HEARD - HOOVERING PODCAST

Continuing with my foray into the excellent 'food and chat' podcast genre, next up is Hoovering by Jessica Fostekew. I was first brought to it by yet another food/chat podcast, the uber-cool Table Manners with Jessie Ware. Guest Cariad Lloyd mentioned Hoovering as another podcast that focused heavily on food, and I was searching for it on iTunes before she had even finished describing the concept. Food and comedy? What better combination?

The format is simple: Jessica sits down with another comedian/actor/notable name, and discusses food and what it means to them. It can get as deep or as silly as they like. And it's accompanied by some always yummy sounding, nearly-always vegan snacking.

I'd heard and enjoyed Jess hosting the Comedy Club on BBC Radio 4 Extra, but that was the extent of it. Through this podcast, she has quickly become someone I feel like I know very well, without actually having met her (probably shown by the fact that I'm now referring to her as 'Jess', despite not being sure she does so herself...). It genuinely feels like she is chatting to you through the headphones. Where Table Manners can feel impossibly cool and aspirational, Jess never takes herself remotely seriously, and her self-deprecating manner sets her apart from Ware and her showbiz pals. Not that she's short on big names for her show; she's sat down for a natter with James Acaster, Aisling Bea, Ed Gamble, Josie Long, Monica Galetti and Romesh Ranganathan (the latter as a guest on one of the Hoovering Live specials.) Equally though, she has introduced me to names I would otherwise never have encountered, from food stylists to personal trainers. For every guest, no matter their level of fame, Jess comes across as genuinely, earnestly fascinated by what they have to say, without appearing fake or gushing. It's harder than it sounds. Even with one guest who I'd describe as 'tricky' (and by that I mean, getting blood from a stone would probably have been easier than getting them to offer up chat), she stays enthusiastic and passionate. It's seriously impressive.

Jess is frank about the fact that she has had, and continues to have, therapy regarding her relationship with food. And if we are all honest, none of us have a 'perfect’ relationship with eating. Restricting, bingeing, obsessing, neglecting - keeping ourselves fed and watered everyday is a minefield of opinions, bad advice and impossible decision making. But there is also joy to be found in it, which Jess always manages to do. She also manages to enthuse consistently about the food made for her by guests, and lets be honest, it can't be that good every time. Describing herself as 'vegan-ish', she explains that she is trying to be vegan for the sake of the environment (something which, if we're honest. we should all be attempting) without being legalistic about it. She displays the perfect level of self-awareness regarding this lifestyle choice; no, it's not feasible or affordable for everyone. She knows she is in a privileged position. And thus she is passionate about making it a lifestyle which is not related to wealth or background.

When it comes to personal favourite episodes, mine is probably - shock - James Acaster's. It's one of her earlier recordings, and there is something nice about hearing him out of 'character' and out of the host's chair; he is relaxed yet still able to provide very Acaster-esque anecdotes. The honesty and frankness of Cariad Lloyd and Aisling Bea's episodes also resonate with me.

Jess's almost apologetic requests for podcast support never feel like something I want to skip past. And she always stresses that if you can't afford a financial donation, then to please tell people you know about the podcast. And I have been doing that in spades. Find her Patreon here, and follow her on Twitter/Instagram as @thehooveringpod.

But most importantly, please download and enjoy this wonderful podcast. It's truly the equivalent of an hour-long hug for your ears. And if you're only just coming to it now, how lucky you are to have a whole year's worth of audio feasting to catch up on!