Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster

Episode: Jen Brister (Tasting Menu)
Release Date: October 15, 2025
Guest: Jen Brister
Theme: Comedian Jen Brister revisits the Off Menu “Dream Restaurant”—but this time, she’s not choosing her favourites. Instead, she’s forced to eat the infamous menu originally selected by another guest, Joel Dommett. Ed and James revel in her reactions to what many consider the worst menu in Off Menu history.

Episode Overview

In this special "Tasting Menu" edition, comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster invite friend and fellow comic Jen Brister back to the podcast—but with a cruel twist. Instead of ordering her own dream meal, Jen is given the much-maligned menu of Joel Dommett, whose choices have lived in Off Menu infamy for years. The episode’s purpose: to see, somewhat mischievously, how Jen reacts to a meal many listeners loathe.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting Up the Challenge (01:43–05:40)

• Tasting Menu Format: Ed and James explain the special format: a previous guest (Jen) must eat another past guest’s (Joel Dommett) menu.
• Acknowledging Joel’s Reputation: Joel’s menu is introduced as “possibly the worst ever,” still producing strong reactions from listeners years after it aired.
• Jen’s Charity Work: Brief shoutout to Jen’s nonprofit, All Our Relations, supporting families in Gaza (04:16).
• Intentions: The hosts freely admit they're partly doing this “to make Jen angry, because it’s funny,” but with obvious affection.

“We’re just getting a friend on and ruining their day.” – Ed Gamble (04:09)

2. Catching Up with Jen Brister & Her Changing Tastes (05:44–14:00)

• Maturing Palates: Jen professes her tastes have “done a complete handbrake turn” since her last visit—she might even pick a sweet dessert these days.
• Cheese Board Flashbacks: They revisit the drama from Jen’s first appearance, where her choice of a cheese board as dessert infuriated James.
• Tour Promotion: Jen discusses excitement and nerves about her upcoming tour "Reactive" and performing at London’s Apollo (07:43).
• Comedic Banter: The trio reminisce about shared early stand-up years, including a gold lamé onesie incident at Edinburgh Fringe (08:54), keeping the tone playful and teasing.

“You may have put me into the cheese zone. And... this could go anywhere today.” – Jen Brister (07:18)

3. Revealing the Menu – Jen’s Spiralling Disbelief (14:00–24:00+)

Sparkling Water

• Jen is delighted to start with sparkling water—a brief glimmer of hope that the menu won’t be too bad.

Naan Bread

• The starter bread is naan; Jen approves, preferring garlic naan. The hosts detour into a detailed naan ranking conversation, from garlic to peshwari to keema to cheese variations (20:10).
• Discussion includes the common “naan bread” vs. “naan” faux pas.

Nachos (with Chicken)

• The uproar begins! Joel’s starter: nachos with chicken, ordered because “you never know how big they’re going to be.”
• Jen’s review is scathing: “Nachos are an abomination. They are abhorrent. I would never order nachos if it was the last thing on the menu.” (24:25)
• She calls this a “meal for children” and rants against the lack of proper toppings, overabundance of dry chips, and the horror of communal double dipping.

“I am 50 years of age! Why am I eating crisps with cheese on top? I am an adult. Joel, you made a terrible decision... shame on you.” – Jen Brister (24:52)

4. Main Course: School Canteen Horror (31:03–39:00)

• Chips, Beans, Sausage, & Cheese:
  Joel’s main is pure nostalgia—school canteen fare, heavy on the stodge and low on culinary ambition.
• Jen is appalled: “Chips, cheese, sausage, and beans... what the fuck is wrong with Joel?”
• She recalls her Spanish mother’s home cooking and cannot fathom why sausage (especially the mysterious “white” sausage of school days) would appear on a dream menu.
• Mockery ensues about school lunch innovations, “the rib,” and processed microwave meals.

“I wouldn't have trusted the sausages at my school. No way... Even as a kid, you're going, I don't trust those sausages.” – Jen Brister (33:13)

5. Side Dish: Sweet Potato Fries Controversy (39:09–43:00)

• Jen is offered sweet potato fries as a side, alongside regular chips from the main. To her, it’s a culinary non-starter: “I don’t like sweet potato fries... I don't like sweet potato.”
• The hosts reveal Joel’s stated intention: to debunk the idea that sweet potato fries are any healthier than normal ones. Jen roasts the absurdity.

"The accompaniment to chips, cheese, sausage and beans is chips." – Jen Brister (39:23)

• The conversation devolves into an extended penis straw riff after Ed explains he still has 48 left over from a lockdown hen party (41:03), adding a surreal edge to the menu tastings.

6. Dream Drink: The Infamous Protein Shake (43:44–46:50)

• Strawberry Protein Shake:
  Joel’s drink selection is a “strawberry protein shake.” The group is incredulous. Jen: “That’s like the worst flavor. Nobody likes strawberry milkshake... or strawberry jam. Strawberries—the worst flavor.”
• The hosts and Jen agree it’s more suitable for post-workout, not enjoying alongside a meal.
• Ed: “Not my dream drink.” Jen: “That’ll fill me up... but I’ll feel sad afterwards.”
• The penis straw returns as a potential vessel for the protein shake (“That makes it much better,” Jen quips [46:14]).

7. Dessert: Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake Disaster (47:57–53:04)

• Dessert: Strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake.
• Jen protests: “I said how I feel about strawberry. And I don’t like white chocolate. White chocolate isn’t chocolate. I don’t know what it is. And I don’t particularly like cheesecake... you have given me possibly the worst pudding.” (48:22)
• The hosts detail the aftermath from when Joel ate this dessert after I’m a Celebrity—he vomited from dairy overload but “enjoyed it on the way back up.”
• Jen is aghast: “I really need to go out for a drink with Joel’s wife... maybe she needs to decompress.” (53:01)

8. Reflections, Merchandise, and Bonus Banter (53:43–end)

• Jen imagines her menu for Joel: “Extra blue cheese on there for you.”
• The group jokes about Jen’s new catchphrase “Not this Lesbian” (54:15), considering tour names and T-shirt merchandising.
• End-of-episode reflections on reality TV (which competition show would you do?), the safety of social media, and life after bad menus.
• Jen, asked what she’d actually get after such a meal, says: “Kebab. I’ll go have a lamb sheesh. No chips. Extra salad, loads of chili sauce.” (61:15)

Notable Quotes & Moments

Jen’s Menu Verdicts:

• “[Nachos] are an abomination. I would never order nachos if it was the last thing on the menu." – Jen Brister (24:25)
• "Chips, cheese, sausage, and beans... what the fuck is wrong with Joel?" – Jen Brister (31:10)
• "[Sweet potato fries] I don't like... I don't like sweet potato." – Jen Brister (39:17)
• “Strawberries—the worst flavor.” – Jen Brister (44:11)
• "You have given me possibly the worst pudding." – Jen Brister (48:22)

On Joel’s Reputation:

• “He gets abuse shouted at him for it... Still gets abuse about this.” – Ed Gamble (34:31–34:38)
• “Netflix tweeted about it. Netflix HQ!” – James Acaster (49:53)

Host Reflections:

• “We’ve done it a couple times... because we find them funny when they’re angry.” – Ed Gamble (64:24)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Setting up the episode / Jen’s charity work: 01:43–05:11
• Menu reveal and explanations: 14:00–20:00
• Nachos outrage: 23:39–26:53
• Chips, beans, sausage & cheese: 31:03–35:48
• Sweet potato fries reaction: 39:09–41:01
• Protein shake shock: 43:44–46:50
• Cheesecake & Joel’s vomiting story: 47:57–53:01
• “Not this Lesbian” catchphrase and reflections: 54:08–55:20
• Jen’s actual post-podcast fantasy meal (“Lamb sheesh, no chips”): 61:15

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode of Off Menu is a perfect encapsulation of the show at its mischievous best—it’s heartfelt roast, food-fuelled outrage, and freewheeling banter. Jen Brister is put through culinary purgatory as she’s made to eat Joel Dommett’s universally pilloried dream menu. Her blend of righteous food fury (“Shame on you, Joel!”), self-deprecating humor, and warm friendship with the hosts makes for an episode fans will relish—even as Jen herself despairs at every course.

If you’ve never listened, start here for a masterclass in why food choices matter (and why friends delight in making each other suffer for laughs).