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Artwork for The Food Programme

The Food Programme

BBC Radio 4
Nutrition
Climate Change
Obesity
Food Waste
Cooking
Social Media
Food Culture
Food Safety
Public Health
Coffee
Food
Ultra-Processed Foods
United Kingdom
Food Security
Bradford
Biodiversity
Mental Health
Japan
Rum
Christmas

Investigating every aspect of the food we eat

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes844Founded17 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FoodArts

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Artwork for The Food Programme

Latest Episodes

Sheila Dillon is joined by a panel at Abergavenny Food Festival to ask - why is food costing so much more than it used to, and what would it take to build a food system that works better for everyone?

Food prices in the UK have risen dramatically in... more

Each year The BBC Food & Farming Awards celebrates food producers who are going above and beyond to create delicious and sustainable food. They are examples of how food can be a force for good, improving our local areas, health and environment. In th... more

Dan Saladino visits the annual Oxford Food Symposium and explores its theme of 'poverty food'.

Stories told at the event ranged from the historic links between breadfruit and the slave trade and the cooking demos organised for the poorest families i... more

On BBC Radio 4 we’re marking the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry in London by exploring the impact of the Norman invasion. In this programme, food historian Dr Annie Gray travels to Normandy to investigate how the Norman Conquest changed what we eat a... more

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

Aoife Gould
Co-founder of Dunn Flashadder Cottage Croft (Hebridean sheep and mangalitza pigs)
Dunn Flashadder Cottage Croft
Episode: The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026: The Food Producers
Jake Sales
Co-founder/manager at Dunn Flashadder Cottage Croft
Dunn Flashadder Cottage Croft
Episode: The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026: The Food Producers
Andrew Gillespie
Founder/operator of The Fresh Flower Company
The Fresh Flower Company
Episode: The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026: The Food Producers
Leona Kane
Owner/operator of Leona and Richard Kane rapeseed oil
Leona and Richard Kane
Episode: The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026: The Food Producers
Richard Kane
Co-owner/operator of Leona and Richard Kane rapeseed oil
Leona and Richard Kane
Episode: The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026: The Food Producers
Sue Davies
Senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire; paper author
University of Hertfordshire
Episode: Stories of Food and Poverty
Russell Fielding
Associate professor; geographer
Coastal Carolina University
Episode: Stories of Food and Poverty
Bozhak Atameh
Author; poet; adviser to royal household in Shiraz
Persian literary figure
Episode: Stories of Food and Poverty
Len Fisher
Physicist; scientist
Oxford Food Symposium participants
Episode: Stories of Food and Poverty

Host

Jaega Wise
Host of The Food Programme

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 1.6k ratings
  • Wonderful

    I love the food programme. The subjects are so varied and there is something for everyone, whether you are interested in the characters in the food world, the politics of it or how it all works.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    fussy frederika
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Periodic Table of Food

    One of the most interesting and important podcast I’ve heard in a long while

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Arthur Shufflehouse
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Wow!

    Michael Crawford, just listened, fascinating!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ALittleChaotic
    United Statesa year ago
  • Bad Case of Pseudo-Science

    The Brain Gut Connection episode was a classic example of Myth-Making Journalism masquerading as science. I’m sure many listeners would be misled, as intended, by the jump from saying “there’s a link” between gut biodiversity and mental health to the assumption that it’s a causal link, and hence that increasing gut biodiversity will improve mental health. Classic journalistic misrepresentation in a desperate search for a story…

    Then we cut to the researcher who carried out a study to explore thi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    ArgyEll
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • These so-called MPs provided nothing that is new, and give little hope for the future health of the nation! Nice try, but...

    Podcast Addict
    1
    mobfizz
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests and experts are usually top-notch and the reporting feels credible and nuanced.
Listeners value the breadth of topics and the accessible, well-researched storytelling.
The show is informative and consistently engages with current food system issues.
Audience appreciates practical, policy-relevant discussions that connect theory to real-world impact.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#70
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#9
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#9
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#42
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#83
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#12
Australia/Arts/Food

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Fork and Knife
Q: So how did the fork make its way from curiosity to culinary essential?
Bea Wilson explains that the fork's adoption was gradual and tied to changing dining rituals, with its popularity growing as European etiquette and table service evolved, influenced by social status and sophistication.
Taste the World: The Origins of Our Food
Q: Your work involves looking back over thousands of years. Has food always been on the move?
Yes, the episode argues that crop movement and culinary exchange have been ongoing for millennia, driven by agriculture, empire-building, trade networks, and migrations, with each phase adding new ingredients and cooking practices to local cuisines.
Is Food Processing the ‘Missing Middle’?
Q: Should we maintain localised facilities and UK capacity for processing?
Yes, to strengthen resilience and national security of the food chain, ensuring that if imports falter, there is sufficient domestic capacity to meet demand.
Is Food Processing the ‘Missing Middle’?
Q: So what can the UK do in terms of bean processing?
Experts suggest supporting a mix of on-farm, mid-scale, and larger processing facilities to provide resilience and keep farms economically viable, while also building demand for UK-grown pulses to justify local processing.
Chefs, Creativity and the Cost of Living Crisis
Q: What specific skills have been useful for chefs in navigating this cost crisis?
Chefs need to be adaptable, having more than just culinary skills but also an understanding of finance and the economics behind food costs.

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 Programme

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

A thoughtfully curated program exploring food systems from multiple angles—policy, culture, farming, and culinary innovation. Episodes frequently center on supply chains, nutrition, sustainability, and the social impact of food, often pairing expert analysis with on-the-ground reporting and chef-led demonstrations. Unique strengths include a policy-forward lens on national standards, hands-on culinary storytelling, and robust coverage of regional food movements and industry dynamics, making it useful for professionals researching food policy, sustainability, and CPG trends. The show tends to attract listeners who enjoy deeply reported context, discussions with researchers and practitioners, and stories at the intersection of culture and nou... more

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How many listeners does The Food Programme get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Food Programme have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Food Programme 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 Programme?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Food Programme:

1. The Food Chain
2. Inside Health
3. Good Food
4. Sliced Bread
5. What's Up Docs?

How many episodes of The Food Programme are there?

The Food Programme launched 17 years ago and published 844 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 Programme?

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 Programme?

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

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What guests have appeared on The Food Programme?

Recent guests on The Food Programme include:

1. Aoife Gould
2. Jake Sales
3. Andrew Gillespie
4. Leona Kane
5. Richard Kane
6. Sue Davies
7. Russell Fielding
8. Bozhak Atameh

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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