Bonus Episode: Series 18 Launch Party

We had the most gorgeous night celebrating the launch of Series 18 of Table Manners at Brunswick House! Thank you to all the fabulous guests for joining us for a delicious dinner cooked by chef Jackson Boxer, and the fabulous Moth cocktails too - the best canned Espresso Martini & Margs out there! Big shout out to the beautiful Park Hyatt London River Thames for treating us to balloons, an actual leopard print cake, and a gorgeous suite for us to get our glam on too. What a treat to get to keep talking to such fab podcast guests each week and to still be making this 18 series in! x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle/workspacewithGemini. That's goo.gle/workspacewithGemini.

• 0:32Speaker 01

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• 1:08Jessie Ware?

  Hello and welcome to Table manners. This is a special bonus episode to celebrate the launch of season 18. Well, for the last two years, we've decided to do parties to celebrate the new seasons. And we've decided to do a completely different one from last year because we switched things up. So we've actually, we're making everyone come south of the river.

• 1:30Speaker 03

  Yeah, what a view.

• 1:31Jessie Ware?

  What a view. We're in Park Hyatt, Nine Elms, and the sun is setting and London looks majestic.

• 1:40Speaker 03

  I feel like I'm Turner.

• 1:43Speaker 03

  I'm in a Turner, a Turner painting.

• 1:46Jessie Ware?

  Didn't he do mostly Dorset?

• 1:47Speaker 03

  No, he paints a lot of the river.

• 1:49Jessie Ware?

  Oh, yeah, he did, didn't he? So we're in the Park Hyatt. We were met by balloons and a leopard print cake.

• 1:58Speaker 03

  Those beautiful cakes.

• 1:58Jessie Ware?

  And lots of carrot cakes.

• 2:00Speaker 03

  Which are delicious.

• 2:01Jessie Ware?

  But they obviously didn't get the memo that we're not doing leopard print this year, but we do appreciate it.

• 2:06Speaker 03

  We are.

• 2:06Jessie Ware?

  We are. Oh, you keep on changing. You change your mind, Lenny. That's what I'm understanding about you.

• 2:10Speaker 03

  Just a little leopard.

• 2:11Jessie Ware?

  And so we just had our hair and makeup done, ready for the party.

• 2:15Speaker 03

  Yeah, thank you, Chris. Who's gone to get me a pair of Spanx?

• 2:20Jessie Ware?

  At Battersea Station. It's very convenient here.

• 2:23Speaker 03

  I know, it is.

• 2:24Jessie Ware?

  And the reason we're in this area is because we are having our party at Brunswick House, one of my favourite restaurants in London, Jackson Box's first restaurant, His Baby. And actually, where I did my first ever music video as Jesse Ware.

• 2:39Speaker 03

  With a big bum.

• 2:41Jessie Ware?

  Yeah, it was for running and I fell down the stairs. He, he was like, look, you can come and do your music video on Sunday evening after service. And so we did it, kind of, I think from like six o'clock to two in the morning or something. And yeah, I fell down the stairs so badly on my first video. It was very humbling. It's such a beautiful room. We actually went to our friend's fortieth there.

• 3:03Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 3:03Jessie Ware?

  And the food is so delicious.

• 3:05Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 3:05Jessie Ware?

  So we've got about, what, sixty people?

• 3:08Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 3:08Jessie Ware?

  Sixty people coming. We're going to celebrate eighteen seasons of.

• 3:13Speaker 03

  Yeah, I can't quite work that out.

• 3:14Jessie Ware?

  I know, but it sounds really impressive.

• 3:16Speaker 03

  Yeah, but it makes me sound older.

• 3:18Jessie Ware?

  Oh, we've got cocktails.

• 3:20Speaker 03

  Cocktails.

• 3:21Jessie Ware?

  Moth. That was your idea.

• 3:23Speaker 03

  Yep, moth.

• 3:24Jessie Ware?

  Do you know what? Moth gave me the most brilliant bum bag that we didn't realise was to hold.

• 3:32Speaker 03

  Cocktails.

• 3:33Jessie Ware?

  Their little cocktails in.

• 3:34Speaker 03

  Oh, I wish they'd give me one and I'd take it to the theatre with me. No one's going to look in your bum bag, are they? Maybe they do.

• 3:42Jessie Ware?

  Well, Sam took it to Glastonbury and somebody was like, oh yeah, you've got the moth like ice pack bum bag. And I was like, what?

• 3:47Speaker 03

  That's what we, I need.

• 3:49Jessie Ware?

  It was so good.

• 3:51Speaker 03

  How did he find it?

• 3:53Jessie Ware?

  Well, they sent it to us, but we thought, all right, they've given us a bum bag. That's so sweet.

• 3:56Speaker 03

  They gave me a fridge, but I can't put that round my waist.

• 3:59Jessie Ware?

  Anyway, we've got palomas, Cosmos, margaritas and espresso martinis on the menu.

• 4:06Speaker 03

  What are you going to drink, Jess?

• 4:08Jessie Ware?

  I think I'm going to do palomas tonight.

• 4:10Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 4:11Jessie Ware?

  Even on slightly jet bag.

• 4:11Speaker 03

  I'm going to stick with the Cosmos.

• 4:13Jessie Ware?

  Okay, stunning. So on the menu tonight at Brunswick House, we have for starters roasted fennel, burrata, orange and chilli crisp, delicious. And then for main course, what have we got, Mum?

• 4:25Speaker 03

  Roast herb fed chicken, chicory, chestnut mushroom and sherry sauce.

• 4:31Jessie Ware?

  This is what we had at Jack's birthday and it was so good. And all the sides, glazed carrots, butter potatoes, cornish leaves and the aioli is amazing.

• 4:41Speaker 03

  Is the cornish leaf different from a London leaf?

• 4:44Jessie Ware?

  Yes, probably.

• 4:45Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 4:46Jessie Ware?

  And then dessert.

• 4:47Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think someone chose.

• 4:50Jessie Ware?

  What is it?

• 4:51Speaker 03

  Krugvarunga.

• 4:52Jessie Ware?

  What does that mean?

• 4:53Speaker 03

  I think Krugvarunga is some sort, it's probably sherry or something that they're going in the chocolate pot.

• 4:58Jessie Ware?

  Well, I do like a chocolate pot.

• 4:59Speaker 03

  Do you?

• 5:00Jessie Ware?

  The thing is, a chocolate pot is always a crab pleaser. Everyone doesn't mind finishing a meal with a bit of chocolate.

• 5:06Speaker 03

  Except you only want one spoonful.

• 5:08Jessie Ware?

  But that's fine.

• 5:08Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 5:09Jessie Ware?

  Well, let's talk about the season, Mum.

• 5:11Speaker 03

  Darling.

• 5:12Jessie Ware?

  We've done a few already.

• 5:13Speaker 03

  Well, we've got fabulous guests, that's all I can say. We've surpassed ourselves, I think, with our guests.

• 5:19Jessie Ware?

  We've done nothing, Mum.

• 5:20Speaker 03

  It's Tully surpassed himself.

• 5:22Jessie Ware?

  Tully, producer Alice. We have quite a lot of actors coming up.

• 5:27Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 5:28Jessie Ware?

  We have activists.

• 5:29Speaker 03

  A very famous, most fabulous activist.

• 5:32Jessie Ware?

  Musicians.

• 5:33Speaker 03

  Yep.

• 5:33Jessie Ware?

  Who are you desperate to get on this season, Mum?

• 5:36Speaker 03

  I would love Hannah Frye, she's one of my favourite broadcasters. She's clever, funny, gorgeous, engaging, she's been on Have I Got News For You? And she's kind of a maths genius.

• 5:49Jessie Ware?

  Lots of people, when we put out the teaser, were putting in their requests.

• 5:54Speaker 03

  Yeah, most of them we'd had on.

• 5:56Jessie Ware?

  I know, I was like, where have you been?

• 5:58Speaker 03

  I'd love Jeremy Allen White.

• 6:01Jessie Ware?

  Oh, wouldn't we all?

• 6:02Speaker 03

  Yeah. I'd love, well, Barbara, still.

• 6:07Jessie Ware?

  Me too.

• 6:08Speaker 03

  Yeah, who else?

• 6:09Jessie Ware?

  Lady Gaga, I would love to sit down with Stephanie. I feel like we need to bring a diva back into the equation. You know, we've had Cher, we've had Dolly. It's time for another diva on this season.

• 6:21Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 6:21Jessie Ware?

  Let's see what we can do.

• 6:22Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 6:23Jessie Ware?

  Wink, wink. But we're very excited to celebrate a new season, we've had a bit of a rest.

• 6:28Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 6:29Jessie Ware?

  Have we had a rest?

• 6:31Speaker 03

  Yeah, it's kind of been restful.

• 6:33Jessie Ware?

  Your tan's still there.

• 6:34Speaker 03

  My tan, actually, I think I've got that old lady skin where it doesn't go away now anymore.

• 6:39Jessie Ware?

  Oh, is that a thing?

• 6:40Speaker 03

  Yeah, it is, when you get older, it stays longer. A lady in act, because it came up and she said, when you get older, love, it stays longer. So, thanks.

• 6:51Jessie Ware?

  Anyway, we'll keep going once we get over to Brunswick House and maybe we can get into the kitchen, like we did last year.

• 7:05Speaker 03

  So we're here at Brunswick House. People are having drinks in the, what do they call that room? Smoke room. Oh, people are having drinks in the smoke room, but no one's smoking, thank God. And we're in the most beautiful room you've ever seen. It's got paintings, it's got the most fabulous fireplace at the front and at the back of the room. We've got long tables and there's pillars and there's obje d'art that you can buy. Everything's got a price tag, so it's just gorgeous. It's shabby chic, isn't it? I think I'm changing my curtains now because those curtains are just fabulous.

• 7:47Speaker 03

  And I think it would be a great place for a New Year's Eve party as well. Everyone's having drinks. We're drinking moth cocktails, which are, well, I'm on my first Cosmo, but I'll be on my fifth by the end of the evening. Everyone's enjoying the cocktails. You can hear in the background the buzz of conversation. So I think we're in for a good night. Oh, they're lighting the candles. Everyone's going to come in and sit down at these tables. Going to have the most delicious meal at Brunswick House.

• 8:22Jessie Ware?

  Thank you so much for all being here for the launch of season 18 of Table Manners.

• 8:28Speaker 03

  Oh, I know. Wow, you're going to be so excited by the wonderful guests we've got.

• 8:34Jessie Ware?

  We appreciate all the people that have come to South London tonight. It's very convenient for us, but it's also a beautiful room. I love Brunswick House so much. I actually did my first music video here. And so it holds a special place in my heart, but also it's great food. So we're so thrilled to have you all here eating delicious food.

• 8:54Speaker 03

  And you can buy everything, I think.

• 8:56Jessie Ware?

  What do you mean?

• 8:56Speaker 03

  There are price tags on everything.

• 9:00Jessie Ware?

  Are they?

• 9:00Speaker 03

  If you look, there'll be price tags on things.

• 9:02Jessie Ware?

  Even in this room?

• 9:03Speaker 03

  Even in this room. There's the fireplace, the great is on, yeah. Lots of things are up for sale if you're thanks for that. We don't get any money.

• 9:13Jessie Ware?

  No, this sounds like we're making you pay for your food.

• 9:15Speaker 03

  No, you're not.

• 9:16Jessie Ware?

  Enjoy yourselves, please. Eat, drink, everything. We are going visual, which has been... Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly what Lenny said. Um, Lenny said we have to go widescreen. Um, no, sorry, I didn't mean it like that.

• 9:35Jessie Ware?

  No, I didn't mean it like that. Mum's main issue has been that she doesn't think it's been intimate. So this, our wonderful David, who's been filming, we now have three cameras in it. Luca, who's always done an amazing job, it's always been portrait, and now we have to go wide. And it's a faff, but it's gonna be worth it, I think, because everyone's been asking us to do it. Um, and so we're gonna be visual. It means that we have to be really, really careful with how we eat our food.

• 10:00Speaker 03

  And not argue too much.

• 10:01Jessie Ware?

  No, but, you know, we, we love doing the podcast. We are a, a small team in comparison, I think, to some podcasts. We're a family, literally. Um, but we love how we make this quite chaotic and fun show. And we're so happy that you'll be here along the, well, for, uh, season 18. And here's to 18 more seasons.

• 10:21Speaker 03

  Thank you all for coming.

• 10:22Jessie Ware?

  Thank you.

• 10:23Speaker 03

  And making the effort to come to South London. I think it's worth it.

• 10:26Jessie Ware?

  Yes. And we can't wait to chat to all of you more. And yeah, enjoy your dinner.

• 10:40Jessie Ware?

  Guys, we're so sorry to interrupt your dinner. Everyone's getting on. We love it. This is exactly what we like. Look, chatting away, having a fabulous time. But that's why we like this. This is what we like. Has everyone enjoyed their dinner? Fabulous. By the way, you have on the back of your chairs, if you haven't seen it, it's the table manners. Uh, why am I saying dishcloth, like we're Americans? Tea towel. But when we give it to an American, they're like, um, thank you. I guess we just wanted to say it's been, what, seven years since we started.

• 11:12Speaker 03

  Yeah. Is it nearly eight years darling?

• 11:15Jessie Ware?

  Did we start, no, we started in August. So what is that?

• 11:19Speaker 03

  Eight.

• 11:20Jessie Ware?

  Eight, oh shit, yeah. So eight years ago.

• 11:23Speaker 03

  And all the way darling.

• 11:24Jessie Ware?

  Well, yes. And, you know, Clara Amfo coming on to do our first pilot because she's a friend and just being kind and and the idea being that like, we asked her what her favourite food, bits of food were and she said, "Sweet potato", what else did she say, "Chorizo", so it was like a master chef with like the invention and then we scrapped that idea for the rest of the podcast.

• 11:47Speaker 03

  Do you remember we made a fatal mistake?

• 11:49Jessie Ware?

  My, coriander.

• 11:51Speaker 03

  Coriander, the devil's herb she called it.

• 11:53Jessie Ware?

  Yeah, the devil's herb.

• 11:54Speaker 03

  We put that on something, yeah.

• 11:56Jessie Ware?

  Yeah, we messed up. But, you know, we've learnt a lot.

• 11:59Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 11:59Jessie Ware?

  And whilst we are never perfect, we have lots of fun.

• 12:03Speaker 03

  Bit of a faux pas.

• 12:05Jessie Ware?

  On this season.

• 12:06Speaker 03

  This season already.

• 12:07Jessie Ware?

  Yeah.

• 12:08Speaker 03

  Jessie was, I thought Jessie was cooking the main and the dessert.

• 12:12Jessie Ware?

  Hmm.

• 12:13Speaker 03

  She thought, um, she said, "I'll do the dessert mum", which I thought was great, "I'm not doing anything", and I got there and she said, "Where's the main?", no one had cooked.

• 12:23Jessie Ware?

  So I looked in my larder and we made something. Well, you didn't do anything actually, but like, um...

• 12:30Speaker 03

  I was supportive.

• 12:31Jessie Ware?

  Like, no you weren't, at all.

• 12:34Speaker 03

  Trying to be.

• 12:35Jessie Ware?

  You weren't supportive in the slightest, but luckily he was a vegetarian. If it had been at Lenny's house, God forbid, she had to improvise on a vegetarian, but...

• 12:43Speaker 03

  It would have been tricky.

• 12:44Jessie Ware?

  No, we made it work. So yeah, we're still having firsts, we're still learning, we're, you know, doing the YouTube experience and, you know, we're going to be learning from that. So, you know, it's fun though, it kind of makes it challenging and exciting.

• 12:57Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 12:57Jessie Ware?

  But lots to learn and lots of amazing guests, uh, to come.

• 13:01Speaker 03

  And more fun to come.

• 13:02Jessie Ware?

  Thank you.

• 13:03Speaker 03

  Thanks for coming.

• 13:10Jessie Ware?

  So dinner, well, we're just finishing mains. Everyone's chatting, you can hear in the back. It's brimming with conversation and delicious food. Thank you Brunswick House. We're waiting for the chocolate pudding. Lenny's, I don't know what she's got. She's just got like a free subscription to something or other and she's demanding a guest or two. The food has been delicious and whilst Lenny was worried that it was only going to be burrata, lo and behold, the liver was on the table and it is sublime. It's gone down a treat and also the burrata was amazing. The chicken was delicious. The gravy had like a tang to it, which was so, I think it's got sherry in it or something. Anyway, it was delicious.

• 13:53Jessie Ware?

  And the aioli, it's really simple and beautiful cooking. And let's see if Lenny eats the chocolate pudding that she said that wouldn't have been her choice, even though I know she will have a taste of it. Um, love this room. It is so cosy and elegant and I don't know, I feel like everyone feels like it's very, it's a lovely occasion for a Tuesday night in September. And we're, yeah, we're feeling really good. Everyone feels excited about our 18th season. I can't believe we've been doing it for eight years. I thought it was seven, so yeah, time flies, eh? We will see you for more episodes next week, every Wednesday. You can watch on YouTube or you can listen like you've always done on any of your podcast listening platforms.

• 14:37Jessie Ware?

  And thanks so much for sticking with us. We're really, really excited about this season and we can't wait to hear from you. Lots of love.

• 14:59Speaker 00

  Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of the best one yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalised AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at g o o dot g l e slash workspace with Gemini.

• 15:29Speaker 04

  That's goo.gle/workspace with Gemini.

• 15:32Speaker 01

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