The Food Programme

Hospital food has long had a bad reputation, but after several high profile campaigns, are things finally starting to improve?In England, new regulations are being implemented which are hoped to transform the meals being served, reduce waste, and make sure staff have access to good food 24/7. 60% of hospitals are already said to be complying - will the rest be able to catch up? But with many hospitals now functioning without real kitchens - can frozen or chilled meals that are simply re-heated in hospital be a part of that? Apetito, one of the biggest caterers, believes they can be, and invited Sheila Dillon to see how they prepare tasty and nutritious food in bulk. While in Cambridge, Sheila meets those working on a brand new Children's Hospital and hears how they want good food to be central to the hospital's philosophy. It plans to give patients and their families access to more dining spaces to avoid children eating meals in bed (when possible), and it plans to have it's own kitchens cooking food from scratch. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

From energy to seasonality, Dan Saladino explores the big ideas prompted by the recent shortage of fresh produce in supermarkets. Is the now time for a major food rethink? Produced and presented by Dan Saladino

Halloumi, or hellim as its known by Turkish Cypriots, is now ubiquitous in our supermarkets, fast food chains and on restaurant menus. We import almost 50 per cent of the cheese produced in Cyprus. But its significance on the divided island from where it hails is bigger than you might imagine, and never more so than right now. In 2021, halloumi gained PDO status which means that any cheese labelled as halloumi within the EU has to be made on the Mediterranean island to a traditional recipe. And as Leyla Kazim finds, the dairy industry is having to adapt fast. But halloumi is more than just an export. On a divided island (there has been a border maintained by the UN since 1964), halloumi (Greek) or hellim (Turkish) is produced by both sides, and has been for millennia. In this programme Leyla travels to Cyprus to meet the people producing hellim and halloumi, to hear about its present and gauge it's future. She’ll watch it being made at scale in factories and in kitchens. She’ll meet dairy farmers and question the officials behind the new PDO status. And most importantly, she’ll taste a lot of halloumi.Presented by Leyla Kazim Produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury

The story of how a photojournalist severely injured in a war zone reinvented himself through cooking. Giles Duley is now using food to transform conflict zones around the world. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Sheila Dillon is on a trip through 'Delia Country'; Norwich, Norfolk and mid-Suffolk. An area with a rich agricultural past and a vibrant food present, and the place where Delia Smith has lived and worked for more than 50 years. In that time, she has championed local food traditions and food producers, and the broad variety of food and drink made in East Anglia has shaped her recipes.Delia Smith invites Sheila to join her to watch Norwich City's first home game under their new manager. At Carrow Road football club, where Delia and her husband Michael Wynn-Jones are majority shareholders, Sheila meets Delia's Canary Catering team which every match day, serve 1250 sit down meals. She joins fans by the bar at half time and Delia in the Director's dining room. In Norwich city centre, Sheila meets chef and food blogger Zena Leech-Calton and in the Waveney valley, farmer and cheesemaker Jonny Crickmore. They describe the quiet food revolution which has happened in Norfolk and Suffolk. And Suffolk fisherman and restaurateur Bill Pinney and Essex turkey farmer Derek Kelly dwell on earlier encounters with Delia.Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced in Bristol by Clare Salisbury.Photo by Robert Wilson.

Sales of air fryers, pressure cookers, slow cookers and even microwaves have been increasing over the past year, and it is not hard to understand why. All these gadgets save energy, which has undoubtedly become more important since energy prices shot up. But can using them do more for us than just save money? In this programme, Sheila Dillon meets people who are obsessed with air fryers, pressure cookers and slow cookers. She hears from Belfast's Nathan Anthony about how his social media account "Bored of Lunch" has propelled his slow cooker recipe book to the top of the charts, and she speaks to Bristol's Square Food Foundation to find out why they are considering introducing pressure cookers on their courses. And could the devices help outside the home too? Hospitality businesses are under pressure with rising costs, and customers with increasingly tighter budgets. In Somerset, chef and restaurateur, Nicholas Balfe tests out some low energy appliances to see if they could make any difference in the professional kitchen. Are you now using a low energy cooker again, for the first time, or more than before? Tell us about what difference it's been making on social media. We are @BBCFoodProg on social media, or email thefoodprogramme@bbc.co.uk Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Born and raised in Gascony but celebrated as a chef for his cooking in London, Pierre Koffmann shares his food story, from summers spent on a farm to the heat of the kitchen. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.

Three years after the UK left the EU, and two years after the end of the transition period, Jaega Wise speaks to some UK food producers about if and how Brexit is still affecting their businesses. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed with the EU allows UK businesses tariff-free trade with the EU, but as some quickly discovered at the end of January 2021, "third country" trading rules must be followed. For most in the food sector that has meant more paperwork, having food checked by vets, and longer waits at ports. Jaega Wise speaks to small, medium and large business owners to find out about the ongoing impact, she hears how cocoa beans and cardboard boxes are being stockpiled in a railway arch, how growers in the Lea Valley are fighting for staff, and how a single test for water quality could shut down exports for weeks. The programme also hears from Professor of Economics at Bristol University Richard Davies, who explains how he has calculated the additional cost Brexit has added to all our food bills, and why he does not think the added costs are likely to come down. Plus we hear how Northern Irish producers are still being affected by the Protocol.Despite all this, the Food and Drink Federation says trade is almost back to where it was before Brexit, but there are still many challenges that are impacting confidence in the industry. Presented by Jaega Wise Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Whisky has long been associated with money and wealth, but in recent years prices of rare casks and limited bottlings have soared. A cask of Islay whisky sold for a record-breaking £16 million last year, and the number of cask investment companies is growing, with many of them promising investors big profits and the chance to own their very own cask of Scotch whisky. Behind the headlines and dollar signs, some industry experts are concerned at the practices of certain companies, worried that their promised returns are unrealistic and questioning their legality to trade in some cases. We hear from whisky consultant and broker Blair Bowman about why he feels many companies are “flying way too close to the sun”. Jaega Wise speaks to Pete Allison from new Edinburgh whisky blender Woven about the rapid rise in cask prices, the impact it’s having on his business, and why he feels the bubble is destined to burst eventually. Producer Robbie Armstrong meets Jennifer Rose, presenter of the Whisky Sisters podcast, to hear about her experience purchasing a cask of whisky.Jaega also visits Holyrood Distillery to learn about their cask programme, which allows whisky aficionados to build a strong relationship with them as their whisky matures, and why they are clear that buying one of their casks is not an investment opportunity. We also speak to Glenfarclas about a high profile £150,000 robbery at their distillery last year, while auction director Isabel Graham-Yooll gives her tips on spotting counterfeit whisky. Finally, whisky broker Mark Littler shares his tips on the key things to look out for when buying a cask of whisky.Presented by Jaega Wise. Produced by Robbie Armstrong.

Like so many of us, Dan Saladino knows he needs to be in better shape, but why do his attempts to make a change keep failing? There's one important question he needs to resolve, when it comes to diet, are his family helping or hindering his eating habits? In his search for better health in 2023, Dan is joined by Dr Michael Mosley, inventor of the 5:2 diet, keto coach Panagiotis Kottas and the Whitingtons, the family behind the television documentary "Fixing Dad" in which two sons stepped in to save their father from a steep decline after a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.