You talk a lot about your love of sausage rolls and England’s pub culture. How has English food evolved from what you remember as a child?
BPB: I have a lot of American friends now, and they’re all, “Oh. English food isn’t great…. It doesn’t have much flavor.” I very highly disagree. Whenever I take my American friends to England, and I take them to my local pubs and some of my favorite restaurants and have some of my favorite dishes, they’re like, “Okay, I see now.” I think people go to the wrong places. Same with anywhere. People from New York know exactly where to go. It’s very much the same in the UK.
Is there a cooking moment you remember when you realized, “I really do enjoy this,” This is what I want to do?
BPB: Well, my favorite dish to make is spaghetti Bolognese. Whenever my dad said, “I’m going to make spaghetti Bolognese tonight,” I always had that butterfly feeling in my stomach.
What do you cook for your family?
BPB: My dad and I love cooking pasta dishes. We compete to see whose spaghetti Bolognese is best.
Wait, wait, wait. spaghetti Bolognese competitions?
BPB: They happen every time I see my family, which is very often. It’s a lot of fun, honestly, because it takes four or five hours from start to finish, and we’re just all vibing.
Who usually wins, and who are the judges?
BPB: My dad usually wins. Usually, it’s my sister who decides.
There’s only one judge?
BPB: My sister, yeah.
So you’re saying these competitions are biased toward your dad?
BPB: Yes.
Love it. You have decided that condiments, particularly hot sauce, are a big part of your brand. Tell me more about Cloud23. How did that come to be, and what is it?
BPB: So it’s going to be a luxury line of condiments, but I’m starting with two: sweet jalapeño and hot habanero. This isn’t just going to be a hot sauce. Every six to nine months we’re going to release two other condiments.
How many have you guys already conceived?
BPB: I’ve been working on a bunch, but I’m not going to tell you because then it won’t be a surprise.
Who do you see as your competition?
BPB: Truff. Their marketing was amazing. I’d say they’re my main competitor or definitely up there, because there’s not a lot of very high-end hot sauces.
We’ve got to talk about the grilled cheese video that has become part of your legacy. Is there a cheese you like to use?
BPB: I love a sharp cheddar mixed with a little bit of Swiss because Swiss is my wife’s favorite cheese, and cheddar is my favorite cheese.
Is there a specific technique that you like?
BPB: I like to use the flamer at the end, which I get a lot of hate for, but it’s my signature little move that I do to get that nice little charcoal.
Why do you like doing that?
BPB: The blowtorch? I don’t know. I like it more on the burnt side, so it just helps all over.