The Food Programme
The Food Programme is a BBC Radio 4 programme investigating and celebrating good food, founded by Derek Cooper and currently presented by Sheila Dillon, Dan Saladino, Leyla Kazim and Jaega Wise. The series is produced by BBC Audio in Bristol.
It is a programme about food production, consumption and quality rather than a cookery programme with recipes. It looks at the food industry at the macroscopic level. Farming Today covers the upstream section of the British food industry and The Food Programme covers the downstream section.
History
The programme has run since 1979 and was initially broadcast at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon, immediately preceding The World This Weekend. It is repeated the following day at 3:30 p.m.In November 2019 The Food Programme celebrated its 40th anniversary. A live show was broadcast from the BBC Radio Theatre with guests Rick Stein, Leyla Kazim, Yotam Ottolenghi and Grace Dent.
Guests
- 1987 Lady Eve Balfour founder of the Soil Association
Structure
Programmes are usually devoted to discussion of a single topic, from a consumer angle, such as:- Topical issues related to food, such as institutional cookery or dealing with food waste;
- A specific food item, such as a particular fruit or traditional dish;
- Food of a certain geographical area or of certain ethnic peoples;
- Health issues in relation to food.
All the most recent programmes are now available indefinitely at the Radio 4 website to listen again.
BBC Food and Farming Awards
The show hosts the annual BBC Radio Food and Farming Awards, and in so doing has been praised by Charles, Prince of Wales as a "national institution".2009
- Bob Kennard won "Best Campaigner".
2019
- Best Streetfood/Takeaway, Liberty Kitchen