Federico Cassino, BAO

Hey folks, welcome back to the Scoop podcast. For this episode I am joined by Zac, who recently became a father! I managed to wrangle some time with him inbetween changing nappies, burping the baby and running a restaurant. Today we talk to Mike Bagnall, the owner and head chef of Auguste in London Fields. His past connections have shaped the menu of his new restaurant, Mikey lived with an Italian family growing up and moved to Abruzzo after lockdown. He doesn’t shy away from trepidation; he took the plunge and began solo concepts, pop ups at Rogues back in the day and now his pub residency ELM at The Montpellier. Join us as we catch up about his restaurants, the London food scene, reviewers, the stereotypical snooty guest and death row meals. I am Stella and I’m gonna take you out for dinner.Mentions:Auguste, London FieldsELM (residency in The Montpellier), PeckhamRogues, Bethnal GreenLardo, London FieldsDough Hands, London Fields and Hackney WickSargasso, MargateNorth Street Kitchen, FoweyTiella, Columbia RoadThe Compton Arms, IslingtonImpala, SohoThe Gunton Arms, NorfolkIndo, Whitechapel (permanently closed)The Grapes, LimehouseThe Anchor and Hope, ClaptonSodo Pizza, multiple locations around London

Hey folks, welcome back to the Scoop podcast. In 2020, Tim Hayward urged people to visit Mei Mei in Borough Market to “experience genius for pocket change”. Queues and queues of eager readers followed, waiting to try Elizabeth Haigh’s Hainanese chicken rice. Elizabeth founded Mei Mei to introduce London to the Singaporean hawker experience and showcase South-East Asian flavours.Three months after the review, Covid lockdown struck - would the hype survive such extremes? The condiment brand Mei Mei Goods was born. And Mei Mei in Borough Market survived! Today, I chat with Elizabeth, who went from architecture to kitchens and now runs both Mei Mei and Mei Mei Goods, alongside building a huge presence on Instagram.I’m Stella, and I’m gonna take you out for dinner.Mentions:Elizabeth HaighMei Mei, BoroughMei Mei (takeaway)Mei Mei GoodsPidgin, Hackney (permanently closed)

Hey folks, welcome back to the Scoop podcast. I feel so lucky to have had this conversation. You can tell just how successful this place is from the audio - absolutely bustling outside!Bao is awesome - it has always been delicious, good value and has a creative food and drink menu. Federico, the executive chef of Bao has worked all over the world, learning about different cultures and flavours in places like Argentina, Barcelona and the US. He has travelled alongside his wife - exploring and creating restaurants together! Since working at BAO, he has honed his business skills and worked on building a kind culture. It was so refreshing to talk to a chef who has a young family about how you juggle your personal and professional lives. You really can do it all! I’m Stella and I am gonna take you out for dinner. Thank you so much to Federico for giving me his time and letting me try some tasty dishes. If you’d like to hear regular updates of the Scoop podcast, follow me on Instagram @stellagent, and follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Mentions: BaoFederico Cassino, Executive Chef at Bao Find me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the latest updates. What do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM

Hey folks, welcome back to Stella’s Scoop. In our current climate, luck and relentlessness are two main traits you need to grow a business - you have to be lucky enough to love what you do so much that you can be courageous, take risks, work overtime to get tasks done, and be adaptable in moments of hardship. Abhi and Frank are the founders of 6 of 1 hospitality group - a group with some great establishments like Master Bao, Wonton Charlie’s and the newest site Cafe Kowloon. Join me whilst these two founders take me through their journey of discovery from being introduced, to opening their first site and tackling parenthood alongside running a hospitality business. I’m Stella, and I’m gonna take you out for dinner. Mentions:6 0f 1 Hospitality GroupCafe Kowloon, London FieldsMaster Bao, WestfieldMr Bao, PeckhamDaddy Bao, Tooting Good Measure, TootingWonton Charlie’s, London FieldsMiga, HackneyBrat, ShoreditchBig JJ Seafood Hotpot, Hong KongImpala, Soho Palomar, SohoPublic House GroupThe Barbary, Covent GardenTollington’s, Finsbury ParkFind me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the latest updates. What do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM

Hey folks, welcome back to the Scoop podcast. Living in London, I am spoiled for choice by delicious, great quality and easily accessible produce. From Tamworth pork chops, to wild, line-caught fish from Steve Hatt’s fishmongers, to fresh seasonal fruit and veg at local grocers, and milk and cheese from family-run dairies. Today, I am speaking with Yvonne Yeoh, the Sales Director at Neal's Yard Dairy - one of the key individuals who makes high-quality cheese and dairy products accessible and respected. From a long career in finance to becoming a commis chef at 36, she has worked her way through kitchens, pastry, bakeries, and now specialises in cheese - Yvonne. Many of the restaurants I have worked at have featured cheese from Neal’s Yard. Having tasted a fair few, I have become a huge fan - my personal favourite is Elrick Log from Lanark in Scotland. Now I go behind the scenes to really understand how their business functions. Mentions:Neal's Yard DairyPierre KoffmanSollip, SouthwarkFind me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the latest updates. What do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM

Hey folks, welcome back to the Scoop podcast. Today, I am speaking with Kirk Haworth, the head chef and co-owner of Plates. This is the only Michelin-starred, fully plant-based restaurant in the UK. This idea arose from Kirk’s personal struggle with health; he began battling Lyme disease in his mid to late 20s after working in kitchens from the age of 12. The illness turned his life upside down, and he had to take time out of the kitchen, change his own diet and in turn revolutionise his culinary style. With training from restaurants like The French Laundry, Restaurant Sat Bains and The Square, his radical new repertoire hasn’t just brought plant-based eating into the mainstream — it’s captured the culinary zeitgeist and earned Plates its first Michelin star.I’m Stella, and I’m gonna take you out for dinner. Mentions:⁠Kirk Haworth⁠⁠Plates, Shoreditch⁠⁠Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham⁠⁠The French Laundry, Napa Valley⁠⁠The Square⁠ (permanently closed)⁠Lee Westcott⁠Find me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the latest updates. What do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM

Hey folks, welcome back to the Scoop podcast. Today, I am speaking with Kirk Haworth, the head chef and co-owner of Plates. This is the only Michelin-starred, fully plant-based restaurant in the UK. This idea arose from Kirk’s personal struggle with health; he began battling Lyme disease in his mid to late 20s after working in kitchens from the age of 12. The illness turned his life upside down, and he had to take time out of the kitchen, change his own diet and in turn revolutionise his culinary style. With training from restaurants like The French Laundry, Restaurant Sat Bains and The Square, his radical new repertoire hasn’t just brought plant-based eating into the mainstream — it’s captured the culinary zeitgeist and earned Plates its first Michelin star.I’m Stella, and I’m gonna take you out for dinner. Mentions:Kirk HaworthPlates, ShoreditchRestaurant Sat Bains, NottinghamThe French Laundry, Napa ValleyThe Square (permanently closed)Lee WestcottFind me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠⁠ for the latest updates. What do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM

Hey folks, welcome back to the Scoop podcast. I think a lot of us worry about decision-making, choosing the “right” thing and fulfilling other people’s expectations. Hopefully I’m not just projecting when I say that… but talking to Nick Tannett, the head chef of Moi in Soho, I recognised that mutual feeling. Nick became a chef at the age of 25. Previously, he had worked at the foreign office after studying languages at university. Since 25, he made the switch, and he has gone from strength to strength working in some of the most interesting kitchens in London - Planque, Kitchen Table and Endo at the Rotunda. He has now taken the reins for the opening of Moi, a Japanese-inspired restaurant on Wardour Street. Let this conversation prove that you’re never behind and that the kitchen's creativity and communal nature are powerful. I’m Stella, and I’m gonna take you out for dinner.Mentions:Moi, SohoMAD Restaurant GroupALTA, SohoEndo, Shepherd’s Bush (temporarily closed)Evernight, Nine Elms (temporarily closed)Nuno MendesAllegra, Stratford (permanently closed)Patrick PowellSager and Wild, Hackney Sebastian MyersPlanque, HaggerstonKitchen Table, FitzroviaThe Laughing Heart, Hackney (permanently closed)Tom AngleseaThe French House, SohoSpeedboat Bar, SohoBerenjak, SohoDorian, Notting HillKiln, SohoYnyshir, WalesGareth WardIkoyi, StrandJeremy ChanDarjeeling Express, SohoKingly Court, Carnaby StreetWildflowers, BelgraviaAaron Clark Potter Perilla, Stoke NewingtonMorchella, Exmouth MarketBen Marks Charlie CroteBrasserie Constance, FulhamFind me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠⁠ for the latest updates. What do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM

Hey folks, today I’m joined by Ben Mackinnon, founder of E5 Bakehouse. What began in a railway arch in Hackney, with neighbours knocking on the door to get involved, has grown into a bakery rooted in community and craft, now with sites in Hackney, Poplar and the new V&A East Storehouse.We spoke about ancient grains, sourdough, and the myth that bread is “bad for you”. As someone who grew up believing that, this conversation shifted my perspective. Like anything we consume, the nutritional value comes down to care, sourcing, fermentation, and process.I’m Stella, and I’m going to take you out for tea and toast. GIVEAWAYThis episode is presented in collaboration with Pump Street Chocolate, who have worked closely with E5 over the years.To celebrate the episode, we’re giving away:• A professional bag of chocolate pastilles, ideal for home bakers and chefs• A dark chocolate gift boxTo enter, like this Instagram post and comment to enter. The winner will be announced on 17 March 2026.Mentions:- Ben Mackinnon, founder of E5 Bakehouse- E5 Bakehouse, Hackney- V&A East Storehouse- Pump Street Chocolate- Landsorten, The European Grain FestivalFind me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠ for the latest updates. What do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM

I sit down with food & drink photographer and social media consultant Milly Kenny-Ryder to talk art, hospitality, branding, and building identity in the F&B world. I’m Stella, and I’m gonna take you out for dinner. Find me!Follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and me on Instagram ⁠⁠@stellagent⁠⁠ for the latest updates. Mentions: - Thoroughly Modern Milly Blog- Thoroughly Modern Milly Instagram- Britain’s Best Bakeries- Weekend Journals- Hoxton Mini Press- Moi, Soho- Alta, Soho- Zoilo, Marylebone- Florencio, Marylebone- Lannan Bakery, Edinburgh - Mabel the Bakery, Norfolk- Leola Bakery, Stroud- Olive Magazine- SubstackWhat do I use to make this podcast?Recording Equipment:Zoom H5ZDM