Table Talk

"Rice for breakfast is absolutely standard," says James Forsyth, Performance Chef for elite cycling team the INEOS Grenadiers. That's just one of the many, slightly odd, things he has to think about as part of his role. His job is to prepare meals for all members of the cycling team, as they compete at major events such as the Tour de France. So much thought goes into what the athletes eat and it varies depending on what role the individual cyclist has within the team. One thing is for certain, a lot of food needs to be consumed to make sure the riders are fit and ready to compete at the very top level. "It's about the volume of what they eat at each mealtime," James tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series. "Each meal would probably equate to around six or seven meals." The INEOS Grenadiers, formerly known as Team Sky, are one of the most successful cycling teams of recent years. Geraint Thomas, who won the Tour de France in 2018, currently rides for t

What is it that motivates Dan Saladino; journalist, broadcaster and author, to continue to tell stories of food? He has spent years producing and presenting BBC Radio 4's prestigious and long-running show The Food Programme, has made documentaries about food all over the world, and most recently has published an award-winning book. "Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them" has been picking up awards left, right, and centre since it was published, most recently picking up two prizes at the Guild of Food Writers Awards 2022. In this episodes of the Food Matters Live Podcast, Dan reveals how his passion for food, and the stories behind it, are inspired by his Sicilian roots. Not only because of the fantastic array of different foods he was exposed to at a time when UK cuisine left a little to be desired, but also because he saw first-hand just how central food was to people's lives and livelihoods. That drove him to a career telling stories about food, how it's

"You don't have to do what everyone else does. Really, really think about what you love in life." That's the advice from Helen Pattinson, co-founder of the hugely successful Montezuma's chocolate brand, in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series. Helen started her working life as a lawyer, and enjoyed a successful career. But she says, she "didn't really know" what her passion was at the time. Whilst still working is a lawyer, she met her future husband and the pair decided to pack it all in and go travelling. It was whilst they were in Argentina that the idea of starting a chocolate brand first emerged. Helen says they were staying in a small town which had a whole host of chocolate shops. "They can sustain all of these chocolate shops in this tiny little town," she says, "what have we got in the UK?" The couple drew up a business plan, returned to the UK, and opened their first shop in Brighton in the south of England. Listen to the full episode to find out about s

When elite triathlete Justus Nieschlag suffered a partial rupture of his Achilles tendon, it couldn't have come at a worse time. The Tokyo Olympics in 2021, delayed by a year because of the Coronavirus pandemic, were just around the corner and the then 29-year-old was in pain. "Knowing I couldn't perform as I would like and I couldn't train and race 100 per cent meant it was a really tough time for me," he tells Stefan Gates in this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, made in partnership with GELITA. "You prepare for four years then it's like this. It was super hard and it was not a good time for me." Justus did compete at the Games, representing Germany in the Triathlon. Despite carrying the Achilles injury, he helped the team to an impressive sixth-placed finish in the team relay. But after the Games came the prospect of a long period of rehabilitation.  Profile: Justus Nieschlag Age: 30 Nationality: German Discipline: Triathlon Honours:  Germany’s middle-distance IRONMAN 70

The US is, of course, a huge player in the food industry and its influences are felt far and wide. From agricultural production, to processing, to fast food chains and advertising. And it’s home to some of the biggest food companies in the world. But is there such a thing as a defined American cuisine? Is it new world ingredients like corn, squash and beans, fast-food foods such as hamburgers, hotdogs and fries? Of course it is more than that, but how do you define it? Can it be defined? In such a vast country, both in terms of area and population, is there one dish that everyone identifies with? Paul Freedman is an expert on the subject and tells the Food Matters Live Podcast there are three elements to US food; Regional, Modern Industrial Food, and Variety. Listen to the full episode to hear about the different dishes that play a major role in the eating habits of Americans, why how and where you eat can be just as important as what you eat, and the important role of race and gender in def

How much do consumers want to know about the environmental impact of the food products they buy? There's no doubt that environmental issues are increasingly on the minds of shoppers, but it can be difficult to know if what you're buying is "good" or "bad" for the planet. With that in mind, Foundation Earth is trying to establish a simple front-of-pack grading system that offers answers at a glance, whilst also providing the opportunity for further reading through a QR code. The United Nations estimates that the food system accounts for more than one-third of global greenhouse gas emission, a sobering thought. But the environmental impact of a food product goes well beyond just how much carbon is pumped into the atmosphere. Foundation Earth says we need to be looking much more broadly at things like land use, water pollution, and biodiversity. And it's no use just looking at how production impacts the environment without considering transport, how the product is cooked, and how waste packagin

"It was a very humbling experience, with many learnings that I still treasure." That's how Alberto Lo Bue, Managing Director at the food waste app, OLIO, describes an attempt earlier in his career to launch his own start-up. "It's not enough to do something just because you want to do it," he tells Elisa Roche in the latest episode of the Career Conversations podcast series. "You can do a much better job if you care deeply about the mission and the cause." Alberto's career has seen him work for some of the biggest players in the tech sector. He started life in southern Italy, but moved to the north of the country and eventually the UK to complete his studies. After doing a degree in management and economics, his first job was working with a start-up incubator in Berlin. He describes his role as helping new companies solve their biggest issues. Next up was Foodpanda, an online food and grocery delivery programme which is massive in Asia and many other parts of the world. "That was my 'in' int

Sustainability is at the top of the agenda for many consumers and businesses in the food sector, but how do you make your hospitality business more sustainable without breaking the bank? There's no doubt that consumers are more aware than ever of climate change, and in some cases are willing to pay more for the planet-friendly choice. But sustainability works on many levels, it's not just about your carbon footprint, and highlighting your environmental credentials can be tricky. And it must not be forgotten that for many, a more expensive choice simply isn't an option. In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we look at how hospitality businesses can be more sustainable and how doing so could even help to bring their costs down. Join our Masterclass: How to integrate sustainability into your foodservice business The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) is helping businesses in this area and says, when it comes to sustainability, a 360-degree approach is needed. Companies ne

There's no doubt that the personalised nutrition market is growing, and fast. Forecasts suggest the sector could be worth anything between $15bn and $25bn within the next five years. And it seems to be everywhere you look, with a wealth of apps, advisors, and new companies entering the market.   But it’s an area that’s pushing the boundaries of science and medicine. In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we take stock and ask: Where are we at with personalised nutrition? What does the science say? Just how optimistic, or cautious, should we be about how effective this approach is? And what’s driving the growth in the sector? Technology is certainly helping the sector to grow, but does the future of personalised nutrition lay online or face-to-face consultations? Is there much difference, both in quality of advice and outcomes, between visiting a trained professional and using a data-driven app? Personalisation could be as simple as following a vegan diet, but it can be as co

"I never knew that my job existed," says April Dear, Senior Product and Packaging Development Manager for Asda. "That's why I'm really passionate about letting younger people know about all the different paths that are out there." In this episode of the Career Conversations series, we learn all about April's role at one of the UK's biggest supermarkets. Her job means she is responsible for a large team of product development managers, covering meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, and frozen foods. That means coming up with ideas for new products from scratch, doing market research, then taking them from the drawing board to the supermarket shelves. It's no mean feat and can take many months, and thousands of man-hours before a product is ready to be sold. April says her career began in the kitchen, where she was a successful chef: "I started working in kitchens when I was 13, just doing pots. And I worked in kitchens the whole time I was a teen. "Then I had my daughter when I was 19, and I conti

Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed's career has taken her in all sorts of different directions. She is a junior doctor working in the NHS, an author, and of course she won MasterChef in 2017. But her passion for good food doesn't stop there, Saliha co-founded the No Hungry NHS Staff campaign. It's about making sure NHS staff have access to hot, affordable, nutritious food - whatever time of the day or night they are working. In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, Saliha says she sees the impact bad diet has on people's health every day in her NHS work. That's mainly in patients (she specialises in digestive disorders), but also the short-term impact of staff going hungry or being forced to eat poorly. She's also keen that, when it comes to diet-related health outcomes, prevention should be given more prominence. Saliha believes as much attention should be paid to what people eat in the years before they become ill, as the medicine they are given once a problem emerges. Listen to the fu

What’s the link between the food we eat and brain function? We’ve spoken on the Food Matters Live Podcast recently about nutrition and healthy ageing, but the link with cognitive function warrants an episode all of its own. There’s a lot of current research into whether diet can slow down cognitive ageing and even reduce your risk of dementia. The notion of ‘brain food’ is nothing new, but how much of what we’re told stands up to scrutiny?   What does the research tell us?  And what should we be eating to keep our brains healthy? The brain makes up just two per cent of our bodyweight, but uses 20 per cent of our oxygen intake, 20 per cent of the glucose we consume, and needs more than 1,000 litres of blood every day. It would seem to follow that the nutrients we consume through the food we eat will have a big impact on our brain function. But we're interested in looking at the facts, the science, and the research that either supports or contradicts that assumption. In recent years it’s

What's the secret to having a successful career as a flavourist? Marie Wright, Chief Global Flavourist at food processing corporation ADM, says it's all about passion. In this episode of the Career Conversations series, she reveals all to Elisa Roche about how she rose through the ranks to become one of the best flavourists in the world. And, although she says there are many elements to forging a successful career, passion, grit, and a desire to keep learning will get you a long way: "It's important that you don't ever get to a position where you say I'm there now, I don't need to learn anymore." Marie's job involves helping brands to create new flavours from scratch, or recreating complicated flavours that excite the senses. But how do you go about doing that?  She says a good analogy for her job is a perfumer, creating tastes and flavours for food. She grew up in the UK, now lives in America, and was influenced by her Turkish father and Italian mother's cooking. All of which stood her in good

How can the food industry innovate to meet the demands and challenges it's facing, and do so in an efficient way? The answer, according to Tetra Pak: Partnerships, partnerships, and more partnerships. There are all kinds of issues that need to be tackled, not least the question of sustainability. In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we shine a light on a small company that says it's found a solution to a big problem, and how it's working with a big company to get that solution out into the world. EnginZyme takes waste materials from food processing and uses enzymes to transform that material into useful, sustainable, and natural added-value products. The company says its method requires less energy and leads to far less waste than conventional methods. Join our complimentary webinar:  Climate optimism – shifting the narrative on climate change Featuring Anne Therese Gennari in partnership with Tetra Pak But it is expensive work and EnginZyme isn't primarily a food comp

Studies have shown that around 20-30 per cent of how we age is down to our genetics, so how big a factor is what we eat in the remaining 70 per cent? In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we explore the relationship between our diets and our health in later life. Life expectancy has fallen in the UK very recently, largely down to the Coronavirus pandemic, but it had been rising consistently since the end of the Second World War. And an ageing population can throw up a number of problems… The UK Government’s Foresight report into the future of an ageing population points out that without significant improvements, ill-health, chronic conditions, and cognitive impairments will become more common. The question for us is: can our diet help prevent these things?  And what can we learn from the food culture in places where people live the longest, healthiest lives? As we grow older, our nutritional requirements change, so should our eating habits change too? At what age do we need t

The UK Government is planning to introduce a raft of restrictions on the promotion of foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) - but will they actually make any difference? The idea behind the proposals is to improve public health.  But will we actually develop new, healthy shopping habits once the regulations come in? In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we look at the evidence to see how shopping and eating habits might change. What does the research show? How will impulse purchasing be affected? In short, what happens when our favourite foods are no longer quite so visible? The Government recently announced that it was delaying some of the restrictions. That has caused lots of controversy and no doubt we will revisit the topic in the weeks ahead. But here's how things stand as of June 2022: A ban on buy-one-get-one free deals on food and drink that is high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as free refills for soft drinks, has been postponed by 12 months and won’t b

Practice, practice, practice. It's good advice whatever food career you're hoping to embark on, and according to Dominique Woolf it is particularly good advice if you want to get into writing cookery books. In this edition of the Career Conversations podcast series, Dominique tells Elisa Roche there simply is no substitute for getting as much experience as possible. She recently won the TV show "The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver" and is releasing her first cookbook "Dominique's Kitchen" this month. But, she says, success didn't come overnight. In fact she says she spent years going to events to learn about cookbooks, meeting her favourite writers and reading as much as she could. "It was something that had been bubbling away for years and years and years," says Dominique. "Winning the show was the ultimate validation." Her advice to anyone hoping to one day become a cookery book writer is to get work experience, read as much as you can, and keep practising: "Writing is essential."

What can be done to solve the growing problem of labour shortages in the UK food sector? 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 says if nothing is done to address the issue, labour shortages will shrink the sector permanently. It is a stark warning and we are already seeing the effects. In recent months we have seen crops left to rot in the fields, tens-of-thousands of pigs incinerated or rendered due to a lack of workers at meat processing plants, and disruption to the food supply chain. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we delve into the causes of the crisis, as well as looking at what some of the solutions may be. How big a role are Brexit and Covid playing? Will higher salaries help to alleviate the problems? Is the Government doing enough to help the industry? And what does the current situation mean for workers? There are mo

There's no doubt that plant-based dairy alternatives are booming. In 2021, a Bloomberg Intelligence report estimated that the global market for dairy-alternative milk could grow to more than $60bn by 2030. But this isn’t just about milk, there is dairy-free cheese, ice cream, just about everything, and the market is constantly evolving. Where plant-based dairy was once the preserve of people who identified as vegan, we've long-since moved on to flexitarians. Now sustainability is one of the key factors affecting the products people buy, meaning ever more innovative ways of making alternative dairy products. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Edlong, we look at where the market is heading, the challenges of making new products that taste and feel like dairy, and the crucial role consumer messaging has to play in the sector's future. With new innovations in cultured, fermented and hybrid products helping meet the demand for sustainable alternatives, how do

Liz Littlewood says she struggled at first to convince her parents and her teachers that a career in food was a good choice: "I had to fight quite hard to continue doing it at school and then university." But she did persevere and now, as Co-op's Lead Technical Manager for Ambient Foods, Non-Food, Beers, Wines and Spirits, she says she's so pleased she stuck with it. "I'm really glad I got a job that I really enjoy and I've had a varied career," she tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series. Liz's journey so far has seen her get a degree in Food Technology at Manchester Met University, work for M&S, Morrisons, and now the Co-op. Her current role comes with a fair bit of power, she and her team have the ability to stop a product going into stores at pretty much any stage of the development process. It also requires a bit of knowledge about a lot of things, from the manufacturing process, to packaging, transport and distribution, and legal and legislative re