Flavour
A fortnightly show dedicated to food and drink produced and enjoyed in and around Cambridge. It explores local culinary scenes, recipes, and interviews with food producers and enthusiasts.
Episodes
Flavour: Kerb Kollective to leave museum
News about Kerb Kollective. How the 'meat on the menu' experiment is going at Fin Boys, and a new initiative. Surviving the heat: how market traders are coping. Along with local food and drink news, social media updates, free food in Cambridge and job vacancies too.
Flavour: New butcher on Grantchester Street
Local businesses change hands as we pay a visit to a new butcher taking over Cousin’s site on Grantchester Street, and The Derby Stores in Newnham is coming under new ownership. Meanwhile a new Italian pasta and pizzeria is about to open on Victoria Avenue, and a new community garden launches in Arbury. Presented by Matt Bentman and Alan Alder.
Flavour: The Green Man
In this edition, we’re checking out the delights of a Brazilian Barbecue and the kinds of foods you can expect from one down at The Green Man in Grantchester, we catch up with the new owner of the Blue Ball pub, also in Grantchester. And if you go down to the woods today, you won’t have to believe your eyes, just your ears as our regular food foraging chef takes on a whole new role. Presented by M
Flavour: New chef at Burleigh Arms
Stunning food at the Burleigh Arms, the new chef describes the ideas behind some of the dishes. A big award for The Rupert Brook. Paulina's Chilean Bakery nominated for Velvet Magazine award. The wine club at Dovecote Cellar. Plus a huge amount of local food and drink news, social media updates and our jobs roundup.
Flavour: Hot Numbers anniversary
The smell of success is coffee, at least for Hot Numbers celebrating 15 years in Cambridge! We chat to owner Simon Fraser. And if coffee's not your thing how about matcha tea served by Bubble Bliss on the market! The award-winning Mulino team discuss their latest venture, and there's a new Thai menu at The White Horse in Barton. Presented by Matt Bentman and Christine Schneider.
Flavour: Fin Boys put meat on the menu
Finding out why Fin Boys has added meat to its menu. Celebrating International Carrot Day with enticing ideas from Rosie Sykes for sweet carrot dishes, including for breakfast, and a stunning savoury carrot dish from Vanderlyle's Alex Rushmer. Sue Bailey presents a history of carrots. We also hear about Cambridge Organic's new venture. Presented by Matt Bentman and Alan Alder.
Flavour: The Shopkeepers Daughter
A plant shop may not be the obvious place for good coffee, unless you pay a visit to The Shopkeepers Daughter in the city centre and try their perfect People’s flat white! Neapolitan Panini is the order of the day at King’s Dough. The Copper Kettle restaurant on King’s Parade detail their history as they approach a century in business, and the people behind ‘Borshch Time’ tell us about their upcom
Flavour: Ellimata; The Cherry Pit; Alex Rushmer
The Cambridge café that's now also a venue for music, supper clubs and comedy. A platform for connecting with new people in restaurants or over coffee. New delivery options from The Cherry Pit and from Van Jarred's refills van. Alex Rushmer with ideas for rhubarb. Discovering artisan jams at Culinaris. Lots of local food and drink news too.
Flavour: Coffee and Toast
VG Coffee owner reflects on how the last five years have brought success and failure in equal measure. A new cafe offering old favourite coffees and teas well as experimental versions. The chef who uses his sense of smell, rather than taste, to get dishes right. The experience of fasting at Ramadan. Toast, an appreciation. Presented by Matt Bentman, Alan Alder and Sue Bailey.
Flavour: Bertie’s Cheesecakes arrive at Cambridge Market
A look at what's in season at Culinaris and some cooking tips too. A new food stall at Cambridge market. Foraging tips for February. Some tales from Mill Road pubs.
Flavour: Mark Poynton on The Future of Restaurants
Restaurants are suffering financially. Mark Poynton of the Ancient Shepherds talks about which ones are likely to survive and how the situation compares with recent years. Scott's All Day's new community offer and how the restaurant came to be. Ideas for cheap, warming, vegetarian meals. A report from the Community Garden. Lots of local food and drink news too.
Flavour Best of 2025
A look back at the food and drink scene in 2025. The new places, the new beginnings, the oldies but goodies, plus up to the minute news about what's happening now.
Flavour: Mark Poynton’s 30 Years
Celebration time! Bee Wilson's MBE, Mark Poynton's 30 years as a chef, last weekend's Mill Road Winter Fair, Christmas food and wines. All celebrated in this edition of Flavour. With Matt Bentman and Alan Alder.
Flavour: Taste from Hungary
If you like pepper on your Paprikash and your nuts distinctly organic then join Flavour who are in deep conversation with local chef’s talking about their favourite ingredients. A new eco-café waxes lyrical over seaweed salad. A bake-off winner discusses their winning dish, and a Hungarian restaurant dares you to make it through its serving platter. With Matt Bentman and Alan Alder.
Flavour: Artyst; The Cherry Branch; food tastings
If you’ve ever fancied a pie at the gates of dawn (or a mean potato & leek soup), then set your bike to interstellar overdrive and head up to the recently opened Artyst on Chesterton Road, a vibrant cafe with a gastronomy dominé menu, Flavour discovers its food this week. A visit to The Cherry Branch, a community café embracing a multicultural menu in Cherry Hinton. And wine and food tastings for
Flavour: The Handsome Prince
Alice Ryan, editor of Velvet magazine, talks about Cambridge's changing food scene. A new bar is about to open in Kings Street. Jack Baron, co-owner of The Handsome Prince explains what will be on offer from its 20 taps. Further along King Street, Elis, who owns The Cherry Pit, runs through her plans for new, seasonal pie flavours. A top Cambridge chef reveals his guilty food secret. There's a cat
Flavour: Breckland Orchard, Market House, Camms Meals on Wheels
What the new head chef at Market House is cooking up. A new refill station, in a van, with impressive quality foodstuffs, some from local independents. Camms Meals on Wheels, what they offer and their focus on nutritional quality and flexibility. Breckland Orchard and Hill Farm Oils, how these successful local companies started and what they offer. Presented by Matt Bentman and Alan Alder.
Flavour: New season’s fry-up
A new home bakery specialising in a wide variety of Basque Cheesecakes, including macha, pistachio and Taiwanese sesame. An award winning vegan pastry chef's Halloween tea at Thrive. Vanderlyle morphs into the Pink Rabbit cocktail bar, for one night only. Wonky Kitchens' pub residence with brunches, mains and smash burgers, Belgian beer pickles and Cowboy butter. Thomas Ridley's forthcoming food a
Flavour: Michelin Chefs at Ancient Shepherds
Michelin chefs join forces at Mark Poynton's Ancient Shepherds to create an extraordinary menu. The Regenerative Food Fair on Parker's Piece. Cambridge Market's proposed redevelopment: a stall holder speaks. A clear and concise guide to food and wine pairing from the Dovecote Cellar. A visit to the child- and food-friendly Orchard Farm.
Flavour: The Pear & Olive
The new-ish owners of the highly regarded Pear and Olive on the pleasures and pains of running a small restaurant. The hidden cake shop. Fin Boys' plan for moving to seven days a week, their forthcoming tuna night and the appeal of small plates. The Edge Cafe's cheap Wednesday lunch deal and a catch-up. A new series of wine tastings, for the beginner, at Cambridge Wine Merchants. With Matt Bentman
Flavour: GongFu Cha Chinese Tea; Florey; La Biga Pizza
We meet with the owners of new coffee shop Florey. off West Road, discuss sourdough Neapolitan pizzas with the mother & daughter team of La Biga Pizza, relax a little with a GongFu Cha Chinese tea ceremony, and go foraging for fruit with chef Steve Thompson. Presented by Matt Bentman and Dr Sue Bailey.
Flavour: Ukraine lunches; Rupert Brooke anniversary
The charity lunches raising funds for volunteer paramedics on the Ukrainian border. How Grantchester's Rupert Brooke pub is faring one year after Pascky Benedetto reopened it. And a new organisation aiming to bring a greater variety of food trucks to a pitch near you and offer opportunities for new start-ups.
Flavour: Mark Poynton
Mark Poynton talks about his new restaurant Ancient Shepherds by Mark Poynton, the food and the drinks. Bee Wilson on her new book. News of the likely opening date of The Artyst, the cafe/bar dedicated to Syd Barrett. Jenny Jeffrey's award-winning new book. How the hot weather will affect future English wine vintages. Lots of local food news too.
Flavour: Frederic’s on the River
A visit to Frederic's on the River, which searches out and sells the very highest quality produce. Lee Clarke of Parker's Tavern on his approach to food, and the best dish he has ever eaten. A new home cooking business from Cat Insana, who previously ran a restaurant in northern China: noodles, steamed buns, dumplings, meats, spices and chilli oil.
Flavour: Celebrating Dave Fox
In this edition of Flavour, a celebration of the life of allotmenteer Dave Fox who provided so much entertaining advice to Flavour listeners over the years. Dave died last week. Daily Bread faces 'a crisis'; what caused it and what can be done to help this ethical supermarket? And summer foods: the new menu at Market House and advice on salad making from Alex Rushmer of Vanderlyle.
Flavour: Cruel summer?
Cruel summer? With the driest Spring since 1961 we visit a Market Garden and an allotment to see how crops & plants have been affected in Cambridge. Steve Thompson goes foraging, and fermenting with Kombucha! We get the lowdown on Transition Cambridge on the importance of local food through great projects & groups, and discover gut & hormone friendly pasta courtesy of The Nuffin Man! Presented by
Flavour: Alex Rushmer
Matt Bentman and Alan Alder discover Alex Rushmer of Vanderlyle's approach to designing new dishes with exciting, and often novel, combinations of ingredients. The story behind Fin Boys' much praised prawn toast. How Mulino Handmade Pasta succeeds by adapting to changes in the market. A visit to SweetPea Market Garden to find out how careful, environmentally sensitive growing produces excellent fr
Flavour: Briar Farm, Market Gardens & Flux Coffee
The local market garden that grows tea and South American root vegetables alongside traditional salad crops, fruit and vegetables and which is a haven for owls and bats. The reasons for the imminent closing of the highly-regarded Harvey's Coffee House. Ideas for asparagus from local chefs. And a new café opens in Cambridge.
Flavour: Asli’s Cakes and Bakery
Asli's Cakes and Bakery with hot Dubai-chocolate strawberry cup, homemade croissants and cakes. Local and good: Sweetpea Market Garden and The Cambridge Juice Company, which is celebrating 25 years in business. A new wine shop opens at Burwash which is also selling local beers. Plus, free food in Cambridge, food and drink news, social media updates and a jobs roundup. Presented by Matt Bentman.
Flavour: European Cuisine on Cambridge Market; supper club turns Japanese
It's an Asian fusion night at the next Gwydir Street Supper Club, Kirstan Horne talks about the food and the inspiration from his recent trip to Japan. Eastern European Cuisine on Cambridge Market: borek, pirozhki, placinte and others. The nose-to-tail banquets at Parker's Tavern. Ideas for rhubarb. Lots of food and drink news too, a jobs roundup and free food in Cambridge.
From the Pavilion: Lockdown Podcast with Mark Wood
In this week’s From The Pavilion: Lockdown Podcast, England fast bowler Mark Wood joins Ollie Slack, Callum Guest and Alex Sears to reminisce over last summer’s Cricket World Cup Final […]
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