Actor and comedian Tom Davis joined Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett OBE on Dish from Waitrose this week to explore his life through food and cooking.
Davis reflected on the awkward art of introductions, saying: “I get very embarrassed in the intros. I always want to be like, we were expecting a bigger guest.”
He also discussed how his glasses signal mood and confidence: “Better glasses? Yeah, yeah, yeah. These are like, I’m an open book today…If I’m wearing too small ones, it means I’m closing off.”
He recounted the day a throwaway joke about not dreaming became national news. “I had forgotten I said it. And they were like, you sleep but you can’t dream, you’ve never had a dream. And I went, oh no, I was taking the mic, it was just…bridge over troubled water.”
Tom shared his early kitchen experiences, including working under Michel Bourdin at the Connaught, describing it as “a shock to the system…you felt really, I think, terrified. You had to know your place.”
He also recalled working at La Veranda in Carshalton, contrasting the intensity of fine dining with his years on building sites.
He spoke about taking on the Big Five eating challenge, completing McDonald’s, KFC, pizza, curry, and a Chinese meal in one day.
“McDonald’s breakfast is the way to go…your Chinese late on always plays havoc. You’re in bits,” he said.
Reflecting on his love of food with his family, noted, “I love food. It’s my happy place…it’s all about the food now. It’s all about what will go out.”
Personal stories included meeting his wife at Nando’s, the lingering smell of cabbage from childhood friends, and how Waitrose became a social hub during the early pandemic.
He described his risotto cooking method as “a marathon, but a beautiful thing when you get it right. And you can’t leave it…I’m being here with you until this is done.”
Tom also discussed returning to stand-up after anxiety, praising Romesh for support. He shared experiences on Wonka, noting Olivia Colman “gave me so much advice…she should be treasured,” and on The Reluctant Vampire, praising the ensemble cast.
On the ultimate culinary question, he chose bread over potatoes. “These are the questions in my life I take more seriously…a slice of bread with a bit of Marmite butter…Potatoes are honourable second in a two-horse race,” he said.
The latest episode is available now.
