From mouth-watering smoked salmon and hot pies to delectable cakes and chocolates, the Andi Peters’ Food Fest shows here at QVC UK are well-known for showcasing such an array of tasty delights, it’s impossible to watch them without feeling hungry! This year has been no exception and as hosts Andi Peters and Dale Franklin get set for the Festive Food Finale this Thursday, we caught up with them for the inside scoop (no ice cream involved unfortunately).
Hi Andi and Dale, first things first… what are your secret tips for presenting and eating at the same time??
Andi: “I should say not to try to talk when your mouth is full… but I do that all the time, through excitement and wanting to tell our customers how much I’m enjoying the food.”
Dale: “When I do, I hear my mum’s voice ringing in my head – that said I do try not to speak if my mouth’s too full. AP and I are quite good at taking turns though… sometimes anyway!”
Has any food ever taken you by surprise during the shows?
A: “Yeah, vegan replacement meat… it’s not for me. My face said it all.”
D: “Andi and I dived into a gorgeous looking fish pie only to find that the giant prawns were still frozen solid (the guest had insisted on heating it up himself), AP and I both had them in our mouths and looked at each other when the guest asked “how are they?”! Also, some highly spiced items have caught us off-guard.”
You both seem to have adapted brilliantly, how have you found presenting the Food Fest shows in the new way, with social distancing and video calls?
A: “It’s not quite the same as we are both really tactile and playful so being so far apart makes the interaction harder, but we are in interesting times and I think the team have designed an amazing and very practical way to show off the food and meet the guidelines on social distancing. I’m just worried Dale can’t hear me from two metres away… his hearing isn’t what it used to be.”
D: “The team came up with a brilliant ‘V-shaped’ arrangement that works well – before AP and I were side by side and it was easier not to make eye-contact, which is when the giggling usually starts! The hardest part of video calls is the delay and we’ve had some comical moments with guests changing onto their next item. Bless ’em it’s really not very easy, as in a studio you can set up each item individually beforehand.”
Andi, what is your funniest moment of Dale’s from this year’s shows?
A: “Any moment where Dale tries to sound knowledgeable about food is hilarious!!!”
Dale, what is your funniest moment of Andi’s from this year’s shows?
D: “Well now… there have been so many! I think when Andi got his chocolate brands mixed up and kept shouting “cacao” in a parrot-like style (which was the catchphrase of another brand) or perhaps the “well, it’s not awful” response to a vegan sausage… the look on his face!”
Do you have to be careful what you eat running up to and around the shows?
A: “You’d like to think I would but I’m a human dustbin, I can eat forever. The only thing that is crazy is we do sweet things followed by savoury and it’s never the other way around.”
D: “Absolutely! I do try and plan my day ahead. I have a huge appetite but it’s not the amount of food but the variety… chocolate, followed by smoked salmon, followed by meringue, followed by cheese – all of it superb but not ideal in that order! Strangely, I tend not to eat much the next day and make an effort to avoid sugar if I can!”
What are some of your favourite moments with guests from this year’s shows?
A: “Brett (The Real Pie Company) always makes me laugh, Kate (Gower Cottage Brownies) is always full of life, and these boys all have the banter too: Mike (Jenny Wren), Jon (Snaffling Pig) and Henry (Calico Fudge).”
D: “There are too many highlights to mention… many of our lovely food guests are real characters and join in the fun – Brett (The Real Pie Company), Hubert (Lambertz), Rick (Althams), Kate (Gower Cottage Brownies), Jon (Snaffling Pig) and many more. Many of the funniest moments come from unintentional double entendres.”
What festive food gift would you love to receive this season?
A: “I’d love some mince pies.”
D: “If I didn’t own one already it would be the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser so… I’ll say mince pies or smoked salmon.”
What is your favourite thing to eat on Christmas day?
A: “Stuffing!!!”
D: “A succulent, warming bowl of Christmas pudding.”
The Christmas pudding has come out, do you go custard or brandy sauce?
A: “Brandy sauce and lots of it.”
D: “Given that choice I’d go brandy sauce.”
Do you have any go-to dishes for Boxing Day?
A: “Nope… I’m still too full.”
D: “We like a simple day of food after the day before, lots of cold meats and pickles etc.”
If you had to pick one to eat forever… cheese or chocolate?
A: “Erm… wow, I’m thinking about this for far too long… cheese!!”
D: “I’m going to go chocolate. I love cheese but couldn’t eat it forever, chocolate on the other hand…” 🙂
Thanks Andi and Dale, we hope you’ve taken note about each other liking mince pies for Christmas 😉
Helping you get your cupboards stocked up for the big day and the food gifts in the bag, the three-hour Festive Food Finale airs at 4pm – 7pm this Thursday, the 3rd of December, on QVC Live. Join Andi and Dale for their 2020 send off and never fear… you can expect more next year!