WHEN SOUND BECOMES FLAVOUR: A SENSORY JOURNEY WITH CERYS MATTHEWS & PAUL PARIET

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In an interesting BBC Sounds interview from last November (that has definitely stuck with me over the “foodie season”) broadcaster Cerys Matthews sits down with Paul Pairet, the visionary chef behind the 3-Michelin-star restaurant ‘Ultraviolet’, to explore an idea that feels both radical and intuitive: taste doesn’t begin on the tongue. It begins in the mind.

Pairet, a pioneer of what he calls “psycho taste,” invites us into a world where sound, light, emotion, memory and intention all shape how food is experienced. In ‘Ultraviolet’, dining is no longer a passive act — it’s a fully orchestrated sensory journey.

*Image from BBC Sounds

SOUND AS AN INGREDIENT

One of the most striking moments from the interview is Pairet’s discussion of music as a culinary tool. In ‘Ultraviolet’, sound is not background noise; it’s a deliberate ingredient.

Take the playful choice of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” by The Beatles, paired with a micro-fish and chips. The lightness and optimism of the track heightens the joy of the dish, nudging the diner into a more carefree emotional state before the first bite even lands.

Elsewhere, dissolving gummies are served to the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive.” The rhythm, the cultural associations, the humour — all subtly alter perception.

The food becomes an event, not just a flavour. As Pairet explains, the goal is to help guests “be more than yourself” — to step briefly outside habit and expectation, and experience taste through a new lens.

*Image from Miele.com

DOUBLE PLATES, DOUBLE MEANING

One of ‘Ultraviolet’s’ most fascinating concepts was double plate serving - Two plates arriving together, visually similar, yet intentionally different. Guests are guided to eat the first plate with a specific drink pairing, then move to the second — which often carries a sweeter or altered profile.

This idea mirrors another subtle detail in the restaurant: two Sophia Loren paintings. At first glance they appear identical, but there are seven differences between them. That same principle is echoed in the food - seven nuanced differences between the two plates.

It’s an exercise in attention. In slowing down, diners begin to notice how tiny changes - sweetness, texture, temperature, sound - can dramatically shift experience.

*Image from Getaway788185 on Tripadvisor

FOOD AS EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION

For Pairet, food is not simply about technique or luxury ingredients. It’s about expression.

He believes that the emotional response comes first — the feeling a dish evokes - and that flavour follows.

Every member of the ‘Ultraviolet’ team carries intention: what they’re serving, why they’re serving it, and what state of mind they hope to guide the guest into.

Light projections, soundscapes, scent, tableware - everything surrounding you is immersing you in the plate you are eating.

The result is a kind of edible theatre, where science, emotion and creativity intersect.

Interestingly, Pairet contrasts ‘Ultraviolet’ with his other restaurant, ‘Mr and Mrs Bund’, what he considers a “bistro” in comparison.

*Image from Limelight Studio via Tripadvisor

Where ‘Ultraviolet’ is hyper-controlled and meticulously detailed — his highest form of interpretation - ‘Mr and Mrs Bund’ is its polar opposite: relaxed, approachable, stripped back classics, in “retro-timeless”.

Together, they show two sides of the same creative mind. One asks you to surrender completely to the experience; the other invites you to simply enjoy.

MORE THAN A MEAL

The conversation with Cerys Matthews reveals that ‘Ultraviolet’ is not just about redefining fine dining — it’s about questioning how we perceive the world. How much of what we taste is shaped by sound, memory, mood, and expectation?

In Pairet’s universe, eating becomes an act of awareness. A reminder that flavour is never isolated — it’s woven from everything we see, hear and feel.

And perhaps that’s the lasting takeaway from the interview: food is never just food. It’s a story, a feeling, and, if we allow it, a way to experience ourselves differently — if only for the length of a song.

Listening to the interview didn’t make me hungry.

It made me curious.

*Image by Management via Tripadvisor