Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Poppy O’Toole - aka Poppy Cooks (Part One)

Episode Date: August 27, 2024

Emily and Ray have taken a trip up to Worcestershire this week for a walk with professional chef, TikTok star and Sunday Times bestselling author Poppy O’Toole - who is better known as Poppy Cooks. Poppy has two dogs: a pug called Crypto and a German Shepherd called Red. Together with Ray - they make a very unlikely gang of dog pals! Poppy tells us about how losing her job as a chef in the pandemic led her to becoming a social media sensation with over 5 million total followers. She shares some of the difficult experiences she has had as a young female chef, and she tells us about a surprisingly delicious frozen supermarket paella. The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook is out on 12th September - featuring 90 mouth-watering recipes that focus on ease and convenience without breaking the bank or sacrificing flavour, it is the book you need to get great food on the table at the end of a busy day. You can pre-order your copy here!Follow Poppy on Instagram @Poppy_CooksFollow Poppy on TikTok @poppycooksFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone's chef as well. Yes, chef. Do you make Tom, your boyfriend, say that to you? Only in bed. That's the trailer. This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I took a trip to Worcestershire to the beautiful nature reserve, Hartlebury Common, to meet someone who's been described as the millennial's answer to Delia Smith, celebrity chef Poppy O'Toole,

or as she's better known on social media, Poppy Cooks. Poppy brought along her two dogs, read the German Shepherd, who was frankly hilarious and her adorable pug crypto. And we had the loveliest stroll as she told me all about her pretty meteoric path to success, which all started in lockdown when she'd been laid off from her job as a chef

and decided to post a video of her making potatoes which went completely viral on TikTok. It's now led to her racking up over 4 million followers and becoming a much-love face on shows like Saturday Kitchen, cooking with the stars and young Marks, and the author of a series of best-selling cookbooks. It'd be very easy for that kind of rapid success to turn someone's head, but I was really blown away by how unaffected and honest and funny Poppy is.

She's just a genuinely delightful human being who obviously adores dogs. I know this because she didn't turn up with any potatoes for me to try, but she did bring along treats for Ray to try. So he certainly thinks she's got her priorities, right? Ray and I had a fabulous time with Poppy, and if you want to experience some of her cooking genius, you can order a copy of her new book, the actually delicious slow cooker cookbook,

which is out on September the 12th, and it's packed with tons of amazing recipes. But I'm not going to say anymore because Ray's mouth is starting to water and it's frankly a bit off-putting. I'm going to hand over to the wonderful woman herself. Here's Poppy Cooks and Red and Crypto and Ray Ray. We've got a car full of clothes,

so I'm going to get your jacket because it is about to start raining. Sorry, I should say. we're about to start the podcast. We've come to see Poppy and the temperature has dropped somewhat. Babe, could we steal your jacket, please?

Because Fay hasn't got... And it's about to start raining? Raymond, all right. Oh, my God, who's this? This is Raymond! Oh, my God. I'm just going to introduce you. We've just met Poppy's other heart.

This is Tom. Hello. Hi, Tom. I'm Emily. This is Fay, my producer. This is Raymond. My dog. Your dog is absolutely beautiful.

He's so cute, isn't it. I know if this isn't anything about me. No, no. Like the only, of course. I mean, what an introduction. There you go, everyone. Thank you.

It's so nice to meet you. And I hear congratulations you're in order because, yes, we've got a gage. Oh, my God, you've got dog hair on your face. I'm dead. There's go.

That's visual. Yeah. I can get away with it. Can I just ask you one question? I'm going to. to. Because obviously you've been on Poppy very much on this journey with her to her success. Yeah. What is the loveliest thing do you think that has happened as a result of seeing this happen for her and joining her on this journey? What's the loveliest thing about it? And you can't say the money.

Yeah. I'd say obviously being with her when she was working in kind of kitchen, she was doing like 70 hours a week. and I think it's good job as the dog walk I would bring it back around to the dogs I think the fact that she spends so much more time at home and she has her evenings at home and weekends again and just seeing obviously

the love she has for the dogs I was there when she was leaving at 6 o'clock in the morning and getting home at midnight so it's just been good but she's kind of been able to enjoy time a lot more yeah enjoy time with you as well and also the dogs

mainly the dogs there's mainly the dogs yeah it's really happy to be with the dogs Yeah, definitely quality of time He managed to have a man He's a very good corporate husband Yeah, say the right thing He writes it all for me

Oh sorry, crypto, I've just hit you with the ball Right, we're going for our walk now Enjoy your walk Yeah, babe, I'll see you in a bit Right, Poppy Right Let's start our walk So you've already met Mr Poppy

I won't call him that Tom He's Mr Poppy cooks, he is absolutely I'm with a very wonderful Poppy O'Toole better known as Poppy Cooks who is social media sensation thank you author of some brilliant cookbooks which we're going to be discussing today yes but you invited us to your manner do you want to talk us through where exactly we are yeah so this is Hartlebury common and it's like a new discovery the past year for me oh where we go already on the toilet situation um so that wasn't me

that's poppy was talking about no no no my dog sorry is already squatting so i need to sort that out um so we've lived here near here for about a year and this is our new go-to big dog walk um and it's has to be big because we've got a big german shepherd so he loves to run and just be free in the commons which is really great because also there's some cows here as well sometimes so there's all cows and then there's like a sandy bit there's a pond there's loads of nature well we see cows poppy maybe you have to go to kind of the right bit but i'll definitely put red on the lead for that one because uh he likes to chase things at the minute he's still puppy you see but yes so this is a really nice place in what's near worcester i don't really know much about the rest of the area i'll be honest with you i've just come here purely for this lovely dog walk Red, come. Come. Come. Gorgeous. Good boy, come on.

He's getting much better with his recall. And do you want to introduce us to your two dogs formerly? Yeah, as they're causing havoc. So we've got Red, who is a one and a half year old German Shepherd Red. Come on, this way, let's go. And then we've got Crypto, my little pug baby, who is going to be eight this year, who is about an eighth of the size of Red, which is quite hilarious. So Red and Crypto, Crypto was first, I presume.

Well, we had one pug before who unfortunately passed away earlier this year, who was, I know my baby Kippa, who was, he got to just about, well, almost 10. But he had loads of tummy problems. And eventually it just, God, it was horrible. So we got Crypto as his friend way back when, so nine years ago. So Crypto was a buddy to my little Kipster. And Redd the German Shepherd, I mean, he goes quite fast, doesn't he? He's just ran off into the distance.

Someone just shouted hello gorgeous. I think it was at Poppy, because she is rather gorgeous. Let's not lie. It's either me or the dog, you know. We should say Red appears to be trying to join another dog walking group. There's a lady with a Labrador and looks like some sort of cavapoo, cockapoo. Yeah. And Red seemed to want to go with them.

It's almost like he was rejecting Crypto and Ray for being a bit small and wimpy. He does. He loves little dogs, but he wants to play with the big boys. You know, he wants to gallivant around. He's a sweet boy, aren't you? You are sweet, but you are also much. He was so sweet, Red. Let's wait a minute until they've gone out of a little bus,

and then we can carry on, because otherwise he's just going to follow them the whole way. Red. Red. Red. So, Red was actually Tom's idea. He was desperate for a big dog. Why was that? I don't know.

He just wanted something completely different to the pugs. We love pugs. We absolutely love them. They're our favourite. And I think he just wanted a new challenge. So yeah, I went, okay, well, look, you're an adult. And if you want a German shepherd, you can get one. So he found one.

And within a week, we were going to see one. From him saying, I want a new dog to do it. Oh. And I went, okay, as long as you trade him and look after him, but I've ended up, you're my little baby, aren't you? Yes, you are. Oh, sweet boy, Redd. Yes, good boy. Although Daddy hasn't a lot of training with you, but you're my baby.

You can hear Red panting now probably. He's ready for the ball to be thrown. Although that sounds pretty much like me off going up some steps. Do you know, Red is very affectionate? He's really, yeah, he loves love. He's a little. German Shepherds sometimes get a bad press. Well, not a bad press, but sometimes,

people are quite frightened of them because they associate them with police and sniffer dogs and military training and their sort of working dogs. But of course the point of that is that they can be brilliantly trained. They're really responsive to training. So did you have to do some of that with Red or? Yes. So we went to a special German Shepherd training because with the Pugs, we just went to like that. I know. I know we were like, let's just do it properly. But bless him, he was too good almost in terms of like all the other German shepherds were lovely. but you couldn't give them eye contact, you couldn't look at them, you couldn't fuss them, they were just barking and they were just...

More aggressive? A bit more aggressive. But he was so good that we ended up being like, well, we don't want to pick up on too many behaviour things. I know it sounds terrible, it's really like, we're like, let's just go one-on-one. So we did a bit of one-on-one training. What, you mean they were training them almost to be quite reactive and like guard dogs almost? Trying to get them to be less reactive, but also... So it was just quite difficult in all the noise to be like, oh, are we doing this right?

Is this all right that he's like, I don't know, just on his belly lying down. Like he was just rolling around trying to have a nice time. Also, it's a bit far away from where we were. So we wanted to do a bit of one-on-one training because he's really good. Sit, lie down, stay, recall. But on the lead, hell, because we've just been. So he's so good at like being off the lead, recall. He's very friendly to other dogs.

He does bolt towards some people, which is a little bit intimidating, I imagine, but most of the time he comes back as soon a tent. As long as he's got his ball as well, he's happy as Larry. Yeah, and presumably with German Shepherds, I think it's a lot to do with the owner. Like, he seems fine with us because he was introduced and it was made very clear, established that we were part of the pack. We were guests with the pack. And then he feels comfortable, right?

Yeah, absolutely. Come on, Red. Red. Oh, good boy, Red. Oh, do you know, I'm loving Red. Everyone loves him. Everyone falls in love with him. He had to go and stay at my nans for a bit whilst we went away.

And she said, all the neighbours were coming around every day to come and see Red. He's the celebrity around here. They were coming to watch you on telly, but actually came to see Red really. And I was like, oh God, here we go. Crypto, the sort of tortoiseshell park. I'd say Crypto's got a bit of grey and white George Clooney vibe going on with the hair. Yes, exactly. He's aging like fine wine.

crypto is. Crypto and Red are quite a fabulous duo. They are. They're very unlikely pair. I rather love it. They look, but they really love each other as well. When we had the two Pugs and Red, it was very much like two against one

almost, whereas now it's definitely become these two are best mates. Come on, let's go. Strangest Posse I've ever been with. Yeah. It's an odd one. Obviously, I'm very well aware of your brilliance.

Thank you. Well, it's hard to ignore you because I suppose it was really since the pandemic that everyone got to know you very well. Very rapidly, it feels. You lost your job in the pandemic and you suddenly started

putting these videos online cooking videos. And it was, I know it wasn't literally overnight, but it sort of felt like that. Oh yeah, I'll like it. Yeah. You were this sort of viral sensation. I want to take us back a bit, though, to how it all started.

So where did you grow up? So I grew up not too far from here in Bromsgrove. You drove through it. So I grew up in Bromsgrove and then in my late teens moved into Birmingham. That was it really. I've always been in the Midlands with the accent. So Bromsgrove was definitely my stomping ground when I was younger. Were both your parents around at that time?

Yes. I've got my mom and my stepdad. So my dad passed away when I was younger. So it was, yeah, me, Vicky and Jim. And then when I was about 14, they had some kids. So I got little brothers and sisters. So I was an only child for a while. And then I got amazing little siblings, which are so much fun.

I really say that your dad passed away, Poppy. Oh, I'm too young to really remember anything. Really? How old were you? About three. I think I was three. Yeah, three. remember bits but not lot i think i'm just interested because my sister died and she i have a oh sorry about i have two nieces well i'm i'm just interested in that thing of my niece my youngest

niece was one so she remembers nothing obviously and i think it's not nothing is what i'm saying because i don't know which is worse that's the thing i don't know whether you'd want to get to know somebody and then miss them or miss something you didn't know a friend's partner of mine who's who i think his mom passed away and he was like one or two and doesn't and we've we've had discussions like I don't know I don't know top trumps what's what's better and did you talk about your dad when you were growing up a lot did you look at the few a little bit but not not that much really actually really um I think it would have been more but I think my mom was obviously god it's horrible isn't it so you know I think

she just wanted to just push on through which is what she's like she just keep going and just um which was very beneficial for me I think because everything's been fine so yeah it's yes and no some points yes obviously had conversations but for the majority i think it's just been kind of like that's a chapter and we just keep on moving and as you say you grew up with a sort of sense of a dad yes yeah absolutely because you had your stepdad and you're an only child and then you're is it christian and trixie yes it is yeah good research we love that so you had siblings but I'm interested in people who are only children up until a point.

Yeah. And then they get siblings. And the reason for that is an interesting shift happens whether you're not even aware of, perhaps, when you grow up as an early child and then you suddenly get a couple of siblings. Yes.

Do you remember feeling, I suppose, a bit, oh, what's happening now? I thought this was all, this was my entire domain. It's not all about me now. A little bit, but also I was kind of like, well, actually it takes the spotlight off me now and I can get away with doing more stuff that I want to do. So it was more like I can sneak out, mom's going to be preoccupied, like she's got other things to think about and I can go off and have parties and sleep in fields at 15, which was

very much what we did in Bronsgrove. There's a lane called Timberhunga Lane. There's a field in there, and we always used to camp in there and say we're at our friend's houses. Did the interest in cooking start very young? then? Yes, absolutely. I am an eater. I am a self-confessed eataholic. I love eating food. It's one of my favourite pastimes. My nan was a big cook. She was a really good cook. I'm like, you know, I don't know if, I don't know if she was a really good cook or whether I just really enjoyed her cook. I don't know.

But she, you know, she'd have all the Delia books out. She'd be experiment. She used to do Maryland chicken, which is, you know, bananas and sweet corn fritters and chicken and barbecue sauce, like things that were a bit different. And so I would have any excuse to sit in the kitchen and watch and join in so that I could eat little bits on the side. And that's where it all came from. And the excitement of being able to, I used to love going to a supermarket and go into like the fish counter or the beef counter or the butchers and being like, oh, watching people cut things up like a sicko. But I just loved it. the whole process of how does that turn into something that I'm going to eat and just obsessed all the time.

And always wanted to do or be something a little bit different. So, you know, I'd walk around the supermarkets, find the most exotic fruit I could find. And that would be my snack at school for lunch rather than an apple. That is quite unusual for a kid. If I'm honest, that I know, certainly when I was growing up, most kids would view food as a necessity quite adult. old thing unless you're getting McDonald's or something it's like your mum's saying come and eat and forcing you know you've got to eat all your food

so it's quite unusual for a kid to be that passionately interested in it why do you think you were interested that suggests you were slightly different in some ways to me I think people who won't say that my family would probably sound a bit different it was just one of my

hyper fixations I think I just I love the whole it's everyone always together eating. It's the whole process of it. It's not necessarily just the cooking, but it's the what is that ingredient, how do you use it? Where is it come from? Are we enjoying it? Is there something you can improve? I don't know. I've always just been. I've never, the only things I've ever said no to eating as a child especially was jelly and white asparagus. Very strange,

but I remember just being, because we used to go to Spain quite a lot when I was younger. And white asparagus would always be on the menu. So my mom ordered it once to try. I'd try razor clams. I'd have bowls of mussels. I'd have bowls of mussels. like I'd have the whole lot. But this white asparagus, the texture of it, I didn't like, I knew it was tinned, I was like I don't like it. It was just like, I don't know, just always loved it. I just loved food.

But I don't know where, like, what the pinpoint was. I think it was that my nan and my mom were obsessed with watching cooking shows and reading cookery books and I just was in in it from day one. Your mum and your stepdad, what jobs did they do? Did they both work? No, my. My mum was, did she work? Did she run the home?

She had a few little bits actually, tell a lie. She did run the home, but she also, at one point we're selling furniture in Worcester. It was a great little antique furniture shop. And then before that, she actually did, she was a chef. Her friend had a bar in Birmingham and he said, can you do some tapas for me? And so she was running a tapas kitchen in the day. Which, she's going to hate me for saying it, but she used to go to live. like Costco and get the fruit de mare and then just put it in a counter and then honestly and to this

day I still buy it the little paella out the freezer in the bag it's one of the best ones you can get so sometimes when she couldn't be asked to make a paella she would get the little ones out the freezer which my nan used to get so there's a whole like we all just yeah it's it's passed out through the old two generations the little paella some people get a coat of arms you've got the little paella. You have to fanny it up a little bit with some other bits, but it is the little paella, yes. Because a lot of your cooking is also,

you're very mindful of people's budgets because food has never been more expensive, certainly in my lifetime, and trust me, that's a long lifetime. When you grew up, were you aware of your mum budgeting? Yes, definitely. I think because for quite a while it was just me and my mum. And my nan and granddad, obviously,

we got like I sound like we were really like we weren't we were very very well off still and I was very privileged and very lucky but it was just a single parent home like that's it can be quite difficult so she was always making like we used to run out of petrol all the time and have to park the car and walk back it was hilarious she was just never got all her eggs in a row and my nan and granddad even though they were definitely not they were well off but they would be they would budget. I think everyone just loves budgeting, don't know? Everyone loves. So when Aldis and Liddles started coming out, it was like, oh my God, this is the best place. Like, I don't know, I don't like spending money when it does. It's not necessary.

When you can get stuff that's all the same. Like you said, it's terrible at the minute. Absolutely terrible. Well, I think it really crossed a point for me when I went into the supermarket and there was an alarm on a block of cheese. How bad is that? I've got this idea of Little Poppy and she's cooking up a storm in the kitchen. I'm interested in that idea of you being slightly, not different from the other kids, but I think to be a cook

and for that passion to start young, it's like people who read a lot. I think you have to be very happy with your own company. Yes, yes, absolutely. I love being alone. Always have from when I was younger. I think that's definitely fine like sanctity in the kitchen. And we can go, yeah, we'll go here because there's more doggies to.

I love, I'm going to describe that lovely woman's Labrador as boisterous. Yeah, he's lovely. It's all right, Ray. Look, Ray's panicking at the noise of the Labrador. It's all right. But you know what, he's very calm with Red. So I think Red must have quite a calm energy. Oh, that's good.

I'll take that. Come on, what's this? Yeah, as soon as he heard that Labrador, Ray got into a state. It's all right, Ray. They're very nice dogs. Go on, I'm interested. Yes, I've always loved to get being alone. And I think my friends would definitely say that, you know,

once you become my friend, you don't really hear from me anyway. I'm not very good at that sort of stuff. But we're in tight. There's loyalty and everything there. But, you know, I am a little bit rubbish with making sure I reply to people and show people that I actually do appreciate them and like them. difficult for me sometimes. Why? Why is it? Do you think it's difficult for you? I'm just

because I'm not got me head screwed on right sometimes. Someone will send me a message. You'll be like, oh, should we do this? And I'm like, yeah, okay, great. A message I won't get back to within about two weeks. And then I will agree to do things and then be like, oh, I forgot, sorry. Or like, I can't do it anymore. I'm not, this is not happening. But I will always be that. I will the drop of a hat drive to come and get you, I'll look after your dogs, I will be there when it's needed, just rubbish on the day to day. What I'm getting the impression of, and I'm about to go on, so I'm going to hold that thought, because I think we've come to what might be one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen in my entire life. It's gorgeous, isn't it? So we're at the top

of the common, which kind of goes down on the one side and goes down to the road. But this top bit, you've got like a beautiful viewpoint. It's got oak trees just lining it the whole way. And It's just like a woodlandy but open, vast spot to just look out over the view. There's a couple of benches as well around so you can just sit and watch. And this is Hartlebury. Common still. And I honestly, if you are at all interested in any sort of painting or watercolours or just want to come and spend some time at anywhere, I'm actually going to drive all the way here from London just to come to this spot. It's one of the most beautiful spots I've ever been.

You've seen the type of person then that is if you do feel, and I relate to that by the way, because I'm very similar in that I struggle sometimes with getting back to people and that sort of more organisational side of... Yeah, that's my... Yeah, definitely. Is it? Yeah. I'm terribly, terribly unorganised. What cooking is lovely for then is it's a way of showing your love for people in a different way.

That's exactly what I see it as. And I think that's why I love it so much. And I started off in a care home in the kitchen. the care home and it was just someone at school had the job and I went oh you know what I'll do that as well because I quite like food and all that stuff that really ignited what I saw of like you know how much a rubbish kind of corned beef hash that I just made could make someone's day and having that quick conversation getting them a cup of tea all these patients had Alzheimer's and I would sit with them get them a dinner, make them a cup of tea and chat

and just seeing how it can emotionally affect someone. And it's not necessarily just the food, but obviously the sitting down and talking to them was probably the bigger part of it, but it just felt like you do that over a plate of food and it can be anything. It doesn't have to be very posh and have to be something showstopping. It can be as easy as a cup of soup.

You've said yourself, you weren't particularly academic at school, were you? No, no. I was good at, like, middle school, so, you know, when you're like, before you're 13, and then when we got into high school, I just was like, I'd rather just chat to my friends. I couldn't keep up as quickly as everybody else and just let it go a little bit. There was part of it that was trying to be like, cool, like, yeah, I don't care.

It doesn't matter, I'm not reading it. I've got other things to do, but really it's because of it's because of it's because of it's because of it. Really, it's because I just couldn't get it, so I thought it'd be better just to say I didn't like doing it, but I didn't understand it. I wonder if that happens to a lot of kids that, and again, that's something I really relate to, that if I couldn't do a subject,

I would sort of, I remember something like, because I struggled with anything like physics or maths or chemistry, so what I would do is almost turn it into some stupid triumph, so I'd write all over my books. I got 17% in my physics exam, half-har. And actually, of course, what that is is a complete shield for the shame that I actually felt. Yeah, absolutely. That I didn't understand it.

Yeah, definitely. Was that how you're similar to your way of dealing with it? Similar, but yeah, yeah, similar, absolutely. It was a bit like, oh, yeah, I am thicker. But actually, it's like, no, I just need some help. If I just asked, oh, God, I don't get this, I probably would have done a bit better. but I didn't do terribly terribly but it just took me a lot it was a lot to try and do like my GTSs it was like oh I actually need to revise

right but then because I still again didn't get it would only do it the night before because I'm like well my brain doesn't work like that I can't can't get myself to do it and understand it so I just didn't but GCC's came out all right it was my A levels that really I really struggled with because of the amount of work that you had to do. I'm just so much more practical. And at that point, I was starting to work in pubs. I was working as a care home.

I was working. And I was like, I much prefer just going to work. And when you say working, you were cooking? Cooking, yeah. So I started off as like a waitress, then got behind the bar. And then I was like, please, can I go in the kitchen? So eventually they let me in the kitchen. And that was, I was like, I just prefer doing this.

I don't want to read books and write things. I just want to cook and work in a pub and pour pint. It was great. You started working, as you say, pretty young. Yes. Working in a kitchen in any capacity is not for the faint-hearted. It's tough work, isn't it? It can be, yeah, absolutely.

What was the first sort of tough experience, I guess, that you heard? Oh, okay, yeah. So I had been working in this pub for probably like six months, but half of that had been in front of house. The guy who owned it was a dick. And he said to the cooks, to the chefs, who I can't remember their names, they were really nice guys. He went, okay, guys, you're going to have a break. I need to test her.

Oh, no. See, he's like, right, I want you to just make me a chakoutre board. I want you to do sandwiches. I want you to do this and that. You've got like 20 minutes. Like, I was, like, fresh into, like, kind of fresh into it. And it was just like a weird taste. and I was like, why?

And then the week after, they left me in the kitchen on my own, on a bloomin, like, Saturday afternoon or something. And it just got absolutely rammed, and I went down like a sack of shit. I was so bad. I couldn't get my timings right. I couldn't, like, I was about 16, 17, just like trying to run a kitchen, deep-friing scotch eggs and chips and, like, trying to get a steak sandwich out. Hilarious, but whether or not that was a punishment,

or they genuinely just didn't have. the chefs in at the time. I hated it. I went home crying. I was like, I've just failed everything. But then you go back in and you kind of like, oh, I hope there's a bit of a rush today. That was quite thrilling. You kind of do it to yourself, yeah, especially when you do well. So the first few tables I remember on that day, I was like, yes, smashed it, right? They came out, they were great. And then it just started rolling and rolling and rolling and I was like, I can't keep up with this any longer. Those situations in a kitchen, particularly when you're starting out, that must feel You must feel very out of control.

Yes. But then I think chefs are people who do like adrenaline rushes. Is that true of you? Yes, absolutely. I wish I had the confidence to be more of an adrenaline junkie. I'd love to do like fast cars and jumping out of planes. But no, you just get it in a service on a Thursday night. Like the safe option.

We should talk about where you were when. suddenly your social media content absolutely exploded. Yeah. And this was relatively recently in some ways because this is the pandemic. Yeah. You were working. Are you allowed to say where you were working? Yeah, I was working at the Albright in Mayfair, this female members club, it's a lovely place.

Five-story, beautiful townhouse in Mayfair. Oh, it was gorgeous. It was all properly like interior design. I thought I was like, I haven't made it here. and it was a predominantly female kitchen as well. So I was like, this is incredible. This is like the perfect place to be. All us girlies are going to get along just great.

It's interesting that you say I like that it was a predominantly female kitchen. Why is that? To be fair, it was the first place, the first proper place I worked in was just men. And lovely, a bit toxic, I'll be honest with you. Like, it just, that's the way it is. And then I've definitely seeked out for the rest of my career to make sure there was at least one or two women in the kitchen at the same time. So what experiences have you had,

and we won't name them obviously, but certain male energy that you've dealt with in kitchens? How has that impacted on you? I was quite young when I was in kitchens and stuff. And at the time you don't think about it, you go like, ha ha, yeah, ha, yes. Maybe I won't ever get employed after 25

because I'll get pregnant and I want to employ me. You just laugh along when people say these sort of things to you. And then the further older I got and the further out of it I got, I was like, that isn't, that's weird, weird things, weird, like, why are you telling me I remind you of a porn star? Like, I'm 19, strange. Did someone say that to you? A male employee said that to you. The thing is, I was his friend, like we were like mate, so yes, flippantly in banter, probably fine. But then I wouldn't say that to one of my friends.

I don't think. I don't think you should really have to hear anything about the way you look at work. And I think also what men can sometimes forget, love you though we do, men. Yes, exactly. That's the thing. I don't want to be like... It feels like when you're in a male-dominated room, it's not even playing field. Absolutely.

But, yeah, so there was just a few things where I was like, as I grew up, thought, oh, actually, I'd rather just be with a few more girls. Did you ever have any experiences where you have... I suppose I'd call it harassment. Yes. You know, a few slaps on the bum, which were definitely in the context of not ha ha-ha-h-he. But it's not that...

You know, I've put stuff on my socials before about, you know, like for International Women's Day, like, what's happened to you? We need to change this. We need to change a lot of things in hospitality industry. But the horror stories that I've heard from all... all these other women, I can't say that I've had it bad, which is bad. We should all be able to kind of be like, all, you know, our story is what it is. But the amount of stuff that I've heard from other people is just horrific.

So I am lucky, I would say, to have only had a few comments and a tap on the bum. The more I've heard about it as well, the more I'm like, just stay away from it. But it's funny how, and listen, I'd probably do the same as you and say, oh, I'm lucky. Yeah. I've only experienced this. I only experience that. But you know what's lucky is not experiencing it at all.

Yeah, exactly. That's one thing that's ridiculous is to say that, oh, I'm lucky that only this happened. But also I think it's completely dependent on the person. Like, for me, I've always been very confident, balshy. arrogant like I'll play along with the boys for as long as I can like I'm you know I'll go back as as good as you give sort of thing but for some people that is not the case and that incident of a tap on the bum is bad but it could be so much worse for somebody else so it just needs to stop full stop sometimes as well and it's a sort of stuff that does go on in all creative industries

it goes on in all industries but I think particularly with creative industries it kind of of in a sinister way I think it allows people to feel they have more of a licence because you're working in these high pressure it's like being on a film set or a do you know what I mean? Yeah.

Where you're like well everyone's ramped up of it and normal rules don't apply. Yes. Yeah yeah yeah. Like the stuff because my partner's always worked in offices. He's always done normal jobs I suppose. I don't know what you'd call it but

I say stuff like Oh, yeah, so bloody blah, blah, blah said this, and we all laughed. And you go, what? It's so funny. And I was like, oh. And then you realise, oh, I'm part of it as well. Then you have to look at yourself and go, like, I need to stop. Like, it's not.

Like, you know, there'd be people showing strange videos on their phone. And you go, oh. Sort of like porn things or something. Yeah, like, oh, God, I don't actually want to see that. And then when you realise that you're like, you laughing in and joining in. It's enabling. It's enabling it. But then when you stop, it's like, oh, don't be boring.

Oh, it's like, oh, you can't win. And then you try and say like, oh, no, I'm all right. Thank you. I don't want to see that. It's like the atmosphere changes. Well, it's like we will say, oh, have a sense of humour. Yeah. To which I always think, have some boundaries yourself.

Yeah. About what you share. Yeah. So when you got offered this job as a junior sous chef, wasn't it? Yes. At this club in Mayfair. Yeah. Yep. And you were working there and enjoying it presumably and cooking amazing food.

Yeah, absolutely. Give me a sample dish at the club. Sample dish. So Sabrina Gidder was the executive chef and she did a Great British menu. And she got 10, 10, 10s for her delicious fish with coconut curry, coconut dahl. Oh, I'm getting the vibe, lovely. Oh, it was delicious. So I was like, please, chef, please show me how you made it. so she showed me how to make it. Is that one of the first things you learn is yes, chef?

Oh, yeah, everyone's chef as well. Yes, chef. Do you make Tom, your boyfriend, say that to you? Only in bed. That's the trailer. I'm joking, obviously. No, so I've never been chef, if you know what I mean. It's always big chef, you know.

Oh, hang on. So can you only be? Yes, Chef has to be like. Gordon Ramsey or the head of the kitchen sort of thing. Some places though I've got to say I worked in one place where everyone's a chef because people just, do you want to say people were coming and going so quickly they couldn't remember the name so it was just yeah chef come on chef yes chef thank you chef. Do you know what it's like it's like in the entertainment industry everyone's darling. Yeah exactly. Yes darling yes chef. Yeah it is it's just it's more of a

generalisation but some places yeah it's only the owner head chef person that is chef and everyone his names. Yes, chef. We chef. We chef. So then you got laid off as a result of the pandemic, didn't you? Yeah, they did. Was it 2020 this happened? In 2020, yeah. So it was really awkward because I was, because being a sous chef or junior sous chef, you're kind of part of management because you're the hierarchy of the chefs and that sort of stuff. So we all got taken, all management, front of house, management, back of house, all got taken into a room and told like, look, this thing seems to be a real thing. People are getting ill.

We are going to shut for three weeks, but we are letting everyone go. And I was like, sat there going, oh shit. And they went, but just don't tell anybody else yet. And I had all my colleagues and mates downstairs packing their lockers up. And I went down, they went, actually, they did call me chef at one point there.

They went, chef, should I just leave my shoes here? I've come back in a few weeks. And I went, oh, just take them just in case, knowing that everyone was going to be let go of. And I was like, oh, this is shit. This is really, really. And I was on the tube back like, oh, God, what am I going to do? Like, what is everyone, like, what on earth is happening? Just remember, like, gobsmacked.

When furlough happened, they called us all up and said, look, we'll put you on furlough, which was really nice of them. They brought us all back onto furlough. And then eventually they got rid of everybody who was on. a salary so about like a month or two later so you lost your job so lost it then yeah were you living living in london with tom so i was living in hackneywick with him i remember when our boris went we're going to close all the motorways you're going to get arrested if you go on the motorway i called up my mom and dad and i was like please save us get us out of london for a bit because they've got a garden with and i thought with the we had the two pugs at the time so they risked it all and

came and got me and Tom and the dogs. And we went and stayed with them for about four weeks. And it was during this period of the pandemic when you couldn't work. No. You decided to start putting these sort of how-to cooking videos up. Initially on TikTok. Yeah, that was it, only on TikTok.

This was when we were still with my mum and dad and my little brother and sister who would have been 10. and 12, 10, 13 at the time. And they were just scrolling constantly, not doing the work that I meant, not logging on to lessons or anything, but just scrolling on TikTok. And then someone came up on theirs.

I was just watching it with them. And it was someone cooking, and I was like, oh, okay. I'd only just about heard of TikTok when I was at work. And we'd done some, like, dance videos at work, which was hilarious. So I didn't really know what it was,

but I was like, oh, okay, you can do video videos. Like, you can do like recipes. So I was like, tricks, come on. Let's go and make a tomato sauce that I've been making at work. Let's just go and make one. Because we're going to have Obegiene Parmesan tonight for dinner, so let's go and do it. And that was it.

Just videoed it. Put my chef's jacket on because I want it to be like, I'm chef. Yes, chef, we chef. And that is what started it. And just carried on. You say just carried on, but most people just carry on. they continue frankly publishing stuff into the void. And the most they'll hope for is, oh, my godfather followed me

and two people I once met at the pub in 1999. However, that wasn't the case for you. There was one video you posted, which was potato themed. Yes. And you woke up the next morning and what happened? Oh, wow. So I'd been doing it for about six months at that point and we were going into a second lockdown in November.

So I'd done a video just before that of some potatoes. And it was the first video I'd ever had a million views. So I was like, oh, people like potatoes. So in the November, I knew that I was, it's conniving really. Excuse me, Red. She jumped up my bum. I knew that everyone was going to be at home, locked in for 25 days in November. So I just thought, well, let's see if potatoes work.

And I've always loved potatoes. But so I did a load of potato recipe videos. and then the one that kind of blew up huge was a compilation video of all the potato recipes so far and then just me speaking over the top of it and just saying just going like it was one take I was very proud of it one take Tom was trying to think of funny things to say and I went I'm just going to speak let me just speak on it and I went hello and welcome to potato TikTok here we love potato live potato and laugh potato the first rule of potato tic-tok is that we really like potatoes and overnight i went from like maybe i think oh i had a huge amount a massive amount of followers already

because i thought it's huge about i had about 200 000 followers which unbelievable but then overnight i had a million just from that just from that one video welcome to potato yeah literally it wasn't even a recipe video it was just random It was wild. Why do you think people loved it so much? I think it's just, it's a bit silly. It's a bit, it's very niche. And that was just the essence of TikTok at the time.

So that really took off. I remember, that was when I first came across you and I thought, God, this game was brilliant. Yeah. Oh, thanks. I just remember, one of the things that became huge was these potato cubes, essentially. Oh, the 15-hour potato?

Yeah. So basically I still had five days of the 25 days of potatoes left after I'd gained a million followers. So I released that video halfway through. Basically because I couldn't think of a recipe and I needed to post something. So we just did some compilation thing and I was like, this will count as one of the 25 days. So I still had five more days. So I was like, oh, God, I need to make sure these recipes are really good now. Like I've got a million people who want to see potato recipes. So I pulled out all the stops, went through all of my old recipe books that were from the kitchens, all my notes, every recipe that I'd done in different kitchens and stuff.

And yeah, the 15-hour potato. So it's a potato parvei, which is like a dish that's been around for years. And I just, I saw that the 100-hour brownie was going huge. and so decided to give it, instead of calling it potato parvay, she called it a 15-hour potato and it was just like... Can I say what I love is Poppy's world when you enter it is, I mean I saw that the 100-hour brownie was going huge and other things I would never say. I just, I watch everybody else and then do it with a potato.

You sort of became the potato queen. Yes, yeah, I did. That's what people were calling you. Yeah. And your followers kept going up. You then on Instagram, you started getting followers. And I mean, now, give me an idea, just ballpark figures. How many views have you had roughly across social media?

Well, I know that the 15 hour potato has had one billion views. I've done it multiple times. So overall, that's had a billion. And then I don't know about all the other recipes in between. I can have a look, actually. You've had over a billion views just for this one video. This one dish? Yeah.

The 15 hour potato. Which is really great. On TikTok, it's great. Once you... I still don't quite get it. Do I have to cook it for 15 hours? No, you bake it for three hours and he set it in the fridge overnight. Three hours, Poppy.

It's worth it. I should have bought one today. I should have done it. I'm sorry. Well, one video of yours alone has had over a billion views, the 15 hour potato, which I would stay to enjoy, but I haven't got four. 15 hours to wait around for you to cook me a potato poppy but you've also your social media following your TikTok and Instagram what what roughly what numbers are you at now so on

TikTok I'm at 4.4 million followers which is makes me feel sick and then Instagram we just hit a million which is wild this is what I don't I will never understand why how or why I don't get it, I love it, but I, to try and fathom what a million people looks like is quite bizarre and I don't, I don't, it doesn't seem real because it's just a number on a screen. When you get a following like yours, pretty rapidly, let's be honest. Yeah, absolutely. It feels very, very rapid, I'll be honest with you. But I guess I'm thinking there are challenges that come with that poppy because it's not a gradual thing that you get used to and you don't get what I suppose I'd call an adjustment ramp

you know like you wake up one morning and suddenly everyone knows who you are wants to know everything about you feels entitled to have an opinion on you to weigh in what were the challenges with that kind of rapid viral fame so I think initially it was excitement and you're like oh my goodness this is amazing I think obviously the more you're out there the more you do open yourself to criticism which is valid sometimes and sometimes really not and I did have a stage where I had to start therapy because I was like I I'm a people pleaser I very I can't take criticism very much and it wasn't about me but about the food and I was like

you're telling me you don't like the food I was like I can't deal with it so it was literally over a watermelon steak that I had to have therapy because in the beginning you're kind of wanting those viral moments which are going to be opposing sometimes, you know. And so I was like, I'm going to try this watermelon steak, which was actually really nice, but people were like, that's disgusting, you're horror. Like, you call yourself a chef, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I don't actually think I want to do this. I was like I actually don't think, I kind of like just working in the kitchen, not any, the customers just enjoy the food and they go home and that's like it. And I kind of had to just work on myself to get through bits that were deeper than just someone saying they didn't like my watermelon steak on TikTok.

You know, it is imposter's sort of syndrome. It is a confidence thing. It is a people pleasing thing. And that was really good actually because I would never have done therapy otherwise. So part of it came out very well. But yeah, definitely had a moment of I don't. like the bad side of it, but you come out the other side of it eventually. What kind of got me through a lot as well was, you know, a lot of women and girls and saying, oh, I want to work in

kitchens because of you. And like, it's really helped me with kind of the jobs that I'm doing and stuff. And I'm like, okay, you know what? There are good things that come out of this and there's so many more good things than are bad, but you concentrate on the bad things all the time, don't you? It's always those negative things that everyone remembers, but you don't remember all the good stuff. So it was a bit overwhelmed. in. I'm lucky that I'm just cooking. More now kind of, you know, we're doing amazing TV shows, which is hilarious and brilliant. And there's books and there's more information about me out there now than there was before.

But I've had a bit more time to kind of adjust to that. Whereas the first bit, it was just social. I'd never done anything else. It was just social. And it was a bit like, all these strangers want to tell me they don't. like me a watermelon steak. Well, I think that's the thing and I think that's what's difficult is that suddenly

because people have direct access to you as well. Yeah. It's a very different kind of fame is that in the old days, celebrities, you know, it's a studio system. Celebrities had an army of people like the studio, PRs, publicists, protecting them, acting as a buffer.

There's a barrier, yeah. Acting as a buffer from the outside world. That kind of fame is sort of dying out now and what you have now is people being famous on their own terms which is fantastic because they've got the control but as you say it's not without its challenges because it is it is an uncontrollable monster in some ways absolutely and um what was there anything something valuable that you learned from the therapist when you were talking about the fame and navigating it was there is there anything that you remember learning from that the kind of yeah

there was a good few takeaways from it is that first of all you can never change other people or you can change is your perception of the situation which was very useful and I use that a lot in everyday life not just online now I know that you know I'm never going to change people's opinions all I can do is carry on and that if I wasn't good enough it wouldn't have happened it's still I still doubt everything that I do to this day even though I've achieved it's so much and it is quite like when I look back ago actually it's quite incredible the amount of stuff that we've done but um I still think oh god someone's going to find out that I'm a rubbish chef at some point someone's going to realise all these recipes are crap well do you know I'm interested as well because I know this sounds like a cliche but obviously interview a lot of people on this podcast and one thing that is quite common and I've I've seen a bit of a pattern here is people who are immensely successful. It's not uncommon for them to have lost a parent at a young age. Or to have had an ill parent or it's very common in fact.

Some sort of trauma. So you know of course the theory would go. Red. You know that your that parent didn't abandon you and had no control over dying. But that doesn't change the sense of abandonment you feel. They can't control that. But you still feel, oh I was left. And so. it's an interesting thing so it's a lovely legacy i know this sounds but i see it as a gift that that that parent you lost gives you is well look i'm not going to be here but the legacy i'm going to leave you with is that you're going to be really driven and ambitious and work hard to make a good life for yourself maybe i think that's your dad's gift to you i'll take that cheers sean

yeah i'll take that absolutely so that would be a interesting um statistic to have a look at that word. It's very common if you look at it, with comics especially. Oh, you've got to have a sense of humour about everything, haven't you? That's the thing. You've got to find even the dark humour. I love a bit of dark humour me. As soon as I find out someone else has got a dead parent,

cheers. Dead Dad Club, whey! Like, that's it. Like, it's the thing that we talk about all night. I really hope you love part one of this week's Walking the Dog. If you want to hear the second part of our chat, it'll be out on Thursday. So whatever you do, don't miss it.

And remember to subscribe so you can join us on our walks every week.