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The Food Programme

Latest episodes

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Oct 25, 2024 • 42min

Food Stories From Terra Madre

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.
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Oct 18, 2024 • 43min

Eating on the Spectrum

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
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Oct 11, 2024 • 41min

The Champagne of Dairy and other drinks

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.
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Oct 4, 2024 • 42min

A Food Revolution in Ten Ideas.

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.
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Sep 27, 2024 • 42min

The Brain Gut Connection

Chef Heston Blumenthal, known for his avant-garde culinary techniques, shares insights on how diet affects mental health, particularly with his experiences about bipolar disorder and ADHD. Chartered psychologist Kimberley Wilson discusses the urgent need for better nutrition education in mental health care. Natalie Hackett highlights innovative school programs promoting healthy eating, illustrating how mindful practices can enhance children's learning and well-being. Together, they explore the vital connections between what we eat and how it impacts our brains and moods.
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Sep 20, 2024 • 42min

Nuts about Nuts

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.
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Sep 13, 2024 • 42min

The Sourdough Library

In this engaging discussion, food researcher Dan Saladino takes us on a journey through a unique library in Belgium that showcases sourdough starters from around the globe. He highlights the fascinating microbial relationships that influence sourdough's flavor and health benefits. Saladino shares personal stories connecting sourdough to cultural history and communal baking, as well as its recent renaissance in the culinary world. Dive into the rich biodiversity of ingredients that not only elevate baking but also promote environmental sustainability and public health.
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Sep 6, 2024 • 42min

Fresh Food Ideas? Some new MPs look ahead

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
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Aug 30, 2024 • 42min

Food Waste: New Answers for Old Problems

Matt Homewood, a Copenhagen-based food waste activist known for dumpster diving, shares shocking insights into supermarket food waste. Katy Newton, founder of Wasted Kitchen, discusses her innovative approach to repurposing surplus food. Estelle Horsham-Horn provides a glimpse into the UK's food waste schemes, while Ian Quinn offers a journalistic perspective on industry strategies. Elly Pear and Max La Manna bring their social media savvy to practical solutions. Emma Atkins explores how fridge design impacts waste at home, highlighting a multifaceted approach to this urgent issue.
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Aug 25, 2024 • 42min

Taste the World

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.

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