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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
Cooking
Food Waste
Taste
Hospitality Industry
Ultra-Processed Food
Dietary Guidelines
Crunch
Food Delivery
Coffee
Olympic Athletes
Climate Change
Restaurant Industry

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes564Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FoodArtsSociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Food Chain

Latest Episodes

The term 'food noise' has been used by some to describe thoughts about food that are unwelcome and intrusive. People who have used weight-loss medication have reported that the drugs can help to quieten these thoughts.

Ruth Alexander explores how f... more

Do you love to share food with friends and family? Or resent handing over even one french fry from your plate?

Sharing food has a long and proud tradition in some cultures and is relatively rare in others. Ruth Alexander looks at what it does for o... more

What does a life on tour do to a stand-up comedian's eating habits? And how do you stay healthy if half of your working life is spent travelling?

Ruth Alexander finds out.

If you travel regularly for work you'll know how hard it can be to hold on... more

Are you hungry? How often do you stop to think about why that is and what sort of foods you are hungry for?

In this programme Ruth Alexander explores the science of appetite – what causes us to feel hungry and full and why our appetites differ from ... 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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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Caitlin Woolley
Professor of marketing at Cornell University who studies how food sharing affects cooperation
Cornell University
Episode: The joy (and pain) of sharing food
Darren Cardosa
Food blogger who writes as the Bitchy Waiter
Episode: The joy (and pain) of sharing food
David Hopkins
President and founder of hospitality consulting company The 15 Group
The 15 Group
Episode: The joy (and pain) of sharing food
Dean Taylor
Restaurant owner who changed his venue from sharing plates to a fixed-price menu
Stretford Canteen
Episode: The joy (and pain) of sharing food
Tayyab Amjad
Owner of Zook Tea Bar and Grill
Zook Tea Bar and Grill
Episode: The joy (and pain) of sharing food
Celya AB
French-Algerian stand-up comedian on a UK tour
Episode: How to eat well when travelling for work
Marisa Poster
Boss of Perfect Ted Matcha who travels internationally for business
Perfect Ted Matcha
Episode: How to eat well when travelling for work
Nathalie Mat
South African clinical dietitian who advises frequent travelers
Episode: How to eat well when travelling for work
Darren Ratcliffe
Person sharing weight-loss journey and experiences with appetite
Home in Manchester, England; participant in episode
Episode: Why do I feel hungry?

Hosts

Rumella Dasgupta
Host of The Food Chain
Ruth Alexander
Host of The Food Chain

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.2k ratings
  • Sandwiches

    Since when has Manchester been using dollars and not pounds?

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    hannakuso
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Love this show!

    Another great episode! Yumm!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ghb59
    United States9 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 Kingdom10 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
    a year 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 Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

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

The host delivers content with a calm, insightful style that keeps complex topics approachable.
Guests bring diverse expertise, making episodes educational and engaging.
Listeners appreciate the breadth of topics, from history to modern food science.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#47
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#9
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#13
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#59
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#109
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#9
Australia/Arts/Food

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How to eat well when travelling for work
Q: Nathalie, what would your tips be for what someone ought to eat when they're jet lagged and fighting the urge to just eat doughnuts?
Mat says insufficient sleep can increase hunger and cravings for refined foods. She recommends setting the clock to the destination's time as soon as boarding and eating and sleeping according to that schedule to get the body adjusted sooner.
How to eat well when travelling for work
Q: When we've got a big work event, whether it's a big meeting presentation or performance, what's going on inside of us? And why is it that our appetite can get affected?
Nathalie Mat explains that the fight-or-flight response redirects blood flow from the digestive system to the brain and muscles, which can cause nausea or fullness and make a large meal uncomfortable. She advises considering how long food takes to digest before an event.
The joy (and pain) of sharing food
Q: And what's the attraction for restaurants?
Hopkins says small plates can create a longer, more social meal, encourage customers to try more dishes and support good margins, though they require operational planning.
The joy (and pain) of sharing food
Q: How do you think this can be applied to the world of business?
Woolley says shared plates can increase coordination and cooperation, while eating similar foods may build trust; she also notes that dietary restrictions can affect inclusion at business meals.
Why do I feel hungry?
Q: If you think your appetites become out of whack in some way, is there anything you can do to change it without medication?
Losing fat in a healthy way without sacrificing lean mass can recalibrate signals; reducing energy intake and increasing exercise can improve leptin sensitivity, and changing the dietary pattern to include more fiber and structured meals helps normalize hunger cues.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Food Chain

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

The show explores the business, science, and cultural significance of food, highlighting how meals are produced, consumed, and celebrated around the world. Across episodes, conversations weave together historical context, scientific insights, and practical food culture, often featuring guests from academia, industry, and media to unpack topics like dietary trends, cooking practices, hospitality, and food systems. Noteworthy are its multidisciplinary angles (nutrition, history, sensory science) and its willingness to spotlight both everyday eating and high-profile culinary phenomena, making complex ideas accessible to curious listeners and industry professionals alike.

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?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Food Chain, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Food Chain?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Food Chain, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

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. Health Check
5. Inside Health

How many episodes of The Food Chain are there?

The Food Chain launched 12 years ago and published 564 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.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

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. Caitlin Woolley
2. Darren Cardosa
3. David Hopkins
4. Dean Taylor
5. Tayyab Amjad
6. Celya AB
7. Marisa Poster
8. Nathalie Mat

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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