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Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster

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Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster is a food and comedy podcast featuring Ed Gamble and James Acaster, in which guests are invited to select their dream menu by both comedians. Off Menu was launched in December 2018. As of April 2023, the podcast has been downloaded 120 million times.[1]

Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
Presentation
Hosted byEd Gamble, James Acaster
GenreComedy, food, interview
LanguageEnglish
Length45–120 minutes
Production
No. of episodes225
Publication
Original release5 December 2018 (5 December 2018)

Premise

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In the show, guests are asked by Acaster—in the role of a Genie Waiter—for their dream menu, in a dream restaurant that can produce any food and drink.[2] Acaster first asks guests, "Still or sparkling water?" Shortly after, and without warning, Acaster will shout "Papadams or bread?" The episode continues with the guest giving their starter, main course, side dish, drink and dessert.[2][3] Cooking sound effects play between discussions of each course.[4] Guests explain what they like about the food, memories associated with it and other food and drink topics, as well as discussing their body of work.

Before the guest arrives Gamble and Acaster announce a secret ingredient that at least one of them does not like. If the guest mentions the ingredient they are ejected from the Dream Restaurant without getting any dinner. The only guest ejected from the Dream Restaurant is Jayde Adams.[5] The hosts refer to the producer, Ben Williams, as the Great Benito.[6] The hosts have some strong established opinions on food: for instance, Gamble favours a cheeseboard for dessert, to which Acaster objects.[2] They also have established anecdotes, such as Acaster's story about drinking Diet Coke after a long period of caffeine abstinence and believing that it tasted like Coca-Cola.[7]

Episodes

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A wide range of guests have "eaten at the dream restaurant", including comedians, chefs, and other figures such as Bob Mortimer, Michelle Keegan, Ainsley Harriott and Joe Thomas.[2][8][9] In the show's 100th and 200th episodes, Acaster and Gamble chose their own dream menus. These special episodes were hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Rylan Clark respectively.[6][10]

Background

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The podcast began in December 2018.[1] It reached 50 million downloads in April 2021,[6] and 120 million by April 2023.[1]

Gamble had previously hosted The Peacock and Gamble Podcast, while Off Menu was Acaster's first hosting role on a podcast.[11] Acaster has experience working in two kitchens, though he did not learn to cook in either role.[2] As a format point, Acaster decided unilaterally that he was a genie.[11]

Live shows

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James Acaster (left) and Ed Gamble (right) performing a live show of Off Menu at Royal Albert Hall in 2023

A live episode of Off Menu was recorded in July 2021 at the Royal Festival Hall with Isy Suttie and Edgar Wright as the guests. They returned to record a Christmas episode in 2022.[12][13] Gamble and Acaster toured with 15 Off Menu live shows in October and November 2023.[1][14][15][16]

Accolades

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In 2022 and 2023 it received a nomination in the Best Comedy Podcast category at the National Comedy Awards.[17][18]

Off Menu was nominated for Best Comedy Podcast in the 2019 British Podcast Awards.[19] In 2020, Off Menu garnered two nominations in the categories Best Comedy Podcast and Best Entertainment Podcast.[20] It was nominated for two awards in 2022 in the Spotlight category—for large, mainstream podcasts—and the Best Live Podcast category.[21]

It was nominated for Best Podcast at the 2022 Chortle Awards.[22] At the 2023 British Podcast Awards, it was nominated for the Spotlight Award, a category for podcasts with over 100,000 downloads per episode.[23]

Reception

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In 2020, The Guardian critics ranked it the 17th-best podcast of the year.[24]

In an early Irish Times review, Sarah Griffin praised the "succinct and unique" concept as a "particularly good ice-breaker" with "deliberate and considered" structure, and the hosts as "playful, curious and focused" with "genuine curiosity" in the guest.[4]

The Times rated a 2023 live show three stars.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "James Acaster and Ed Gamble announce Off Menu live tour". British Comedy Guide. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Nicholson, Tom (21 April 2021). "Off Menu's Ed Gamble and James Acaster Will Take Your Order". Esquire. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  3. ^ Luckhurst, Phoebe (13 March 2019). "Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster podcast review: Food for thought". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b Griffin, Sarah (15 December 2018). "Podcast of the week: Off Menu". Irish Times. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  5. ^ Streeting, Louisa (12 April 2023). "James Acaster and Ed Gamble's Off Menu podcast coming to Bristol in first-ever live tour". Bristol Post. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Bennett, Steve (21 April 2021). "Off Menu hits 50million downloads". Chortle. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  7. ^ Carson, Sarah (5 December 2022). "James Acaster: 'People think they know me. But I'm clearly doing a persona'". i. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Episodes". Off Menu Podcast. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  9. ^ Donoghue, Louisa Mellor, Elizabeth (2023-08-10). "Off Menu Podcast With Ed Gamble & James Acaster: the Best Episodes". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2024-01-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Ep 200: Ed Gamble and James Acaster (with special guest genie Rylan Clark), retrieved 2023-08-09
  11. ^ a b "James Acaster and Ed Gamble interview". British Comedy Guide. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Off Menu goes live". Chortle. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Christmas specials for Off Menu and Guilty Feminists podcasts". Chortle. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  14. ^ Goodacre, Kate (14 April 2023). "James Acaster and Ed Gamble's Off Menu tour gets more shows". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  15. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (17 September 2023). "Ed Gamble and James Acaster: 'Food is the ultimate topic. But famous people rarely talk about it'". The Observer. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  16. ^ Logan, Brian (10 October 2023). "Foodie funnies: James Acaster and Ed Gamble's podcast Off Menu goes on the road". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Channel 4's National Comedy Awards to return". Chortle. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  18. ^ "National Comedy Awards 2023 shortlists revealed". Chortle. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  19. ^ Wild, Stephi (12 April 2023). "Off Menu Podcast Will Launch a UK Tour Later This Year". Broadway World. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  20. ^ Heathman, Amelia (19 May 2020). "British Podcast Awards: the nominees revealed for UK's biggest podcast awards ceremony". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Are these the funniest podcasts of 2022?". Chortle. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  22. ^ "Chortle Awards 2022 shortlist revealed". British Comedy Guide. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  23. ^ "British Podcast Awards 2023 nominees revealed". Chortle. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  24. ^ "The 20 best podcasts of 2020". The Guardian. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  25. ^ Maxwell, Dominic (10 October 2023). "Off Menu Live review — when they tweak the recipe, it's inspired". The Times. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
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