The food books of 2023

The Food Programme

BBC

Arts, Food

4.4 • 943 Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2023

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Over a coffee in community arts space The Place in Newport, south Wales, The Food Programme presenters Sheila Dillon, Leyla Kazim and Dan Saladino choose two books each from the year: one that has made them cook, and one that has made them think. Sheila also meets George Harris, creative director of Tin Shed Theatre Company, to hear why food has become part of their work, and leaf through a very special cookbook that has been passed down through George's family.

Wondering what the next generation makes of food books, Sheila visits a group of young food activists from the organisation Bite Back 2030, to debate one of the top food books of this year - Henry Dimbleby's Ravenous. Meeting at Bite Back HQ, in north London, they also discuss whether TikTok spells the end of an era for recipe books and share their own recommended reads.

Dropping in on cookbook buyer at Topping books in Bath, Kathleen Smith, we find out what's been selling this year and how trends vary according to region. Plus, scattered throughout, we hear the personal book recommendations from best-selling food writers and chefs including Rukmini Iyer, Poppy O'Toole and other familiar faces, picking their own favourite new releases from 2023.

Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You don't need us to tell you there's a general election coming.
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0:29.4	Newscast, listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.
0:38.0	Hello, I'm Sheila Dylan and this episode of the Food Program
0:42.0	is about 2023's best books, the ones to draw you into
0:46.0	the kitchen and those to get you thinking and sometimes they're the same books.
0:50.9	They're from the Food Program team and friends. I hope this helps with the Christmas list.
0:59.0	Well for this year's books program we're in Newport, South Wales and we've come to The Place, a
1:05.5	substantial striking and very colorfully painted building here on Bridge Street.
1:10.9	It's home to the Tin Shed Shed Theatre Company. The place is a
1:14.9	community space, an events venue, and they've promised us a sofa so we can talk
1:21.2	comfortably about the books of the year and we're going to meet
1:25.0	George Harris of the Tin Shedd Theatre Company. So here we go.
1:31.0	Recording in progress. We are the recording. Hello, you must be George.
1:36.0	Good morning I am. Welcome, welcome. Nice to meet you.
1:39.0	What was once an old post office and an old nightclub was kind of...
	...

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