Lick The Plate: Food is community

From the wonderful stage and voice actor Cameron Bernard Jones, Lick The Plate explores how cuisine and food culture ties into the everyday. With conversations shared over a snack, a meal, a cocktail or simply over a tea or coffee, listeners and guests get to know each other by savouring memories, sipping curiosities, spilling tea and serving up good vibes!

We caught up with Cameron to ask him more about how the show came to be…

Tell us about the podcast! Where did the idea for the show come from?

Lick the Plate was born out of my realisation that everything I do socially has food and/or drink as an element. Cuisine is a true passion of mine and has been for such a long time. In the past I have narrated a podcast not of my own creation, and I’ve also co-hosted a podcast of which I was a co-creator. I always wanted to singularly host my own podcast but feared that I would never have the time to create something from scratch, given how busy my life can be as an actor.

When a business venture’s door closed prematurely, I suddenly had time. Although it was unfortunate for that to have happened, it was a blessing in disguise. You know the saying: “When one door closes, another one opens.” Once I had the free time, and once I convinced myself to take the leap, my creative juices overflowed and out came Lick the Plate!

Why podcasting? What is it about the medium that you enjoy so much?

There is a freedom and autonomy that the medium of podcasting welcomes. It is one of the few types of media in which you can truly and unapologetically be authentic to who you are as a creator. The more authentic and honest a podcast’s theme and voice is, the better. There are so many types of podcasts, with so many ways to execute, and I love how the genre is open to so many variations of expression and production value. Podcasting made me realise that I love to edit and produce! I most enjoy the technical elements of it. Being that my podcast is edited, I really get into the nitty-gritty of the audio production and am really focused on making sure that listener experience is top-notch.

Food podcasts are very popular, why do you think the topic lends itself to podcasting so well?

Food is community; food is fellowship; food is life! No matter where you come from, food is a crucial element to culture. It’s how we share stories. It’s one of the things we use to bookmark moments in life. Every person has a relationship with food, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent, so it is the perfect vehicle for driving conversation and for discovery.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

Of the many podcasts I have in my library, I take inspiration most from The Guardian’s Comfort Eating with Grace Dent; Where’s Home Really? with Jimi Famurewa; Stirring It Up with Andi & Miquita Oliver; The West End Frame Show; and Busy Being Black. It’s so much about storytelling and each of those podcasts tell stories in such engaging, honest ways – with unique personality.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

Hands down my dream guest is Stanley Tucci! I love everything he does and I feel like I would have a ball just chatting with him about food and life. His book Taste is one of my favourite books ever and our passion for both cuisine and travel align. Plus both of our voices on one podcast – melt in your mouth (or ear?) goodness!

What do you hope listeners take away from the show?

Oftentimes ‘cuisine’ can feel inaccessible; it can have connotations of being exclusionary. I hope that listeners embrace that food of all types – from street food to haute cuisine – is for everyone, regardless of race, class, education, socioeconomic background or culture. It’s all about food’s accessibility. I want them to embrace that we as human beings are very much connected through food, and realise how much we may actually have in common. Food is global and I want listeners to have a global listening experience. People should feel welcome to walk away from the podcast and eat or drink something new that they’ve never had before.

Anything else you would like readers to know?

Season 1 is going so well and I am looking forward to sharing more food stories with people. You can look out for Season 2 of Lick the Plate in the springtime! Make sure to subscribe on the podcast platform of choice and follow on social media to keep up-to-date with everything. – @licktheplatepodcast

Listen to Lick The Plate on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other popular podcast apps >>

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