Jane Montgomery - Leiths legendary culinary teacher, chef and content creator discusses weird snacking habits, lemon obsession and the wonder that is Joanne McNally

Jane is a true multi-hyphenate. She is a chef, professional culinary teacher at Leiths School of Food and Wine, pastry guru and inspiring creator of recipe content, janeexplainsforforkssake. She combines self deprecating humour with incredible skills to make her demonstrations mesmerising. 

Jane joins me to talk about the life changing events that led her to working in the food industry. We discuss everything from the tonic of magical friend cookery, high low food combinations, our love of Joanne McNally and sharing the same weird snacking habits as a Spice Girl.

Follow Jane at ticktock.com/@janeexplains.forforkssake

Transcript

Guru Jane, 

can you talk to me a bit about your journey into being a senior teacher at Leiths and starring in your own Instagram extravaganza, really, and creating some amazing content?

I can indeed. I'll try and keep it to a nutshell because it wasn't a quick journey as all the best ones weren't, which reminds me of Baz Luhrmann, but we'll come back to that later. So basically I went quite a traditional route and I was from quite a professional family and went to university. Did strategic management because I wasn't sure what to do. I'm going to go down to London and I went into advertising and marketing strategy. And then I was like, this is all great, but I'm in an office all the time, but I was partying a lot and it was very fun. And then my life changed overnight. and when big events happen, they make you reappraise 

and decide what 

you're going to do. And I was like, if everything ends for me tomorrow I need to do something more. [00:01:00] Everything that we have with food, I went down that route. 

I retrained and I wasn't sure with those initial steps where the journey was gonna take me. And, I wasn't necessarily having teaching on my brain, but the vocational side of me ended up finding my way there. I said yes to every opportunity. And as we've discussed over and over, it's such an exciting, passionate industry full of amazing often crazy people, who we love to be part of it, it's hugely exciting. It's exhausting and it's all of the things. And I think unless you're in the industry, it's sometimes very hard to explain 

And amongst all the things that I was doing, I wrote a book when I came out, and I did a lot of behind the scenes in media, and doubled with restaurants. I ended up, working with small businesses on their businesses, and doing my own teaching. And then I was asked to come back to Leiths, and so worked my way up there.

And with a [00:02:00] hugely talented team who I've learned so much off, and I've worked with so many amazing chefs while I've been there who all bring their own knowledge of wherever they've worked. And then you're taking other people on that journey that you yourself has done and I get excited with the new intake every yearAnd that takes us to Leiths. And then in recent times, you're looking for new challenges. I love sharing the knowledge. I'm hugely passionate about what we do. And I've also met people who want to learn, who can't afford to do traditional routes And I wanted a creative outlet and to do some fun things. I wanted to do videos which was recipes that I enjoy eating, making with a bit of a quirk. I like beautiful things I like styling and I like having fun and a few people said to me and I think you said to me I smile when I watch your videos. I was like, brilliant. And so the first step is always the hardest, but you were one of the people that [00:03:00] encouraged me. So that takes us more or less to where we are. 

That's so exciting. I also find it really interesting because you said that an event happened. I've worked with chefs before whose loved ones had died and then they decided, actually, I've got to follow my passion. So what happened that made you want to to make the change? And, are you glad that. you did?

I ask myself that. all the time. In the grand scheme of things, yes. And I, I love what I do. It was quite a huge thing for me. And it was, my mum dying. And I initially went to look after her and we had lots of conversations. We had lots of great time together while I was looking after her. And she just said, you're not happy. What are you going to do? And so she initiated those conversations. And I do actually think with the emotions I was talking about is she taught me how to cook, which is a really common [00:04:00] story. And she was a great host and it was about having everyone around you and family and cooking. And that was the thing that we were also sharing at the end. 

And so of all the options that I had, I went to train because it also made me feel close to her. But really interesting in a dark humour way, I have actually worked with, big groups of people before in the dead parent club, where interestingly, we'd all made the same choices, but we all had at least one or two, dead parents. And whether that is just an aspect and to do with the teaching as well, but the, community of the industry, is something that has been a second family to me

Is that because it really makes you focus on what you want to do, or is it communal eating or hosting and creating a new family that you work with and crazy bonding work situation? 

I think it's, a combination of all the things. And 

 [00:05:00] Psychology wise, I think I lost any ability to deal with bullshit and, 

that ties in You don't have the physical energy inside you anymore. Cause you don't have as much space. So that's gone. And you're like, actually, I'd rather be doing something creative and what is important. If I got run over by a bus tomorrow, I don't think I'd regret my decision.

And it's been a lot of fun along the way. And when you have a really 

great day in this industry and you have a buzz or whether it's service, or you've just created a really great dish and you're working alongside people who you think are really talented.

It's really amazing when you're working in a great team and you're getting on and there can be something quite magical when you get those times where. You do create something special. Definitely, you actually made me think of something that I hadn't thought about before, which is with cooking and chefing, you have to be so present, don't you? You can't just call it in. [00:06:00] So actually, if you're dealing with a big thing, it's quite powerful because you just have to focus on that. And you're in service, you've got a job to do, and you've gotta not just work through a to do list, you've actually gotta create a dish and send it out. Yeah, I totally agree. And I always say to the students, there's nowhere to hide in the kitchen. You have to be dynamic. You don't have the capacity to pretend you're someone you're not or do something you're not and I think it ties into the same thing. If you're focused, you get lost and you'll come out of it and you're like, I've actually not thought about anything else all day, which is maybe why some people think that chefs are a nightmare to go out. with. Maybe that's one of the reasons. 

Also you see really immediately in a working environment, people put under pressure and you see true colours 

I think that's where the stereotypes 

come from chefs that have been, shown on TV we've all worked with them. They, do exist, but it is a [00:07:00] really high pressured environment. And although we all know it's just food, it's notjust food. 

 I watch the Bear. One of the things I've enjoyed about it most is them showing why people do it and the psychology behind it and why people want to create and why it is often difficult to make money as well and when you're aiming for perfection of something why sometimes the financial thing is hard to balance with that 

Yeah. Did anyone say to you, this is a strange move that you're making from advertising? 

It's one of those things where everyone was just like, good luck I hope you stick to it because a lot of people want to change careers, or think they have an inkling. But there's a fear factor and look there's money and stability and everything else that comes from it. They were part of the decision making process if they were in my close family and they were like, you just need to do what you're going to be happy. I don't know whether behind my back, people were like, she's absolutely [00:08:00] bonkers. And what is she doing? And is it going to work? 

Surely not. 

Never. But it's not for the faint hearted. And people, do change or they'll do it for a bit and change, but there's no judgment because it isn't easy, but there's also a lot of joy if you can stick with it. Yeah, for sure. And this is the theme of the podcast. Is that food has punctuated my life and has helped me get through so many things. So that was how I came up with the concept. In terms of food memories, dishes, or recipes, whether you've cooked it yourself or eaten out, what recipe or dish do you use to mend a broken heart? 

 I have to give full credit to my friend Katie, who has had to pick up a lot of Jane pieces over the years. And everyone always says to her, it must be really lovely to have a friend as a chef because she must cook for you all the [00:09:00] time. Our ratio of meal cooking is she's cooked me a million and I've cooked one.

So I would say any of my friend Katie's dishes, largely she makes amazing roasts. Really good roast potatoes and I'm often very spoiled and get a steak around there, but I've literally had everything. Usually, it's like a pasta dish and all sorts, but she's, definitely done her time on the food, but that was the immediate memory that I had is just being around her kitchen table and she's feeding me after those situations, which have been many. 

There's something super reassuring about being cooked for isn't it? It's like the ultimate 

act kindness 

and love. Cause you've put yourself into it. And,she also happens to be a really good cook. 

So what roast are we 

talking? 

I would 

it's normally a really good beef joint. I've had ribs of beef. Sometimes it will be a roast. But then her husband Rick's gone out onto his big green egg. If [00:10:00] there's anything on the big green egg, he does it. And, often very spoiled. It might just be a fillet with the trimmings, but her roast potatoes are pretty sweet. I think if it's me on the whole, like immediate recovery is carbs.But then long term recovery, you go back to nurturing and eating the things that you should, which gets you back on track.

 A roast is actually quite a balanced dish, isn't it? Because you've got your carbs, your protein, your 

veg. 

You've got your calories for the whole day. I think it's really good and I don't get hung up too hung up on those things, but I actually think, although I, do eat meat for me, it's a bit like Christmas dinner, it's actually all the trimmings,and I'm a good Northern girl and, a roast chicken is my favorite way to have chicken. It's the bread sauce. And I think that's quite a polarising sauce. I think if you grew up with it and you don't understand why you'd have roast chicken without it. And you will have it on a sandwich with leftovers like dunked in [00:11:00] gravy, amazing. When you think about it It is quite random.

 It looks like wallpaper paste. I got a request in private cheffing to make gluten free bread sauce and actually it was really 

seasoned andlike, a chipolata pigs in blankets dipped in bread sauce is just a joy. 

 You need a lot of garlic and salt and pepper in 

that. 

Garlic's quite controversial. I'm just going to put it out there. 

Ooh. 

I'm not sure. I'm not sure I put garlic in my bread sauce. I think I'm being a bit purist, the cloves in the, onion, the nutmeg, well seasoned. But that reminds me of, when I was in advertising and you got taken out for lots of lunches when you were first in London and I hadn't been on another planet up north. Like we ate out a lot and everything, but I remember the first time I had fish and chips, in somewhere more refined and I was like, why are they giving me some crushed peas with mint in? That's not what I want with my fish and chips and [00:12:00] it's really stuck with me. I always wonder that at what point did I turn slightly more Southern than Northern,on those topic areas, but I still love mushy peas, but I'll accept the crushed minty ones now. 

I oscillate though, because I think sometimes just leave it alone, don't tamper with 

stuff, and then sometimes I'm relaxed with an elevated 

can cook. 

But classic mushy peas can't 

I really love mushy peas. That's another thing 

Me too. Love.

And, I would prefer it if people weren't lazy and left the skin on the fish that they batter.

I'm really with you, what's that 

about? 

It two seconds. I really can't see how big a deal that is on the bottom line. No one wants flabby. 

 flobby fish 

skin,

When I served it to my brother and crisped up lovely skin, he didn't think he was supposed to eat it. So he fed it to the dog and I was like, I've just crisped up that 

skin. 

Really well. 

you'll find it was very good, but you're welcome. 

So your recipe to mend a broken heart is [00:13:00] roast chicken with all the trimmings, bread sauce, 

Yeah. 

Cooked by your friend.

One hundred percent. And you can just feel the hug and the red wine controversial with the chicken. But I feel like red wine does give you a bit more of a gentle hug Yeah. comforting. what kind of red wine in that 

situation. 

Um, I drink a lot of Malbec, but in that situation? I'd probably be a bit lighter. I might try and be a bit classier and go Pinot Noir, but I'm going to be honest, if it was handed to me by someone else, I would probably drink it. 

 Exactly. Especially when you're feeling under emotional distress. 

It's bringing, it's

It's bringing back some memories where she actually was having a party, but a 10 person party And I called her and I was like, I've got to come down. And I was an absolute mess. And she sent me upstairs and she was like, you can join in or you can't. And I was like, I'm a grown up. I'm going to have to come downstairs. And all her friends were really [00:14:00] great. And just pretended they didn't know that I was in a right mess. And I just pretended I wasn't and it was great.Did it bring you out of it? little 

does. And you're with other people. And you're like, it will be okay. And I'm very lucky. I do have a lot of friends. That's how I'm reflecting on it. I think at the time I was like, why am I the fucking loser who's still sitting at the end of the table, single, getting pissed and creating all the stories for everybody else when I leave? what are they gonna talk about if I actually settle downI think that's how I felt at the time, but on reflection you can't sit in a room on your own. That's not the way.

I think sitting in a room by yourself on a, bed eating chipolatas and a roast with bread sauce could be bleak. 

It could be bleak. and I feel like the only time I really eat in bed is when I'm really severely hungover and that's a whole other conversation and it's always a little bit wrong but there are some times that are just so desperate but otherwise nobody wants the crumbs. that's a nightmare. [00:15:00] And let alone finding some bread sauce at a later date.

I'm with you. 

a,

So coming on to your next recipe, what recipe or dish would be your recipe for fun? and what I mean by that, is there a celebratory dish or meal that you've had that really evokes a fun time?

there's just so many it does make me sound a bit ridiculous. And it's because I was at Royal Ascot, in the Royal enclosure and I was just having such a lovely time. And, I was with family and one of my really good friends, and I hadn't been before. And I was placing bets that I was never going to win. And I just had the most amazing brioche, with lemon butter, lobster roll. And why it sticks with me is because it's fancy casual, but it's basically the best way to have lobster. But, I now [00:16:00] use that as my go to in that if you want to drink champagne, you have it with, a bacon butty. 

So this is a long winded way of saying champagne with a bacon butty because I think, You just take so much joy from, it feels quite wrong and that you shouldn't be doing that And I'm talking like the bacon butty that you have with, the Warburtons white bread. And I did this with my sister when she came down to stay with the family at Easter and it just brought me joy and fun withoutHaving to do anything that zany. 

 I love that high low 

combination. it's so 

good isn't it. 

I thinkif food's good it doesn't have to be a white tablecloth or you don't have to save your best wine for a great occasion. You might actually enjoy it more if you just open it and have a glass in front of the telly. 

Yeah, exactly. [00:17:00] 

like the bacon butty with some champagne, 

Sums it up and I don't have to, wine match every dish. It just is a coincidence that apparently that's what happens every time I eat. But also, is there a part of you that's a bit of a contrarian and you're thinking to yourself I can mix it up. I can have champagne and a greasy bacon butty And, 

and and technically, as we all know, you've got the saltiness of fattiness and the champagne's cutting through, but it always feels a little bit wrong and it always feels a little bit better. 

 sototally changing direction now. If you are feeling under the weather or you've overindulged, what is a dish or a recipe that you use for health? 

 I do love vegetables and veggie cooking. And I do just see vegan and vegetarian as another cuisine that I build in. the recipe that I'm with, I'm actually going to do for the students in one of my vegan dems [00:18:00] is, an Ottolenghi one. I just love it. and it's so simple you bung everything into a pan. It's some onion, shed loads of garlic, some chilli flakes, some tomato paste, like, 400 mils of oil. You shove all that in and that's then going to become your base sauce. You pile on your portobello mushrooms in the oven, maybe turn them, and then you blitz the sauce. And that's for the butter bean mash. And it feels really rich and, you have loads of veg on the side and you don't actually serve it with all that oil. You then keep that for other dishes. but I'm just obsessed with that with loads of like seasoned broccoli on the side, that's my go-to On a rainy feel good day.who doesn't love Ottolenghi? He's everybody's hero and he's so lovely. 

 15 years ago, he used to teach classes and he's done dem'ing at Leiths and a lot of Leiths students have gone to work with him.

The man, The myth, The legend. What spice are you using in that? Is there a spice in there? Or is it just [00:19:00] garlic?

it's garlic and chilli flakes and a chilli. But because you're slow cooking and confiting it all together even the flavour and consistency of mushroom is slightly different. And quite a bit of salt I put in as well. but you blend it all together and it's just 

really fragrant, rich, indulgent. Middle Eastern. I can't remember, but maybe some cumin in as well. put some cumin in as well, but you can play around with it. 

 The last 20 years, especially in England, we've been taught to cook vegetables for no time at all. But when you cook vegetables for a longer period of time, it changes the texture and it can make everything a bit more meaty 

Yeah, absolutely. 

I love the slow cook scenario. And I think people are getting a little bit more adventurous. It's not new now, but how you use vegetables rather than just as a bit of a side, I thinkit's changed for the better on that point of

view. So given your wine pairing tastes, what would you drink with that? 

[00:20:00] Oh, I think if I was pairing it with wine, I'd probably go for a Reisling. 

Yeah. 

 I think it would go pretty well with a beer,

 I was thinking Guinness would be maybe quite tasty 

 Quite but you could just have a little, Guinness 

A 

baby one. Yeah. that's sounding 

I feel like we've 

just added 

healthy 

now 

think we have added to your podcastI think we have you're

 we've spoken about how food can really be healing and restorativeand the name of this podcast is how to cook a gremlin, meaning how you use food to face those challenges in life. So is there a dish in particular that's got you through a really hard time, or maybe you've been going through a transitional phase in life. There's a dish that's really resonated to you during that period. 

I think I've got two. The first one is, a Pho. I really love it because it's so light and you can be [00:21:00] so creative with it. And I really love it with a soft poach, marinated egg if I'm feeling fancy. 

 I love stock in terms of flavour I think if I could never eat meat again, I'd really fight for keeping stock in my life. 

but from a longevity point of view, and I feel like I'm making myself sound a little basic bitch on this podcast. it's all the Northern carbs it's, beans on toast. I really love beans on toast. That cooked from scratch. I've always wanted to go to the effort to cook it from scratch, the bread, but a really beautiful white farmhouse loaf and beans from scratch.

I do actually do some really good smoky beans. And let's throw in some posh cheddar like the Montgomery cheddar, if you're really going to pimp it. But ultimatelyHeinz beans on toast, a little bit of cheese has saved the day on more than one occasion.

And especially the homemade version, it's filling you full of nutrients.

So those are my two I'd [00:22:00] just like to clarify that most of the time I am actually eating Asian dishes when I'm cooking myself in the week. I'm like, Oh, clearly all of my inspiration is just my nostalgia carb loads. 

So when you make your smoky beans, how do you make them? 

it's, pretty much the base of, a tomato sauce, but I quite like, a little bit spicy, getting the chipotle chilli flakes in there, some peppers, and usually I use cannellini beans, but you can use whatever you'd like. Andas we were saying, you just got to get that really slow cooking. And if you want it to be really fancy and not just use, chopped tomatoes, you could chop fresh tomatoes and just low and 

slow for a good long time. and yeah, it should feel good 

Are you putting 

Uh, 

if the tomato is going in, there's a little bit of sugar and I'll put in something like treacle or molasses for that sort [00:23:00] of background stickiness.

Pretty good. 

Smoked paprika? 

That's actually probably one of my favorite spices. I put paprika 

in everything. So yeah, it will be in there.

Me too. And what are we drinking with this? you're on a roll here, 

it's a really good point. that's quite a difficult one, to match. I do also put a bit of Bourbon in with the chillies sometimes,

Are we just going to have an old fashioned with it then? 

Wow. are we thinking I'm thinking I don't want wine with it. 

I might even just get a pale ale. I just think it feels right. 

 Or a cup of 

I do love tea. 

 love a tea. So great. 

tea Do you drink? 

drink

 love builders with cow milk. 

you know what, Sophie? I was judging you. I thought you were going to give me a herbal tea then. No, I love a builders really strong and really milky. That's favourite. 

Love asking people to make you a cup of tea and seeing, 

and I'm one of those awful people that thinks I'm not judgmental, but I would definitely judge 

Yeah, or people have left it too long with the skin on the top. But you never know whether people have done it on purpose, because if they make it too well, you'll ask them [00:24:00] again. 

So I've got some quick fire questions for you. 

my memory recall is shite. 

only you know 

the 

we can make it 

So, you can make it up as you go along.what's the toughest life lesson you've ever learned? 

You might agree with me, is what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And, unfortunately, it is true. And, when you have something taken away you will gain something else that you're better at for whatever reason, whether it's empathy or understanding certain situations or whatever it is.I'd probably say that's the number one, but there are many. And we can reinsert Baz Luhrmann,you know exactly what I'm talking about. I feel like it ages me really hard, but I feel like there's a five year age gap around us that will understand what that is. 

 it straight away. what's the best life

advice you've ever been given? 

 I think it was some that I didn't take up on some of my early ventures, which was when you have an idea and you're making a plan, you should probably [00:25:00] work out how you're going to make money from it first. Sometimes as a creative, you need to be really focused and you want to make things perfect and great and celebrate, but if you are doing it for work you need to have an eye on that. 

What's your biggest food turnoff? It's actually texture. if things aren't the right texture, I won't eat them. If an apple is not hard enough and you bite into it, know, when it's fuzzy, won't eat it. If a melon is mushy, it's especially fruit. that sort of thing. Not keen. 

I'm practically fruit phobic, so I hear you. what's your biggest food turn on? 

sugar, I really do love sugar. I've got a really sweet tooth. I think I would be very sad, without that in my life. And I love chocolate. And the other side of that is I'm also slightly obsessed with any sort of layered pastry. And one of my favourite things to eat is, I'll pretty much try a chocolate croissant anywhere I go that's a [00:26:00] bakery as my benchmark. I really love it. And, when I was private chef in the south of France, this family, they had the best bakery and I basically used to live on the chocolate croissants because I can never eat my own food when I've cooked it all day. 

yeah, I hear you there.what is your favourite restaurant slash cafe? 

it's a toughy, Morchella, I've had a really great meal. I really loved it. on one particular dish stood out recently, and it was a poussin, but, salt baked 

I'm wondering

And the other shout out is a chef called Andy Oliver, and it isn't favouritism cause I've done training with him 

But his two restaurants, I've been to both of them, Som saa and Kolae, it's spelled K O L A E, but just such great Thai food so much flavour.

I also think a good price point, and the staff are lovely. 

If you can have anything with the coconut milk and those restaurants, I [00:27:00] would, because they actually, 

freshly squeeze it and it's just a different thing. it's so much more rich and creamy.

And my favorite date restaurant of recent times, 

it's Humble Chicken in Soho, just cause I think it's really fun and back to booze, great cocktails and they had these butter infused old fashioneds and it made them so smooth and delicious and their chicken hot skewers 

How many old fashioneds ? 

I don't know, maybe that's why I'm giving it such a good review. That is why those skewers were amazing. Now you might've answered this, question already, but what's the ingredient you can't live without? It's actually different. And, my partner takes the piss out me all the time because I'm surrounded by lemons at all times.If I have a lemon, I'll put it in I love patisserie and I pretty much put it in anything, works with everything and it's such a clever ingredient as all citrus fruit is [00:28:00] with the oils, and then you've got the cut through any quick salad dressing. I can go on, it was difficult to pin down, if I can put lemon in it, I probably will, 

 I'm the same. I also love, obviously putting it with a roast chicken, but then having the roast lemon afterwards. 

 it just totally changes the flavour. See, roasted, it's just a delight. And also fish. Do you need anything else with fish other than butter and lemon? I'd arguably say No, 

True. 

You're a fish queen. If you agree, 

 agree, then I'm taking that as a win. There you go, you can take that. if you were a food, what food would you be? 

this is really random. 

 I'm going to go with mushroom 

because there are so many different types of mushroom. And I think I'm, versatile, complex, and sometimes a little bit magic. See what I did there. I love it. Okay, great. what is your weird food habit? Historically, I do love eating, frozen peas. They're a really nice [00:29:00] little random snack and I find them really satisfying and it's nostalgic. it's something that I've always done. there was arguably weirder ones, but some of them I thought would just sound, even odder,

 What? 

You need

 hang on, you tell me what you eat on a hangover 

just going back to the frozen peas, apparently you're in good company because Victoria Beckham does that, 

I know that from her earliest autobiography. 

that's, why she's such a good entrepreneur. So I feel like I can only replicate her from this point. I also have been known to eat a frozen pea. on a hangover, I eat aggressive amounts of cheese 

Cheese. That's quite heavy.

Oh yeah, 

I feel like cheese or like a cheese toasty would be like midway through your recovery. but when it's really bad, there's three things say full fat coke, fine. I learned that in hospital that settles your stomach. Salt and vinegar squares. but my thing is Calippos and apparently nobody wants to watch me eat a Calippo.

I can recommend it. I think it's a [00:30:00] good cooling thing for a hangover. 

are we talking lime calippo? Because that's the only one 

I totally disagree. It's only orange. if you had a gun to my head, I would eat the lime, but through choice, no. I'm not sure I'd eat the orange with a gun to my head, 

But we're not here to judge. But ironically, most of my food career has been paid 

 judgey. 

That's true.okay, two more quickfire questions left. One is, if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

 I should give you shorter answers to a question, is bread. And, 

you only know what you truly love when it's all taken away. And I went on a yoga retreat, and I didn't realize how hardcore the dietary was. This is someone who doesn't cut anything out, and I, don't really say no to myself very often. it was no sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine, no gluten, organic vegetables, no meat. So, cold turkey, it was hard, but the thing that I craved most was bread, And this is obviously meant to be quickfire, but [00:31:00] I'm now intrigued. Did you feel better after 

 I thought it was dying, my headache was so bad for three days, I kept researching it. But I couldn't, tell you which thing it was or whether it was everything. but then to celebrate the end of the yoga Retreat, I was in Italy.So as a celebration, I went out and had pasta and wine, but I would do it again. And I do think you don't need it. I wasn't hungry. I did feel loads better, but I don't think I have it in me to do it all the time. And final question, who would be your dream three dinner party guests, dead or alive? Throw that in there. 

I know, I had to 

I am going to say my mum because I would absolutely have her. I loved having a gin and tonic with her when we used to catch up when I was coming back from university.I would controversially, say Victoria Beckham. And the reason is because I'm starting out as an entrepreneur and I would a hundred percent want to pick her [00:32:00] brains. 

And you can 

we could eat peas together. 

and I also. think that Joanne McNally would be bonkers and just good craic and who needs the boys to have fun anyway. have you ever been to one of her gigs? No, would love to 

 I have never been somewhere where there are just people. like me and everyone likes to think that they're really individual in my genre. I think every woman I'd ever met there was like there, you just looked around a room and you were like, 

I feel so seen, but unseen at the same time to the point that everyone you've ever met has been there. I was sat in front of someone that I met on a surfing holiday five years before and had never seen since, but I'd followed Instagram and she was sat behind me. So anyway, you should,

All the 

yeah. 

kindred spirits 

So that's my quick fire. might be different, a different day, 

thank you so much. I've absolutely loved this. 

I've had a lovely time and as always, I'd speak to you anytime. [00:33:00]