‘Always in Season’ podcast – a year in review

It’s been a year since the launch of our podcast, Always in Season. With more than 20 episodes now under our belt, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on the journey to date – and to look ahead to the future! 

In conversation with fellow chefs, TV stars, restauranteurs, entrepreneurs and award-winning authors, Maple’s chef ambassador James Golding has taken listeners inside the Big Brother house, on set at MasterChef and behind the scenes at The Ritz. 

We’ve loved hearing from food experts about how to eat more seasonably and sustainably, which is why we decided to go through the archives and revisit some of our favourite episodes. Below, you’ll find our review of the Always in Season story so far! 

A new challenge 

Working in the food industry, we understand the importance of trying new things, whether that’s experimenting with ingredients or starting a podcast from scratch! Our initial goal was to shine a light on sustainable food practices, and podcasting seemed like the perfect medium to do so, particularly at a time when cooking served as a source of escapism in the pandemic. 

Recording our first episodes in June 2021, circumstances dictated that the conversations be held virtually. The food podcast market at the time was competitive, but also had the potential to be extremely rewarding. Several established shows shared the space with a growing number of new series, but few focused on the benefits of eating seasonably and sustainably.  

Over the next few months, James spoke with special guests from a variety of culinary backgrounds on topics such as the chocolate industry, cheesemaking and charcuterie. Each conversation centred on sustainability, providing tips to listeners on how to be a more responsible consumer. 

The highlights 

From sleeping on Dolly Parton’s drummer’s hotel room floor to cooking lunch for the Queen during her Diamond Jubilee, our guests have shared enough anecdotes to fill a lifetime! It’s been great to hear from such a range of food experts about their experiences in the industry. 

In S1 E08, restaurant-owning, TV-hosting, and all-round-legendary duo Sam and Shauna brought a splash of Southern hospitality to the table, revealing how best to bring an authentic American BBQ to life even under the unpredictable conditions of British weather. 

Conversations with world-renowned chefs Cyrus Todiwala OBE, DL and John Williams MBE in S1 E10 and S1 E12 transported listeners to the highest strata of society, with our guests sharing stories of cooking delicious, sustainably sourced meals for prime ministers and the royal family.  

We’ve also learned about the inner workings of some of the UK’s most popular TV shows, with celebrity guests discussing their participation in programmes like MasterChef, Ready Steady Cook and Big Brother. 

Our favourite episode, however, would have to be S2 E3, which was recently filmed at Christchurch Food Festival in the company of our guests for the first time – the perfect way to celebrate one year of Always in Season!

Looking ahead

We have our guests to thank for making each episode over the past year, and we can’t wait to bring more insightful and entertaining conversations to our listeners across Europe and North America in the months ahead. 

James and his guests have plenty more stories to tell as we continue to champion sustainable food practices and seasonal eating. Season 2 is already underway and available to stream here as well as on all major podcasting platforms.