Dave Coulson, chef-patron of Peace & Loaf, Jesmond, shares his top tracks and more…
In the kitchen, I’m listening to…
Putting some tunes on is always the first job in the kitchen, and it tends to go to whoever is in first. We have a wide range of tastes – though our pot washer Neil gets the most respect for his choices given his past life as a DJ on pirate radio station Radio Caroline. If I’m in charge, you’ll get bits of soul, indi, pop… most recently there has been Sam Fender, The Arctic Monkeys, The Mystery Jets, and The 1975.
Over dinner, I’m listening to…
The restaurant playlist has more than 70 hours of music on it and it’s an incredible look back at the songs and people which have been important to us in the last decade. At home, again it’s an eclectic mix. The best way to sum it up is to go through the records on the top of the pile – which include Taylor Swift’s Midnights, ELO’s All Over the World, The Beatles’ Love Songs, Catfish and the Bottlemen’s The Balcony, Aretha Franklin Live in Philly 1972, The Rolling Stones’ On Air, and The Smiths’ Hatful of Hollow.
I’m watching…
It’s a tough watch, but The Reckoning was really powerful. The way Steve Coogan portrays Jimmy Savile is equal parts terrifying and superb – and the way they tell such an awful, dark story is remarkable. I’ve also enjoyed Only Murders In The Building, which feels like old-school TV. I also have to mention The Bear – the way it portrays life in the kitchen is brilliant.
I’m reading…
I tend to read for research and inspiration, so there are a lot of food books. Desserts is an area I’m not as strong in and Charlie Trotter’s Desserts is one I go back to regularly. On top of the pile are also Essence by David Everitt-Matthias; The French Laundry Cookbook; a book by Michel Bras which has some of the most amazing plating; and Roots by Tommy Banks. I’ve also recently finished The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell, so it’s not all food!
