Lunchbox Envy artwork

Food · Lunchbox Envy

Lunchbox Envy

by Lunchbox Envy

From the makers of QI and No Such Thing As A Fish: Gastronomically-minded QI researchers Jack Chambers and Manu Henriot join chef and food writer Rosie MacKean to unpack the world of food and drink, one lunchbox at a time. Can you unboil an egg? Why would you milk a spider?  How much Dairy Milk would it take to kill you? Dig in now to get answers to the questions you never knew you had.

Chart trend

Position in the Food chart (US), last 90 days.

#26
all-time peak
112
days in the top 50 since Sep 2025

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

82: 🍍 Does Pineapple Really Make S**** Taste Nicer?

#47 trending · Food

Why did SpongeBob's house have to be redesigned? How do you make a cocktail out of torpedo fuel? When you eat pineapple, does it eat you back?

Sep 6
46 min

81: 🛒 Walmart Employees Use Virtual Reality To Practise For Black Friday

Which supermarket divided Germany down the middle? Who's the sexist cereal mascot? Are you allowed to snack on the food while you shop?

Aug 30
34 min

80: 🤯 Is Your Local Chip Shop Faking Their Vinegar?

Why should you smother yourself in mustard? Which is the most Brexit-y condiment? What links James Bond to Gentleman's Relish?

Aug 23
45 min

79: 🕊️ Eating Gourmet Scabs Off A Peasant's Foot

What's the secret jingle hidden in Da Vinci's Last Supper? Could you actually feed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish? What happens when you get a mouse drun

Aug 16
42 min

78: 🌶️ The Hottest Ever Chilli Is Locked In Secret Greenhouse

Would you eat a chilli placenta? Is there a better cure for chilli burn than milk? What's the secret to the perfect piri piri sauce?

Aug 9
53 min

77: 🌋 Spain's Volcano-Powered Restaurant

What is every chef's secret weapon? How did a moustache start a waiters' strike? Would you like to have dinner 150 feet up in the air?

Aug 2
49 min

76: 🍜 Pad Thai Is A Government Invention

Where can you ride a train powered by noodle broth? Who uses noodles as currency? When should you replace your pasta with noodles?

Jul 26
47 min

75: 🥒 Why Disney Grew The World's Biggest Cucumber Plant

How did the Romans build their greenhouses out of stone? When is pickle juice mouthwash a good idea? Is cucumber juice actually any good for you?

Jul 19
46 min

74: 🌽 XXX UNRATED Corn Smut NSFW [Explicit Farming]

Which animal pees popcorn flavour? When is someone else's saliva in your drink a delicacy? Why is Tom Cruise so good at eating corn on the cob?

Jul 12
42 min

73: 🌊 The Chef Who Caused A Tahini-nami

How do you smuggle meat into a vegetarian restaurant? Who needs a mochi attachment on their hoover? What's a goth's favourite food?  With special guest, chef and food wr

Jul 6
43 min

72: ✈️ The Great Sandwich War Of 1958

Who needs a gyroscopic kitchen? How do you save $500,000 by slicing limes? What actually is the deal with airline food? 

Jun 28
35 min

71: 🌋 The World's Most Expensive Pistachios Come From A Volcano

Why did pistachios used to be bright red? Where in the world do pistachio trees need police protection? How could a pistachio help you survive a car crash? 

Jun 22
40 min

70: 🔐 Why The Recipe For [REDACTED] Is Locked In A Vault

Why doesn't Coca Cola have to list their secret ingredients on their packaging? How do you break out of prison with peanut butter? What happened to the mythical Roman spi

Jun 14
39 min

69: 💦 Could You Cook With Human Oil?

Why should you beware of Chinese gutter oil? Which oil is the healthiest to fry with? Does snake oil actually work?

Jun 7
45 min

68: 🫛 Ozempic For Medieval Peasants

Why are frozen peas better than fresh peas? How do you use a pea as an alarm clock? Whose constipation can be cured with a single pea?

May 31
46 min

67: 🍬 Why They Set Fire To Your Sugar

When is it a good idea to set fire to your sugar cane field?  Why would you sprinkle sugar over a bee? Do you prefer your sugar in cubes or loaves? 

May 24
52 min

66: 🐔 Why Chickens Need Spectacles

Why would you put spectacles on a chicken? What's the secret to a perfect roast chicken? Do chickens find you beautiful? Another bite of the drumstick with cook and writ

May 17
37 min

65: 🌱 Screaming For Asparagus Ice Cream

Why shouldn't you snap your asparagus in half? Who was known as The Giant Asparagus? How can you make a knife out of asparagus?

May 10
40 min

64: 🐑 Why Are Doner Kebabs Cone Shaped?

What's the difference between dagging and redding? Why are doner kebab spits cone-shaped? What makes mint go so well with roast lamb?

May 3
54 min

63: 🥭 India's Magical Million Mango Tree

Who was the Indiana Jones of mangoes? What's the best way to mail a mango? Do you know the Mango Man? 

Apr 26
37 min

Chart positions

Where Lunchbox Envy ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 11, 2026).

#58 ▼ 9 Food US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Manu is great, knows what she’s talking about and when she doesn’t know something isn’t afraid to say so. Unfortunately the rest of the show doesn’t come together as well. It’s missing the quick wits and quality research expected from a show in the QI universe. Perhaps some guests would spice things up. A comedian, historian or food scientist could be a nice addition from time to time.

Lucca20Two · Jun 2025

yummy for my tummy and thirst for knowledge - interesting facts and recipe ideas and great chat from the hosts - a hugely welcome addition to the QI family

Atticus Hap · May 2025

This is a perfect trio of curious, generous and fun hosts talking about things I forgot to think about. It’s a delight every time.

Palmarosa33 · Apr 2025

Professional production and charming hosts. If you are quite young or don’t know anything about food, you might find it interesting. If you’ve had any exposure to food and cooking media over the last 20 years, you will have already heard nearly every fact and anecdote they mention. Disappointing. I wanted to like it because of the QI and “Fish” connection.

BarnOwl66 · Mar 2026

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About Lunchbox Envy on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Lunchbox Envy, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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