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PODCAST

Local Heroes Podcast

We Are Local Heroes

At Local Heroes, we celebrate the grassroots spirit of food, drink and beyond. Exploring the passion, people and places, uncovering the untold stories, and going behind the scenes and between the lines.

society & culture

All Episodes

01:44:12

EP21 | Yasmin Sayed Ahmed | Family, Falafel and...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/06/21

This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan are joined by the brilliant Yasmin Sayed Ahmed, a vegan cook, food storyteller, and all-round unbeatable human being. We kick off chatting about the chaos of London’s 20mph speed zones, failed driving tests, and how learning to drive later in life can feel like scaling Everest. But that’s just the start.Yasmin shares her journey from Alexandria to Newcastle, from battling self-doubt to building a life, and a business through food. She talks

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01:49:26

EP20 | James Fildes | Coffee, Community and Sliding...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/06/14

Many men suffer in silence. Some never get the chance to speak. Suicide remains the biggest killer of men under 50 and the North East has some of the highest rates in the country. James Fildes knows that struggle first-hand.After battling depression and suicidal thoughts for years, the Sunderland lad who once famously got his head stuck in the railings at Roker Park came dangerously close to becoming part of that statistic. But through his darkest days, it was often the football community the

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01:41:28

EP19 | Arrow Strength | Muscle, Munchies and Movember...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/06/07

This week, Chris and Dan welcome Joe Arrowsmith and Steve Hoggy from the powerhouse that is Arrow Strength Gym - and things get loud, honest, and hilarious. Let’s get this out of the way: the podcast studio? It’s not a rip-off of Arrow - it's an ode. A very sincere, 99% identical ode. Because when a space is built with blood, guts, community, and purpose, it’s hard not to be inspired. This episode is packed with everything that makes Arrow so special: effort over ego, inclusivity, and the value of

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01:27:06

EP18 | Solo | Cherry Lips and The Window Cleaner |...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/05/31

With no guests and no script, Chris and Dan are left to their own devices. In this episode, they muse on the mysterious decline of cherry-flavoured everything, reflect on the weight of self-doubt, and somehow end up recounting the time Chris got scammed by a biscuit-eating window cleaner. From absurd tangents to unexpectedly raw moments, it’s just two mates talking nonsense, getting real, and finding meaning in the everyday. This is Local Heroes - unfiltered, unscripted, unmistakably them.

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01:46:18

EP17 | Katie Cullen | Space, Sprine and Gastronauts |...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/05/24

On this week’s Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan speak to Katie Cullen, co-founder of the much-loved Block & Bottle - the North East’s first combined butcher and craft beer shop. Originally launched in Gateshead and now based in Heaton, it’s at the forefront of the North East’s craft butchery scene, pioneering ethical sourcing, nose-to-tail education, and challenging the traditionally male-dominated world of butchery. From the charcuterie boom to crunchy cereal wars, vodka shots, pigs’ heads,

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01:21:25

EP16 | Peter Manning | Soldiers, Stencils and...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/05/17

On this week's Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan meet Peter Manning, the creative force behind Prefab77. Based in Newcastle, Peter’s bold, layered work blends street art, fashion, and symbolic storytelling. But beyond the visuals is a story of sheer grit - from training as a printmaker in the British Army to hustling New York’s pop-up scene, landing gigs with Donna Karan, and wrestling with passport issues and green card chaos. Along the way, he's collaborated with global brands like Nike, and

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01:35:01

EP15 | Richard Colman Ord | Peas, Pears and The...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/05/10

In this week's Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan are joined by Richard Colman Ord - fifth-generation restaurateur, proud Sandancer, and the passionate force behind Colmans Seafood Temple in South Shields. With Italian roots and a childhood spent selling pears on the counter of the family’s original Ocean Road shop, Richard’s connection to food and hospitality runs deep. We discuss history, heritage, sustainability, and community partnerships - such as their collaboration with the Amble Lobster

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01:43:44

EP14 | Amy Whitfield | Fizz, Chips and Childcare |...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/05/03

This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan talk to the outrageously lovely Amy Whitfield, the unstoppable force behind Triple A Food Tours, a business she started in 2019 to shine a light on the North East’s incredible food culture. Inspired by a food tour in New York and fuelled by her love of all things local, Amy swapped a career in property for a new adventure rooted in community, storytelling, and great food. With no background in hospitality and having wrestled with self-doubt, Amy

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53:39

EP13 | Andy Dawson | Uxbridge, Our Price and The...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/04/26

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01:59:11

EP12 | Barry Hyde | The Poet, The Prisoner and The...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/04/19

In this episode of Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan talk to Barry Hyde of The Futureheads,a rare, unfiltered peek behind the curtain.We dive into his personal journey through the intense pressures of the music industry - from touring with Franz Ferdinand to confronting the pressure of failure and the emotional weight of creative leadership. Barry opens up about his experience living with bipolar disorder, the clash between The Futureheads’ upbeat public image and private struggles. He shares

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02:16:35

EP11 | Simon Raine | Homage to Fromage | Local Heroes...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/04/12

From Milk Floats to Imposter Syndrome - The Story of Mr Cheeseman. This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan sit down with the incomparable Simon Raine - founder of Weardale Cheese, a former Big Cheese at Yellow Pages, and a man who turned a former POW camp in County Durham into a powerhouse of artisan cheesemaking. Simon takes us on a journey from growing up around the milk trade and riding milk floats as a kid, to building a beloved food business from scratch - and the emotional toll

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01:36:37

EP10 | Ruby Kelly | Songwriting, Tatts and Triple...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/04/05

This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan are joined by North Wales-born, North East-based folk artist Ruby Kelly. Ruby dives into her songwriting process, her deep connection to place, and the stories that shape her music. The conversation flows from music to tattoos, triple carb dinners, and the unshakable support of her biggest fans—her Mum and Dad.They also chat about their recent collaboration on Born & Raised, created for the Local Heroes: Out and About web series. As always,

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01:44:36

EP09 | Bev Stephenson | Cocoa, Craic and Tweezer Men...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/03/29

Bev Stephenson joins Chris and Dan this week to talk chocolate, hospitality, and the wild ride that brought her from journalism to North Chocolates. Along the way, she’s written for the Guardian and Observer, witnessed the golden age of food critics, and championed the idea that great service is just as vital as great food.We get into Bev’s love of maps, the quiet joy of gardening, memories of drinking in parks, and a few well-earned dinner medals. Through it all, her warmth, humour, and

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01:40:02

EP08 | SOLO | Rabbit Holes, Resistance and Colonel...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/03/22

In this episode, Chris and Dan take a deep dive into the story behind Local Heroes, their commitment to reclaiming our identity from the region's gentrifiers, fighting the power and celebrating their shared love of storytelling. Be prepared for an anarchic conversation as Chris and Dan take you down one of their famous rabbit holes, sharing their personal journeys, riffing on fictional band names, creating their own universe, and a Dan Prince inspired food brand, Colonel Corncake. This is the Local

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01:29:35

EP07 | Heather Mills | Street Skills, Activism and...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/03/15

Heather Mills is a world-renowned activist, model, Paralympian, and vegan entrepreneur, known for her campaigning, activism, and advocacy of plant-based living. After overcoming life-changing adversity, she became a record-breaking Paralympic skier, a successful vegan food pioneer, and a powerful voice for change. In this week’s episode of the Local Heroes Podcast, Heather shares her incredible journey, from a tough childhood in the North East to becoming a self-proclaimed "vegan schmegan." She

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01:37:19

EP06 | Laura Middleton | Scran, Travel and Taxi Rides...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/03/01

This week, Chris and Dan are joined by Laura Middleton, the mastermind behind Geordie Scran and founder of Canny Social. Laura turned a side hustle and a simple food blog into a thriving online community, catching the attention of brands like Greggs, KFC, and Deliveroo. From her days as a nightclub promotor to African travel drama's, contraband Greggs to emptying an entire vending machine for a train ride home.

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01:32:43

EP04 | Nick Barnes | Stories, Snacks and SAFC | Local...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/02/22

This week, Chris and Dan talk to the ultimate local hero and household voice that is Nick Barnes. Since 2003, Nick has been the voice of Sunderland matches on BBC Radio Newcastle, forming a long-standing commentary partnership with SAFC legend, Gary Bennett. Born in Cornwall and raised in Devon, Nick's journey has taken him through Cumbria before settling in Sunderland. With a passion for tweed and whisky, Nick talks about his famous matchday sketches, his love of cooking and how he's never seen a

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01:22:29

EP03 | John Kirtley | Bushcraft, Bait and Birds of...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/02/15

Falconer, bush crafter, educator and real-life 'Billy Casper', John Kirtley is an outdoor specialist based in Newburn, Newcastle upon Tyne. Recently featured on Robson Green's Weekend Escapes, this week John talks to Chris and Dan about his love of nature, his connection with birds, and the importance of outdoor education.

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01:15:38

EP02 | Neil Le Flohic | Breaking Bread | Local Heroes...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/02/08

Founder of the iconic Pink Lane Bakery, Neil Le Flohic, talks about life as a food entrepreneur, hard times in Jersey and his penchant for a cheese pasty sandwiches.

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01:32:49

EP05 | Niall McKay-Mount | The Chimp Train | Local...

Local Heroes Podcast ·

2025/02/08

What do screaming chimps, whistling grass blades, and fiery chilli sauce have in common? Chaos, laughter, and the one and only Niall McKay-Mount. The week, Chris and Dan embark on an unpredictable, chilli-fuelled journey of turning a mad idea into a mouth-f**king reality. From tropical inspirations to accidental genius, expect offbeat stories, spicy chat, and zero corporate nonsense. If you like your podcasts like your hot sauce - this one’s for you.

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41 results

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