Food Rebels

Rum has come a long way from its pirate reputation.

In this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp is joined by drinks experts Maria Easley and Clare Pope to explore the exciting world of modern rum. From Caribbean classics and tropical spiced rums to innovative producers in Scotland and Paraguay, they discover how today's rum makers are pushing the category in bold new directions.

Along the way...

From Japanese gin and award-winning potato vodka to alcohol-free alternatives and smooth English-inspired whisky, this episode of Food Rebels is a flavour-packed journey through some of the most exciting spirits on the market today.

Host AJ Sharp is joined by cocktail expert Maria Eastley and drinks writer and specialist Clare Pope for a lively tasting of nine standout bottles. Along the w...

What makes us come back to the same food or drink time and time again? According to consumer psychologist Chris Lukehurst, it isn't taste—it's emotion.

In this fascinating episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp sits down with Chris, founder of The Marketing Clinic and author of The Shape of Taste, to explore the hidden psychological forces behind our food choices. Drawing on more than two ...

This week on Food Rebels, AJ Sharp is joined by chef, content creator and food waste campaigner Martyn Odell, better known to millions online as The Lagom Chef.

Martyn shares how a childhood passion for cooking led him into professional kitchens before eventually building one of the UK's most influential food platforms. Together, AJ and Martyn explore the reality of food waste in British homes, why so many people feel overwhelmed i...

What happens when ancient remedies meet modern branding?

In this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp sits down with Andrew Salter, co-founder and CMO of DIRTEA, to explore the rapid rise of functional mushrooms, wellness rituals and the growing consumer desire to take control of health.

Andrew shares how burnout, exhaustion and years of entrepreneurial hustle led him and his brother to discover functional mushrooms, before building on...

What happens when a chef discovers a food trend in New York years before anyone in the UK has heard of it?

This week on Food Rebels, AJ Sharp meets Dan Shearman, founder of Wilderbee, the brand behind the UK's original hot honey. What started as a homemade chilli-infused honey for a food truck menu has grown into a fast-rising food brand stocked in major retailers including Harrods, Marks & Spencer, Whole Foods, Co-op and now W...

What does “sustainable seafood” actually mean and are we being misled about the fish on our plates?

This week on Food Rebels, AJ Sharp meets chef patron Ben Champkin from Catch at The Old Fish Market in Dorset. After training in some of the world’s top kitchens including L’Enclume, The Newt and three Michelin-starred Meadowood in California, Ben returned to the South West with a mission to champion truly sus...

This week on Food Rebels, AJ Sharp is joined by chef, recipe developer and content creator Lungi Mhlanga, founder of Lungi’s Always Baking.

From growing up in a food-obsessed Zimbabwean household to running bakeries in Shoreditch and Soho, Lungi’s journey has been full of creativity, graft and glorious kitchen chaos.

AJ and Lungi talk about viral toast cookies, ADHD, confidence, failure, Substack, baking without rules a...

What really happens behind the scenes in Britain’s restaurant chains?

In this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp sits down with Andrew Macleod, founder of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, to explore why so much casual dining restaurant food is far more processed than customers realise and why he chose ...

This week we’re rerunning one of our most talked-about conversations. What are ultra-processed foods really doing to our health, our kids and our food culture?

In this powerful episode, AJ Sharp sits down with Dr Dolly van Tulleken to unpack the rise of UPFs and the complex mix of politics, marketing and industry influence that keeps them on our plates.

Dolly shares her journey into food policy, reveals how decisions are shap...

What happens when three brothers ditch the safe path to chase a sausage dream?

In this episode, AJ Sharp sits down with Olly and Max Kohn, two of the three brothers behind The Jolly Hog, the British meat brand that’s gone from a Kenwood sausage machine in a one-bed flat to shelves in every major UK supermarket.

They share the real story behind the growth, from unpaid early days and street food graft to cracking retail, buildi...

Join us in this week, as we revisit our interview with Charlotte Miller, founder of Caroboo, shares her inspiring journey of revolutionising chocolate!

She delves into the challenges of balancing parenting and entrepreneurship while creating healthier treats for families. Discover the story behind Caroboo's unique products and learn about their innovative approach to marketing. Tune in to hear about the mission to transform childre...

What’s really driving the way we eat and why does it feel so hard to get it right?

In this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp sits down with nutritional therapist Nicola Moore to unpack metabolism, mindset and modern eating. From ultra-processed foods and gut health to cravings, cortisol and GLP-1s, this is a straight-talking look at what’s actually going on inside our bodies.

They explore why we’re constantly hungr...

What happens when food justice stops being a conversation and becomes a political mission?

In this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp sits down with Sarah Bentley, founder of Made in Hackney, to go way beyond the usual chat on ultra-processed food and “better choices”. 

Sarah announces on the show that she is now standing as a Green Party candidate, taking everything she’s learned from the front line of food ju...

Why does Denmark seem so far ahead when it comes to cutting ultra-processed food, serving better plant-rich meals and making sustainable food choices feel normal rather than niche?

In this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp sits down with Anders Nicolajsen from the Danish Agriculture & Food Council to dig into how Denmark has built a food system where organic, seasonal and plant-rich food is not just an aspiration, but something ...

In this final Women Changing the World episode, AJ Sharp sits down with chef and restaurateur Ayesha Kalaji to talk about building a career on her own terms, from studying Middle Eastern politics to earning four consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands at Queen of Cups in Glastonbury.

They get into the realities of being a woman in professional kitchens, the outdated stereotypes that still linger, and why real change in hospitality has t...

In this special International Women’s Day series episode of Food Rebels, Women Changing the World, AJ Sharp sits down with Donna Edwards, founder of Kent-based skincare brand Fox and Bloom. Donna shares the story behind her journey from part-time teacher to natural skincare entrepreneur, sparked by a life-changing mindfulness course that helped her rethink how she wanted to live and work.    Drawing on her upbringin...

In this episode of our Women Changing the World series, AJ Sharp is joined by Emma Loder-Symonds of Nonington Farms in Kent, a regenerative arable farm proving that producing food and restoring nature can go hand in hand.

Emma and her husband James are challenging conventional, high-input agriculture by putting nature back at the centre of every farming decision. It’s about community, collaboration and why more women are help...

This is the first episode in our special International Women’s Day series, Women Changing the World, sponsored by Fox and Bloom.

On this week’s Food Rebels, AJ Sharp is joined by Mex Ibrahim, founder of Women in the Food Industry, an organisation championing equity, visibility and real opportunity for women across every corner of food and drink.

From Michelin-star gatekeeping to boardroom representation, from profession...