of herbs and pomegranate molasses. It is big on comfort, huge on flavour and, sacrilege to some, happens to be accidentally vegetarian. As the onions slowly steam in garlicky tomato water, Fig traces the journey from flunking GCSEs and plumbing college to Jamie…
26 Nov 2025 · 35 min
Anna Søgaard - Creating A Michelin Starred Thanksgiving Spread & The Female Supper Club Changing Hospitality From The Inside!
Kick off your festive season with a full Thanksgiving feast and a side of brutal industry honesty. In this episode of The Go To Weekend podcast, Kate Austin is joined by chef and development maestro Anna Søgaard, ex head chef of Bistro Freddie and current head of tastings and development at luxury caterer Rocket. While Kate confesses she has never cooked a Thanksgiving before, Anna walks her through the all American classics: roast turkey, roasties instead of mash (when in England), controversial sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows, tart clementine cranberry sauce and a seriously…
22 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
Exclusive - Laurie Woolever - Anthony Bourdain's Assistant On ; The Gnarliness Of New York's Restaurant Scene, What Made Him Such A Genius & Her Thrilling New Memoir!
It’s the Go-To Weekend season finale — and we’re going out with a bang. We kick things off, as always, with High, Low & Regret (and a little spicy industry gossip: Straker and Carrie? Victor Garvey’s surprise closure? Drake at Claridge’s?!). Then it’s onto the “slutty chef” internet sensation, TikTok’s royal wedding. Finally, a powerful interview with chef, author and Bourdain confidante Laurie Woolever. From the raw realities of 90s New York kitchens to her deep reflections on addiction, fame, and legacy, Laurie doesn’t hold back. Plus, her NYC black book picks, weekend go-to recs, and the…
4 Jul 2025 · 59 min
Rahel Stephanie - Bringing Great Indonesian Food To London - Late Night Food Spots & Where To Swim In London!
This week on The Go-To Weekend , we’re serving up strawberries, F1, and the sizzling energy of the summer heatwave – all powered by Square. From the sun-soaked courts of Wimbledon to the big screen buzz around the new Brad Pitt F1 flick, we’re in peak weekend mode. There’s celeb-spotting chaos, sweaty closing hours, and ice cream recommendations you need to know about. Plus, as always, we kick things off with your favourite trio: High, Low & Regret. Then we’re joined by the sensational Rahel Stephanie – better known as Spoons – whose Indonesian supper clubs have London in a chokehold. We…
27 Jun 2025 · 55 min
Alim Nayil - Patio Pizza - Creating The Best Pizza In London - The Worlds Most Expensive Wedding & Celebrity Restaurant Meddling!
Today we're joined for another epic episode of the Go To Weekend by the charming and incredibly talented Alim Nayil aka Patio Pizza to discuss his incredible journey from flipping pizzas on his patio at university to becoming the most respected pizza chef in the UK. This week on The Go-To Weekend , proudly brought to you by Square, Hannah is joined by Molly and just in time to break down the wildest wedding of the year (hello, Jeff Bezos), a scathing restaurant review that has London’s food scene talking, and whether we can really trust celebrity-backed restaurants. Then we welcome the man…
20 Jun 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
Nick Strangeway - The Myth Of The Espresso Martini - Cocktails With Jay Rayner & The Rachel Zegler Rip Off!
This week on The Go-To Weekend Podcast, we’re joined by legendary bartender and drinks innovator Nick Strangeway of Hepple to talk cocktails, foraging, and the future of British spirits. We start by unpacking Nick’s journey from 1980s punk and bar back to becoming one of the most influential bartenders in the UK. He reflects on the evolution of cocktail culture, the birth of the speakeasy scene, and how he’s always followed flavour and instinct over trends. Plus, we talk about how he came to co-create Hepple Gin in the wilds of Northumberland—and why it’s unlike anything else on the market.…
13 Jun 2025 · 59 min
Chef George Williams - Haggling With Jeremy Clarkson - The 2 Secrets To Surviving Glastonbury & Brutal Fall Out's At The National Restaurant Awards!
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend! We’re kicking off Season 2 with a fresh episode, and while Molly’s away this week, Hannah is joined by the brilliant Jo Taylor as guest co-host. Hannah and Jo dive into their go-to weekend rituals – from the joy of solo strolls that somehow turn into nights out, to the perfect Sunday setup (spoiler: it doesn’t involve hosting a 12-person roast). They also break down their ideal three-part date night formula, dicuss their obsession with Pitbull, chat about the subtle danger of “just popping out,” and get honest about the parts of the weekend they try to…
2 May 2025 · 52 min
Emma Sayle - Founder Of Killing Kittens on; How True Confidence In The Bedroom Can Translate To Power In The Boardroom & Crazy Stories Behind The Parties!
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here delivering the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss this weekend. We’re closing out our first season with a bang as we’re joined by Emma Sayle, founder of the iconic sex-positive community Killing Kittens. In this refreshingly unfiltered chat, Emma talks about sexual empowerment, the fine line between choice and performance in the age of social media, and how true…
25 Apr 2025 · 47 min
Sexual Masterchef - Exclusive Interview - Papal Flirtations - Clingfilmed Women & Butter Knifes!
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here delivering the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss this weekend. This week, we’re joined by the brilliantly chaotic Mr. Sexual Masterchef—anonymous meme king, online shit-stirrer, and unlikely voice of foodie reason. He walks us through a recent scandal involving a 9.7/10 fit rating, a TikTok voiceover gone wrong, and some serious backlash from the Café Mondo crowd.…
18 Apr 2025 · 54 min
Missy Flynn - Parisian Nightmares, Making The Martini Sexy Again & Who Won The Inagural 'Gak Off'?
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here delivering the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss this weekend. This week we cover everything from foodie weekends in Marseille to space tourism. Whilst Hannah’s has become obsessed with a niche food industry meme account, we also somehow segue into the surreal journey to space of Katy Perry, Gayle King, and Jeff Bezos himself (spoiler: it’s not the feminist milestone…
11 Apr 2025 · 51 min
Carlo Carello - Sex Parties, Vibrator-laced Cereal Boxes & How To Launch A Successful Nightclub In 2025!
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here delivering the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss this weekend. This episode, we’re talking Croque Monsieur competitions in Canary Wharf, a bold new black bean collab from Ottolenghi x Bold Beans, a tragic ice cream incident on the way to Bruno’s wine bar and the only tariff that matters, the 10% Percy Pig tariff. There’s a deep dive into the viral men’s-only retreat in…
4 Apr 2025 · 52 min
Alexina Anatole - The Shocking 'Thing' Happening In Gordon Ramsay's New Toilets - Has London's Late Night Scene Vanished & The Worst Things You Can Do On A Date!
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here delivering the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss this weekend. This week, Hannah and Molly kick things off with a chat about The Beatles, following the announcement of Sam Mendes’s ambitious four-part film project—one film for each band member. With casting details emerging, they discuss whether this approach will give fresh insight into the Fab Four or just be another…
28 Mar 2025 · 48 min
Elliot Hashtroudi - Nobu's Heyday - Top Jaw's Houdini Incident & The Dangers Of Beans!
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here delivering the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss this weekend—all with a sharp eye, a raised glass, and zero tolerance for nonsense. This week, we’re diving into the wild world of Nobu—the restaurant that’s been a celebrity magnet for decades. With its first Manchester outpost now open, we look back at its star-studded history, iconic black cod miso (a staggering…
21 Mar 2025 · 35 min
Dorian's Brutal Customer Ranking System - Pizza Express's 33p Pizzas & The Cotswolds Hidden Foodie Gem!
Welcome back to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here with the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss—all with a sharp eye, a raised glass, and zero tolerance for nonsense. This week, we’re joined by the one and only Claire Dinhut—aka @condimentclaire, the Condiment Queen, as anointed by Nigella and Ottolenghi themselves. From debating whether butter qualifies as a condiment to the unexpected joys of soy sauce on vanilla ice…
14 Mar 2025 · 46 min
Ellis vs Corcoran - Big Mamma Group's Messy Parties & Where To Celebrate St Patrick's Day!
Welcome to The Go-To Weekend, your ultimate guide to making the most of your days off. Hosted by Sunday Times deputy food editor Hannah Evans and Foodism deputy editor Molly Codyre, we’re here delivering the hottest tips on where to go, what to eat, and what not to miss this weekend, all with a sharp eye, a raised glass, and zero tolerance for nonsense. This week, we’re taking in the scent of Tom Straker’s candle—does it whisper ‘buttery bliss’ or just smell like burning cash? And speaking of money, we’re tackling International Women’s Day, the gender pay gap, and why letting your partner…
13 Mar 2025 · 1 min
The Go To Weekend Trailer
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Go To Weekend

The Go To Weekend is a English arts & books podcast from Go To Podcast Company. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Go To Podcast Company
Language: English
Category: Arts & Books
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 48 min
Latest episode: 26 Dec 2025
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1801779361
Rights: Go To Podcast Company

RSS feed Apple Podcasts

More English arts & books

Take it with you

The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.