The Food Foundation Podcast
The Food Foundation
The Food Foundation podcast is the voice of the charity that tackles the growing challenges facing the UK’s food. Reporting from the frontline of food insecurity, it reveals the gaps in the food system and the inspiring initiatives that are fixing them. From the stigma of free school meals to the enormous impact of holiday activities and food on hungry children, we find the stories that change lives, bind communities and make the politicians sit up and listen. The podcast, then named Right2Food, was the winner of the 2021 Guild of Food Writers' Awards for Investigative Food Work.Producer: Gilly Smith for the Food Foundation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 30, 2026 • 9min
Pod Bites: Locked out of food assistance
As food assistance goes digital, vulnerable people risk being shut out. Iris Lim, postdoctoral researcher from SOAS University of London tells us about her research into the barriers people face in accessing support and the overlaps between digital poverty and food poverty.Join us on 12 February to dive deeper at an event with the SOAS research team - you can attend either in person or online. Register for free here and read the SOAS research in full hereTo catch the latest updates from The Food Foundation, sign up for our newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 23, 2026 • 8min
Pod Bites: Is school food up to scratch?
Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Food Foundation tells us about our latest film project which gives a vision of great school food for all children across the country.The Lunch They Deserve is a film by The Tin Bear Project and presented by Emma Thompson and the Food Foundation's Young Ambassadors, gives us a vision of school food that is nourishing and tasty, where our school food is a source of national pride, and of a country where kids are fuelled and ready to learn because of the food they have eaten. Click to sign up for the Food Foundation newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 16, 2026 • 8min
Pod Bites: Why the UK needs a Food Bill
Andrew Stark, Senior Research and Policy Manager at Eating Better, discusses vital reforms in the UK's food system, aided by a coalition of 160 organizations. He emphasizes the importance of a coherent food policy that aligns health, environment, and trade. Stark advocates for 17 recommendations, including affordable, culturally suitable diets and sustainable farming practices. He also highlights the need for a Food Bill to cement these priorities into law, aiming for a fairer food system and engaging citizens in the policy-making process.
Jan 9, 2026 • 9min
Pod Bites: Banning junk food adverts
Katherine Jenner, Executive Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, discusses new restrictions on junk food advertising aimed at protecting children. She highlights the troubling link between junk food marketing and unhealthy eating habits. Jenner explains how these restrictions aim to change the food environment rather than place the burden on children. She addresses enforcement challenges and industry influence, critiquing loopholes in brand exemptions. Ultimately, she calls for stronger regulations to ensure children are better protected from harmful advertising.
Jan 2, 2026 • 7min
Pod Bites: Why family meals matter
Dan Parker, Chief Executive of Veg Power, champions healthier eating among children. He discusses the Families and Food Task Force's research revealing families dine together over five times a week, though this frequency doesn’t guarantee more vegetable consumption. Parker shares insights on the importance of mealtime for bonding and communication, the challenges families face in maintaining healthy meals, and shares Veg Power's exciting initiatives planned for 2026 to inspire joyful family dining and better nutritional habits.
4 snips
Dec 26, 2025 • 8min
Pod Bites: Plant-based food justice
In this engaging discussion, Sarah Bentley, founder of Made in Hackney, illuminates her journey from a local initiative to a global plant-based food justice movement. She shares how her organization fights corporate food control while promoting joy through community-focused cooking. Sarah highlights their impactful emergency food support during the pandemic and outreach to over half a million people. Listeners can also learn about the Global Plant Kitchens movement, which aids community kitchens worldwide, and her new book, "We Cook Plants."
Dec 19, 2025 • 6min
Pod Bites: Christmas on a shoestring
Alicia Weston, CEO of Bags of Taste explains why rising prices and food inflation can make a traditional Christmas unaffordable and inaccessible for too many people in the UK.Read our latest food insecurity report here and sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with updates about the food system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 12, 2025 • 10min
Pod Bites: Child Poverty - are we failing?
Explore the new child poverty strategy, aimed at tackling food insecurity and bridging opportunity gaps. Hannah Brinsden highlights the critical role of cross-sector collaborations, involving communities and businesses. Food and nutrition take center stage, with commitments to free school meals and updated support measures. Discover the implications of rising infant formula prices and the launch of a new crisis resilience fund. Lastly, Hannah stresses the need for long-term policy action to ensure every child is nourished and ready to thrive.
6 snips
Dec 5, 2025 • 16min
Pod Bites: What's going on in our food industry?
Dive into key findings from the new State of the Nation's Food Industry report for 2025. Discover the urgent need for mandatory standards and transparency in food businesses. Learn how UK retailers lag behind Europe on protein targets and why healthy options cost families more. Explore the surprising scarcity of fruits and vegetables at train stations, and the influence of unhealthy food marketing, particularly in gaming. Finally, hear calls for policy changes to promote healthier and more sustainable food systems.
Nov 28, 2025 • 12min
Pod Bites: The Budget and food bills
Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Food Foundation has been digesting the autumn budget through the lens of diet and health inequalities, and gives us a quick whistle stop tour of some of the key announcements relevant to the work of the Food Foundation.Click here for the Food Foundation Manifesto, read our Budget blog here and here to sign up for the newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
