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Artwork for The Food Chain

The Food Chain

BBC World Service
Nutrition
Culinary Arts
Food Industry
Food
Health Benefits
Food Security
Healthy Eating
Consumer Behavior
Food Waste
Cooking
Taste
Ultra-Processed Food
Hospitality Industry
Dietary Guidelines
Crunch
Food Delivery
Coffee
Climate Change
Olympic Athletes
Restaurant Industry

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes554Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FoodArtsSociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Food Chain

Latest Episodes

What can food reveal about the people who came before us? From ancient meals and family recipes to the chemical traces left behind in bones and teeth, food offers remarkable clues about how people lived, travelled and survived.

In this episode, Ruth... more

Have you ever asked yourself: should I do Keto? Is white rice good for me? Am I eating too many carbohydrates? If so, then this episode of The Food Chain is for you. Carbohydrate-rich foods are everywhere and they’re delicious. But are they good for ... more

When should you eat your evening meal? Is it really better to eat earlier, or does it depend on when you go to bed? And if you do have to eat late, is there anything you can do to reduce the impact on your health?

In this episode of The Food Chain, ... more

Listener Melanie wrote into The Food Chain to ask us to make a programme about the rising numbers of people who eat alone. She told us she often dines solo and sometimes finds the experience daunting. So today Ruth Alexander hears from Melanie and fr... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Sam Leggett
Archaeologist at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Episode: What can food tell us about the past?
Tarana Khan
Author and historian specializing in forgotten foods
Rampur, India
Episode: What can food tell us about the past?
Peter Scholliers
Emeritus Professor of History at Vrije Universiteit, Brussels
Vrije Universiteit Brussels
Episode: What can food tell us about the past?
Nelum Dharmapriya
Family doctor in Brisbane with special interest in lifestyle and metabolic health among South Asian populations
Brisbane Family Practice / Independent
Episode: Should I cut down on carbs?
Jeffrey Pilcher
Food historian
University of Toronto
Episode: When should I eat my evening meal?
Emily Manoogian
Circadian rhythm researcher
Salk Institute, California, United States
Episode: When should I eat my evening meal?
Sarah Berry
Nutrition scientist
King's College London
Episode: When should I eat my evening meal?
Giulio Caccamo
US team chef (captured in interview about his experience cooking for the national team)
US Soccer Team
Episode: What do World Cup footballers eat?
Mona Nemmer
Performance nutritionist for Red Bull Global Soccer; worked with Liverpool FC, Bayern Munich, and Germany
Red Bull Global Soccer
Episode: What do World Cup footballers eat?

Host

Ruth Alexander
Host of The Food Chain

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • Sandwiches

    Since when has Manchester been using dollars and not pounds?

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    hannakuso
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • Love this show!

    Another great episode! Yumm!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ghb59
    United States7 months ago
  • Perfect

    Talks about all modern issues such as influencers conning people to eat certain foods and get rid of some

    May be a kid but it’s so informative

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    marshmallow2016 march
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Excellent guests who provide a very insightful look into the world of restaurant service. Listening teaches one what they ought to expect from their servers and how they should comport themselves when eating out.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    ithabise
    9 months ago
  • Crisps

    Why did we have to listen to someone pretending to make a crisp sandwich and then pretending to eat it? Ludicrous!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    hannakuso
    United Kingdom10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Episodes are valued for being informative and accessible, with practical takeaways.
Listeners praise the host's calm delivery and well-curated topics.
Guests are described as credible and varied across food, science, and culture.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#38
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#238
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#8
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#14
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#62
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#111
Canada/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What do World Cup footballers eat?
Q: How do teams handle the post-match meal and celebrations?
There is room for creative, morale-boosting options after games, such as themed meals or shared family-style celebrations, while still aligning with overall nutrition and recovery goals.
What do World Cup footballers eat?
Q: How are menus and catering organized when a team competes across multiple countries?
Catering plans are developed months in advance with site visits and brand-specific product selections; coordination with hotels and performance nutritionists ensures consistency across venues while accommodating local availability and cultural preferences.
What do World Cup footballers eat?
Q: What does a World Cup footballer need to eat?
Nutrition strategies are highly individualized, taking into account each player's size, position, training load, and even travel-related factors; menus are planned with a mix of carby, protein, and veggie options, adjusted for kickoff timing and digestion to optimize performance.
How to order a restaurant meal like a pro
Q: What should you consider when ordering for a group or family?
Start with a few starters to share, assess how hungry everyone is, and then decide whether to add more plates or shift towards mains, ensuring the table isn't overwhelmed and there's room for desserts.
How to order a restaurant meal like a pro
Q: Are there any real no-nos when it comes to ordering?
Yes. Avoid rude behavior and avoid treating servers as servants; also keep your phone down and don't shout into it at the table, as these habits disrupt the dining experience for everyone.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
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Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Food Chain

What is The Food Chain about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful exploration of food's business, science, and cultural impact, with a strong emphasis on practical cooking, nutrition, and industry dynamics. Episodes often blend expert insights from chefs, nutritionists, researchers, and food journalists with real-world stories about meal prep, kitchen culture, and consumer trends. Noteworthy is the show's ability to connect rigorous science and policy discussions to accessible, everyday eating, while featuring high-profile athletes, restaurateurs, and authors to illustrate broader food conversations.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Food Chain?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Food Chain. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Food Chain and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Food Chain get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Food Chain?

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How many subscribers and views does The Food Chain have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Food Chain has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Food Chain?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Food Chain:

1. The Food Programme
2. Good Food
3. CrowdScience
4. Inside Health
5. Health Check

How many episodes of The Food Chain are there?

The Food Chain launched 12 years ago and published 554 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Food Chain?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Food Chain?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Food Chain from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Food Chain?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Food Chain. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Food Chain?

Recent guests on The Food Chain include:

1. Sam Leggett
2. Tarana Khan
3. Peter Scholliers
4. Nelum Dharmapriya
5. Jeffrey Pilcher
6. Emily Manoogian
7. Sarah Berry
8. Giulio Caccamo

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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