We welcome a man with clear rules on food!

Chris McCausland is a comedian, author, and Strictly Come Dancing champion. Within minutes of sitting down with Nick and Angela, he’s critiquing the Dish chair and explaining the mathematical shape of a Pringle, setting the tone for a brilliantly entertaining episode.

Chris is one of the busiest people on the circuit, with his tour Yonks spanning years, multiple legs, and even multiple shows in a day. Alongside that, his memoir Keep Laughing tells the story of his life, from growing up in Liverpool and losing his sight, through to becoming one of the UK’s most loved stand-ups. He tells us how the book came together without a plan, why writing about his early life proved more interesting than his comedy career, and how Strictly opened him up emotionally in ways he never expected.

Chris is greeted with a cold Fentimans ginger beer and salt and vinegar Pringles – his favourite! Next up, Angela served a piping hot cottage pie using a recipe by Martha Collison, with a side of Savoy cabbage. The British classic was paired with a No.1 Viña Lorea Reserva Rioja to complement the rich, savoury meat and creamy potatoes.

There is plenty of food chat along the way, from Chris’s deep love of Italian dishes like bolognese and pizza (a life-changing discovery at university), to his dedication to sausages on tour, balanced by what he calls “sausage dark days”. We also get into the gamble of hotel eggs, his theory about spice levels, and how mayo has taken over the sandwich market.

As for the cottage pie? A straight 10 from everyone!

You can watch full episodes of Dish on YouTube and on Spotify.

All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes

The recipe for the cottage pie was created for Waitrose by Martha Collison.

A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish

If you want to get in touch with us about anything at all, contact dish@waitrose.co.uk

Dish from Waitrose is made by Cold Glass Productions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris McCausland enjoys our cottage pie and a ginger beer