The Food Programme

With the Government pledging to overhaul the way food is sourced for public institutions like hospitals, schools, prisons, and army bases, Sheila Dillon explores how these changes could be implemented and why they are deemed essential by many.Sheila visits St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, where chef Raouf Mansour has transformed the canteen for staff and visitors. After bringing the operation in-house post-Covid, the hospital began collaborating with local suppliers to provide fresh, seasonal produce. Raouf emphasises that retraining chefs to prepare nutritious, mezze-style meals has been crucial in encouraging staff to dine at the restaurant. The hospital is also working on plans to revamp patient meals, which are all prepared off-site, by working with smaller local caterers who can better meet some of the specific needs of patients there.Following her visit, Sheila returns to the studio to discuss whether the changes in Chertsey could signal a broader trend. She is joined by:Kevin Morgan, Professor of Governance and Development at Cardiff University and author of "Serving the Public: The Good Food Revolution in Schools, Hospitals, and Prisons" Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive of Sustain Katie Palmer from Food Sense Wales, who is working on the Welsh Veg in Schools Project Derek Wright from Blackpool Catering Services, which has expanded its school meal provision over the past five years, with on-site chefs and locally sourced produce.Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 9 May 2025

The restaurant trade is fickle and can be a "here today, gone tomorrow" business. But a very small number of restaurants seem to have been with us for ever. Dan Saladino explores the secrets of the world's oldest restaurants.

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2025

Sheila Dillon hears the first exclusive readings from a Tudor ‘pamphlet of cheese’ that details the cheesemaking traditions of the 16th century, and reveals how cheese was seen as a nutrient-rich health food - from digestion aid to wound cleaner. Fast-forward to today, and Sheila visits Yorkshire cheesemongers Andy and Kathy Swinscoe to help recreate one of these historic recipes by hand in their dairy, as they discuss the significance of cheese history and how milk and cheese have a ’terroir’ just like wine. While the Tudors believed cheese was inherently good for you, modern-day science is still exploring the evidence. Now, cheese scientists are producing ground-breaking research investigating links between cheese and the health of our hearts and gut microbiome. But making cheese today is a tough job, from complying with food safety rules to the challenges of setting up and maintaining a small business. Sheila speaks to renowned cheesemaker Martin Gott to hear the strange tale of how gave up his career in the UK to set up the first ever organic creamery in Oman. Are we losing our cheesemakers just at the point when we’re rediscovering more about its potential health benefits?Sheila’s journey to find out how our cheese heritage faltered takes her to the Middle East, Japan and finally back to Yorkshire, where a new raw milk cheesemaker sparks hope for the future. Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

Dan Saladino finds out how a family farm in west Cork became one of the world's most influential cookery schools. Featuring Darina and Rachel Allen, Rory O'Connell and JR Ryall. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

In this second episode from Copenhagen, Sheila Dillon explores why Denmark leads the way in organic food consumption. In 2023, nearly 12% of all food bought in Denmark was organic—one of the highest levels in the world. In the UK, that figure is just 1.5%. But how did Denmark get here? And can the organic movement keep growing as the conversation shifts toward climate concerns and plant-based eating?Sheila meets the people shaping Denmark’s food future, from organic farmers to chefs and researchers. She also asks how does this apparent national embrace of organic food sit alongside Denmark’s industrial farming, including its vast pork industry?Featuring conversations with: • Trine Hahnemann – Chef, writer, and campaigner • Trine Krebs – Organic farmer and Green Chef at The Food Organisation of Denmark • Prof. Ole Mouritsen – Gastrophysicist researching how to encourage more plant-based eating • Søren Buhl Steiniche – Head chef at EAT, a public kitchen serving Copenhagen’s schools • Heidi Svømmekjær – Copenhagen-based food writer and home cookPresented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

Restaurant critic and lifelong Charlton Athletic fan Jimi Famurewa finds out how football clubs are upping their game when it comes to serving food for their fans. He’ll taste the world at AFC Wimbledon’s Food Village, hear how Forest Green Rovers went vegan and discover the secret liquor behind Leyton Orient’s pie and mash. Food writers Jack Peat and Daniel Gray pitch in with their thoughts on a world that has moved far beyond Bovril and burnt burgers.Presented by Jimi Famurewa Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Robin MarkwellThe Bovril Song was composed by Roger Jackson and Phil Nicholl and performed by Sing! Cambridge in 2013 Football commentary courtesy of BBC Radio London and BBC Radio Nottingham

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Five years on from the first Covid lockdown Dan Saladino asks if our food supply can withstand more shock to the system? Is there resilience to face another pandemic or even war?Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

Bradford is this year’s UK City of Culture - but what does food have to do with it? Sheila Dillon visits the city to meet market traders, chefs and restaurateurs to find out how its industrial past has influenced the thriving food culture of today. She visits Bradford’s St James wholesale market to discover how the Asian restaurant trade has been integral to the market’s survival, before eating breakfast at The Sweet Centre, which serves the same Kashmiri breakfast speciality as it did for millworkers in the 60s. Two food projects are harnessing the vibrant multicultural nature of Bradford as part of its City of Culture celebrations. The Bradford Selection, orchestrated by artists Sonia Sandhu and Harry Jelley, tells the stories of Bradford communities through a series of biscuits. Meet My Mothers is a recipe book project representing the diverse food cultures in Bradford, as participant coordinator Aamta Waheed tells Sheila at the Women Zone community centre. Renowned Yorkshire food historian Peter Brears meets Sheila for a tea and some traditional pork ‘savoury duck’ to talk about pre-industrial food of the Bradford district. Meanwhile, on BBC One, Harry Virdee is the eponymous detective star of thriller series Virdee, written by Bradford native A.A.Dhand. Sheila speaks to the bestselling author to find out how he wrote specific south Asian food and drink traditions into the series and his own childhood food memories of growing up in the city. How important is the city’s food history, economics and culture to its hopes for regeneration? Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of Bradford 2025, summarises the city’s belief in food as social cohesion and the confidence that the city feels after winning the title. Presenter: Sheila Dillon Producer: Nina Pullman

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

Sheila Dillon joins diners eating together in Manchester and Copenhagen, and hears why some think we should be making more time in the UK for eating communally.During World War II, British Restaurants provided nutritious, affordable meals across the UK. Endorsed by Winston Churchill, they ensured good food was accessible to all. Now, some believe this model should return.Professor Bryce Evans from Liverpool Hope University explains why reviving communal dining could help tackle today’s cost-of-living crisis. In Manchester, we hear from "The Manc Kitchen" - a pilot inspired by MP Ian Byrne’s "Scouse Kitchen" and his "Right to Food" campaign. Similar initiatives are emerging across the UK.Sheila Dillon travels to Copenhagen, "the capital of communal dining," to see how the Danes have embraced eating together. She visits Absalon, a repurposed church where 200 people dine each night, and Grønne Eng (Green Meadows), a co-housing community where 190 residents cook and share meals communally four times a week. Even in workplaces, communal dining is the norm—Sheila eats with a team of architects at a long table.Food writer Heidi Svømmekjær explains how Denmark’s long, dark winters have shaped this culture, making shared meals a way to foster warmth and connection.With food insecurity and loneliness on the rise, Sheila asks if communal restaurants be a solution? Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

Two of the country's largest wholesale markets are on the brink of closure. The City of London Corporation has decided to shut the historic meat market at Smithfield and the fish market at Billingsgate, bringing to an end centuries of food history. Sheila Dillon is given a tour of Smithfield market by the historian Matthew Green who describes how Smithfield features in the work of Charles Dickens and was once described as the "kitchen of the universe" by the writer Ned Ward in 1702.The programme hears from the Smithfield traders who work through the night butchering and selling meat to restaurants and shops across London, the South East of England and beyond. There has been considerable opposition to the closure of the markets. More than 37,000 people have signed a petition asking the City of London Corporation to keep the markets where they are including Alicia Weston who we meet at Ridley Road street market in East London. Here fishmongers are concerned about where they will source their supplies if Billingsgate closes. The City of London Corporation chairman Chris Hayward responds.Finally, the author of Hungry City Carolyn Steel and Professor Tim Lang from City University reflect on the importance of wholesale markets in strengthening food supply chains as well as their contribution to the social and cultural fabric of a place.Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2025

It's a term used by the smallest farmers and the world's biggest food businesses. But what does 'regenerative agriculture' mean?Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

Sheila Dillon revisits the idea of our grannies’ cooking and how it shapes us, hearing from listeners who sent in their own stories. Why does learning to cook from your granny seem to be such a powerful experience? What about those grannies who leapt at the chance technology offered to escape the endless cycle of cooking from scratch? And – for those of us who feel we’re relying too much on processed food - can we find a granny substitute to help us put down the takeaway menu and pick up a peeler?Guests include: Dr Polly Russell - food historian Alicia Weston - founder of Bags of Taste Sophie Beckett - Public Health Research Officer at Birmingham Museums Trust Jonny Murphy "The Hungry Hooker" We'd like to thank all of the listeners who wrote in to us following the broadcast of the programme "Nan the Wiser", but we'd like to say a special thanks to Matthew, Lynn, Mary, Tony, Marie, Peter, Rob and Giselle. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Beth Sagar-Fenton. The Assistant Producer was Jo Peacey.Archive from Birmingham's Food and Drink Oral Histories Project: Interviewee: Doris Evans, 1984. From the City Sound Archive, courtesy of Birmingham Museums Trust Interviewee: John Baker, 1984. From the City Sound Archive, courtesy of Birmingham Museums Trust

Transcribed - Published: 14 February 2025

It's 2025, and the same old questions are still being asked about food and health—how do we get people eating better, reduce obesity, improve health, and ease pressure on the NHS? Despite decades of policies and campaigns, the challenge remains. In this episode, Sheila Dillon is joined in the studio by three people whose work is dedicated to finding answers: Dr Dolly Van Tulleken, a visiting researcher at Cambridge University's MRC Epidemiology Unit, who has examined UK government obesity policy, documenting its repeated failures and interviewed several leaders about what can be learned from them; Anna Taylor, head of the Food Foundation, whose organisation has been researching the impact of poor diets, particularly on those living in poverty; and Ben Reynolds, formerly of Sustain, where he played a key role in some of the most successful food campaigns and is now working on food and farming policy across Europe as Executive Director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy.Also featured are Henry Dimbleby, author of The National Food Strategy, and Welsh food historian Carwyn Graves.Together, they discuss what’s gone wrong, what’s worked, and, as the new government announces plans for a fresh food strategy, what must be put in place to ensure it delivers real change.Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 7 February 2025

What's behind the rise and rise of low alcohol and alcohol free drinks? The sector grew by a quarter last year alone, fuelled by our changing relationship with alcohol. More than fifteen million people are thought to have considered taking part in Dry January this year and younger drinkers in particular are turning away from alcohol and embracing alcohol-free versions of beer, wine and spirits or entirely new drinks coming onto the market.In this programme Jaega Wise considers the changes in the drinks industry. She eavesdrops on an alcohol-free workshop with the mindful drinking movement Club Soda and speaks to its founder Laura Willoughby. She hears from the alcohol-free beer brand Lucky Saint and the market research company Kam on our changing drinking patterns, including the trend for zebra-striping - alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.Then Jaega visits Bristol to find out how breweries are using different techniques to make alcohol-free beer that is far superior to the much-derided watery and flavourless versions of old. The Bristol Beer Factory tells her that their alcohol-free brand now makes up a fifth of sales. At Wiper & True nearby, they reckon within five years around half of all their beers will be alcohol-free.The movement towards "low and no" drinks means there is now a World Alcohol Free Awards as their co-founder Chrissie Parkinson explains and Dash Lilley from the Three Spirit brand talks about how some drinks makers are looking to very different ingredients from the plant world to create original flavours.Presented by Jaega Wise Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Robin Markwell

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2025

Want to lose weight? How much can you achieve through exercise? Dan Saladino investigates with the help of Mike Keen, a chef and Arctic explorer. Mike has had numerous adventures in Greenland, including kayaking thousands of miles, and sometimes doing nothing at all. What happened to his weight on this trips has left him puzzled. They enlist the help three experts, Chris Van Tulleken, author of Ultra Processed People; Nigel Smith of the UK Sports Institute and Andrew Jenkinson, surgeon and author of Why We Eat too Much and How to Eat.Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 23 January 2025

Emulsifiers are among the most common food additives found in ultra-processed foods (UPFs), a much-discussed category of foods commonly defined as those made using manufactured ingredients. They are often packaged and have a long shelf life. Research examining the impact of diets high in UPFs suggests higher rates of obesity and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.However, discussions about labeling these foods as "ultra-processed" have also sparked debates about whether their negative effects are primarily due to their high fat, sugar, and salt content, or whether they stem from the effects of processing itself, particularly the additives they contain.In this episode, Jaega Wise explores one of the most commonly used additives in UPFs—emulsifiers. She investigates how they work, what they do, their history, associated health concerns, and their potential future developments.Featuring: Nicola Lando and Ross Brown from the online specialty cooking supplies company Sous Chef; Tim Spector, professor of epidemiology at King’s College London and co-founder of the personalized health app Zoe; food historian Annie Gray; John Ruff, Chief Science Advisor at the Institute of Food Technologists; Professor Barry Smith at the University of London’s Centre for the Study of the Senses; Professor Anwesha Sarkar, an expert in colloids and surfaces at Leeds University’s School of Food Science and Nutrition; and Dr. Benoit Chassaing, a research director at The Institut Pasteur in Paris, who studies microbiota and the health impacts of certain emulsifiers.Presented by Jaega Wise Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 17 January 2025

How will Artificial Intelligence (AI) transform the food industry? Experts say it's already having an effect - whether through self-service checkouts or the algorithms that determine which recipes you see online or the way supermarkets are using it to predict the next big food trend.Jaega Wise heads to the Waitrose Headquarters in Berkshire to find out how their product development team is using AI to inform which ingredients they stock on the shelves. She also talks to the firm Tastewise which makes software that calculates food trends by analysing social media and online menus.A restaurant in Glasgow is already using embodied AI in the form of robots which serve their customers. Jaega witnesses the robots in action and finds diners are divided over their use. She also talks to consumer affairs journalist Harry Wallop about how supermarkets use our data and the futurist Tracey Follows who gives us her take on what might happen next in the world of AI. Jaega also hears the tipped top food trends for 2025. Presented by Jaega Wise Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell

Transcribed - Published: 10 January 2025

In the year 2000 there were barely any food banks in the UK but today there are nearly three thousand. So what's behind the sharp rise and how did it get to a point where the government says we have "a mass dependence" on food banks? In this episode Jaega Wise tells the story of the food bank. She hears from those using the Bristol North West food bank. They talk openly about how the food bank helped turn their lives around. She also visits a "social supermarket" in south London where people on benefits are able to shop from donated stock cheaply. Dr Andy Williams from Cardiff University discusses how the food bank model was imported from the United States where it had its roots in the Great Depression and Emma Revie of the Trussell Trust gives her view on why there has been such a surge in food bank usage.Jaega also visits Middlesbrough where the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is opening a "Multibank" - these are warehouses full of donated stock that includes food and other household goods. Gordon Brown talks about his ambition to open Multibanks all over the country to tackle the growing problem of food insecurity.Presented by Jaega Wise Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell

Transcribed - Published: 3 January 2025

Dan Saladino explores the impact a Christmas Carol and other Charles Dickens novels have had on festive eating, with food historian Ivan Day and food writer Penelope Vogler. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 27 December 2024

Christmas is a time for giving, and for many charities, that often means food. Jaega Wise explores the tradition and looks into the planning that goes into festive food donations.Food historian Carwyn Graves explains how the custom of giving food at Christmas has evolved over the centuries, and why the season inspires so many to give back to their communities.In Aberdare, we meet the team behind Company at Christmas, who host a festive feast for anyone who doesn’t want to spend Christmas Day alone. The new CEO of Fareshare discusses how the charity manages the extra surplus food during the festive season, while Tim O’Malley from Nationwide Produce Ltd explains how his company has been working to ensure as little fresh food goes to waste as possible.In Glasgow, Social Bite founder Josh Littlejohn discusses why Christmas has become a cornerstone of his social enterprise and charity, alongside one of the volunteers who will be there to greet guests. Meanwhile, Lesley Gates in Bridgwater—known locally as Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo—shows how she’s helping people make the most of their Christmas dinner ingredients through practical demonstrations on saving money and reducing waste.And in Cumbria, Rahina Borthwick, founder of the Grange-Over-Sands Community Foodshare, reflects on the importance of giving within her seaside town. She shares how their community space has become an important gathering point, including for Ukrainian refugees to celebrate Christmas together.Presented by Jaega Wise Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan.

Transcribed - Published: 20 December 2024

Restaurant businesses say it's getting tougher to survive? So what does it take to thrive? Dan Saladino speaks to leading chefs, some successful, others less so.Featuring Mark Hix, Cyrus Todiwala, Imogen and Kieron Waite, Julian Dunkerton, Simon Rogan and Hugh Corcoran. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 13 December 2024

Join Sheila Dillon at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow for the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2024.The awards honour those who have done most to promote the cause of good food and drink. Our judging panel this year is chaired by chef and broadcaster Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 6 December 2024

Sheila Dillon explores how our grannies' cooking can shape who we are—and asks what we lose if we let go of those traditions. Guests include: Vicky Bennison, founder of YouTube channel Pasta Grannies. Food Writer Clare Finney, and her Grandma Joan Fox. Chet Sharma, chef patron of Bibi, a restaurant named in honour of his grandmothers. Dr Fiona Lavelle from Kings College London, who is researching cooking skills and how they're passed on. and Pauline Crosby, a grandma from Norfolk who is shortlisted for the title of "Nan from Del Monte". Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 29 November 2024

Whether it's Turkish Delight, chocolate cake or ginger beer - some of our earliest food memories are shaped by the books we read. In this episode Sheila Dillon goes down the rabbit-hole of children's fiction to discover why young readers find descriptions of food so compelling. She hears from bestselling children's author Katherine Rundell who insists on eating the food she features in her books. Katherine reveals what it's like to sample a tarantula in the name of fiction. Professor of Children's Literature Michael Rosen unpicks the themes of greed, temptation and fear that surface in both his work and that of Roald Dahl. At the Bath Children's Literature Festival Supertato author Sue Hendra and the illustrator Rob Biddulph talk about how children are drawn to the everydayness of food. The programme concludes in the Children's Bookshop in North London as the Food Programme presenters gather to discuss their favourite food books of the year for both younger and older readers. They are assisted by the bookshop owner Sanchita Basu de Sarkar and the author of The Chronicles of Wetherwhy Anna James.Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin MarkwellThis episode features extracts from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis read by Katherine Rundell, The Boy Next Door by Enid Blyton read by Miriam Margolyes (for BBC Radio 4 in 2008) and The Twits by Roald Dahl read by Kathy Burke (for Jackanory, BBC TV in 1995)

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 2024

Peter Frankopan, the author of Silk Roads and Earth Transformed, shares his insights with Dan Saladino on food, history and questions for our future. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 15 November 2024

Five seafood species make up 80% of what is consumed in the UK – while at the same time the vast majority of what is caught in UK waters gets exported. But is that trend beginning to shift? In this episode, Sheila Dillon hears how initiatives like the "Plymouth Fishfinger" are hoping to make more use of fish that has often been seen as ‘by-catch’, and how seafood festivals are working to connect the public with local seafood, and can even help regenerate coastal communities. She also hears how the Fish in Schools Hero programme is working to get young people to try more seafood, and shows how simple it can be to prepare. Also featured are Ashley Mullenger (@thefemalefisherman) and tv chef and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan.

Transcribed - Published: 8 November 2024

In this exploration of backstage food, Jaega Wise meets actors and musicians to find out how they eat to fuel their performance. The journey begins backstage at the Criterion Theatre in the West End, to meet stars of the hit musical Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Dujonna Gift and Sam Tutty. From there Jaega chats to baker Stacy Donnelly who’s provided thousands of real-life pies for Waitress the Musical on broadway, and gets advice from nutritionist and dietician Jasmine Challis on the best diet to fuel dancers. She also heads to Joe Allen’s in Covent Garden, which is renowned for feeding Hollywood stars, and chats to author of “My Family and Other Rock stars”, Tiffany Murray, who’s written a memoir about watching her Mum Joan acting as chef for performers of the 70s such as Queen, Black Sabbath and David Bowie. And finally she’ll be getting to know popstar couple Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Richard Jones, to talk riders, eating on tour, and the breakfast Sophie can’t do without.Presented by Jaega Wise and produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Tory Pope.

Transcribed - Published: 2 November 2024

From the indigenous food of the USA to extraordinary cheeses from Ukraine, the wonders of fermentation to a revolutionary network of bakers, Dan Saladino shares stories of food and biodiversity at Slow Food's global gathering, Terra Madre.Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 25 October 2024

Leyla Kazim explores how neurodivergence can affect the way people eat and experience food.The programme visits Aubergine Café in Cardiff, which is owned and run by autistic individuals, to meet the staff who explain why the café is needed and how it provides a better workplace for neurodivergent people.Leyla also speaks to expert dietitian David Rex, who supports children with autism facing eating challenges. She meets the parents of one of his patients, a four-year-old girl recently diagnosed with ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). David explains the role of "safe foods" and how they can both aid and complicate recovery.At The Holmewood School in north London, a specialist school for neurodivergent children, teachers and students share with Leyla how their new food technology kitchen is transforming some children's relationship with food, while also building skills and pride.And renowned chef Heston Blumenthal, owner of The Fat Duck restaurant, discusses his own experiences with ADHD and bipolar disorder.The programme also features:Kate Tchanturia, a professor of psychology in eating disorders at King's College London, who developed the PEACE pathway to support autistic people with anorexia.Lucinda Miller, clinical lead at NatureDoc and author of Brain Brilliance, a book of recipes and guidance for parents of neurodivergent children.Leanne Maskell, founder of ADHD Works, a company providing ADHD coaching.Presented by Leyla Kazim Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 18 October 2024

Jaega Wise travels the country to meet the three finalists in the Drinks Producer category in this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards. Her journey takes her to Belfast and the Bullhouse Brewery which began life in a farm shed. Now thriving in an industrial estate, head brewer Will Mayne talks about his frustrations with the current alcohol licensing system in Northern Ireland which he says made it hard for him to open a pub and sell his beer. The controversial "Surrender Principle" means there's a cap on the number of issued pub licences which can be sold for one hundred thousand pounds each. Jaega also hears from Colin Neill - the chief executive of the trade body Hospitality Ulster - who believes the current system keeps standards high in pubs and does work for publicans.Then it's on to East Sussex and the producers of a fermented milk drink nicknamed "the champagne of dairy". Ki-Kefir was co-founded by Sam Murphy who started off making kefir in her London kitchen. It proved so popular with friends and family that she linked up with a dairy farm when she moved to the countryside to expand her production. She shows Jaega how kefir is made and discusses its potential health benefits.Lastly, Jaega travels to Scotland to see the country's oldest working distillery. The Glenturret Distillery in Crieff has been producing whisky since 1763, with a short break during the years of Prohibition. Distillery manager Ian Renwick hosts a tour and uncorks some 15-year old whisky in the tasting room.Jaega also mulls over the shortlisted three with the drinks journalist Olly Smith in a whisky bar in London. Presented by Jaega Wise Produced by Sam Grist and Robin Markwell Archive Clip from Saturday Kitchen on BBC1 from 14th Sept, produced by Cactus TV.

Transcribed - Published: 11 October 2024

Dan Saladino looks at 10 potentially planet changing ideas for the future of food, from a farm out at sea to a pioneering rethink on how we can feed cities. Dan meets the scientists, entrepreneurs and risk-takers focused on transforming the health of the planet, and us. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 4 October 2024

Why does food do our heads in? This episode is a panel recording from 2024 Abergavenny Food Festival with a live audience.Sheila Dillon is joined by Chef Heston Blumenthal, who recently went public about his diagnosis of bi-polar, and having ADHD (Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder); chartered psychologist Kimberley Wilson, the author of "Unprocessed: How the Food We Eat is Fuelling Our Mental Health Crisis"; Natalie Hackett the Headteacher of New Lubbesthorpe Primary School in Leicestershire who was crowned School Leader Food Hero of 2024, at the Jamie Oliver School Food Awards; and Dr Ally Jaffee, co-founder of Nutritank, an organisation set up to make sure that future doctors learned that food, along with exercise, is central to health. Dr Jaffee is now a resident doctor specialising in psychiatry.The discussion focussed on the known connections between food and mental health, from childhood through to old age. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 27 September 2024

Leyla Kazim traces the journey of this unassuming wonder food, from its health benefits to its origins. Nuts, which once would have been central to the diet of our ancestors, are now often treated as a nice-to-have health choice. It’s a food we need to reconnect with, and to do so, we can learn from both the latest science and other food cultures. Leyla hears from Professor Sarah Berry of King’s College London, who has studied how the form in which we eat nuts - whole, ground, in butters or milks - affects how much of their benefits we receive. Swapping nuts for your daily snack, however you eat them, could help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, as Sarah explains. As health benefit messages around nuts take off, there has been a huge boom in demand. But what’s the impact of this on the world’s nut farmers, traders and environment? Without much origin information provided on nut packs, Leyla sets off to find some answers of her own. And her journey takes her across the world: from cashew plantations in west Africa, processing plants in south East Asia, markets in Turkey and walnut orchards in Kent. Not to mention a little diversion into California’s organised crime rings. Because there is another story here about how high demand has a price.She spends a day with Charlie Tebbutt, founder of Food & Forest and one of the only companies to be actively selling British-grown nuts. Charlie also buys direct from other growers around the world, who are using a sustainable farming system called agroforestry, to preserve water, improve soil and diversify their income. Charlie is about to open a first-of-its-kind processing facility in Bermondsey, south London, where he hopes to de-shell and process British-grown hazelnuts in way that improves quality and allows the industry to scale up. Leyla visits his walnut orchards in Kent to ask: could British nuts ever replace imports?If we’re trying to eat more nuts, there is also much to be learned from other countries. Specifically Turkey, where nuts are revered as a cornerstone of the cuisine and food culture. Leyla meets Turkish food writer and chef Ozlem Warren in her local Turkish supermarket, to reminisce over the Turkish 'green emerald' pistachios, green almonds and fresh walnuts, which are enjoyed by Turks in sweet or savoury dishes, at celebrations or indeed, at any other time of day. Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 20 September 2024

Dan Saladino visits a unique collection of sourdough bread starters from around the world and explores a hidden world of grains, yeasts, bacteria and their influence on our health.Produced and presented by Dan Saladino

Transcribed - Published: 13 September 2024

As MPs return to Westminster after the summer recess, The Food Programme catches up with three of the newer recruits to discuss future food policies. Sheila Dillon meets Dr Simon Opher MP (Labour), Aphra Brandreth MP (Conservative) and Sarah Dyke MP (Liberal Democrat) at the head office and kitchens of catering firm Social Pantry, who work with ex-prisoners on their zero-waste food offering. The questions come from some familiar voices to The Food Programme, including Dr Chris Van Tulleken, Asma Khan, Nicole Pisani (Chefs in Schools), Professor Tim Lang and Helen Browning (Soil Association). Can this group of MPs push food and farming up the agenda in Parliament, and if so - what will be their focus? Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 6 September 2024

Food waste isn't a new story. So why cover it again? Well, in the UK, we are still wasting over 10 million tonnes of food a year. That's food that could have been sold, eaten, cooked and enjoyed. Clearly this is a problem that isn't going away. But crucially, we have a new government who have said that a zero waste economy is one of their top priorities for the environment. What will this mean for food waste? And is it individuals, or businesses, who can really make a difference? In this programme, Leyla Kazim goes after some new answers. Does the answer lie in the design of our fridges, for example? Or in making it law for supermarkets to tell us how much food they waste? Along the way, she meets the people who have made it their life’s work to help us cut waste, from dumpster divers to fridge enthusiasts. Ever wondered where all the unsold food from supermarkets goes? Matt Homewood, AKA The Urban Harvester, went to find out one night in his home town of Copenhagen, Denmark, and what he found shocked him. He began 'dumpster diving' every night and sharing pictures of his food swag on social media. Leyla hears how these posts began to go viral and were the start of Matt’s activism to put the spotlight on supermarket food waste. Food waste is often talked about in terms of redistribution to charities or food banks. But that isn’t the only answer, finds Leyla, when she visits Katy Newton, founder of Wasted Kitchen in Kent and a finalist in the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2024. Katy buys or trades for the surplus food she uses to make her takeaways, ferments and deli salad boxes, which go back on sale at the food hall next door. Katy explains why she wanted to counter the narrative around food charity and help people be more confident in the kitchen along the way. Leyla hears an update from Wrap, the organisation that runs the UK’s official food waste scheme, to find out what action has been taken so far and whether they would support a law to make food waste reporting legal. She asks the same question to the new government, before calling on journalist Ian Quinn, chief reporter at trade magazine The Grocer, for his take on what's happening in the industry. Online there is a growing network of influencers helping people eat everything they buy to save waste, but also, save money. Two of the most popular, Elly Pear (another finalist for this year's Food and Farming Awards) and Max La Manna, meet in Elly’s kitchen in Bristol to share their best food waste tips and approach Elly’s fridge, ready-steady-cook style, to cook lunch with last night's leftovers. Talking of fridges, at her home in London, Leyla hosts PhD researcher Emma Atkins for one of Emma’s unique ‘fridge sessions’. Emma’s research looks at our relationship with the fridge, how its design can hinder our food waste efforts, and how fridge history is linked to over-buying of food. She quizzes Leyla about her food waste hotspots and explains how we might be hampered in our food waste efforts by the objects and systems around us. Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 30 August 2024

Food, identity, myths and reality. In a globalised world can a dish reflect who we are and where we live? Dan Saladino explores fascinating stories of food, music and tradition in an ever changing and fast moving world. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2024

Sheila Dillon hears why some clinicians and researchers want the condition 'Ultra-Processed Food Addiction' to be recognised by groups such as The World Health Organisation. Earlier this year, Dr Jen Unwin (clinical psychologist) and some like-minded international colleagues, including Dr Chris Van Tulleken (scientist, author and broadcaster), came together in London to discuss why they believe Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF), as defined by the NOVA Food Classification system, are the most problematic, and are causing more addicted like behaviours in people. They say if the addiction was formalised, then Government's would have to do more to regulate these foods and the food industry. People who consider themselves food addicts, explain to Sheila what the addiction is like to live with, how they stay abstinent from certain foods, and why they believe it would help others if the diagnosis was available to more people. Sheila also speaks to a specialist in Eating Disorders who says they don't believe the scientific evidence for Food Addiction is strong enough, and has concerns that labelling certain foods as 'bad' or 'toxic' could lead to more disordered eating. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced by Natalie Donovan in Bristol.Additional Resources: https://the-chc.org/fas https://liberatetoday.org/ https://liberatetoday.org/

Transcribed - Published: 16 August 2024

Finland has once again topped the ranking for the happiest country in the world. But what has food got to do with it? In this programme, Sheila Dillon finds out whether what they eat, their food culture and unique food policies are helping Finns feel happy. What we could we learn from this enterprising Nordic nation? And what challenges are they still facing? In Helsinki, Sheila visits restaurateur and ‘happiness hacker’ Luka Balac, who in his spare time takes tourists through a day in the life of ‘a happy Finn’, and explains how his approach to food hospitality fosters his own sense of happiness. Next. she joins a city food and walking tour to taste Finnish specialties like Karelian pies and cloudberry jam to find out more about the food habits of the locals. Finland has had its fair share of unhappiness with high depression and suicide rates in the past. Now, there are new efforts to improve mental health via food. Sheila speaks to Aino Kipfer, a researcher in Eastern Finland, who is part of a project aiming to treat depression with better diets, building on the pioneering science around food and mood. She also hears more about how food is linked to security in the eastern region from Kirsi Vartia, of the Rural Women's Advisory Committee, who shares her own personal tips for happiness. Sirpa Sarlio, an advisor at the government's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, explains why Finland became the first country in the world to offer free school meals, and why this ended up as a strong foundation on which to build a happy and healthy wider society. Back in London, Sheila visits diplomat and food enthusiast Markus Hippi, at the Finnish church and community centre in Rotherhithe, to hear how the UK compares in terms of food culture and happiness from the point of view of Finns living abroad. Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 9 August 2024

Jaega Wise and Robbie Armstrong explore the exponential growth of celebrity-backed drinks brands. She asks why so many stars want a piece of this rapidly growing pie, and charts the rise of everything from A-Lister tequilas and rums to supermarket shelves stacked with celeb-branded wines. Jaega heads to one of UK’s biggest drinks events of the year, Dr Dre and Snoop’s Gin & Juice launch, where she speaks to Shaquille O’Neal, Yungblud, Ella Eyre and Yasiin Bey on the star-studded red carpet. She hears from Blur’s Alex James about his English sparkling wine, and chats with Emma Watson’s brother Alex about the premium gin he’s launched with his sister.Brett Berish of Sovereign Brands talks about the process behind creating some of the world’s most popular celebrity-endorsed spirits. Filling up his cup with more than a splash of cynicism, Aaron Goldfarb guides Jaega through the winners and losers in his list of the best and worst celebrity spirits on the market. Jaega sits down with Noble Rot founder Dan Keeling, who discusses his previous career in the music industry, why he thinks celebrities should leave the winemaking to winemakers, and the growing trend of vigneron-as-celebrity. Producer Robbie Armstrong pops a few star-studded corks with wine writer and author of ‘Corker’, Hannah Crosbie, explains the appeal of celebrity booze for consumers, and talks us through which ones might be worth your money. Jennifer Creevy, head of food and drink at trend forecaster WGSN, predicts what the future holds for the celebrity category – and which drinks might come of age while others spoil. Presented by Jaega Wise. Produced by Robbie Armstrong.

Transcribed - Published: 2 August 2024

A meeting with top chef Hélène Darroze at Mayfair's Connaught Hotel leads Sheila Dillon to ask the question, why aren't there more female Michelin starred chefs? Statistics from the Office for National Statistics suggest 37% of all chefs working in the UK are female, but when you look at the numbers leading Michelin starred restaurants, the number drops to around 8% (according to analysis by Chefs Pencil, 2022). Includes interviews with Nigerian-born chef Adejoké Bakare, who in February, became the first Black woman in Britain to earn a Michelin star; chef Sally Abé who has recently published her first book, "A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen" and Sarah Francis who returned her Michelin star after 8 years running The Checkers (a restaurant in Montgomery, Powys). Plus we hear from young upcoming female fine-dining chefs about how they feel the industry is set up for women wanting to reach the top jobs. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 26 July 2024

As the summer holidays kick off and people plan for journeys far and near, Sheila explores what food is provided on trains and at train stations across the country. A new report by the Office for Road and Rail suggests passengers pay around 10 per cent more for food inside stations, where catering leases often roll over automatically with limited opportunities for new food businesses to enter the market. Sheila finds out who the biggest players are in rail food and speaks to a range of people from station operators, food retailers and train companies to find out: is train food as bad as it once was? Not many people spend their lives in constant motion, but travel writer Caroline Eden is one of them. Sheila shares a train picnic with Caroline on the train line leading up to Scotland's walking country, and hears stories of food shared and meals eaten on remote routes during Caroline's travels through Central Asia and beyond. Pasties are one of Caroline's favourite journey foods, and she's not alone. From the tin miners of Cornwall's past to their omnipresence at stations today, pasties might just be one of the UK's longest-standing foods eaten on the move. Sheila also hears from travel correspondent Simon Calder, reporting from a station cafe on the Swiss-Italian border, with his perspective on how train catering has changed and his top tops for eating well on the move. How does food on trains compare in other countries and is there anything we can learn from the food cultures of others? Tokyo food tour host Yukari Sakamoto explains the tradition of Japan's Bento boxes, nutritious, freshly-cooked boxed meals bought at stations and eaten on trains across the country. Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 19 July 2024

As part of Just One Thing Day on Radio 4, Sheila Dillon looks back at Dr Michael Mosley's legacy and comes up with 5 reasons why he mattered in getting us all to understand why eating better leads to living better. Through listening to the Just One Thing archive, and some of The Food Programme archive, we can see how his "just one things" were connected to much bigger things, and how he was able to show us, through examining the evidence for that thing, and trialling it on willing members of the public, that change can begin, and maybe has to begin, with individuals. As promised, here's a list of the programmes featured: Just One Thing: Change Your Meal Times - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000zt7d Snack Smartly - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001wq7f Swap Out Sugar - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001gx56 Try Some Turmeric – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jt2h Eat Slowly – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zvvr Enjoy Oily Fish - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017tbn Food Special with Tim Spector - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001ngjx The Food Programme: Doctor's Orders: Getting Tomorrow's Medics Cooking - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09wr9q9 The Eatwell Guide - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b86702 Turmeric – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rpd85 Mindful Food and the Art of Attention - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00193rb How We Eat: 4. Eating as a Family - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b099w3v4 Omega 6 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b00jc3sw The Food Programme – Fixing Dan - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001h44h Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio By Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2024

Saunas, pickled food.. even Nokia phones. But do you associate Finland with the future of food? Sheila Dillon visits the new factory making microbial protein out of hydrogen, oxygen and various minerals. Solar Foods, in Finland, is the latest frontier in the commercial lab-grown food sector; their invention, Solein, is a novel food ingredient that can replace animal products like milk, eggs and meat. Rather than using animal cells as a starting point, their process uses electrolysis to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen, followed by machinery usually found in the dairy industry to dry and then pasteurise the resulting protein powder. After a tour of this futuristic factory, Sheila sits down for lunch cooked by Solar Foods’ head chef to find out how this so-called ‘food of the future’ actually tastes.Lab-grown meat has been touted as the future for many years, but it has yet to take off – in fact, companies in this space are struggling. Changes to global politics as well as the high cost of scaling up have all limited the sector's growth so far. Meanwhile, it's still not clear if people want lab-grown meat as part of their lives or diets. Sheila hears from Dutch biology and ethics professor, Cor van der Weele, who found that people were more interested in small-scale production of lab-grown meat, in containers alongside animals on farms, rather than scaled up mega factories. So how does lab-grown meat fit into our future food system? Is it really the best way to reduce the environmental impact of our diets? And how might it help us when climate change or wars make global trade too difficult? Sheila asks professor Tim Benton, of think tank Chatham House, for his views on all the big questions.Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 5 July 2024

Leyla Kazim and Robbie Armstrong explore the rise of a new wave of British bakeries, whose viral viennoiseries are leading to snaking queues and sell outs, feeding an insatiable appetite across the country, fuelled by social media. Author of ‘Britain’s Best Bakeries’, Milly Kenny-Ryder, takes Leyla to London’s TOAD bakery, whose long lines have become a rite of passage for pastry lovers. Owners Rebecca Spaven and Oliver Costello explain how their local bakery accidentally became a hyped internet phenomenon. Leyla visits a London branch of Philippe Conticini to try one of their XXL croissants, which have set the internet ablaze thanks to a small army of influencers and their viral videos. Meanwhile, Anna Higham, founder of Quince Bakery, explains to Leyla why she has swerved pastries altogether, instead championing traditional British baking with seasonality and sustainability at its core. Lewis Bassett from the Full English podcast breaks down the appeal of the UK’s most popular bakery chain, Greggs – which has 2,500 outlets across the country. Lewis and Leyla discuss class, viral sausage rolls and our centuries-old love affair with pastries and pies. In Edinburgh, Robbie Armstrong visits Lannan to meet Darcie Maher, whose intricate inventions have created unparalleled demand, but also led to abuse of staff from angry customers. Robbie then travels to Fife to visit a fifth-generation family bakery whose fudge doughnuts have become internationally famous. In Dundee, meanwhile, he finds a city with a profusion of independent traditional bakeries, including one selling pies 24 hours a day. Sam White of the Bakery Business magazine provides a rundown on trends in the baking industry, while Angela Hui gives her take on the clamour for vividly-colourful Asian baking. Presented by Leyla Kazim. Produced by Robbie Armstrong.

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2024

As a major outbreak from a new strain of E. coli makes headlines, we ask: what makes food safe? How are food producers coping with new strains of food pathogens? And what does safe food even mean in a world where processed food is increasingly seen as the top cause of dietary ill health? Meeting over a platter of various foods from raw milk cheese to salad, Sheila Dillon and producer Nina Pullman hear from microbiologists, food safety experts and cheese makers to hear the challenges of staying ahead of the curve when it comes to food and science. They speak to a scientist testing bacteria-eating viruses that can be inserted into feed or food packaging to tackle these new E. colis, known as STECs, and they chat to a global expert in food microbiology on how climate change is making pathogens more difficult to predict. While such pathogens can get into a variety of foods, raw or unpasteurised cheese makers are feeling the pressure more than most due to the perception of risk around their products. Cheese makers at a panel in London explain the human impact on a small family business that is linked to an outbreak, while a tour of Neals Yard Dairy reveals the number of cheesemakers considering turning to pasteurisation due to fears around the new strains of STEC E. colis. In a conversation about food that makes us sick, Sheila also meets members of the pubilc who took part in a recent national conversation on food for their views on food safety more broadly. What does food safety mean to them and what do the public expect from food? Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2024

As we mark 80 years since the D-Day assaults, Leyla Kazim gets a peek at what's thought to the be the world's only surviving unopened D-Day ration pack, and explores the food that fuelled the troops through the challenge ahead. She's heading back in time in one Wiltshire village that housed the famous "Band of Brothers" to find out what they were eating.. and she sits down to with two Army veterans to talk about their food memories, getting a taste of a genuine British ration pack along the way. Presenter Leyla Kazim Producer Tory Pope

Transcribed - Published: 14 June 2024

Jaega Wise heads to Glasgow to open the nominations for this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards, and to announce that the 2024 ceremony will be held in the city on December 2nd. The head judge for 2024 is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a long time supporter of the Awards, and there is a brand new award for those championing the best Scottish local produce with a strong connection to their community - BBC Scotland Local Food Hero, which will be judged by Dougie Vipond (Landward & The Great Food Guys) and Rachel Stewart (Out of Doors). Another new face on the judging panel is social media star Max La Manna, a low-waste chef, who will be judging the Digital Creator Award. On Jaega's mini-tour of Glasgow she visits past winner Matt Fountain from Freedom Bakery, has tea and scones at one of Glasgow's famous tearooms with food journalist Robbie Armstrong, visits the Old Fruitmarket where the Awards will be hosted, and she shares a Pizza Crunch with one of Glasgow's most famous chefs, Julie Lin. To see the full list of awards and to nominate, go to bbc.co.uk/foodawards where you can also find the terms and privacy notice. Nominations open Friday 7 June at 11am and close 23:59 Sunday 30 June 2024. Presented by Jaega Wise Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2024

Danny Trejo is a Hollywood legend appearing in hundreds of films mostly playing tough guys, convicts and henchmen. He has starred in some of the greatest action films of all time like Con Air with John Malkovich and Nicolas Cage and Heat with Robert De Nero and Al Pacino. Life wasn’t easy for Danny growing up. He started taking hard drugs and committing serious crimes from a very young age. He ended up in some of the most violent prisons in America but through finding God and sobriety turned his life around. He became a drugs counsellor and through a series of unlikely events worked his way into Hollywood as an actor.At 80 he is also the owner of a chain of taco restaurants as well as a number of food and drink brands. In the programme Jaega meets him in the last branch of Trejo’s Tacos and talks to him about his memories of food growing up, brewing hooch in prison and filming Old El Paso adverts in Mexico.We also hear from food historian and writer Chloe-Rose Crabtree about why eating tacos in London has become a thorny issue for Americans and BBC entertainment reporter Colin Paterson on the history of celebrity restaurants.Presented by Jaega WiseProduced by Sam Grist for BBC Audio in Bristol

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2024

Sheila Dillon hears stories of how headteachers are transforming food in their schools in difficult economic conditions, as well as how flagship universal free primary school meal policies in Scotland and London are playing out so far.Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

Transcribed - Published: 24 May 2024