The latest episode of Ruthie’s Table 4 features writer, director and actor Emerald Fennell, just under two weeks before the premiere of her new project, Wuthering Heights.
Emerald sits down with Ruthie Rogers to discuss growing up in London, boarding school at 13, and the foods that shaped her early life.
She recalls a childhood of comfort meals, including M&S oven-ready tagliatelle with ham and mushroom, and Friday night fish and chips in Herefordshire, eaten in the car for that perfect balance of heat and vinegar!
She also remembers trips to the Texas Lone Star on Gloucester Road, home to the iconic Texas Pup hot dog with cheese, a family favourite she still savours.
The conversation delves into Fennell’s collaborative filmmaking process. She describes the careful balance of “French Hours” on set, ensuring the team works efficiently while still eating together, and the communal meals on Saltburn, where long tables outside encouraged everyone to eat as a group.
For Wuthering Heights, she and her team designed complex 18th-century food, including aspics, pickled dishes, and a fish-in-jelly scene, crafted with prototypes for visual and tactile effect.
She explains: “It’s about containing the natural… like a corset, or putting a fish in jelly… it’s sinister, it’s about being frightened of the world.”
Emerald shares personal reflections on upbringing and family influence, noting her parents’ dedication and creativity – her mother a writer and her father a jewellery designer – and the freedom and love that shaped her.
She talks about her time living in Los Angeles, enjoying the food culture, and returning to England to be near family during COVID.
The conversation also touches on inspiration and collaboration: Emerald encourages her team to experiment, take risks, and embrace the “ghastly” or unpalatable, whether in food or filmmaking.
She recalls rehearsals on Saltburn, discovering unexpected chemistry between actors, and parallels this with the constant adjustments in a restaurant kitchen, where improvisation and trust are essential.
For the show’s recipe segment, Fennell chose spaghetti with bottarga, explaining the simple, precise preparation and noting her belief that parmesan should not accompany fish pasta.
She closes with a personal memory, calling the first cookie her children made – shortbread with multicoloured icing – the best thing she has ever eaten.
Ruthie’s Table 4 with Emerald Fennell is available now on all podcast platforms.
