The Food Programme
| Genre | Documentary-style narration |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 mins (Sundays at 12.30) |
| Country | UK |
| Home station | Radio 4 |
| Hosts | Sheila Dillon |
| Air dates | since 30 September 1979 |
| Website | The Food Programme |
| Podcast | Podcasts |
The Food Programme is a BBC Radio 4 programme investigating and celebrating good food, founded by Derek Cooper and currently presented by Sheila Dillon.
It is a programme about food production, consumption and quality rather than a cookery programme with recipes. It looks at the food industry (usually that of Britain) at the macroscopic level. Apart from recent Jamie Oliver campaigns and the output of Jimmy Doherty, there are few programmes (except Farming Today) that do this. Farming Today covers the upstream section of the British food industry and The Food Programme covers the downstream section.
Contents |
[edit] History
It began being broadcast in 1979. It was initially broadcast at 12.30 on a Sunday afternoon, after which there was The World This Weekend.
[edit] Structure
Programmes are usually devoted to discussion of a single topic, from a consumer angle, such as:
- Topical issues related to food, such as institutional cookery or dealing with food waste;
- A specific food item, such as a particular fruit or traditional dish;
- Food of a certain geographical area or of certain ethnic peoples;
- Health issues in relation to food.
Sometimes, the theme of a programme may fit into several of the above categories. For example, the programme broadcast on August 14 and 15 2011 dealt with institutional policies to improve the diets of people in Scotland so as to make their diets more salubrious, a topic which is at once a topical issue related to food, a health issue related to food and a topic relating to the diet of people in a certain geographical group.
All the most recent programmes are now available indefinitely at the Radio 4 website to listen again.
[edit] Awards
The show hosts the annual BBC Radio Food and Farming Awards, and in so doing has been praised by Charles, Prince of Wales as a "national institution".[1]
The Food Programme, which celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in November 2009,[2] has won multiple UK radio awards.[3][4]
[edit] See also
- You and Yours, covers the more popular (mass market) types of food stories and food scares.
[edit] References
- ^ Speech by the Prince of Wales at the BBC Radio Food and Farming Awards 2000
- ^ Paul Vallely (15 November 2009). "Relish for food and an appetite for change". Independent on Sunday. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/relish-for-food-and-an-appetite-for-change-1820963.html.
- ^ Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards
- ^ Guild of Food Writers Awards 1998, 2001, 2004
