The Food Programme

In this episode, guests including an expert on kombucha, a researcher studying its health benefits, and a tea expert passionate about kombucha discuss the process of making kombucha, its flavors, and the health claims associated with it. They also explore the slow growth of kombucha in the UK, the rise in popularity in Australia, and the market opportunity it presents. Additionally, they talk about brewing kombucha at home during the pandemic, the transition to starting a tea farm, and the unique approach to brewing kombucha using British tea and homegrown fruit.

Exploring local food in the UK and the challenges it faces, including lack of support from local authorities and COVID-19 impact. A former civil servant's journey into cheese making and collaborating with local farmers. The importance of local food systems, fair prices for farmers, and the negative consequences of globalization. The need to protect local food producers against imports with lower standards and the value of local schemes in inspiring the public.

Abergavenny Food Festival started 25 years ago to showcase local produce; now a famous event with renowned chefs. The festival engages people in conversations about food chains and localism, and combines policy discussions with food stalls. The festival's emphasis on artisan markets, farming discussions, and community celebration has contributed to its success over the years. The podcast also mentions the involvement of local figures, unique experiences, and Franco's many contacts in the food industry.

Discover the finalists in the BBC Food and Farming Awards for best street food and small eateries, along with personal stories of past winners. Highlights include sampling traditional Malaysian clay pot cooking at Joli, trying Pakistani naanwiches at Maasi's, and experiencing sustainable and subscription-based takeaways from DabbaDrop.

Three finalists for the Food Innovation Award are featured: Wildfarmed's regenerative farming method, Too Good To Go app rescuing unsold food, and the Alexandra Rose Charity's voucher scheme. They all aim to change the food system by offering alternatives to industrial farming, reducing food waste, and providing fresh produce to low-income families.

From basic burgers and chips to a wide variety of international cuisines, this podcast explores the evolution of food options at music festivals. It discusses the challenges faced by festival caterers and the importance of zoning festival areas. The narrator also delves into the world of festival food, from lavish banquets curated by renowned chefs to eating on a budget. Tips for maximizing the festival experience and green initiatives at festivals are shared, along with efforts made to improve food sourcing and caterings sustainability.

Explore the UK's first permanent Food Museum in Stowmarket, Suffolk. Discover the Thrills and Grills Program for children, ancient maize from Mexico, and a 50-year-old bean slicer. Step inside the dairy cottages frozen in time and learn about documenting working-class food. Delve into complex food issues, including the impact of the meat industry and regenerative agriculture.

Wedding food costs, pandemic, and cost of living crisis affect couples and caterers. Wedding trends include food trucks, festival-style take-aways, and alcohol-free weddings. Street food stalls enhance guests' experience. Surplus food as wedding meals and the tradition of 'wedding breakfast'. History of wedding feasts and the impact of the pandemic.

World leaders met in Rome to fix the food system. The podcast explores the UN Food Systems Summit and the urgent need for transformation to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. It emphasizes treating food as a human right and the emergence of a global coalition of farmers markets. The negative impacts of the global food system are discussed, along with solutions like true cost accounting and reshaping financial systems.

Mushrooms like Chaga, Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Turkey Tail are popping up all over the place at the moment, in supplements, powders, and even coffee. These are the so-called medicinal species of mushroom that have been used for centuries by our ancestors, and currently today in Traditional Chinese medicine. Sheila Dillon started taking these mushrooms a decade ago as part of diversifying her diet after becoming seriously ill, but they weren’t that easy to buy then. Now they seem to be everywhere. And some of the health claims you can find online attached to these medicinal species go way beyond what can currently be backed by modern science.In this programme Sheila finds out how medicinal mushrooms went from ancient wild food, to the latest hot health and wellness trend. We hear from Professor Nik Money, mycologist at Miami University in Ohio, about Lion’s Mane and what we currently know about the claims that it’s supposed to be good for our brains. To taste the freshest UK-grown medicinal species in the flesh, Sheila visits specialist mushroom grower Forest Fungi in Devon. And she has a mushroom coffee with Dr Emily Leeming, Scientific Researcher at Kings College London, to discuss mushroom supplements, and what we know about the nutritional benefits of mushrooms and their impact on the gut microbiome.Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol