Food Matters Live Podcast

The food industry is arguably one of the most innovative sectors in the world, but what are the strategies and ideas that underpin successful product innovation? Innovation is big business in the food and drink industry. On the Food Matters Live podcast, we are often meeting people with great new ideas or tapping into growth trends, whether that is wellness, nutrition, plant based, ag-tech, or a w...

Functional beverages may have begun life as a niche part of the drinks market, but with them now generating billions of dollars in revenue globally, it is a sector that cannot be ignored. Just go to your local supermarket or convenience store and see how many are on offer. But where is the market heading? What are the latest developments in terms of ingredients? And what does the data show consume...

Energy prices are soaring and having a profound and growing impact on businesses of all kinds. But the hospitality sector has faced incredible pressure across two years of the Covid pandemic. So, how is it coping with this latest, significant challenge? It is a sector where showing a positive, welcoming face to your customers is vital. But businesses in the sector are reporting energy price rises...

Anne Marie Butler did not always want to work in the food industry, in fact, she had originally hoped to become a lawyer. But she ended up becoming the "queen of cheese" at the dairy firm Edlong , thanks in part to a chance bit of work experience. "I just didn't bother to arrange anything," she tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series. She ended up doing at stin...

There is no doubt that the alternative protein market is growing, but how can food companies make their own mark in this area? We are certainly hearing more and more about these products and there is no doubt that it has never been easier to find them on our supermarket shelves. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Brenntag Food and Nutrition , we explore the...

For people coming out of prison, finding work can be a real struggle, but could the food industry hold the answer? There is a labour crisis in the industry at the moment, with a desperate need for a larger workforce. The Government’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee says chronic shortages could lead to further price rises and the UK becoming more dependent on food imports. In fact, it...

In the UK today there are millions of people going hungry, including an estimated two million children . It is hard to believe in a rich and resourceful country like the UK where there is, of course, more than enough food to go round. It is just not in the right place. And that is where FareShare UK comes in. FareShare is a national network of charitable food redistributors , who take surplus and...

Catherine Washbrook Davies is one of the UK’s leading experts in diabetes , diet and weight management.  She currently has two roles, as a Diabetes UK clinical champion in Wales, and as the All Wales Nutrition and Dietetic Lead for Diabetes for NHS Wales . Catherine advocates an "everything in moderation" philosophy and says she still enjoys chocolate ! She says no food group should be banned when...

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy, also known as the Sugar Tax , was introduced in the UK in 2018 with the aim of tackling childhood obesity . But what might the implications be if the UK Government decides to scrap it? According to many people, it has been a great success.   Drinks manufacturers have reformulated their products, reducing the sugar content in drinks, around £300 million a year has bee...

It is boom time for the ancient method of food production known as fermentation . And it is being driven by the growth in alternative proteins .   As the sector grows, new ingredients are being created by fermentation, and research is showing even greater possibilities for the future. Of course, as any lover of beer, wine, yoghurt, and cheese knows fermentation is nothing new.       But modern met...

"I see my job as being the guardian of COOK's values and purpose," says the company's Co-CEO, Rosie Brown. "To make sure that everybody in COOK is living the values that were set out when he started the business." It is clear from listening to Rosie that the way COOK does business is just as important to her as making a profit, if not more so. In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast se...

Millions of people around the world go to bed hungry every night. It is an appalling fact, especially in a world where billions of tonnes of food is wasted every year. There are few places on Earth, if any, were hunger is more of a critical issue than in Somalia, East Africa . Malnutrition is rife in the country, which has been beset by drought and conflict. Government officials warn Somalia is on...

How much impact will the drought of 2022 have on the food system in the UK, Europe, and around the world? The summer of 2022 will be remembered for a lack of rain, wildfires, and extreme temperatures. For the first time since records began, Britain endured temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. Records were broken across Europe too, with a high of 47 degrees recorded in Portugal. Rivers dried up and...

"I've always realised the power of physical fitness, ever since I was very young," says Dr Greg Lessons, Health Improvement Lead at the Fire Fighters Charity . "Being in the fire service, the food environment was leading me to gain body fat." Dr Lessons says it was not just the thought of losing some weight that got him interested in nutrition, he was interested in the other ways a healthy diet co...

Sustainability has become a key goal for so many companies in the food and drink industry, but how do you go about actually making your business more sustainable? It is clear that the food system has plenty of work to do in this area, but what is equally clear is that many things are already being achieved. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Tetra Pak, we di...

The morning coffee is an absolute staple of many people's lives. That first sip still feels like something of a miracle. The caffeine, the complexities of the aroma , the ritual of making it, and the associations and stories around it, all make for a special moment in the day. And across hundreds of years, those things have driven an industry to grow from nothing, to today's $460 billion market. I...

“From a very young age, I wanted to be a lawyer,” says Paula Chin. “But I completely flunked my A-levels.” So, she followed her heart and did French at university, which eventually led to her first job in packaging . Her advice to anyone who is not sure exactly which career path to follow? “Just do the subjects that you love.” It appears to be sound advice, as Paula’s career has seen her work for...

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, but can nutrition play a role in reducing its prevalence? The UK National Health Service has identified CVD as the single biggest condition where lives can be saved over the next decade. It says, often, cardiovascular disease can be prevented by leading a healthier lifestyle. It is worth making that point again, the biggest cause...

With the vast growth in the consumption of animal protein in the 20th century came equally vast ecological problems, taking into account land use and emissions, the sector is a significant contributor to climate change . Now that may have been foreseen by some. But what might not be fully appreciated, is the remarkable way in which the food industry has innovated to address the problem.   The alte...

"Pick an area that's either a hobby of yours or something you invest in yourself day-to-day, be that time or money," says Nat Cooper, freelance start-up consultant . "That's what's always worked for me. Thinking about products I really like, reaching out and seeing what the opportunity is." And it is an approach that has worked wonders for Nat. Her career has seen her work with a number of differe...

The future of organic food has looked healthy in recent years, but how will the cost of living crisis impact the sector's growth? George Dymond, Chief Executive Officer of the organic supermarket chain Planet Organic , has a remarkable CV; featuring senior jobs at Morrisons, Tesco and Holland & Barrett.   But as he has come on board at Planet Organic, there have been rapid expansion plans anno...

Just how important is biodiversity in soil, and are we doing enough to protect and promote it? These are the big questions many working in the agricultural sector are asking on a near-daily basis. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Anglo American , we delve into the crucial role biodiversity plays in soil health , and ask what role fertilizers have to play i...

"If you feel stuck in a rut or bored at work, it may simply be down to the fact you've stopped learning," says Paul A Young, one of the world's leading chocolatiers. "You shouldn't feel guilty about that." Paul's career is fascinating, as much for the various twists and turns, as for the sheer level of achievement. He says it all began as a child, helping his mother and grandmother with the baking...

There is no doubt that the alternative meat and dairy sector is growing , but it is likely that we as a species will ever completely remove animals from our diet? There are huge existential reasons we should all remove meat and dairy from our diets, and thus the reliance on industrial farming and the damage that can do to the planet, not to mention the obvious; animal welfare. A 2019 YouGov report...

For the past few years, nutraceuticals have been a wild success story.   Whatever a customer has needed, there has been a team of researchers, product developers and marketeers bringing new solutions to aid gut health , sleep, mood, immunity, sports performance , and so on. During the pandemic, when we all became more focused on our health, the sector continued to innovate. So as we move into a ti...