Episodes

  • Ab Rogers, Designer
    Jul 13 2026

    Ab Rogers is a visionary designer. He is also my stepson.

    For over 50 years, we’ve been side by side, taking adventures together.

    Today, we’re together in the River Cafe to share stories - memories of his father and my husband Richard Rogers - travels, families, work and food.

    We will also talk about five women who inspired the way he cooks, and the creative methods he uses to bring ingredients together, creating some of the most delicious food I’ve eaten in my life.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    36 mins
  • Bonus: Erin Lyall on Eating With Soldiers
    Jul 10 2026

    Erin Lyall, a conflict producer for CBS News, reveals what it's like to eat with soldiers, how an army feeds itself, and how she personally recovers after the strain of working in a war zone.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    7 mins
  • Erin Lyall, Conflict Producer For CBS News
    Jul 6 2026

    As a conflict producer for CBS News, Erin Lyall has eaten with Ukrainian soldiers on the freezing front line, cooked with families in their homes in Gaza, and shared meals on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq with bullets sounding in the distance.

    From these experiences in the field, Erin created Food Under Fire, a unique food blog featuring recipes, anecdotes, and portraits of the people she's met on her journalistic travels.

    Today, we're together in the safety of the River Café to talk about how food can bring us together, both in war and in peace.

    Order Table 4 at The River Cafe—the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    40 mins
  • Bonus: Graham Norton on why you should work in a restaurant
    Jul 3 2026

    Graham Norton reveals what he learned from working in restaurants, what he noticed about tricky customers, and why he would recommend the experience to everyone.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    6 mins
  • Mel Brooks Turns 100
    Jul 2 2026

    This week marks a very special occasion. My friend, Mel Brooks, is turning 100.

    For the best part of a century, he has lit up the world with his warmth and humour, delighting audiences as a writer, director, actor and comedian. From The Producers and Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein, his unique talents have left an indelible mark on film, television and theatre.
    To celebrate Mel, we're going to revisit some of the best moments from his wonderful appearance on Ruthie's Table 4, back in 2023 - one of my favourite ever episodes.

    We talk about the food of his childhood in Brooklyn, keeping carp in the bathtub, eating in the army, his friendship with Cary Grant, his uncanny impression of a cat, and many more memories from one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    20 mins
  • Graham Norton
    Jun 29 2026

    To be a truly great host, as Graham Norton is every week on his television sofa, you have to understand and genuinely like people. It's the same for me at the River Café. There's no such thing as a difficult customer. Everybody has a story, and every table is a world.

    Usually it's Graham asking the questions, but today, he's answering mine—about his early years in an American commune, his time working in restaurants, cooking, writing, and the art of hosting.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    35 mins
  • Giulio Bertelli, Filmmaker
    Jun 22 2026

    Last September, at the Venice Film Festival, I went to see Agon — a radical and powerful film. Afterwards, I immediately changed my schedule to attend a dinner for its director, Giulio Bertelli.

    Today, Giulio and I are back together in Hammersmith to discuss his filmmaking, the food of his childhood in Milan, his time as a professional sailor, the history of food and seafaring, and the company he has built as he looks to food's future.

    Order Table 4 at The River Cafe—the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    31 mins
  • Piers Morgan, Broadcaster
    Jun 15 2026

    Everyone knows Piers Morgan as a journalist, editor, and fearless interviewer. But I also know him as someone who loves food and can describe in detail what makes a great restaurant.

    Today, we're here together to talk about growing up in his family's country pub, the postcard he cherishes from his mother, drinks with Bill Clinton, dining with Tom Hanks, and seeing the glass half full.

    Order Table 4 at The River Cafe—the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    48 mins