New podcast: Flavour Episode 1 with Ben Ebbrell

Originally, this was posted to my Substack.

This is a bit of an experiment. I love to taste things, especially new drinks and dishes. In this podcast, Ben Ebbrell calls says his love of food is an addiction to learning and I think that hits the nail on the head. In pure, unadulterated pursuit of learning about new flavours, I’ve decided to launch this podcast to sit down with chefs, restauranteurs, food critics, boozers, travellers and more to learn and devour all I can about taste.

I’ll fess up: this one’s for me. Each episode will be a conversation, largely unedited (I have a day job, side ventures, and life to do) and then shared with you, my fellow foodies and wine lovers. Just like with my guests, I am interested in what you think, too. Flavour is such a joy when it’s shared, so please remember to comment, like, subscribe, share and get involved. There’s some very cool people in these series and I’m game for asking some of your questions as we go.

Ben (great name) is a chef and one of the original four founders of Sorted Food, a hugely successful British YouTube channel built on years of friendship. The channel shares recipes, review segments, gamified cooking challenges, blind tastings, special guests and more. It has amassed almost 3 million subscribers and is viewed by fans all over the world.

The team at Sorted Food today is much bigger, and they’ve also launched an app called Side Kick to help you cook better at home too. Despite all their success, the team haven’t lost an ounce of passion and the production quality of their content gets better year on year. The innovation’s not stopped either, with events like Sorted Live becoming key calendar items for their fans.

My wife and I are huge fans of Sorted and Ben, so it was a pleasure to be able to talk to him about food and drink. Ben was in LA and we recorded the podcast remotely. If you’re wondering what the name of the Mexican dish he mentions forgetting in the podcast, it’s called Mixiote. Ben messaged me after the podcast to say it’s made in the “outer membrane of cactus, which keeps flavours in to steam and bake. But also imparts a lovely savoury, subtle earthy flavour.” Very eager to try that!

Let’s geek out

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Flavour. This is a new thing where I get to geek out a little bit about food, taste, and obviously a little bit of wine. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Ben Ebbrell from the globally successful food channel, Sorted Food.

Ben and I first met at the London Wine Fair, which, for a chef, may seem a little unexpected. But as Ben shares, his journey into wine was driven by the sheer depth of the subject and what you could learn and explore. After doing his Wine & Spirit Education Trust courses, he found that “the more you learn, the more you realise there’s so much more still to learn.” We’ve been there! His studies saw him progress from “wines I knew he liked” to seeking the excitement of something new and unfamiliar with every glass.

The story of Sorted Food

For those who haven’t yet discovered the joy of Sorted Food, it’s an online food and cooking channel that started 15 years ago and now gathers millions of people around the world three times a week. The core of the channel is a friendship that goes back 28 years between the four original founders: Barry, Jamie, Mike, and Ben.

The Catalyst: The starting point was a shared problem: normal home cooks often aren’t taught to cook.

The Challenge: Instead of seeing this as a hurdle, they made it a challenge, exploring food as a conversation and making it more approachable.

The Heart: While food and drink are the catalyst, friendship is the heart of Sorted. “We always know that if any one person needs an extra bit of time or space, the others will pick up the slack.”

The motivation for Ben with Sorted Food has always been an addiction to learning. Whether it’s the future of food innovation or the history of cuisine, there’s always something new to explore. Sorted’s aim is never to be “preachy or teachy,” but to have viewers feel like they’ve joined them at a pub table. It should feel very personal and interactive.

Does spending a bit more guarantee food quality?

Both of us discussed the value of spending more for quality (and how hard it is to go back). I know this to be true with wine but Ben explains it’s also especially true when it comes to meat, fish, and dairy.

“The more you spend on good artisan cheese, the better the cheese is… The more you spend on good meat from a butcher where you know its provenance… I think they’re the things where the correlation between price and quality track.”

It comes down to animal welfare and the passion of the farmers and producers. The takeaway: spend as much as you can afford on high protein sources for better value.

The danger of discovering true quality? Once you’ve tasted the best version of something, it’s very hard to go back. Both of us have found that since our wine journeys began, it’s been “difficult to go back to the cheap plonk.”

Flavour evolution

Our tastes change as we mature. Ben and I both agreed that the palate shifts from an early attraction to sweetness to a later appreciation for bitter and sour flavours.

• Bitter/Sour Addiction: Ben now leans into bitterness, citing experiences with incredible Negroni bars that offered immense variety, and an appreciation for acid in food.
• The Missing Element: He stressed that acid is often the missing element when home cooks season food—most people just add salt, but acid (like lemon juice or vinegar) is crucial for balance.

Travel also has a big influence on how we eat. We definitely bonded over picking holiday destinations for the cuisine on offer, although I am jealous of Ben’s stories from Mexico, as someone who loves that cuisine but have never visited.

Another hot destination Ben talks about is Delhi in India, discovering the authentic food with a local guide who picked out the best street food. When you listen to the chat, you’ll discover we have a mutual love for spice too!

Home cook Q&A

We wrapped up with some burning questions from home cooks:

Q: Why is all fried food so tasty?

A: It’s a combination of factors:

1. Situational: Fried food is often eaten out, in enjoyable circumstances.
2. Fat is Good: Fat equals flavour and richness.
3. Texture and Crunch: The sound of crunching is pleasing and can make you salivate.
4. Aesthetics: Golden brown foods are universally appealing.

• Ben’s Favorite Fried Food: Fish and chips (with a proper crispy batter and good chips) or Japanese tempura with noodle broth.

Q: Is there a “secret sauce” for impressing at a dinner party?

A: If you want that classic restaurant depth, it’s the bone reductions (jus) that provide richness. However, for a simple, vibrant chef cheat, Ben suggests a high-acid, herbaceous sauce like a Chimichurri or Salsa Verde. They cut through rich food, lift a plate visually, and “excite your tongue.”

Q: Do we under-appreciate the role of smell in food?

A: Yes, we do. While wine requires a deep dive into subtle aromas (acacia, violet, etc.) because it lacks the visuals of food, we tend to broadly categorize food smells (“citrusy”) because we have sight, texture, and other elements to play with. However, the nose is a vital trigger, as observed by Ben in a restaurant where diners would lean in to smell their main courses, but lean out to look at the dessert.

Q: How do you spot good fruit or veg, especially tomatoes?

A: It comes down to trust in your supplier, whether it’s a grocer or farmer’s market. With vine tomatoes, the strong smell is crucial. You want to pick them up, sniff them (though maybe not in a busy market!), and ensure they are not fridge-cold, which dulls the aroma and flavour.

I hope you enjoyed the new Flavour pod. Recommendations for my next chat? Drop us a comment below!