The Food Chain

What’s at stake when a child has their first meal in a new home? For children entering care, especially those who have faced food insecurity, that first plate of food can be a big moment. In this programme, Ruth Alexander explores how food and mealtimes can help children feel safe and give them a sense of belonging. She meets Jessica-Rae Williamson, a 21 year old care leaver from Manchester, Engla...

Protein is a health and fitness buzzword – plastered on packaging, prioritised in diets and praised by fitness influencers. But is our preoccupation with protein overshadowing another nutritional essential – fibre? Ruth Alexander explores the science, and marketing, behind protein’s popularity with expert guests Dr Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist and communicator in Australia, and aut...

It can be the difference between life and death for your character, signal you’re on a hostile planet or in a sumptuous world, or can even give you the whole basis for a game. In this week’s Food Chain we hear where the ideas for some of the most disgusting and delicious foods in games come from, and how to recreate them in real life. Video game creator Tim Cain tells us why food was such an impor...

What can we tell about a society from the plates, bowls and cups it uses? In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about the history of pottery, from early earthenware to the porcelain discovered by ancient China, known as ‘white gold’. Professor of archaeology, Joanita Vroom from Leiden University in the Netherlands explains why every pot has a story to tell. Historian Professor Suzanne Marchand f...

Love Thai food? It might be thanks to a two-decade long policy on the part of the government of Thailand to promote its food culture abroad, with the express aim of increasing trade and tourism. Ruth Alexander explores how food can be used as a foreign policy tool, influencing not just world leaders but seeking to win the hearts and minds of the public. Academic Sam Chapple-Sokol at George Washing...

How is artificial intelligence reshaping the global food industry? Rumella Dasgupta explores how AI is helping chefs experiment with new recipes, reducing food waste in factories and streamlining supply chains. She speaks to Tamsin Deasey Weinsten, a though leader on the AI industry, to discover the parts of the food supply chain that AI is affecting the most. In the kitchen, chef Matan Zakan tell...

Our shops are full of products sourced from all over the world, and its someone’s job to find and secure them – at the right quality and quantity for the best price possible. In this programme Ruth Alexander speaks to three food buyers on three different continents. She is joined by Beatrice Muraguri, a Tea Buyer and exporter based in Mombasa, Kenya; Chloe Doutre-Roussel, who travels the world sou...

What it’s like for your child to be diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies? Ruth Alexander explores the realities of shopping, socialising and eating out with a food allergy, and discusses what needs to change to make food safer for everyone. Amanda Bee and her daughter Vivian, 13, tell us how they navigate her allergies to milk, beef and dragonfruit. We hear from Dr Alexandra Santos, a pr...

Does food have the power to send messages when words aren’t enough? This week Ruth Alexander finds out how food can sometimes speak much louder than words. Lecturer in Chinese Cultural Studies Dr Zhaokun Xi explains why gifting a pear in China can quietly suggest separation — and how it still carries weight today. Chef Beejhy Barhany reflects on the role of Ethiopian food in expressing care and we...

Ruth Alexander looks at the world of snacks. Have we always snacked or is it a more modern phenomenon that started with formal meal patterns? What snacks have been popular through the ages, what’s the industry doing now and what could we be eating in the future? We talk to food historians Dr Annie Gray and Professor Janis Thiessen, the former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman - who remembers the rise of...

When you’re feeling stressed, does it affect your appetite? In this programme Ruth Alexander is joined by two experts in chronic stress to discuss why it can cause us to crave certain foods, the impact on our bodies and whether there’s anything we can do to prepare for periods of stress in our lives. Ruth is joined by Professor Rajita Sinha, clinical psychologist and founding director of the Yale...

There are bakeries, cafes, bars and restaurants around the world which don’t just exist to serve up food and drink – they're on a mission to rebuild lives. Ruth Alexander hears the stories of risk, reward and redemption from three businesses on three different continents: At The Dusty Knuckle bakery in London, the trainee programme manager Charlie Atkinson explains why she thinks a cafe and bakery...

Cottage industries, usually referring to small scale home-based production, can be found all over the world. Often they provide a vital source of additional income for women, particularly in low income and rural areas. In this programme Devina Gupta speaks to women who are working in food cottage industries in India, Eswatini in Southern Africa, and Ecuador, to hear about the work and the differen...

Indigenous food is experiencing a revival in Canada, with growing awareness of First Nations culture, and Indigenous run community farms and restaurants opening. While many are hopeful, there remains challenges to food security, including the realities of living in remote areas, the legacy of historic government schemes and climate change. Megan Lawton speaks to First Nation farmers, restauranteur...

As plastic waste continues to pile up, Ruth Alexander explores how manufacturers, retailers, and designers are rethinking the way our food is packaged. We hear how shoppers are responding to eco-conscious packaging in Finland, from supermarket manager Markku Hautala. And is plastic really the enemy? Paul Jenkins, founder of a leading packaging consultancy, shares the latest innovations in sustaina...

Corner shop, mom and pop store or konbini, whatever you call them, most of us have a local business that sells convenience. Rising food costs mean many are struggling to make a profit, one solution is to improve the fresh food and beverage offering which can have better margins. Ruth Alexander visits a convenience store in Morley in West Yorkshire in the UK, where owner Ajay Singh has introduced c...

What’s the purpose of restaurant reviews? The Food Chain looks at who is qualified to write a review, how helpful they are today and the impact they can have on a business. In this programme Ruth Alexander speaks to Giles Coren, restaurant critic for The Times newspaper in the UK, Opeyemi Famakin, online reviewer and influencer in Nigeria, and Ana Roš, chef and owner of the Hiša Franko restaurant...

Saffron - the world's most expensive spice - is treasured for its rich aroma, vibrant colour, and unique flavour. But why does it command such a high price? In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander uncovers the story of saffron from crocus flower to kitchen, finds out about the labour-intensive harvesting process, and learns about the innovations in lab-grown saffron that could change the...

Why do brands have such power over us? Ruth Alexander talks to the designers influencing your decisions about what and where you eat. Renowned graphic designer Paula Scher shares her insights on what it takes to create a visual identity that stands the test of time, including her work on the US fast-food restaurant Shake Shack. And Arjen Klinkenberg, the creative mind behind Dutch company Tony’s C...

What makes a noodle? Is it the shape? The ingredients? In this programme Devina Gupta explores the history of noodles, tracing their origin back to Third-Century China. She finds out how they came to be eaten in so many different ways in so many different places. Devina enjoys a Tibetan-influenced noodle dish in Delhi’s Monastery Market, a long-time home of Tibetan restaurants and businesses in In...

John Laurenson explores the enduring appeal of stock. A century and a half ago, a butcher at the big Parisian food market Les Halles started selling beef broth – ‘bouillon’ in French - to the people who worked there. In a few years this had developed into what was perhaps the world’s first restaurant chain. By the end of the Nineteenth Century there were hundreds of ‘bouillons’ in Paris. Today, wi...

What motivates someone to dedicate years of their life to learning one skill? Ruth Alexander finds out what it takes to master a craft, the exacting standards one must meet, and why it's all worth it. Sushi chef Eddie Chow tells us how it took more than ten years to achieve the title of 'master sushi chef', and the pain of getting there. What does it take to become an illustrious master butcher in...

We find out the secret recipe that goes into some of the TV food shows watched by millions around the world. From hiring snake wranglers in South Africa to fending off flies in Sweden, three top producers lift the lid on what it takes to serve up a feast of culinary entertainment. Seasoned professionals Avril Beaven (Great British Menu), Irene Wong (Man Fire Food) and Jane Kennedy (Masterchef Sout...

People have been eating out in restaurants and bars for hundreds of years, and some of those early establishments are still open today. This week Ruth Alexander meets the people running some of the world’s oldest restaurants. When so many close within the first 12 months of opening, what’s the secret to centuries-old success? Antonio Gonzales Gomez runs Botin, in the Spanish capital Madrid. The re...

Why do we enjoy foods that crunch? Listener Sheila Harris contacted The Food Chain with that question and asked us to find out if the food texture has any benefits. Ruth Alexander speaks to Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, US, who says that crunchy foods signal freshness and help our brains decide if a food is safe to eat. Paediatric dentis...