Welcome to Deep Dish, your weekly roundup of culinary and entertainment highlights. Previously, we delved into the topic of microplastics (or their absence) in our brains.
The presenting team of The Great British Baking Show regularly stirs as much curiosity and speculation as the content of the show itself. Their quirky humor (occasionally crossing into overt cultural insensitivity) and frequent cast changes have generated a trove of headlines, including this publication. Therefore, it’s no shock that host Prue Leith’s exit from the beloved tent has fans buzzing. Continue reading below to find out which culinary star will take her place.
In addition, this week, Chipotle initiated a PAC, Minnesota eateries are shutting down in protest against ICE actions, and more.
Prue Leith, one of the judges on The Great British Baking Show, announced on Wednesday that she will be leaving the tent after overseeing over 400 challenges across nine seasons. She joined the cast in 2017, succeeding Dame Mary Berry. Leith revealed her retirement on Instagram stating: “Bake Off has been a wonderful chapter of my life for the past nine years, I have truly enjoyed it and will surely miss collaborating with my fellow judges Paul, Alison, and Noel, as well as the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4,” she shared in a post on Instagram on January 21. “But now feels like the right moment to take a step back (I’m 86, for heaven’s sake!).”
Speculation about her successor began almost instantly; it seems the domestic diva herself, Nigella Lawson, is set to step into Prue’s role, although it’s doubtful she will deliver the same playful double entendres with such a dry wit as Prue. —Andrea Strong, contributing writer and editor
Chipotle Mexican Grill—you know, the establishment aiming to sell you protein cups of grilled chicken and nothing else—seems to be entering the political sphere. In early January, the company submitted documents to the Federal Election Commission to create a corporate PAC. Chipotle’s PAC will gather contributions from executives, staff, and shareholders to support political campaigns, incumbent politicians, and other initiatives that could benefit the company in the future.
This marks a significant shift for Chipotle, which has generally avoided political involvement—unlike other restaurant-related organizations such as the National Restaurant Association which uses its funds to lobby for, among other objectives, not increasing the minimum wage. To whom will Chipotle’s PAC contribute during the upcoming midterms? Will their contributions significantly impact the outcomes? More critically, when will they cease charging for guac? —Sam Stone, staff writer
Businesses throughout Minnesota, including many dining establishments, will shut down today as part of a general strike to protest the recent abuses by ICE agents across the region. Organizers of the demonstration have named it the “Day of Truth and Freedom.”
“There’s a time to advocate for principles, and this is it,” Alison Kirwin, owner of Al’s Breakfast, in Minneapolis, told the New York Times. “If it affects a day’s worth of our income, that is worthwhile.” While some businesses will remain operational, strikers are hopeful that the economic impact of this single-day protest will be significant enough to convey a message to the Trump administration. —S.S.
As social media becomes increasingly integral to—or, from a more skeptical perspective, entirely replaces—personal interactions, younger generations are starting to pursue “third spaces,” or communal gathering spots outside of work and home. The rise of listening bars, where patrons enjoy vinyl records while sipping cocktails, fits perfectly within that context. Influenced by Japanese kissa, they deliver a more tangible, uniquely sensory experience than the typical local pub, creating a shared purpose tied together by sound and a moment in time, even if temporarily. In an article for Bon Appétit discussing the emergence of listening bars nationwide, Nneka M. Okona observes: “In a world inundated with excessive technology and an overwhelming amount of algorithm-driven playlists, there is something sacred and ceremonial about embracing analog. Taking a moment to listen more deeply and resisting the temptation to scroll allows you to embark on a sonic journey, sharing space with others as your fleeting and beautifully transient sonic companions.” —Li Goldstein, associate newsletter editor
