Role Play Gourmet. Food is an adventure, you are the hero, come and eat the adventure, be the hero who devours. Or just watch the show, no (kitchen) pressure.

Role Play Gourmet isn’t quite what is described on the tin. The 60 minutes are spent eating food, talking about food and learning about how professional kitchens work. Paul Flannery (best known for Knightmare Live) has worked in kitchens on and off for ten years and in this mix of story telling and gossip he advises on how to know your knife is sharp, how to get the crispiest roast potatoes and that time he made David Beckham a giant beef pie.

It is clear that the original intention for the show was nipped in the bud due to health and safety and their limited space in the Vaults, produced by Coaching for Geeks, which provide life skills in the form of XP gained, it could have been more interactive (I had hoped to improve my chopping skills but did learn how to avoid my eyes watering near an onion) but the alternative is a gossipy, fun and delicious show about how great food is and why we should all embrace our inner chef (though Flannery loathes to describe himself as such). Along with Rob it is a charismatic performance, whilst the adventure story doesn’t feel as developed as the food aspects it isn’t an issue. I had FOUR roast potatoes, bruschetta, pork belly and a mini cheesecake I cannot complain. I love food. Flannery bitching about Jamie Oliver’s hard on for lemons and the quote “would love Oliver’s food in a pub, not so much in a restaurant” explains why Oliver’s restaurant empire collapsed, is worth the ticket price alone.

Standard tickets, which allow audience members to sample food, are £16 and for £23 you can get limited premium tickets which include a two-course meal.

There is room for development but this combination of Radio 4’s Kitchen Cabinet with unashamed approach to geekery is great fun and will encourage you to buy better knives and take your eggs out of the fridge.

Role Play Gourmet was on at the Vaults Festival from 11-16 February. Paul’s blogs can be found here.