The Food Chain

BBC World Service

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

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553 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes553

Newest first

Following my food dream
Three restaurateurs on what it's like to quit a high-flying career for your passion
March 12 · 26 min
The story of the sandwich
An easy meal with global appeal, endless possibilities and hidden meaning.
March 5 · 26 min
Small kitchens
From city flats to Michelin-starred eateries - what it's like to cook in a tiny space.
February 26 · 26 min
The risk takers
The tough choices food founders make to survive.
February 19 · 26 min
How to write a recipe
Ruth Alexander learns about the art, science and hard work that goes into recipe writing.
February 12 · 26 min
Can you learn to love the foods you hate?
Exploring where food dislikes come from and whether they can be changed
February 5 · 26 min
Fermented foods: A beginner's guide
Discover the basics of fermented food. How to make it and what it's doing in our guts.
January 29 · 30 min
Dinner unboxed
What meal kits reveal about how we plan, buy and cook our food
January 22 · 26 min
Should we all eat the Mediterranean way?
How the Mediterranean diet came to be the world's most researched and recommended diet.
January 15 · 26 min
Tweaks for 2026: How to eat better
The smartest nutrition advice from 2025 to help you feel better in 2026
January 8 · 26 min
Family ties
Revisiting some of the most powerful stories from 2025
Dec 25, 2025 · 26 min
What is the ultimate hangover cure?
Find out what happens in your body after you’ve had alcohol and whether any remedies work
Dec 18, 2025 · 26 min
Food heroes and villains
Why does social media cast some foods as heroes and others as villains?
Dec 11, 2025 · 26 min
How to eat well in the cold
What kinds of food and drink help people keep warm while living in extreme cold?
Dec 4, 2025 · 26 min
To tip or not to tip?
What wait staff really think about your payments for their service
Nov 27, 2025 · 26 min
The servers: The highs and lows of waiting on tables
What is your table server really thinking? We hear about the working lives of wait staff
Nov 20, 2025 · 26 min
Food by drones?
From hot takeaways to emergency aid, are autonomous aircraft the future?
Nov 13, 2025 · 31 min
Turmeric: The golden spice
Rumella Dasgupta looks at the history of turmeric and its uses in both food and medicine
Nov 6, 2025 · 26 min
The chefs
Chefs from three continents tell Ruth Alexander what makes this demanding job so special.
Oct 30, 2025 · 26 min
The coffee habit: Why do we love it so much?
The story of why we love coffee, through history, tradition and science.
Oct 22, 2025 · 27 min

The Food Chain

Following my food dream

The story of the sandwich

Small kitchens

The risk takers

How to write a recipe

Can you learn to love the foods you hate?

Fermented foods: A beginner's guide

Dinner unboxed

Should we all eat the Mediterranean way?

Tweaks for 2026: How to eat better

Family ties

What is the ultimate hangover cure?

Food heroes and villains

How to eat well in the cold

To tip or not to tip?

The servers: The highs and lows of waiting on tables

Food by drones?

Turmeric: The golden spice

The chefs

The coffee habit: Why do we love it so much?