The Food Programme

Jimi Famurewa meets the Hong Kongers who are serving, growing and eating the food of their home country to connect with their own food heritage and find a new sense of belonging. Almost 200,000 Hong Kongers have arrived in the UK since a new government visa offered safe passage and the chance of a new life in January 2021. And, as they settle into communities across the UK, including in New Malden, Manchester and Reading, there’s been a noticeable impact on food culture. At Holy Sheep, in Camden, Jimi tastes the spicy rice noodles beloved by this new generation of Hong Kongers, before visiting Hong Kong's most famous organic farmer who relocated and now helps new migrants grow the culturally-significant Choy Sum and other Asian vegetables. As he talks to Hong Kongers about the role food has played in settling into the UK, Jimi also finds out how, for some, food has become an act of resistance and a way to express political solidarity. From the so-called 'yellow economy' of pro democracy restaurants and food shops in Hong Kong, to choosing to travel miles to buy ingredients that don't come from China, Jimi starts to realise how food has become more than just a taste of home. Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

42 mins

How much does what you choose to eat come from what social class you were born into, or identify with now? In this episode, Sheila Dillon takes on the often uncomfortable conversation about social class in the UK, British people's obsession with it, and what it's doing to our health via the way we choose to eat. Sheila is joined at an east London pie and mash shop by the food historian Pen Vogler, whose book "Scoff: A History of Food and Class in Britain" charts the way these class markers were established and continue to be upheld. She explains how many foods have moved between classes, and why we pedestal imported foods, including fast foods from America. After a 'posh' Afternoon Tea overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral, Sheila heads to the studio to understand more about the impact of these class markers. How has the food industry used these links to sell more food? and what’s being done to break these connections between food and social class? Joining her are five guests whose life experiences help illuminate the topic, they are the food campaigner Kathleen Kerridge, TikTok chef Nathan Smith (Grubworks Kitchen), Masterchef judge and food writer William Sitwell, Anna Taylor from The Food Foundation and Dr Maxine Woolhouse, a senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University specialising in food, class and gender. So can we ever give these class markers up? Sheila's final visit is to a Community Garden in Hoxton, The Growing Kitchen, where everyone is welcome. Here she meets chairman Tony and member Carmel who share the secrets of their classless community of gardeners and cooks. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

43 mins

Amsterdam and Leeds are two of the only places in the world to have cut rates of childhood obesity — and they’ve not done it by focussing just on diet. Sheila Dillon finds out how these two locally-based policies worked, and why the political circumstances around them were just as important as the policies themselves. She speaks to parents, academics, policy experts and public health leaders to find out what we can learn from these two remarkable interventions. In Leeds, the local authority has prioritised health in the early years over the last 20 years, and part of that is working with the charity HENRY (Health, Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young). HENRY has trained council staff to deliver courses helping parents to teach their kids healthy eating right from the start. In 2019 Leeds made national headlines becoming the first city in the UK to see a small, but significant drop in childhood obesity, and a bigger drop of 10% in the most deprived areas. The data shows that overall between 2009 and 2017 obesity dropped from 9.4% to 8.8% in four-to-five year olds, while levels remained unchanged in similar cities. When it comes to improving children’s health, Amsterdam’s Healthy Weight Program attracted a lot of interest from around the world, becoming the shining example of what can be done to tackle high levels of obesity though action on a city-level. The Program’s main principle was ‘the healthy choice should be the easy choice’, aiming to reduce childhood obesity through healthy food and drink, exercise and better quality sleep. From 2012 to 2015 the percentage of children who were overweight or obese went down 12%, from 21% to 18.5%, with the biggest fall amongst the lowest socio-economic groups. In the programme we hear from: Alice Wiseman, Joint Director of Public Health for Gateshead and Newcastle, and Vice President of The Association of Directors of Public Health; Dr Dolly Van Tulleken, policy consultant and visiting researcher at the MCR Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge; Jaap Seidell, Professor of Nutrition and Health at The Free University in Amsterdam; and Kim Roberts, Chief Executive of the HENRY charity. Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol

42 mins

From the explosion in sport food and drink, to the food diaries and routines of some of the UK’s top athletes, Leyla Kazim investigates food in the world of sport today. How do elite sport nutritionists prep their athletes and what can we learn from them? What should we eat for energy? What’s the deal with protein? We hear from sport stars in rugby, netball, triathlon and football, to find out. For an everyday athlete without a performance nutritionist, eating for sport can be confusing. Over a pre workout lunch, sport nutritionist Matt Gardner answers some Food Programme listener questions and shares stories from his days working with elite rugby players and extreme adventurers. But sport food is no longer just the domain of gym cafes and sport clubs. There has been an explosion of energy drinks and 'hi protein' bars sold anywhere from Post Office counters to the check outs of sport fashion shops. Leyla sends three young food activists, who have been looking into this issue, out onto the streets of Reading to see what they can find on sale. Producer Nina Pullman takes their findings to professor of nutrition and metabolism at the University of Bath, Javier Gonzalez, who looks at the ingredients in more detail. To explore the bigger links between sport, public health and food marketing, next we drop in on public health policy consultant, Dan Hunt, who explains the appeal of sport from a commercial point of view. Finally, Leyla reflects on how food works as fuel, ahead of the summer of sport to come. Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

42 mins

Physical checks will soon be carried out on some foods being imported from the EU, but how will it impact the rest of the UK's food supplies? Jaega Wise investigates.

42 mins

Jaega Wise delves into the history, traditions and culture surrounding the birthday cake, meeting bespoke baker Adam Cox, and attending a traditional Mexican "cake smash" along the way. She'll also find out what happens when a cake historian takes on the task of baking a traditional roman-style cake, and pick up some tips for the best birthday bakes from none other than Dame Mary Berry. And there's a very special delivery for one 13 year old girl from a community network of bakers trying to ensure that absolutely all children get a birthday cake. Produced by Tory Pope for BBC Audio in Bristol

41 mins

Footballing legend, broadcaster and our host for lunch… Gary Lineker makes his famous 'gambas al ajillo' for Leyla Kazim at his home as she hears how he learnt to cook nine years ago and never looked back. They also discuss food memories from his professional football career, from playing and eating around the world to unorthodox pre-match lunches, Spanish-style. Along the way, she hears stories from Gary’s friends and family as a little-known side to Gary’s character as a newly passionate cook and self-confessed foodie gradually takes shape. Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

41 mins

Although chocolate eggs and Hot Cross buns take centre stage at Easter, millions of people also sit down to share a joint of lamb to celebrate. In this episode, Sheila Dillon finds out more about the tradition for eating lamb at Easter with Welsh food writer Carwyn Graves, and hears how despite its prominence on Easter tables, the timing of lamb production doesn't always fit with when the festival falls on the calendar. So should we be considering eating other types of sheep meat at this time of year? Sheila speaks to sheep farmer Steve Lewis from Pembrokeshire Lamb whose lambs are being born at this time of year, and is currently selling customers last season lamb and hogget. She also visits Spanish restaurant, Asador 44 in Cardiff to learn from chef Owen Morgan how to prepare older cuts of sheep meat, including 8 year old mutton from The Cornwall Project. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

25 mins

Stouts and porters, dark malty beers maybe used to have a reputation of being a bit stuffy but there has been a recent trend of these drinks growing in popularity. Guinness, the biggest player in the market, has seen a big increase in sales, for a period being the bests selling pint in pubs for the first time. There’s been a big interest in it from young people, there is a whole genre of social media influencers comparing pints and even Kim Kardashian was photographed with one in London last St Patricks day. In this programme, Jimi Famurewa looks at how a drink that is so ubiquitous and established becomes a cool. Jimi goes to the wildly popular Devonshire Arms to meet Oisin Rogers and drink the arguably best pint of Guinness in London. The story of dark beer starts with porter in London and Jimi talks to beer writer Laura Hadland about the history of porter and stouts between the UK and Irish capitals. Adding nitrogen to stout and porter is a huge part of Guinness’s success. Jimi visits Anspach and Hobday, brewers who are taking on Guinness with their own nitro porter, London Black. Jimi also look at the history of stout and porter in West Africa with Eko brewery who are taking inspiration from the continent including the Guinness brewed in Nigeria. Social media is a huge part of the interest in Guinness. Jimi sits down with a pint to talk to Ian Ryan who runs the shitlondonguinness Instagram page and has written a book One Man's Search for the Perfect Pint of Guinness, who is credited in having a big part in this trend. Produced in Bristol by Sam Grist

27 mins

The last decade has seen an explosion in the trend of plant-based eating, from the growth of plant-based products in supermarkets and vegan options on menus, to celebrities and diet influencers making plant-based cool on social media. In this programme, Leyla Kazim explores some of the cultural and social impacts from the plant-based diet trend, including the rise of the flexitarian way of eating, the impact on the vegan movement, and the evolution of the diet culture wars in the media. Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol

28 mins

What’s really in your spice rack? In this exclusive investigation by The Food Programme, Jaega Wise investigates the authenticity of spices sold by a number of high street, online and health food chains. Using brand new technology outside of the lab for the first time, she will test herbs and spices from some of the biggest household names and retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Amazon and more. Plus, we hear from leading experts on the UK’s food defence frontline to find out just how challenging it is to detect fraud and police this lucrative area. Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

28 mins