Out For Lunch
(Somethin’ Else)
Going out to a nice restaurant for lunch seems but a distant memory in these days of lockdown. It also posed a problem for Masterchef judge and food critic Jay Rayner, whose hit podcast, Out To Lunch, was predicated on, well, going out for lunch.
Since launching last March, the first two series topped the podcast charts and recorded its millionth listener by the end of the year.
For the third series, Jay has had to adapt.
Instead of dining out in a restaurant, the food guru orders a takeaway lunch to be delivered to both his and his guest’s homes. Jay then chats with the celebrity over a video link while they eat together, yet independently.
Jay’s long believed a great meal is the perfect vehicle for disclosure, with people relaxing more and giving the best version of themselves over lunch. Listeners seem to agree. Previous guests who were able to eat and chat with Jay face-toface include Spice Girl Mel C, actors Jamie Dornan and Aisling Bea, and singer Jessie Ware. In addition to the lockdown episodes, Jay recorded a number of interviews prior to the pandemic, including model Dita Von Teese and comedian Romesh Ranganathan, and these also feature in the new series. Guests confirmed to appear for the special lockdown episodes include singer George Ezra, Wild Rose actor Jessie Buckley and former Labour cabinet minister Ed Balls. Whether the interaction across a computer screen is as strong, revealing and honest as it is across a dinner table remains to be seen. But at least, in these new surroundings, the celebrities can quietly push their meal aside if it doesn’t hit the spot, without Rayner noticing or being offended.