Local Heroes Podcast
Local Heroes Podcast
Podcast Description
At Local Heroes, we celebrate the grassroots spirit of food, drink and beyond.
Exploring the passion, people and places, uncovering the untold stories, and going behind the scenes and between the lines.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into themes such as local food culture, personal journeys in entrepreneurship, and community narratives. Episodes cover topics like the journey of Laura Middleton transitioning from a nightclub promotor to a food community architect, as well as discussions on outdoor education and the role of nature in personal fulfillment with guests like John Kirtley.

At Local Heroes, we celebrate the grassroots spirit of food, drink and beyond.
Exploring the passion, people and places, uncovering the untold stories, and going behind the scenes and between the lines.
This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan welcome Carlos Yescas. Carlos is a globally respected cheese expert, author, and food systems thinker, and Partnership Coordinator at Food Newcastle, where he works to build a more equitable, sustainable, and connected regional food system.
His journey spans Mexico City, Ireland, the US, China, and now the North East of England. From washing dishes in a Galway cheesemonger to judging the world’s most prestigious food awards, Carlos shares how cheese became the thread connecting his work in human rights, migration, and food policy.
In this wide-ranging conversation, the team explore how radio and podcasting can tell human stories during crisis, why food waste is one of the UK’s biggest hidden challenges, and how upcoming changes in Newcastle – from devolution to major sporting events – could reshape the region’s food landscape.
They also dive into British cheese culture, the importance of provenance and local pride, and Carlos’s new book One Cheese to Rule Them All, which celebrates award-winning cheeses while uncovering the politics, people, and places behind them.
Along the way, there’s talk of tepid food, guilty-pleasure cheese pairings, Greggs vegan sausage rolls, and why there really is no moment in life without cheese.
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