Episode 73 - Billy White

Kia ora Whanau. This week, we speak with chef Billy White about his debut cookbook Eat, Run, Enjoy. The book combines two of Billy’s biggest passions, trail running and delicious food and features such trail running stars as Courtney Dauwalter, Zach Miller, Ricky Lightfoot, Emily Forsberg, Ida Nilsson and Mimmi Kotka. Billy White was born in York and has been a chef for over 20 years. Initially buying into the hard living hospitality lifestyle wholesale. Billy worked in the kitchens of various Michelin star and world-renowned restaurants, including St John in London, and then later Fäviken and Restaurant Mathias Dahlgren, in Sweden. Now Billy works as  the head chef at the cafe/restaurant at Rosendals trädgård in Stockholm, a biodynamic commercial garden and cafe.  Billy initially started running for a challenge, completing a half marathon, then accompanied a friend on a multi day adventure through forests and trails across the coast to coast in the UK. Billy recounted that whilst on this multi day run he started eating standard service station fare, but by the end of the week was eating lighter, fresher food.  Billy found himself moving to Stockholm to be with his now-wife over ten years ago and fell into the trail and ultra running scene in one of the most beautiful and challenging environments in the world. This discussion with Billy is brilliant, discussing his journey to running, living , working, and cooking in such a profoundly seasonal environment such as Stockholm. We discuss his good fortune spending time with some of the best trail and mountain runners in the world, hearing their nutritional advice and tips, and how these differ from runner to runner. Does Courtney Dauwalter indeed have a bowl of candy on every flat surface in her house and many burritos will Zach Miller eat when he hikes down from Barr Camp?  We also discuss Billy’s own nutrition strategies, how food should be more than just fuel, Matt brings up Refused (of course) and also we highlight that as a non nordic skiing native, just how jarring it can be to witness Swedes zooming about on giant elongated roller blades. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Enjoy.