Lara Prendergast

Lara Prendergast

Lara Prendergast is executive editor of The Spectator. She hosts two Spectator podcasts, The Edition and Table Talk, and edits The Spectator’s food and drink coverage.

With Fadi Kattan

23 min listen

Fadi Kattan is a Palestinian chef and hotelier who has recently brought a menu inspired by all the different regions of his home country to his new restaurant Akub, in Notting Hill.  On the podcast he talks about inheriting his love of food from his grandmothers, what it was like opening a restaurant on the occupied

Ghost children: the pupils who never came back after lockdown

33 min listen

This week: In her cover piece for The Spectator, Harriet Sergeant asks what’s happened pupil absence which has increased since the pandemic. She is joined by The Spectator’s data editor Michael Simmons to account for the staggering number of children who were failed by the government’s Covid response (01:08). Also this week: Owen Matthews, The Spectator’s Russia correspondent, looks at

Crash test: the new era of economic uncertainty

40 min listen

On the podcast: The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews looks back on a week of economic turbulence and asks whether we should be worried, for her cover piece in the magazine. She is joined by the economist – and former ‘Trussketeer’ – Julian Jessop, to discuss whether we are entering a new era of economic uncertainty

With Eleanor Steafel

25 min listen

Eleanor is a features writer and columnist for the Daily Telegraph where she writes the the regular food column The Art of Friday Night Dinner. Her new book – of the same name – is released on the 30th March and includes recipes for every kind of Friday night.  On the podcast she reminisces about her mother’s

Don vs Ron: the fight for the American right

29 min listen

In the cover piece of this week’s magazine, deputy editor Freddy Gray writes about the fight for the American right: it’s Don (Trump) vs Ron (DeSantis). Who will win? On the podcast, Freddy is joined by Amber Athey, Washington editor of The Spectator‘s world edition. (00:37) Political editor Katy Balls writes in this week’s magazine that

With Tom Athron

30 min listen

Tom Athron is the CEO of luxury brand Fortnum and Mason, a position which he undertook during the pandemic having held senior roles at John Lewis and Waitrose. On the podcast he talks about his earliest memories of food, the produce he grows in his vegetable patch and what makes Fortnums so special. 

With Alexander Downer

30 min listen

Alexander Downer is an Australian former politician and diplomat, whose roles have included Leader of the Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.  On the podcast he discusses his earliest memories growing up on a farm in Southern Australia, the role of food and wine in successful diplomacy, and

The haunting of Rishi Sunak

39 min listen

This week: the haunting of Rishi Sunak. In her cover piece for The Spectator Katy Balls says that Rishi Sunak cannot escape the ghosts of prime ministers past. She is joined by former Chief Secretary to the Treasury and New Statesman contributor David Gauke to discuss pesky former PMs (01:05).  Also this week: In the magazine Julius

With Harriet Hastings

20 min listen

Harriet Hastings is the founder of hand-iced biscuit delivery company Biscuiteers which delivers over 2 million biscuits worldwide every year.  On the podcast she speaks to Lara and Liv about growing up as a fussy eater, the trials and tribulations of starting her own business, and her desert island meal.  Photo credit: Mark Harrison

With Luke Farrell

28 min listen

Luke Farrell is a restauranteur and founder of two of London’s fieriest new openings, Plaza Khao Gaeng and Speedboat Bar. He has spent the last few years dividing his time between Thailand and his nursery in Dorset, where he grows a ‘living library’ of south-east Asian herbs and spices.  On the podcast they discuss memories of Chinese cuisine,

With Amber Guinness

22 min listen

Amber Guinness is a cook, author, journalist and co-founder of The Arniano Painting School. Her first book, A House Party in Tuscany, is out now.  On the podcast she discusses growing up in Tuscany, how to host a successful Tuscan dinner party and the best places to eat in Florence.

In defence of hot baths

I admire stout oldies who, even in good times, refuse to put the heating on unless it’s absolutely necessary. They can’t under-stand why we younger, healthier people are fussing over our energy consumption right now. Do we not know there’s a war on? Even the boomers appear to be making a token effort: stoking their

With Myleene Klass and Jamie Barber

22 min listen

Myleene is a singer, presenter and businesswoman, and Jamie is a restauranteur with a number of restaurants to his name. Together they have created the home meal kit My Supper Hero, which aims to provide great food and champion sustainable packaging.  On the podcast they talk about their earliest memories of food, the monotony of

With Capri Cafaro

23 min listen

Capri Cafaro was a member of the Ohio Senate for 10 years before becoming a political commentator. She can often be found on American television news channels and also hosts her own food podcast, Eat Your Heartland Out.  On the podcast she talks to Lara and Olivia about memories of cooking Italian-American classics with her Grandma,

Kremlin crack-up: who’s out to get Putin?

39 min listen

This week: In his cover piece for the magazine Owen Matthews writes about the power struggle at the heart of Russia. He is joined by Jade McGlynn, specialist in Russian Studies at the Monterey Initiative, to discuss whether Putin might be running out of time (01:00). Also on the podcast:  Has America’s pot policy gone

With Ayesha Hazarika

21 min listen

Ayesha Hazarika is a journalist, broadcaster, stand-up comic and former advisor to three Labour leaders.  On the podcast, she discusses memories of her mother’s chicken curry, navigating bacon sandwich-gate with Ed Miliband and why all cooked orange coloured food is ‘minging’.

Crash course: how the Truss revolution came off the road

37 min listen

On this week’s podcast:  As Liz Truss returns from Conservative Party Conference with her wings clipped, has she failed in her revolutionary aims for the party? James Forsyth discusses this in the cover piece for The Spectator, and is joined by former cabinet minister and New Labour architect Peter Mandelson to discuss (01:08). Also this week: 

What crisis?

41 min listen

On this week’s podcast: For the cover of the magazine Kate Andrews assesses the politics of panic, and the fallout of last week’s so-called fiscal event. She is joined by Robert Colvile, director of the Centre for Policy Studies think tank to discuss where the Conservatives go from here (00:57). Also this week: Does the

With Andy Burnham

24 min listen

Andy Burnham has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. Before this he held prominent positions in Gordon Brown’s cabinet, including health secretary and culture secretary. On the podcast he recalls Friday night ‘chippy teas’ as a child, the oddity of having food items named after him and discusses his work tackling food insecurity