Award-winning chef, TV host, and author Mark Moriarty has added another string to his bow as of late, bringing his food-obsessed mind to the world of podcasting.
Back with a brand-new season of Roasted, sponsored by M&S Food, Moriarty is speaking with a range of well-known Irish personalities about the dishes that mean most to them.
"It's a completely different skill than anything else I've ever done," says the chef. "I'm enjoying the fact that there are a shedload of podcasts out there, but I think we're doing something unique with the food. It definitely helps with breaking down the barrier with guests who are used to more formal interviews."
Across the 12-part series, Mark will delve into the lives of sports stars, social media favourites, politicians, and comedians to discover the meals that bring them back to their childhoods, and the snacks that keep them sustained through their busy days.
To get the conversation flowing, Mark will butter up his guests with a personalised dish, inspired by one of their favourite ingredients.
"You get good guests on because you're offering to cook for them," he laughs. "You really lean into childhood dishes they loved because, immediately then, you're getting very personal and, generally, they end up staying very personal throughout."
Last year's series led to surprising revelations, such as Brian O'Driscoll’s early morning baking, Leo Varadkar’s obsession with ice-cream, and Bryan Dobson’s love of spuds.
"This year, we had a few more surprising guests that people might not know as much about, but turned out to be really fascinating conversations," he explains.
In the latest season, Moriarty will chat with a range of characters, including politician Michael Healy-Rae, comedian Joe McGucken, and sporting legend Paul McGinley, Paralympic swimmer Ellen Keane, and influencer Charleen Murphy.
"It's a very personal gift in a very materialistic world," he says of cooking for others. "There's a great joy in cooking for someone and giving it to them, and watching them, hopefully, love it. That's a very personal experience between two people. That really feeds into how this podcast works."
Listen to Roasted with Mark Moriarty on Spotify, Apple, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
