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Artwork for The Food Programme

The Food Programme

BBC Radio 4
Rum
Slavery
Ukraine
Christmas
Caribbean
Leftovers
Food Waste
Robert Burns
Cooking
Christmas Traditions
Uganda
Burns Night Suppers
Rumfest
Social Isolation
Gaza
Longevity
Blue Zones
UK Drinks Industry
Antarctica
Turkey

Investigating every aspect of the food we eat

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes794Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FoodArts

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Artwork for The Food Programme

Latest Episodes

Five years ago, after 160 years in Norwich, the Colman's factory shut its doors for the last time.

John Osborne is a writer, a poet and a performer - he's called Norwich home for 25 years. But last year, while writing a show about his city, he bega... more

Sheila Dillon is joined by four guests who each have a deep connection with Welsh food and farming for a panel discussion recorded at the 2025 Abergavenny Food Festival. Beca Lyne-Pirkis is a food writer and broadcaster; Patrick Holden is an organic ... more

As sales of matcha continue to boom, Leyla Kazim traces the story of the powdered green tea from centuries-old Japanese tradition to global health trend phenomenon. We look behind the social media videos and headlines to find out more about the repor... more

Sheila Dillon investigates the growing number of food tours and trails in the UK as consumers show more and more interest in the provenance of what is on their plate. She heads to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire – a town that boasts the title of Rur... 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

Walter Zanrey
Managing director of Britain's biggest olive oil brand.
Philip Oberio UK
Episode: English Olive Oil
Alex Lawrence
Senior Strategic Insight Director at Sucana.
Sucana
Episode: English Olive Oil
Nick Butcher
An olive oil producer in Cornwall, involved in the production of English olive oil.
Valoruin
Episode: English Olive Oil
Pete Thompson
An olive oil producer in Essex, advocating the production of English olive oil.
Episode: English Olive Oil
Daniele Cipolla
Owner of the Segnia estate, focusing on traditional olive oil production in Sicily.
Episode: English Olive Oil
Dr. Annie Gray
Food historian discussing the historical context of olive oil in the UK.
Episode: English Olive Oil
Michael Crawford
A prominent scientist and advocate for omega-3 fatty acids in nutrition
London Metropolitan University
Episode: Professor Michael Crawford: A Life through Food
Rick Stein
Chef and broadcaster known for his advocacy of seafood consumption
Episode: Professor Michael Crawford: A Life through Food
Charlotte Smith
Farming Today presenter
BBC
Episode: The BBC Food & Farming Awards 2025 Launch

Hosts

Sheila Dillon
Host of The Food Programme, she brings expertise in food and farming topics, guiding discussions on culinary trends and the food industry.
Leyla Kazim
Host of The Food Programme, known for her engaging storytelling and exploration of diverse food culture and sustainability issues.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 1.6k ratings
  • 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 Kingdom3 months ago
  • Wow!

    Michael Crawford, just listened, fascinating!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ALittleChaotic
    United States4 months 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 Kingdoma year 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
    a year ago
  • Listened for years but unfollowing now

    How incredibly insensitive and ignorant but maybe done on purpose to interview and air this episode with Gary Lineker now . I have been a loyal listener to The Food Programme for years but why air this now , given Gary Linekers outspoken and in breach of BBC guidelines , public views over certain issues that I am sure the producers would be well aware of . Bye Bye The Food Programme you have lost a listener and I hope many more .

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    kzs hampstead
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Positive feedback often centers around the engaging storytelling and expert insights shared.
Listeners frequently highlight the depth of research and variety of topics as key strengths.
Some express concern over occasional biases and the handling of controversial issues in the discussions.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#37
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#226
United States/Arts
Spotify
#49
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#4
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#8
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#13
United Kingdom/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Butter Is Back
Q: What is bog butter and why was it buried?
Bog butter is butter that has been buried in peat bogs, possibly for preservation or as a form of wealth storage.
Butter Is Back
Q: What does Doreena Allen say about the butter disco?
Doreena describes a fun event where participants dance and shake their jars of cream to make butter.
The New Good Life
Q: What were the skills that you realised you didn't have that I'm probably going to need?
Skills like ground preparation, knowledge of crop diversity, and general farming mechanics were essential.
The New Good Life
Q: Do you think Tom and Barbara would approve of this?
100% they would be so on your side, because it isn't now the time to claim this resilience.
A Food Revolution in Eight (More) Ideas
Q: Why does the food system need to change?
The food system contributes significantly to unsustainability and climate change, impacting human health as well.

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?

This podcast provides an in-depth examination of food culture, sourcing, and sustainability issues surrounding the food we consume. It frequently features conversations with chefs, food historians, and industry experts, discussing topics such as the significance of local ingredients, the evolving landscape of food production, and initiatives aimed at tackling food waste and public health concerns. Notably, the content includes a variety of perspectives on food trends, cultural shifts, and environmental impacts, making it an enlightening resource for anyone interested in food beyond just recipes and dining.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Food Programme?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Food Programme. 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 Programme and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Food Programme get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Food Programme, 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 Programme?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Food Programme, 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 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. The Kitchen Cabinet
3. Good Food
4. Inside Health
5. Sliced Bread

How many episodes of The Food Programme are there?

The Food Programme launched 16 years ago and published 794 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.

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 Programme?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Food Programme. 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 Programme?

Recent guests on The Food Programme include:

1. Walter Zanrey
2. Alex Lawrence
3. Nick Butcher
4. Pete Thompson
5. Daniele Cipolla
6. Dr. Annie Gray
7. Michael Crawford
8. Rick Stein

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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