Ruthie Rogers: From River Cafe to Podcast Queen

<p><em>This is just an excerpt. The full interview with RUTHIE ROGERS is available exclusively for Rampart subscribers - go to rampart.news to watch now.</em></p><p>American-British restaurant legend Ruthie Rogers is Joe Aston’s guest on this month’s <em>Rampart Talks</em>. She’s the owner of the River Cafe, a Michelin starred Italian restaurant on the banks of the River Thames in London, about halfway between Harrods and Heathrow.</p><p>This podcast explores the humble beginnings of the restaurant which has become a global phenomenon. In 1987, Rogers and her co-founder Rose Gray had a basic goal: to serve the kind of simple, delicious food they enjoyed eating in Italy.</p><p>Four decades later, the restaurant is an important stop on the global food trail. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was discovered as a young trainee in the restaurant’s kitchen, while over a million copies of <em>The River Cafe Cookbook </em>series have sold internationally. </p><p>More recently, after the death of her famous architect husband Lord Richard Rogers, Ruthie embarked on a new professional endeavour. Her podcast, <em>Ruthie’s Table 4, </em>has gained a cult following off the back of interviews with celebrities like Paul McCartney and David Beckham, who discuss their memories and life experiences through the lens of food. </p><p>In this interview with Joe Aston, Ruthie talks about balancing her desire to be in the kitchen with the realities of running a business, how technology has diminished the dining experience and what she reaches for when she needs some comfort food. </p><p><em>Rampart Talks is brought to you by</em><a href="https://resolveforensic.com.au/"><em> ⁠</em></a><a href="https://bhp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>⁠BHP⁠</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://evidentiagroup.com/"><em>Evidentia Group</em></a><em> and</em><a href="https://www.raywhitecommercial.com/"><em> ⁠Ray White Commercial⁠</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><br></p><p><strong>About Joe Aston:</strong></p><p><em>Joe Aston is one of Australia&#39;s most influential commentators on business, finance and politics.</em></p><p><em>For 12 years, he struck fear into the hearts of the nation&#39;s political and corporate leaders, transforming The Australian Financial Review&#39;s Rear Window into the nation&#39;s premier daily column.</em></p><p><em>In 2024, he became a best-selling author with the publication of his first book, The Chairman&#39;s Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out.</em></p><p><em>And in 2025, he launched</em><a href="https://rampart.news/"><em> ⁠Rampart⁠</em></a><em>, a premium subscription news publication specialising in Australian business and finance. </em></p><p><em>Follow Joe Aston on</em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjoeaston/"><em> ⁠LinkedIn⁠</em></a><em> and</em><a href="https://x.com/mrjoeaston"><em> ⁠X⁠</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><em>Follow Rampart on</em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/rampart-news/"><em> ⁠LinkedIn⁠</em></a><em>,</em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rampart.news"><em> ⁠Instagram⁠</em></a><em>,</em><a href="https://x.com/rampart_news"><em> ⁠X⁠</em></a><em>,</em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@rampart-news"><em> ⁠YouTube⁠</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><br><em>Rampart Talks</em></p><p><strong>Producer</strong>: Eliza Harvey<strong>Production/Editing</strong>: Mentored Studios <strong>Technical and commercial support</strong>: Squiz Media</p>