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Share Your Secrets Season 4: Show Notes for Episodes 1-3

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EPISODE 1 (Cornish Saffron Buns and Welsh Rarebit)

Overview:

In the first episode of Series 4, Miriam Rendell chats with Duncan Swainsbury about the latest Bounceback Food news. He updates us about the new community kitchen that has opened in Altrincham and how it has already had a massive impact on the local community. He also re-lives eating Cornish Saffron Buns as a child on family holidays and gives some tips on how to bake and eat them. Miriam then talks to guest Rose Geraedts about converting an old Victorian school into The International Welsh Rarebit Centre and the true history behind the local dish. 

Miriam sits down with Duncan to discuss the story behind opening a community kitchen in a converted shipping container, which operates on a unique buy one, give one model. The kitchen now serves 12 sheltered accommodation sites across Manchester, providing regular, hot meals to those in need. The episode delves into the impact of this initiative and its future plans, including expanding to other major UK cities. Duncan highlights the kitchen’s open-door policy, where beneficiaries can come in for a hot drink and meal without any questions asked. Listeners will get to hear about the diverse menu, featuring comforting one-pot dishes like curry and soup, along with toasties and brunch options. He then debates which way round you should have cream and jam on a Cornish Saffron Bun and Miriam fills us in about the area’s rich history with Saffron. 

Miriam then talks to Rose about her journey from the Netherlands to Wales, where she developed a deep love for Welsh Rarebit whilst working in local cafes. She shares her secret tips and tricks for crafting the perfect rarebit and discusses the unique project of transforming an old Victorian school into a charming cafe. The cafe has become a nostalgic spot for locals who once attended the school. Miriam and Rose also delve into the history of Welsh Rarebit, highlighting its origins as a meat substitute and how it has developed into the five types now featured on her menu!

Listen now via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Secrets shared

  • Behind the scenes of starting a community kitchen
  • The future plans for more community kitchens
  • How to get the perfect glow on a Cornish Saffron Bun
  • Different types of Welsh Rarebit toppings you can try at home
  • The future ‘Rabbit Hutch’ food van
  • The overseas appreciation for Welsh Rarebit

Resources:

Interviewees

  • Duncan Swainsbury, Founder of Bounceback Food
  • Rose Geraedts, Founder of The International Welsh Rarebit centre

 EPISODE 2 (Boxty and Ham Hock with Pease Pudding)

Overview:

In the second episode of Series 4, Miriam Rendell chats with Phoebe Hammett about her journey to becoming a community chef at Bounceback Food. Phoebe reveals the inspiration behind the ‘Secret Dishes from Around the UK’ concept and shares her experience of trying Boxty for the first time on New Year’s Eve. The episode also features an insightful interview with entrepreneur Gail Lawler from Big River Bakery, a renowned social enterprise in Newcastle. Gail discusses the bakery’s rise to fame following their appearance on the Hairy Bikers TV show and highlights how their Ham Hock and Pease Pudding on a stottie cake has become their best-selling item.

Miriam asks Phoebe about her culinary journey, exploring how she became a chef and what inspired her favourite recipe from the calendar. Phoebe shares the story behind the idea for the calendar, reflects on her early experiences cooking as a child, and discusses what she loves most about her role as a Bounceback chef. Additionally, they touch on the exciting launch of the community kitchen in Altrincham, highlighting its impact and significance.

Miriam chats with Gail Lawler about the origins of Big River Bakery, including how she and her husband launched the business and navigated the challenges of running a market stall in its early years. Gail highlights their employability scheme that supports neurodivergent individuals into employment. She also talks about their self-funded kids’ baking classes and her book featuring Scotty the Stottie! Gail delves into the historical roots of Ham Hock and Pease Pudding, and how this traditional dish went from being cooked in big cauldrons for family meals and is now sold at their bakery.

Listen now via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

 Secrets Shared:

  • The story behind the 2025 recipe calendar
  • How family can impact a cooking journey
  • The rhyme “Pease Pudding hot, Pease Pudding cold, Pease Pudding in the pot nine days old”
  • The struggles of working on a market stall
  • The story behind dishes ‘Boxty’ and ‘Ham Hock and Pease Pudding’
  • Big River Bakery self-fund children’s classes at their Bakery
  • The true impact of being featured on a TV programme

Resources:

Interviewees

  • Phoebe Hammett, Community Chef at Bounceback Food
  • Gail Lawler, Founder of Big River Bakery

EPISODE 3 (Cullen Skink and Phall)

Overview:

Episode three features our Head Community Chef, Grant Henderson. Miriam chats to him about the opening of the Community Kitchen and the impact it has made on local beneficiaries knowing they can come and get hot food and some company. He then reveals the simplicity of making a Scottish Cullen Skink. Miriam also talks to chef Zaf from Shebabs Balti restaurant in Birmingham, revealing his true thoughts about the dish Phall. He then tells the rich history of ‘Balti’, how it has been developed and the diverse groups of people that now come to visit the Balti Triangle to try it.

Grant shares his favourite parts of running the community kitchen—connecting with locals and ensuring they have a welcoming place to enjoy a hot meal and a friendly chat. He discusses the winter challenges faced by the kitchen, including the issue of frozen pipes! The conversation then shifts to outdoor cooking classes at an allotment with Headway in Lancaster, where Grant highlights the learning experiences provided through these sessions. He wraps up with a spotlight on Cullen Skink, a traditional haddock dish from Cullen in the North East of Scotland. He reveals that “skink” originally referred to a beef shin stock, showcasing how this recipe has evolved over time and now is a regular on the specials board at his past workplaces.

Miriam then chats with Zaf about the fascinating history of Birmingham’s Balti House industry during the 80s and 90s, which gave rise to the famous Balti Triangle. Zaf reveals how this vibrant culinary scene evolved to cater to the city’s demand for quick, fresh, and flavourful food. He shares insights into the rise of the ‘Hairy Biker’ dish—a popular chicken curry named after the iconic TV show that helped popularize it. The discussion also delves into how curries have adapted to suit local tastes, including the infamous ‘Phall’—a fiery dish often requested by stag-dos and created to challenge even the most daring spice lovers. Zaf recounts having to wear masks during particularly intense chili challenges due to their extreme heat!

Secrets shared:

  • Top tips for making Cullen Skink
  • The true origins of Cullen Skink
  • The ups and downs of running an outdoor Community Kitchen
  • There is an interesting Scottish food competition
  • 2025 plans for Bounceback Food 
  • Top tips for the best curries
  • The truth about a ‘Balti’ bowl
  • What Balti chefs really think about the Phall dish

Resources:

Interviewees:

  • Grant Henderson, Head Community Chef at Bounceback Food
  • Zaf, Chef and owner at Shebabs Balti Restaurant
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