The Kitchen Cabinet, recorded live at the Institute of Making

On Wednesday, 4th February, our Stratford site was transformed from its usual multi-materials workshop into a fully-fledged recording studio, with our team joining forces with the BBC to convert the space; coming together to move benches and down tools, making space for a stage, rows of guest seating and recording equipment. By 7pm, the space had metamorphosed, buzzing with the excitement and curiosity brought in by a live audience. 

Regular Kitchen Cabinet panellist and Institute of Making Director, Zoe Laughlin, invited the BBC to record in our Stratford space to celebrate food, making and UCL’s 200th year of education. This space also houses exploratory food facilities in our experimental kitchen - a space designed with food-based making at its core, and the perfect link between the radio programme’s content and our work.  

The panel was chaired by writer and food critic, Jay Rayner, and, alongside Zoe, featured Tim Anderson, Jocky Petrie and Melissa Thompson. Each panellist brought their own unique perspective to each topic, debating various questions and quandaries: from how to improve bread-y cakes, to brainstorming different pickle-centric meal combinations. 

In true Institute of Making fashion, Zoe also explored food from a more tangential perspective, in the form of a Noisy Food Choir. For the choir, Institute of Making staff members were invited to munch various crunchy snacks under a microphone, conducting a live investigation into the decibel levels of snacking. This delighting some audience members, and disgusting others with misophonia. The noisiest result? Tune into The Kitchen Cabinet to find out!