Oldswinford Curate, Claire Cox and Associate Priest in Hagley and Clent, Kim Topham were both invited to take part in a recording of the Christmas edition of the Taste Test Restaurant for Channel 5. Clare tells us about her experience:
“I was clear with Sam, our diocesan Director of Communications that I had a face for radio, yet she assured me that I would love to be part of something that involved a TV appearance! My instant reaction is that I was bound to embarrass myself, but after some family encouragement I contacted Paul from the TV casting agency. Paul and I had a lovely chat, he wanted to get to know me a little, and this was followed by a video call (maybe to see if I had the right “look”?!).
Before going we had to sign a consent agreement where we agreed that the producer could photograph, record and film us, plus we were paid £150 as a thank you. The programme description was:
Get your knives and forks at the ready. In this series Tom Read Wilson opens a very special restaurant to find out what the nation really thinks of supermarket food, discovering which products we should fill our trolleys with this winter and which we might want to leave on the shop shelves. Tom is maître-d, overseeing proceedings as members of the public try before they buy - taste testing dishes, giving opinions on what they think and voting for their favourites. Meanwhile chef in the kitchen Mike Reid reveals the special ingredients that make our favourite dishes irresistible.’
So, along with Kim Topham, and also Wayne Simmons from Church of England Birmingham, I made my way down to London late afternoon on 7 November. The organisers booked and paid for our train down to central London, and an overnight stay in a hotel near Kings Cross. After grabbing some food, we got an early night ready for filming the next day.
We had lots of fun and giggles and tasted the main things you imagine would be on your Christmas lunch – turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, gravy, a starter and pudding. It took from 9am in the morning till early evening to film a one-hour episode so the day was long, and we weren’t very talkative on the train home that evening as we were all shattered.
Watching it back on TV with family was good fun and I feel the programme helps to smash the stigma that priests are, maybe, a little boring...Actually, we are as fun and as crazy as the rest of them!”
Claire and Kim will be filming again with the Taste Test Restaurant next month, this time sampling breakast! If you might be interested in being involved in something similar, do email Sam in Communications.
