The Food Programme

Sheila Dillon looks at some of the ingenious ways we have developed of preserving food through the ages, and enjoys some autumn foraging for fruits and berries with Jill Mason of the School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire.Elderberry and Apple ChutneyIngredients:425g Elderberries 425g Bramley Apples (peeled and cored)1 Large onion (chopped)50g sultanas 150g soft light brown sugar150ml red wine vinegar½ tablespoon cayenne pepper½ tablespoon mixed spiceMethod In a large pan place the elderberries, apples, onion, sultanas, spices and half the vinegar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the fruit is softAdd the remaing vinegar and sugar whilst still simmering and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to simmer until the chutney has thickened. Ladle the chutney into sterilised jars and seal. Store for three months before eating.

Richard Johnson travels to Los Angeles, a city where many of the world's food trends begin. With the US economy in crisis LA's "food truck" scene is growing. People who have lost jobs are finding new careers by serving street food from trucks with relatively small start up costs. These new businesses work well in LA because generations of immigration have created a diverse food culture and it's so close to one of the biggest farming regions in the United States. Richard Johnson meets these street food pioneers, tastes a "cheese trilogy" and asks the city's most famous chefs and food writers what else the food future might hold. Producer: Dan Saladino.

Britain is a brewing nation, with a long tradition of creating incredible beers to be enjoyed in any number of taverns, inns and pubs.Pete Brown - beer blogger and author - believes that Britain should be truly proud of its remarkable brewing heritage and charts the ups and downs of beer in the UK from Burton-on-Trent's special water via Lloyd George's unsuccessful attempt at Prohibition through to the importance of the glass that we sip our beer from.On October the 1st new taxes came into effect that lower the tax on beer with less than 2.8% alcohol by volume (abv), and raise it on brews with more than 7.5% abv.With concerns across the UK about problem drinking, and debates about minimum unit pricing and glass sizes, Sheila Dillon asks if it is time to re-evaluate our relationship with beer, or can it be part of the solution?Dan Saladino visits the second largest brewing company in the world - SABMiller - at their new research laboratory in Nottingham to see how their research into a new generation of low-alcohol beers is going.The programme also features Mark Hunter, CEO of Molson Coors UK and Ireland (Britain's biggest brewer), Dr Vivienne Nathanson of the British Medical Association, Dr John Holmes of the University of Sheffield, and the BBC's Scotland Correspondent Colin Blane.Producer: Rich Ward.

Sheila Dillon explores the issue of advertising junk food to children, and how companies have changed their marketing since the banning of the showing of food advertisements during children's television programmes four years ago.

Honey, prized since ancient times, is today shipped all over the planet. It is used as a pure foodstuff, a sweetening agent, in food manufacturing as well as in pharmaceuticals and more.In this edition of The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon looks at the business of honey.The story starts in rural Oxfordshire, where Rich Ward goes on a production site tour with Patrick Robinson - factory manager at Rowse, the biggest honey packer in the UK. The company brings honey in from all over the world for use in its own-label honeys and in honeys that it packs for its many customers. Rowse also blends honeys - matching the exact specifications of customers, including most of the major supermarkets.Sheila meets Thomas Heck, a honey trader based in the City of London. His company procures large quantities of honeys from many countries that are shipped in large metal drums.Hattie Ellis, author of 'Sweetness & Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee' joins Sheila to talk honey history and adulteration.Journalist Andrew Schneider discusses his recent article about 'honey laundering' that sent shockwaves around the USA, portraying a situation in which mislabelled honey and fake honeys are finding their way on to the shelves.Tony Spacey, the founder of Littleover Apiaries in Derbyshire, explains why his company has the need for an on-site laboratory.The highest court in the EU has just issued a ruling concerning GM pollen and honey, which will have far-reaching implications both for the honey trade and beyond. As global demand grows year on year, could the EU be facing a honey shortage?Produced by Rich Ward.

Across the UK, people are going hungry and not getting enough of the foods that they need. Every week, new food banks - where food is given out for free to those in need - are opening their doors, and established food banks are reporting a sharp rise in demand.In this edition of The Food Programme, Simon Parkes looks at food banks and asks if this is the only way. The Trussell Trust is a charity that oversees a nationwide network of food banks in the UK. Simon journeys to Salisbury to the Trust's headquarters where he sees how food boxes are packed, meets those who use the food bank and volunteer there- and talks to Executive Chairman of the Trust Chris Mould about the organisation and its relationship with Government.In New York City, Rich Ward visits the Union Square Greenmarket and talks to Jan Poppendieck, author of the groundbreaking book Sweet Charity which asked difficult questions about the role of the charitable sector in US domestic food aid in the nineties. Martin Caraher, Professor of Food and Health Policy at London's City University, discusses what the UK can learn from North America, what the role of the State is, and shares his thoughts on why in a country in which there is enough food to feed everybody, there is this rise in demand for charitable food aid?Produced by Rich Ward.

Simon Parkes tells the story and legacy of the legendary and maverick chef George Perry-Smith. In 1952 he opened The Hole in the Wall restaurant in Bath. He had no formal training, took inspiration from domestic cook books and changed the British restaurant scene forever.Producer: Dan Saladino.

A special edition with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen looking at the history of kitchen designs and the designers who have influenced the most important space in our homes.Producer: Maggie Ayre.

In a series looking at the people who've changed the way we eat, The Food Programme profiles the campaigner and cheese expert Major Patrick Rance.In the 1950s he set up a shop which offered a rare sight: row after row of British cheeses. By promoting and selling farmhouse cheeses he saved many from extinction.Later in the 1980s he became a prolific writer publishing The Great British Cheese Book in 1982. For the first time home-produced cheeses were documented and explained. He inspired a new generation of farmers, producers and retailers to bring a food culture back from the brink.Chef Richard Corrigan, writer Juliet Harbutt and cheese expert Randolph Hodgson all explain why Patrick Rance's legacy is still alive today.Producer: Dan Saladino.

The Food Programme looks at Scotland's first ever national food policy, introduced by the SNP, to try and join up every aspect of food production and health in the country. Presented by Sheila Dillon. Producer: Maggie Ayre.