Feb 27, 2021
Since July 2020 Richard Freeman has been speaking to people who’s work and livelihoods have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Some of them in devastating ways, leading to moving testimony about radical change, challenge and renewal needed in the coming months and years. And other people who have had more of a calm, philosophical moment of peace in any otherwise chaotic ratrace - with the forced disruption actually giving them permission to do things they think they should have done long ago. In this episode of The Possibility Club: After Corona?, we're delighted to bring you a conversation from the end of November 2020. On the face of it, Jimi Famurewa lives the life that any 30-something man in 21st century Britain would give a kidney for. Jimi is one of the UK’s most revered lifestyle journalists, with a writing and editing CV covering everything from The Guardian to Empire Magazine, Grazia to Time Out and Wired. He is a cultural polymath, writing knowledgeably on film, music, parenthood, travel, literature, black British identity, emerging technology and much more. There are few A list stars that Jimi hasn’t interviewed for different publications and - of course - he is making waves as a podcast host - with popular shows on music and food. Jimi has written books on London life for young families as well as receiving acclaim for his short fiction, with a novel in the works too. At the time of our conversation, Jimi had been the Food Critic for ES Magazine and had just recently won the prestigious Restaurant Writing Award from the British Guild of Food Writers. Jimi often appears as a guest critic on BBC’s MasterChef. A week after our chat, and of course it was top secret at the time, Jimi was announced as the new Chief Restaurant Critic across all the Evening Standard print and digital titles taking over from Fay Maschler who has been in the role for 48 years. There are arguably no bigger boots to fill in food writing than these. And it should be irrelevant, but it isn’t - whilst south London courses through Jimi Famurewa’s veins like blood, he is the first black restaurant critic on any major UK newspaper and his childhood filled with Nigerian cooking and culture bring something to the British food establishment that needs to be celebrated. What I really wanted to know is how does a restaurant critic ply his trade when all the restaurants are closed - and what were his hopes and fears for the hospitality industry when all this is over. --------- Useful links: https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/restaurants/jimi-famurewa-standard-new-critic-b720875.html https://www.standard.co.uk/author/jimi-famurewa https://www.hot-dinners.com/2020120910119/Gastroblog/Latest-news/jimi-famurewa-restaurant-critic-evening-standard-fay-maschler-leaving https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000pbx9/sign/masterchef-the-professionals-series-13-episode-3 --- For more information on how you can get involved with The Possibility Club – an inclusive community of professionals working out what’s next, have a look here > www.thepossibilityclub.org You can also receive Finding Chances, a free weekly letter from Richard Freeman, looking behind-the-scenes at business, culture, community and education by signing-up at findingchances.substack.com/ We’d love to know what you think of this podcast. Please review and share your responses to this podcast on your favourite podcast platform. This is an always possible podcast. The interviewer was Richard Freeman for always possible and the producer was Chris Thorpe-Tracey for Lo Fi Arts.