It’s a well-worn formula, familiar to anyone who has chanced upon Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch at any point over the last gazillion (actually 14) years: get a celebrity in a studio kitchen to cook a recipe for the first time as the host interviews them. But – at least in the case of Tesco’s weekly YouTube series Tesco Kitchen, which launched earlier this year – it’s a winning one.
Returning hosts Greg James and Seema Pankhania provide a balance of loose chat and serious foodie business, but always allow their guest to shine brightest.
The latest face in the kitchen was the consistently likeable comedian Phil Wang, who shared his love for “service station fried chicken” and trick to timing the arrival of his takeaway delivery to the moment he walks off stage after a gig – all while piecing together a prawn ravioli recipe.
The task at hand removes the awkwardness and formality of a sit-down chat, and draws out more of a guest’s personality. In Wang’s episode, the laughs on set seemed sincere. And the supermarket’s range got a good outing too.
Tesco will doubtless have noticed the success of the Dish from Waitrose podcast, which in June surpassed one billion downloads, views and listens since its launch in 2022, according to the upmarket grocer. And even more so, the research that found 78% of listeners said the show had encouraged them to shop more frequently at Waitrose.
Tesco has resolved to achieve the same heights of Dish without being as painfully dull. A genuinely fun format that sets a high bar for supermarket-backed lifestyle shows.
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