Brush up on your food knowledge as Borough Talks returns to Borough Market

Calling all London foodies! Returning to the capital’s historic Borough Market this spring/summer is ‘Borough Talks’, a series of after-hours discussions and panels from celebrity chefs and food experts. Names including Michelin-starred chef Pierre Koffman, broadcaster Jay Rayner, cookery writer Claudia Roden and food stylist and writer Olia Hercules will be sharing their experiences of the international food scene.

Keith Davis, managing director, Borough Market, said: ‘As London’s oldest food market, we have always been a place where people come together to connect over food. These talks give us a chance to engage with visitors on a deeper level and discuss the wider topics that impact the food landscape around us. The talks also give people an opportunity to hear from innovators and thought leaders in the industry, up close, in a wonderful, intimate setting.’

Calendar of events

• Tuesday 10 May (7-9pm) : You Are What You Eat: What Shapes Our Food Choices?

A panel discussion about the influence of advertising, design, nostalgia, family traditions and self-images on our culinary choices. Moderated by chef, food writer and author Sybil Kapoor, the panel will include Bee Wilson, food writer and historian; Olia Hercules, author of the acclaimed book Mamushka; award-winning food photographer Patrice De Villiers and Michelin-starred chef James Lowe of Lyle’s Shoreditch fame.

• Tuesday 7 June (7-9pm) : The Secrets Of A Successful Food Start-up

Get exclusive tips and tricks about how to start the next big culinary sensation from some of the industry’s most successful food entrepreneurs. Panellists Jenny Costa, founder of Rubies in the Rubble; Bonnie Chung, founder of Miso Tasty, former food blogger and secret supper club pioneer; Jordan Frieda, co-owner of London restaurants Trullo and Padella and Claire Ptak, owner of east London bakery Violet, will talk about what it takes to create a successful food business in modern Britain.

• Tuesday 14 June & Tuesday 28 June (7-9pm) :  In Conversation

14 June: Cookbook writer and cultural anthropologist Claudia Roden will sit down with Boyd Tonkin, senior writer at The Independent, to give the audience a glimpse into her life as a pioneering food writer, and the role she has played in revolutionising Western attitudes towards other cuisines.

28 June: Michelin-starred chef Pierre Koffmann will share stories from his 50 years working in the industry with Bloomberg’s chief food critic, Richard Vines. Audiences will get a taste of Koffmann’s life as a young chef in Strasbourg and Toulon before he went on to open La Tante Claire, launching his meteoric career in London.

• Tuesday 5 July (7-9pm) : Coming Together: Can Food Be A Force For Change?

A debate on the role of food as a catalyst for social change. Tristram Stuart, campaigner, author and founder of Feedback will be joined by Rosie Boycott, Chair of the London Food Board and food advisor to the Mayor of London, Arthur Kay, designer, entrepreneur and founder of Bio-bean, and Roberta Siao, the Brazilian chef who oversees pop-up restaurant and social enterprise Mazi Mas. Questions will focus on whether a shared love of food can transform lives and regenerate communities.

• Tuesday 20 September (7-9pm) : Pariahs To Pioneers: The Changing Face Of British Food

Renowned restaurant critic and author Jay Rayner will discuss how British food has evolved with Isaac McHale, chef owner of The Clove Club. Moderated by writer, broadcaster and restaurateur Tim Hayward, the panel will also include Executive Chair of Slow Food UK, Shane Holland and award winning author and Fortnum & Mason food writer of the year, Sybil Kapoor. Find out how Britain went from its famed bad cooking to being one of the world’s most open, exciting and innovative sources of good food.

• Borough Talks events will place in the heart of Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, Borough, SE1 1TL. Nearest station: London Bridge. Tickets: £15 (include wine and food from market traders). Book in advance via the Borough Market website.

For the history of Borough Market, click here.

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