From bakes to heartaches...
There’s something for everyone in this week’s round up of the best podcasts
OLIVE
BOASTING about the foaminess of your sourdough starter would once have meant that you were avoided at parties. But for the past 12 months baking – and eating – has been one of the few opportunities for exploration.
Foodie magazine Olive’s podcast appeals to all abilities of cooks, from chats with TV chefs to in-depth consideration of single ingredients.
Led by food director Janine Ratcliffe, there are more than 220 episodes, featuring everything from New York’s bakery scene to why we should all be eating more goat.
A series of four episodes about vegan food has just started. WHERE TO START: There’s a lovely interview with Bake Off’s Chetna Makan or the cider-focused episode from September will have you reappraising the drink.
WHERE TO FIND IT: All podcast apps.
WHAT I KNOW NOW
Instagram influencer Amelia Liana’s look at dating and relationships is a fun and fascinating listen whether you’re hoping for romance or have long blocked out the worst bits of your single days.
Launched four months after being suddenly dumped by her fiancé, the first episode is an enlightening interview with relationship expert Shelley J Whitehead, whose coaching helped the host move on from her break-up.
But there’s nothing downhearted about this podcast. Amelia is a happy, generous presenter and her pals have a positive outlook on life. WHERE TO START: The dating horror stories episode from last March is pure schadenfreude.
WHERE TO FIND IT: All podcast apps.
SOUR HALL
Doctor Who’s Pearl Mackie and Lucy Fallon (Corrie’s Bethany Platt) star in this psychologically spooky dramatisation of a short story by Naomi Booth.
The original story was so perfectly crafted that it’s impossible to improve upon but Laura Kirwan Ashman’s audio drama fleshes out the characters and simple plot, as well as the supernatural elements, in a way that’s faithful to the original.
Ash (Mackie) moves to a farm with her girlfriend where they are forced to confront the heartbreaking moments of their separate pasts as they try to build a life together.
The actors bring huge warmth to the roles, making you really care about them as they struggle through.
WHERE TO START: Episode one.
WHERE TO FIND IT: It’s an Audible Original podcast, as is Hag which features the original story.