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The Food Programme

Food on the Road

The Food Programme

BBC

Arts, Food

4.4976 Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2013

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

There's an army of lorries at work right now, transporting food and other goods all over the country. They keep food on our shelves and without them the UK's economy would collapse within days.

But what's it like to work, live - and eat - on the road?

Reporter Andrew Webb spends a day at the Orwell Crossing truck stop near the port of Felixstowe, with its 24-hour restaurant. Truck driver Dougie Rankine shares an audio diary of his perspective from high up in his cab, searching for the right meal at all times of day and night. Veteran driver John Eden recalls stopping off for nocturnal breakfasts in a notorious truck stop after negotiating 'suicide alley'.

In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon reveals a food story on very big wheels.

Producer: Rich Ward.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

You don't need us to tell you there's a general election coming.

0:04.6

So what does it mean for you?

0:06.4

Every day on newscast we dissect the big talking points,

0:10.1

the ones that you want to know more about.

0:12.3

With our book of contacts, we talk directly to the people you want to hear from.

0:16.8

And with help from some of the best BBC journalists,

0:19.4

we'll untangle the stories that matter to you.

0:23.0

Join me, Laura Kunsberg, Adam Fleming, Chris Mason and Patty O'Connell for our daily podcast.

0:29.0

Newscast, listen on BBC Sounds.

0:32.0

Hello, I'm Sheila Dylan and welcome to this BBC download of the Food Program.

0:39.0

For information on the BBC's terms and conditions of use,

0:42.0

visit W.W. dot BBC. the BBC's terms and conditions of use, visit

0:42.8

W.W. dot B.co. UK slash radio four.

0:48.9

And now, enjoy the podcast.

1:05.0

You're traveling through the knowledge and sometimes. the Suicide Alley, the transport cafes themselves, were often wooden huts. So I'll be having my breakfast, probably early tomorrow afternoon.

1:09.0

That's just the way that road transport is.

1:11.0

It's a 24-7 operation that keeps the country running so

1:14.6

at the end of their working day you know they've had a long day they want something

1:17.8

which is quite kind of wholesome. I'm cooking a cab we'll set up on the top bunk

1:21.7

cooker fridge or anything you can have at home, I can have

1:25.0

it more truck, you know.

1:26.8

Some men of the road, some of the thousands driving the economy and our food network, and trying to feed themselves well in spite of long days and for some long weeks

...

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