Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S16 Ep 11: Romy

Episode Date: December 27, 2023

To help you get through this strange time between Christmas and New Year, we offer up an absolutely gorgeous new episode with the phenomenal Romy for you. Lead singer of the acclaimed band The XX and riding high off the success of her fantastic debut solo record, Mid Air, Romy joined us for dins & mum outdid herself with a triumphant vegan menu (!). We find out that Romy and her wife Vic are weekly listeners of the podcast, we learn who her dream dinner party guests would be (mostly Madonna!), and how she feels about being told that people conceived their children while listening to her music! Romy is nominated for a Grammy this year and I couldn’t be more proud of her. Thank you for being the most wonderful guest Romy, her album 'Mid Air' is available to buy & stream now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome back. I hope you are sufficiently stuffed after Christmas. That sounds terrible, Jessie. Why? I hope you're sufficiently stuffed after Christmas. I'm talking about food. What are you talking about? That sounds awful, darling. It just sounds rather vulgar. I was literally talking about food. Do people stuff food down their faces?

We do, yeah. Oh, that's true. Welcome to Table Matters. I'm Jessie Ware, and I'm here in Lenny's house, and she's on vegan cooking duty. How's it been, Mum? Less traumatic than the last time? I think I'm probably going to write a vegan cookbook, darling.

Moosewood Lookout. Who? Moosewood, or Mousewood. Who's Moosewood? Mousewood Cafe's in San Francisco and they've got a cookery book that Jill looks at and they've got a new edition and it's very vegan. Jill is your friend? My friend Jill who's vegetarian who gave me this recipe today. Okay what is the recipe? So it's roasted cauliflower actually they wanted

you to fry it in butter but I thought no no no not for the vegan. Because butter's roasted cauliflower. Actually, they wanted you to fry it in butter, but I thought, no, no, no. Not for the vegan. Because butter's not vegan. Well, yeah. So I roasted it. That wouldn't be vegan anymore. Roasted it with rose harissa. And it's on a bed of... I love it when you say a bed.

Cashew nut hummus. Yeah. And then frica with... So it's a hummus tonight. It is a proper hummus. To confirm this is a hummus. But it's a cashew nut hummus so it's a hummus it's a hummus tonight it is to confirm us to confirm this is a hummus but it's a cashew nut hummus cashew nut hummus and then you put frica on top i had to order frica on delivery people because the normal supermarket i go to only sold it in 1.8 kilos you don't fancy eating frica i've been year? Didn't think I'd be eating that much frica. I thought I'd freak out.

Very good. Should I just tell you what I've been up to this week? No, I haven't finished my menu. I've been at that all day, darling. You're going to hear the whole lot. Carry on. And the next thing I've made is lovely John Gregory's butternut squash salad with tahini, pomegranate and olives and pine nuts that has got a tahini

dressing okay and then I've made some shaved sprouts with hazelnut cheddar vegan cheddar yeah that's where you may have lost me it might not be as sharp but no it just sometimes they taste like sick don't they well it doesn't taste like sick i tasted it was all right but it's a very funny consistency and then it's got hazelnuts in as well this sounds great mum yeah and you brought well i brought something that looks very ugly yeah but mum i'm completely obsessed with the new york times cooking app it's changed my life i told you not only does little things pop up you've now discovered melissa clark i haven't discovered melissa clark amongst many other brilliant chefs and today i had so many

courgettes in the fridge thanks to this amazing delivery and it comes up with the recipe yeah i did grated courgette bring all the water out you just do onions and courgettes, some salt and pepper, and some chili flakes. And you just sweat it out for like 30 minutes. So it's quite mushy, but it's sweet and it's kind of caramelized. And then you just have it with white beans. So I use the Bold Bean Company beans that I love. Was that Melissa Clark? I'll check.

I'm not sure, actually. And then lemon and loads of herbs. And I had loads of herbs, so I put basil, mint and parsley in there. But you could have put dill in there and stuff like that. And it's just really fresh and nice. And it is just an extra. Shall we say who we've got on? We have a friend of mine who has been doing music very successfully since she was a teenager.

She is in a band called The XX, which are probably one of the coolest bands ever. And I used to wear The X merch all the time. Romy is an amazing singer, songwriter. She was one of the first people that I collaborated with. When did we write together? We wrote together ages ago. Anyway, she's a really good friend, but she's also a massive fan of the podcast. Her and her wife, Vic, listen to the podcast on their long drives. So I think she'll be very excited about tonight.

Romy also has her own album out called Midair, which is one of my favourite albums of 2023. It is everything that Romy loves. Euro pop, dance, dance euphoria amazing pop licks it's like, it's amazing and so we'll be talking to her about that we'll be talking about food, about being a vegan

I think she's been a vegan for a while actually and growing up in South London being part of one of the most successful bands in the world I wonder what they were eating as teenagers on their rider, whether that's definitely changed now. Romy coming up on Table Manners. Cheers! Cheers. Romy's actually in the flesh on the podcast.

Thank you for having me. Now, Vic, your lovely wife. Where is she? Oh, she sent her love. We have to give her a shout out. Oh, yes. She'd love that. We listen together all the time.

We're always in the car together doing long journeys. And it's a go-to to have you both with us in the car oh thanks doll um you've just come back from america yeah the tour looked amazing well so did your tour it's not about me where did we start where did you start out? Started the tour in LA. A couple of sold out nights. Where was it? The El Rey. Oh yeah. Have you done the El Rey?

Yeah, but like the thing is, it must be interesting for you, Romy, because you've come from being in one of the biggest touring bands and then doing like headlining shit and then you're doing your club, which is a bit more intimate yeah the el rey is probably quite an intimate setting that you're probably not used to but is it quite nice playing it's so nice you know i think it's been amazing to like the place that we got to with the

xx like the venues we were playing and like what we've been able to do as a band is like so far beyond what i could have dreamt like it is I'm so proud of it but it felt really good to just start again and like feel like okay figure out like how am I doing this in a different way and like to feel really nervous and to be like what am I doing and like you know I spoke to Jesse after a show like one of these festivals I did like proper Jewish pushy mother things no but it was amazing because like this is kind of different for me to be up the front without a guitar on and like moving around yeah and like and I was like feeling quite self-conscious after a show and Jessie was you were just amazing you were like be more of a pop star you're a pop star and I was like it just to me you've just been so amazing and supportive so

and were you more of a pop star in this American man? Do you know what? I tried my best. Really? I tried to channel Jessie's energy. Who in your mind, because I pretend when I'm being a pop star, I pretend I'm either Lady Gaga or Beyonce in moments. Okay. Who was your diva that you were channeling? I'm always thinking about them. Yeah. Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Madonna.

Oh my God, have you seen them? They're always with me somewhere. But the thing is that I'm not the kind of person that thinks that I could be that. I'm still tentatively dipping into it. so I'm just trying to like get more comfortable it must be hard if you've been in a band with her best friends with your best friends and so you always go out as a three you support each other just do on your own must be a whole different yeah it's been really different but I think it's been fun to like just to feel that that kind of like completely out of my depth and just to try and be like I can do it but it's quite different to

the XX which I think also and you know you learn to DJ before you put out Midair which is amazing you were DJing you've always loved clubbing yeah and club culture and obviously Jamie was doing his thing in the clubs and like you would always you know it's part of your it's part of your makeup like that's just like growing up but then for you you I love that you went and honed in on the skills like you went and became a DJ whilst also top lining for Dua Lipa and getting Grammy like nods I mean like doing everything but also just learning how to DJ and then you incorporate that into your new show it's amazing Jessie you're my hype woman thank you Alex actually rang me my son today who said how fabulous you are and he told me that you've been

nominated for Grammy yes is it this time yeah which one are you up for best dance recording oh my god yeah yeah it's for strong um which is on my album it's with fred again um yeah it's a good one alex knew it's fed again as well yeah alex is obsessed with fred as well why he's everyone's obsessed with fred i think you're doing amazingly and that's unbelievable that you're up for a grammy and i'm so proud of you and that's just like so deserved let's start talking about food shall we Romney yeah I'd love that when did you turn vegan on and off like sort of seven years I don't know like is there a reason you started I think I was just kind of curious about I kind of felt like I wanted to eat less meat and then I started researching into it then I started thinking about sort of the like animal welfare side and then I started getting really like actually this feels like counterintuitive

for me to eat meat and then I moved to the countryside and then I was like walking through fields being like oh I was like oh no I can't I can't eat you I can't eat you you've got lovely eyelashes does Vic does she eat meat uh no so So you both do it together. So that makes it easier. Yeah, we've been like, been occasionally, I don't know, occasionally eat fish. Was that Segan? No, Segan. I'm joking. It's like, it's like. I thought it was a pescatarian.

Yeah, yeah. No, it was Segan. Sorry. I was like, where's Segan? Should I know about it? Are you a Segan? No, I don't know. I've never heard of a Segan.

Is that a thing? No, I don't know. I'm just checking something. Sorry. I like that. Yeah, Segan. You're a Segan. I've never heard it. I'mun. Is that a thing? No, I don't know. I'm just checking something. Sorry. I like that. Yeah, seagun. You're a seagun. I've never heard it.

I'm into it. You've coined it. Occasionally, in a nice place, I'd have a bit of fish. Like, I'm not, like, rigid. What would be your go-to dish? If you saw, on a menu, you'd be like, I've got to have it, those prawns. Or what would it be? There's this sushi place in LA called Sugarfish.

Have you been there? Oh, yeah. I love it. Yeah. It's not, like, the fanciest place in LA called Sugarfish. Have you been there? Oh, yeah, I love it. Yeah. It's not like the fanciest place in the world, but there's some crab cut rolls that, I don't know, Vic and I had it there like a few years ago, and we both looked at each other, and I was like,

are you emotional? And I was like, why do you look like that? We both had this moment. We know it's something so good, and you just look at each other. So we call it emotional crab. Emotional crab. So it's, but yeah, so I think that would be, yeah, stuff like that. You haven't been able to find emotional crab in London yet.

Can't say I have. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place. What's a vegan Christmas dinner? Nut roast. Of course. And that's like, that's like for like a, like a pub, like Sunday roast or something. You can get really good ones. Back to childhood, who was around the table yeah and what were you eating so when I was growing up where did you grow up so I

grew up in Wandsworth so like it's actually coming back here this is this is lovely so yeah um just near like East Putney tube station sort of and like used to always come out down through like Clapham Junction and everything so this feels very nice to come back here but I didn't have like the most typical childhood I think like my mum well my mum was a primary school teacher and um worked a lot and my dad was kind of he had depression and like struggled with alcohol addiction and so I think it was a little bit turbulent at home sometimes and like my mum did her best yeah it's just me I'm my only child but so my mum did her best and like you know both of them did but like I don't I wouldn't say that like food wasn't like

the top priority so it's something that I've gotten more into and enjoyed more like later on um he did on and off yeah he worked um in libraries and like as a translator like a language translator but yeah he it was a bit yeah it wasn't the easiest and then my mum died when I was 11 like really unexpectedly yeah so then I went to live with my auntie and uncle and my cousin Lottie who I know Lottie Lottie's an amazing writer writes lots of queer kind of I mean she she's a journalist she was a journalist I mean you can speak about your cousins

explain to everybody Lottie's amazing yeah Lottie's amazing and is like a sister to me and like you know has been a real role model and like you know is a lesbian as well

and is just like how old is she? she's seven years older than me so just the early 40s so she's a big sister yeah a big sister and she's lovely she'll be loving the shout out by the way

she's got to get the shout out she's amazing so I went to live with them so she was pleased when you came yeah so I went to live well she was just going to university at that time but I went to live with my auntie and uncle and then after about two or three years

my dad I'm so proud of him for this he did like get sober and like really worked on himself and I went back to live with him again I'm so proud of him for this. He did get sober and really worked on himself. And I went back to live with him again. And it's quite nice to think about the times that we had together again when we were back together. And I thought about this and I have nice memories of sitting with him

at the dinner table and he'd always put on a record. And I thought that that was normal, that he'd always put on a record and like I thought that that was normal that you'd have music on yeah I agree with you we used to have music not we wouldn't put on like a vinyl record what are some of the albums that you remember him putting on it was very eclectic like it was very like he was very open-minded we went through like all different genres it was like you know he went he'd like start at like the beginning of someone's career and end up it was like education yeah but like quite silent like you know he went he'd like start at like the beginning of someone's career and end up it was like education yeah but like quite silent like you know like he was a quite a quiet person

so what sort of music i mean he loved like you know all like the rolling stones all the classics but then like he also went on to like had a madonna phase so he was like well if i'm gonna listen to madonna i'm gonna listen to everything okay so then we'd get in we got into Confessions on a dance floor together like you know it was just it was very beautiful sometimes I think if I'd liked folk music I wonder if Jessie would be a folk singer yeah the picture you've painted of you and your dad kind of eating maybe the eating wasn't the most important thing but having that moment together and putting on a record yeah and him kind of his language of love being like teaching you and exploring music yeah and you've gone on to be an incredible musician yeah so he died when I was 20.

Oh Rami that's why I said like I have it's not the most typical childhood I just I find it really hard to talk about to be honest because it's just like sometimes you know someone asks me at a dinner party or in a in a sort of Christmas party environment, what do your parents do? It's quite a, well, it's not the lightest chat, but I mean, that's the sort of reality. And like, that's all I know. And I know that's made me who I am. Well, there was a legacy, wasn't there? Oh, yeah. Thank you. But, you know, I think those memories that I have and you get older and you appreciate those times. And thinking back to that dinner table experience of listening to music and although he wasn't so talkative like the amount he would have

been telling me through the music and the way I listen to music now you know and I go to other people's houses now I'm like where's the music like and everyone's just talking and it was just sort of different for me but you put some music up yeah if we weren't doing a podcast do you play music at the dinner table now yeah now now I'm like really like on it with ambience like I really think about like a like lighting music and I love that stuff but isn't it funny that the XX I feel like were the dinner party record yeah it was the one that everyone could put on and feel incredibly cool and it worked and it and and that doesn't take anything away from the music it was you became this soundtrack to so many people's gatherings and you must know that though right

I've had lots of like people come up to me and say like I mean it's I love hearing different ways people have like listened to music and what it's meant I don't know if you've had this but I had there was a phase of time where quite a lot of people would come up to me after a gig and be like, this is our kid. And I'm like, OK. And they're like, they were conceived to your music. Like, you know, they really wanted to tell me that they'd had sex. Jessie would love that. I mean, I love that.

That would be Jessie's greatest thrill. How did you feel about that? It's just hard when someone's really close to you and really proud of the fact that the two of them have had sex. And you're like, OK. It's very intimate. Well, I'll tell you what I had. You love it? when someone's like really close to you and like really proud about that the two of them have had sex and you're like okay that's great it's very intimate well I'll tell you what I had

on Sunday I had somebody tell me that after my gig they threw up no he orgasmed twice oh my god over the course

of my five records they had sex for essentially nearly five hours why did he tell you this because he was very proud of himself and he was a huge fan.

What an odd thing to do. And I said, what, even my acoustic one about my unborn child, that worked? He was like, it worked, babe. And it makes me feel slightly odd. Congratulations. I think congratulations. Who could cook in your family the best? Was your auntie good?

You know, I don't like I'm not she's gonna be listening I mean everyone like tried their best everyone tried their best I'm not gonna say anyone's like the best cook in the world you know fair to say but I'm gonna give a shout out to Vic who is the best cook of my family oh sweet so no but she like she loves it and she like genuinely enjoys it and that is like a love language of hers so where did you get married and what was the food like so we got married just at the end of lockdown when you could just be together again we got married in a aircraft hangar but like a beautiful one so you had a big lot of people it sounds a bit sounds a bit like industrial it sounds like you needed a big place to celebrate.

It was amazing. It was like a family friend of Vic's had this field and she is in her 70s and flies small planes and is just a legend. She does. And we went and hung out with her and she was just really cool and she said, yeah, no worries, you can use the kind of where they keep the planes and this big field.

And so we were able to set up tents there and just have all of our friends and family so was it like a festival it was quite a festival like and i guess after all that time of like you haven't been able to go to festivals or be together it was quite special and oliver and jamie performed and jamie dj'd yeah what was the first dance? Are you allowed to share this? The first dance was, do you know that song, Under Your Spell, from the film Drive? It's like... Yes, I do. It's like the girl singing. Yeah, I don't eat, I don't sleep, I do nothing but think of you.

Yeah, so good. So that's our friend Megan who sang that. The band is called Desire, so she came and she sang that. How fun. So it was really nice to have live music and everyone's good food yes sorry that's a food we had i'm gonna not gonna say inflict my instinct was to say inflict but it was vegan everyone ate vegan and um fair enough it was delicious it was a caterer that vic knew from like where she grew up and it was just really delicious are you straight like you wouldn't have butter in anything and you wouldn't have milk?

I mean... Do you worry about cows? I mean... That's a great question. Yeah, I think she does worry about cows. You don't just have vegan wine? No, I'm not, like... Yeah, I wouldn't pour it away.

Don't make her feel guilty now. No, I know someone that wouldn't use honey in shower gel and I was like, I think, I don't. I mean, fair play if that's how you are. But I was like, I'm just going to use the shower gel. Yeah, fine. You got signed in your teens, didn't you? I remember coming to one of your first shows.

I think it was either like a single launch. Do you remember when you played Under the Arches on the West Wing? Oh my God, yeah. And it was like in this kind of working man's club or something like that I feel like it was one of the first gigs in our mutual friend your manager Caius yeah was so excited about these kids but you were teenagers right yeah I mean we were like I think well Oliver and I were 14 15 when we first started writing songs for the XX and then we met Caius and started working with him when I must have been 17.

And then we released our first album when I was 20. Okay, so... So it took a bit of time, but, like, yeah, we were just... For ages, we were just, like, writing songs and playing in pubs and playing, like, all around here. And you were at Elliot? At Elliot, yeah. It was funny, though, because we kept it quite secret from the school.

We weren't, like, the school band. I think we were quite shy about it. Like, there was definitely people that were, like, the band people. And I was, like, we didn't tell our friends about the gigs in the local pubs. We just, like, awkwardly did them. And then, like, it kind of grew. But it's kind of mad, to be honest, like, considering how shy and how secretive we

were that it went on to like what we've done yeah I mean you always had this beautiful friendship which is still there and you're like brother and sister aren't you yeah you were and still are like the coolest band and it was just you were teenagers and it was kind of I remember I mean when the record came out you were 20 what was on the rider when you're a 20 year old that's about to be the coolest band in the world what are you asking for on your rider did you take any liberties were you always quite sensible you know that like spiced rum that's like what sailor jerry's yes like there was in one of like the first us tour we did i remember there being like some sort of like giant tankard milk jug-sized thing of Sailor Jerry's and just drinking that with, like, full fat Coke and just...

Now the idea of that is, like, whoa, that's turbo. I don't know what we were up to then. What do you like to drink now besides champagne? You're not one of these tequila people. No, actually. Good. Do you just keep it real pure, just champagne? I mean, I sound, you know, that's one bit of diva I can have then.

I think that is beautiful. I like it. I love champagne. I just really like champagne. It makes you feel happy. It does, I agree. Why is that? I don't know.

Bubbles. I don't know what it is, but it just makes you feel different. Is that your favourite drink? I do like champagne, but I do think it gives you bad breath. It's got like, you know what I mean, that champagne breath. Yeah, sort of like dehydrated. Yeah, so I kind of feel like you have to have a mint with you if you're going to socialise with champagne.

Yeah, that's a good shout. So back to Vic directing the new video, which stars an ex-Table Manners guest, Maisie Williams. Oh, amazing. So where did you film it? Do you know what? We filmed it in Kingston. Which club?

It's like, it used to be that... Prism? Yeah, it's Prism. Oh my God. That's where you always do the banquet records, like acoustic things. Yeah, so basically I went and did a DJ set at Banquet Records

when we were like doing the launch of the album. And I was like, what is this club? I mean, I've been, you know, I grew up going to Kingston to like the shopping centre and stuff and like loads of people used to hang out outside the shopping centre and stuff so I had like I was like wow I'm going back to Kingston and then I was in there and it's like it's actually amazing it's like kind of what you would imagine the um film version of an 80s club like neon like you know like mirror balls that are satins, like just really all the stuff you want.

It's kind of over the top and a bit garish, but in the best way possible. And we were like thinking like, okay, it'd be great to sort of have a video that kind of captures the kind of club feeling and like celebrate like the queer club and kind of what we've been, the energy we've been creating in the tour. So then it was kind of, it worked out that that was the place to dip. Oh my God. Wow. Gorgeous.

That is beautiful. Lenny, you've outdone yourself. Just trying. Just trying, baby. This looks amazing. This one, I'll let mum explain, but this is a Brussels sprout salad that mum makes usually with cheddar.

Okay. But she's put vegan cheese in. Oh, thank you. How do you feel about vegan cheese? I like vegan cheese i would tolerate it i think let's be honest it's not it's not it's not the same no but but you are it's good but i am you're helping the planet yeah no and it looks delicious and i'm very i'm very grateful i tell you what though if you ever want i'm sure i've spoken about this on the podcast many a time but it's been a while so forgive me listeners nettle okay jarred cheese it's made out of like macadamia nuts okay it is so delicious yeah i'm gonna get you a it's sometimes at my

farmer's market well mum this looks gorgeous it looks colorful all the colors of the rainbow lenny lenny thank you so much It's a cashew nut hummus. Wow. With frica and herbs, and then roasted cauliflower and rose harissa. And then this is butternut squash, pomegranate, tahini and tahini dressing, and pomegranate molasses and olives and pomegranate.

Wow, it looks beautiful. It's so colourful. What a beautiful table. Thank you, darling. Help yourself, babe. Thank you. Oh, that's really nice, mum. It's delicious.

Yeah. The cashew one. Here, darling. You're a South London girl. Yeah. And you've. It's delicious. Yeah. The cashew one. Here, darling. Mmm. You're a South London girl. Yeah. And you've moved to the countryside. Yeah.

And you love it, don't you? Do you know what? I love it. I was quite nervous about it, but it just feels like a good change. Like, I've had to, like, I learned to drive, which was, like, needed. And then now I just kind of enjoy it. Like, it's certainly like an hour from Clapham Junction now, like, on the train. It's not that, it's not crazy, but, like, we do live...

Did you come on the train? I was working in East London today and I'm going to get the train back tonight. But it's fine. I mean, I do, like, the moment I get there, it's like a very different feeling. It's like, it's just like you're kind of, like, in another world

and, like, can just switch off. And it's really beautiful. What would you have? Because your dad used to play music. What would I put on now? Ooh, that's's a good question to go with a vegan meal oh well you know it kind of like sometimes it makes me I find it quite nice to put on something that I would have heard like with my parents and I had a nice memory of my mum and dad together and we were listening to a lot of Dionne Warwick oh of course and like I was like and I realized like to a lot of Dionne Warwick oh cool and like I was like and I realized

like recently a sort of song came on and I was like why do I know all the words and I know every word and every melody and all these Burt Bacharach songs and I was like oh it must just be like that it's in my like subconscious so I quite like kind of like a nice kind of throwback chilled soulful vibe like that or what's a go-to I had to make like 10 playlists of music for six music and i nearly went crazy i had to do that i had to think of all these themes like unwind late night driving and i was like at the end of it i was like i've run out of music i don't need you driving things yeah i think you like prince i love prince yeah i think maybe madonna's ray of Light album is a bit of a go to see I don't know

that album as well it's really good it's like a bit more like she went sort of a bit more like trip poppy how old was she it's like Frozen's on it

William Orbit wasn't it William Orbit yeah how old was she then that's a good question I feel like she's ageless to me I never know how old Madonna is

have you been to see her yeah I went to see her where did you go to see her so I saw her in London and then I went to see her. Where did you go to see her? So I saw her in London, and then I went to see her in Paris. And Stuart Price, who is a friend of both of us. Makes both our music with us. Yes, happened to be DJing that night.

So Vic and I had bought tickets to go to Paris, because we just wanted to be as close as possible. So we were like, right, we couldn't get tickets in London, so we just went and bought the tickets in Paris. And then Stuart was like, oh, we couldn't get tickets in London. So we just went and like just bought the tickets in Paris. And then Stuart was like, oh, I'm actually, I'm DJing that night. So then he like came and like gave us these passes. And we were like suddenly like literally spitting distance. The pit.

I mean, like Madonna literally drank her beer and like poured it over us. And Vic, who's like the number one fan, was just like transcended to another universe. Romy let's go into the Last Supper shall we? Have you given this some thought? I have given it some thought. Okay well you know what to do. Starter, main, pudding and drink of choice. And who's gonna be around the dinner table? Oh I've never heard you ask that one. Catching me off guard here. Well obviously you're both invited thank you madonna vick do you think i'd get on with madonna i think i'd love to see you it could be a terrible dinner party so starter okay so yeah i think it would be like all my friends would say if you haven't

mentioned this by now it's a lie it's just chips basically like just chips you like you just love chips where's the best chip you've ever eaten big question yeah big that's a big question do you know i think it's actually i can't i don't know the name it's just like a like a brasserie in paris okay i went to after a fashion show and just darling and just happened to go pop in there had a glass of champagne had a bowl of chips it was it was amazing you know nice lovely and what are your what's your condiment of choice I mean I've been the rules for a mayonnaise really really no judgment no judgment for ketchup really i got more into mustard lately i haven't that was

you have to you can't have mayo yeah no no but i mean like you know like vic loves mustard but that was like new new territory it's like a it's a thin cut fry no it was chubby i'm imagining it was crisp like like chips. Like on the chunkier side. On the chunkier side. You know, I think I'm going to buy an air fryer just because I want to see if I can make chips. Are you going to ask Romy if she's got an air fryer? Have you got one?

Do you know what? I'd love one for Christmas. Me too. That is a really good idea for Christmas. I think I quite like an air fryer. I don't want a big one. The only thing is you've got to leave them out and they take a big space on your counter

and that's the only thing I don't like. So chips would be the starter. I don't really know where you put that on a menu. It could be a side, it could be a main, it can be whatever you want. This is your last supper. No, I thought I have to start there because that's like, that is, you know, that's like a sort of associated food with me, like people that know me. So it's a chip.

And are you doing that as a side or are you doing that as your starter? Let's start with that. Okay, fine. I love it love i don't think anybody has ever done no no and i like this okay okay what are you gonna add i feel like when you start getting into like what options of veganism that everything sort of leads back to something mushroom based but actually like i've ever had like i developed an appreciation for like a very good mushroom which mushrooms do you like if you go out and buy mushrooms? So, I mean, you know, now, like, I've gone to, like, it's, what's it, Hen of the Woods? Oh! I've seen those on, I've seen them on MasterChef.

They look like great pieces of coral, don't they? They look like they're in The Last of Us or something like that. Yeah, so I feel like there's this whole, like, trend of, like, vegan places doing, like, fancy mushrooms that, like, are, like, deep fried or something, make it feel like there's this whole, like, trend of, like, vegan places doing, like, fancy mushrooms that, like, are, like, deep fried or something. Make it feel like it's chicken. Like, and it's actually delicious. So, some sort of mushroom. Yeah.

I don't know. With chips. I've got a recommendation. I've got a recommendation for you. Yeah. That you could do for Vic. Okay, thank you. I need this.

No props. You get, like, Belazu or Belazu. You know, like, they do all the oils the tahinis their harissa's probably your harissa they do a good um vegan pesto that's a staple in my cupboard so they are amazing so you get some oyster mushrooms tear them up you keep on eating if you if you unless you're finished i'm actually not i'm not. Okay, fine. You eat and I'll tell you. So what you do is you get oyster mushrooms and you put them in the oven coated in like their shawarma paste, which I think is vegetarian or vegan.

And you put it on quite a high heat in the oven. And then you can make like a homemade hummus or you could just get hummus, lay the hummus out. And then you sprinkle it and it's like like it tastes like almost shawarma chicken amazing but mushroom very good dip it in really tasty okay i'm gonna do that so okay what's the main not roast no i think i was gonna say all right so how did you know this man just felt it i feel i'm communing with Romy now. Yes, thank you. I'm a vegan, virtually.

Tuned in. So where would you get your nut roast? Is there one particular place that you've had one? Have you been to the Clapton Country Club? I have, actually. When have you been there, darling? I've been there when I've worked with James Ford, I think. It's near, it's in Clapton.

I think I've eaten there once, but I haven't had their nut roast. On a Sunday, they do, it's really nice in there I think I've eaten there once, but I haven't had their nut roast. On a Sunday they do, it's really nice in there. They do a really amazing roast, not just vegan. And I got back from my European tour and I played at Brixton the night before. And my friends were like, let's go for a roast the next day. And I was like, I'm going to be too tired. And actually we went and it was so nice in there and just like very cozy and started to

feel a bit festive and the nut roast was so good do you like a gravy on your nut roast yeah and how do you make your gravy if you're vegan i'm i'm definitely not the person the one to ask okay um but i know about i reckon it's probably mushroom mushroom maybe some vegemite in there can you put miso in yeah that would be nice all right to put in with that's vegan is it yes yeah i think so yes is it yeah okay but i think yeah you can they do so you can get some really nice vegan gravy but they do a really good like kind of like nut roast wellington oh yum and they do some like leeks with oatly cream and like. Oatly cream's really good. That's how I've made ice cream for you.

Have you? With oatly cream. No way. Yeah. Thank you. And do you know what? It looked big on the Ocado thing, but it wasn't.

No, it was fishy. Yeah. So are we having a mouthful? No, I had to get a waitrose delivery that was to get more of the oatly cream. Oh, no way. She needs to let you know how much she's worked hard on this menu

just in case you haven't heard it the first time I'm so grateful I don't know what it's like so we're up to nut roast so I don't know where to, what was it, how do you say it? primi? that's your primi platties I feel like I've skipped it

how do I say that? you're not going to have pasta in there at all, are you bothered about pasta? I love pasta if we're going going to have pasta in there at all. Are you bothered about pasta? No, I love pasta. Yeah, I think if we're going for a carb, I'll pick a potato. Fair enough. But I was just wanting to give a shout out, not because she's asked me to, but because I genuinely love it, is a stew that Vic makes. That is actually, like, I don't know the recipe of, and I do,

I would genuinely be sad if I could never have it again. What is in this stew fennel lemon uh chickpeas and like a sort of broth that I don't know how she makes it you're not a you're not a chef are you you know what I wish I was I'm just I just you learn to DJ babe maybe maybe 2024 is your year to learn how to cook maybe she doesn't want to no do you know i would really like to it would make me happy if i could like unprovoked provoked just make a nice meal for so maybe i need some lessons darling if you can read you can cook i believe that's the thing yeah just follow the recipe also i feel like it would suit your kind of country lifestyle yeah it's true

take the dogs for a walk have something how many dogs many dogs do you have? Do you have one or two? Two dogs now. What are they called? Mouse and Pasha after the nightclub. I love that. I didn't know that. That's amazing. Mum, would you like, I'm going to move this stuff away. Can I help? No, you can sit and relax and drink your champagne. Thank you. And relax, you are a guest on Table Manners. Thank you. And relax, you are a guest on Table Manners. So, Mum, what is this? This is Melissa Clark recipe, your new favourite person.

Melissa Clark is a chef on New York Times Cooking App. OK. Oh, she's a chef. But Mum is having a bit of a love affair with her at the moment. What is it about her that you love? I think she just does good recipes. Her recipes work. Okay, so what is this? What are we saying?

Take it out ten minutes before, Melissa. And have you taken it out ten minutes? Half an hour. Oh, wow. Melissa, maybe. Melissa, I've gone off your girl. We may be moving on. Oh, God.

The creaking's out. Is that your bones or the knife? No no i think it's like nougat no it isn't it's just ice cream it's got peanut butter and maple syrup but it doesn't it doesn't seem icy so it's got a bit of elasticity in there i think mum that's a commentary love do you watch cooking programs do you actually love considering that i am not a particular you know unify kerosene through chefs i actually love watching cooking programs nigella i watched a jamie oliver one on the plane to la recently and then i was like it's kind of you know you're like i'm actually watching how he cooks turkey and i'm actually never going to use this

i wish there was more vegan um cooking programs and stuff yeah there aren't really that many vegan cooking programs there's some people on like TikTok and Instagram and stuff would you like some raspberries I would love some so this is gonna this is a bit like having a peanut you you have some first you guess this is a bit like having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich right oh it yeah. Because it's like peanut butter, something chewy and raspberries, but like a healthier version, maybe. I don't, it might need to melt a bit more. Do you want some raspberries?

Oh, crikey. Here. What's it taste like? It tastes quite yummy. Nice. It's nice. It's really nice. It's not not nice.

It's not not nice, exactly. It's really nice. Yeah. I think that's delicious. That's vegan, darling, and that's oatly cream. Yeah, that's quite... Can I have some raspberries please, darling? I'm amazed that the texture's not bad.

I think it's really good. Good. You know, I think I'm just not used to there being vegan options of dessert. So like, not... I mean, this is above expectations. Me too. But I just mean like, you know know when i go out for dinner and stuff like you're always thinking like is there a vegan option is it good sorbet but then you get to

dessert and it's sorbet and i think i'm not gonna have it but maybe that's a good this was peanut butter maples it was so easy you can make this for christmas maybe you should make this for christmas peanut butter a whole jar okay okay it It was two little cartons of Oatly and maple syrup 100ml. I don't know, I can send you the recipe. But you just judge it together. You have to reduce

the maple syrup a bit in the pan first. Why do you think that is? It's really, really nice. And then I put some grated vegan chocolate on. I wonder if it had been melted for a bit longer then it would be like less hard to i don't know but i think it might not be as nice actually do you think well it's very nice no i think it would be great for me to be able to bring a dish to christmas i think my department is more like the making the house nice like decorations the ambience doing the tree like this like her love language is more in the

getting the food making sure everyone's good would she be slightly annoyed if you actually started being like babe would you like some help in the kitchen good point to be honest this is really tasty mom that's delicious i think it's good so pudding did we get to pudding come on what's pudding well Can you pass the champagne, darling, please? Yeah, more champagne for dessert. Yeah. I feel like... I haven't really... I can't say I've been anywhere that's had, like, an amazing...

Do you know what? I'd probably say, like, doughnuts. Good vegan doughnuts, yeah? I mean, like... How do you make vegan doughnuts? I don't know. It's only flour and... Apparently, a lot of them are.

Yeah. Like, even, like, Krispy Kreme and stuff is vegan. I don't know. Apparently, a lot of them are. Yeah. Even like, Krispy Kreme and stuff is vegan. I might be wrong. They told me that apparently once. I think they are,

yeah. No, they can make dough with, anyway, we're all going to sound like imbeciles. No, definitely,

like vegan doughnuts, that's the thing. Yeah. But there's one place in London that you can get them from the box, if you get it.

It's the same as my first album cover what are you doing? so it's a bit weird I was like we bought some donuts once and I got the box and I was like this is a bit weird like if I give this as a gift it's like I'm just doing this

what's the name of it? is it Crosstown Donuts? it's got the same black box with a white X on it. Do you need to have a discussion with them? I mean, technically... Because they've ripped your merch off? Technically, the X is like the corrosive symbol.

Like, you know, just on the back of bleach. It's just... It's not like a trade... Oh, is it? It's just a simple X. That kind of was my inspiration for it. Like, when we were doing the artwork. You can't really be like...

You should have copyrighted it, so... Well could maybe they could give me some free dough yeah maybe have you ever like have they ever like looked a bit sheepish when you're buying the doughnuts and they're like uh-oh i think i was more sheepish when i was walking away with a box thinking like this looks like it looks like i'm just walking around with the album with the sharpie yeah they're ready but they are good but yeah our friend just recently broke their leg and then we were like oh we want to send

them some donuts and then we were like oh Crosstown and I was like I felt a bit weird because they're just going to get this it looks like

these are my donuts you can just put a disclaimer it's Crosstown isn't it that is very funny though yeah but I'd say like I don't know

something like do they do vegan viennetta I used to love a viennetta you and matt lucas oh really yeah he talked about viennetta he said the only reason he didn't want to live in america was because they didn't have viennetta yeah that's what i think they do a vegan viennetta they'd be missing a trick if they weren't doing that by now right i'm just trying not to say sticky toffee pudding because i know everyone says it but you'd remain vegan in your last supper. Respect.

I might have the emotional crab. Fine. Tell us, do you like karaoke? I love karaoke. Do you? I'm so happy. Okay, so karaoke I can talk about. I've always found it very difficult because, as Jessie said, I'm very shy.

But it's sort of this weird mix between, like, I get on stage and I sing in front of people, so everyone's like, well, why can't you just sing now in front of us? And I get really in my head, it's like, if you were like to me now, sing. Oh, my God, my idea of hell. Which is why, like, doing songwriting sessions with strangers is sometimes when they're just like, sing. But then...

The worst. On my hen night, it was just at the end of lockdown, so we did kind of a slightly... Did Vic come on your hen night no oh she has her own one she's one of your best friends well no I mean I was like there's no way I was like we're having separate ones she was like can I come and I was like no way I was like can I come on yours she was like no way so I was like you're not coming on mine okay yeah this one was wild and I'm I left her there to it we it, it was a bit like COVID safe because it was just the end.

So we had like a party in a hotel room. Then my friends got me like a stretch Hummer to a, we played Lady Gaga chromatica the entire time in the Hummer. Great, great record. And I was like screaming it apparently from the top of the, from the top of the limo. And then we went into a karaoke room in Soho and oliver was like you did not put down the mic and i was like this is clearly how wasted everyone got me that i was like having the time

of my life and since then i love it now i love it so which song nothing compares to you you'd be amazing no you'd be amazing at that i tried to set set the bar high. Oh, that is a really, no one's ever said that one. That's such a good one. It's a beautiful song. You've got to be a good singer. I mean, I have no idea how that sounded on my head, like screaming that. That's really good. But that's what, that's in my mind I was singing that well.

But that was like a safe space with my best friends and I felt like I could sing it there. But if it was more in a room with everyone being like you're a singer singer I don't think I'm gonna be cracking out nothing compares to you but maybe I would maybe what's yours I don't like it okay so I but then I need to stop saying that because there's gonna be I like it for everybody else and if I was then gonna have to go up maybe I do Show Me Heaven Maria McKay oh do you know what it's like oh yeah to dream a dream

baby yeah but like or Tina Arena change I mean if we're going to go there if I'm drunk enough I mean you just you just sang that amazingly

sing that come on which film is that from Days of Thunder Show Me Heaven of course. Yes, great song. Before we let you go, Romy,

I'm going to make a... Do you have good table manners? I think I eat too fast. Do you? Yeah. I think that that is like... I've basically just grown up touring with boys my whole life.

Yeah. Always just hanging out with boys and just like eating fast. I don't know. I feel like that's quite like, I'm not to stereotype. But Oliver and Jamie eat fast. Yeah. Throwing them under the bus here, yeah.

Romy, it's been a pleasure to have you on. Thank you so much for having me on. I love this. And thank you for having me in your house, Lenny. She's making a tupperware for Vic. Oh, that is so nice. And good luck with all the touring we're probably going to be at festivals together i actually said yes to a festival offer because

i was on before you so i will be seeing you in ireland oh great regional ireland let's go sure let's go let's find a karaoke bar after go to dublin yeah let's do that um no but i can't wait i mean and congrats on everything you're doing. I'm turning it around to you because I want to. I want to. Thank you. Well, I'm thrilled for you. Midair's amazing.

The new video's beautiful. The new song's amazing. I love seeing everyone reacting so brilliantly. Oh, God, is that good? I don't know. I don't know. Have we got a little tote? I don't need a tote

I'm fine with the Ocado bag that's perfect thank you so much thank you so much to the lovely Romy for coming over chips we've never had chips I respect I respect because you wouldn't get a chip on a set desert island would you no you bloody wouldn't no so actually it's genius from me yeah um and um thank you for telling us all your stories wonderful woman she's amazing she's very gentle

she's made me feel calm I know see we're speaking I'm quite zen we're speaking softer now yeah do you hear that yeah and that's the power of Romy yeah she's lovely Romy's album Midair is out

it's critically acclaimed it's fantastic if you want to go and dance go and put it on if you want to feel it's just it's fantastic and she'll be doing festivals dance go and put it on if you want to feel it's just it's fantastic and she'll be doing festivals next year go and check out the new video that her wife made with Maisie Williams ex-Table Manners guest and hope you enjoyed that lots of love and we'll see you next week Bye.