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. Dillon is the normal presenter of the programme, but the programme is, on occasion, presented by Leyla Kazim and Jaega Wise. The series is produced by Dan Saladino, who also reports for the programme and presents some episodes.

The Food Programme
GenreDocumentary-style narration
Running time30 mins (Sundays at 12.30)
Country of originUK
Home stationRadio 4
Hosted bySheila Dillon
Produced byDan Saladino
Edited byDimitri Houtart
Original release30 September 1979 – present
WebsiteThe Food Programme
PodcastPodcasts

It is a programme about food production, consumption and quality rather than a cookery programme with recipes. It looks at the food industry (usually that of Britain) 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 (i.e. on Monday afternoon) 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.[1]

Supermarkets are where most British people buy food, and influence our eating habits

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.

Sometimes, the theme of a programme may fit into several of the above categories. For example, the programme broadcast on 14 and 15 August 2011 dealt with institutional policies to improve the diets of people in Scotland so as to make their diets more salubrious, a topic which is at once a topical issue related to food, a health issue related to food and a topic relating to the diet of people in a certain geographical group.

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".[2]

2009

2019

Awards won by The Food Programme

The Food Programme, which celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in November 2009,[4] has won multiple UK radio awards.[5][6]

See also

References

News items

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