Table Talk

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. It has been an incredible rise. More than that, it has created culture. There isn’t a part of the world that coffee has not reached and transformed.   To the point where there has even been an espresso machine used on the International Space Station. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we delve into the history of coffee and discover how it became one of the world's most popular drinks. The history of coffee is, of course, steeped in politics, not least through the evil of slavery. We look into that shameful part of coffee's story and how the impacts are still being felt today. There is intrigue to

“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 Sainsbury’s, M&S, Pret A Manger, and now the World Wildlife Fund. She has worked in packaging for years and her current job title at WWF is Senior Policy Advisor on Consumption. Paula’s expertise in food packaging has proved invaluable in her current role, which involves researching, collecting evidence, and putting forward arguments to persuade authorities to design policies to the benefit of the natural environment. “There’s always reading to be done,” she tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series. “You have to keep abreast of studies, reports and information that is comi

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 of death in the world can be prevented through lifestyle choices.   It begs a couple of questions: how did we end up here in the first place? And what is preventing us from fixing it? It is obviously complex, something we don’t shy away from on this podcast, but perhaps we need to look again at the science and what people are being advised to do.   What advice can modern nutritional science bring, with its understanding of macronutrients and whole-diet approaches?    And how important can diet be in reducing our personal risk factors? Thomas Sander, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics, King's Col

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 alternative protein sector, with its lab grown-meat, plant-based products, and precision fermentation, has been one of the most vibrant and downright fascinating stories of the past few years. But, the challenge remains huge and there are concerns we do not have enough scientists or alternative protein solutions to meet future demand and to address climate challenges. So, how can the alternative protein sector be turbo charged? Where are the gaps? Is it a lack of funding? Too little collaboration? And what about education? Is enough being done to bring through the next generation of scientists and researchers who wil

"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 different start-ups within the food and drink industry, and for the past few years she has been able to go it alone as a consultant. She also does regular work as Head of OOH at the crisp-making company Simply Roasted. But, as we often find on the Career Conversations podcast series, her career path looked like it would go in a very different direction when she first started out. Find out more about the up-coming Food Matters Live careers event series "I was really interested in the property sector and ended up doing real estate management at university," she says. "I ended up trying to explore a couple of other indust

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 announced.     So how do you go about executing a large expansion in a period where customers’ food and fuel prices are going up, when your own food and fuel prices are going up, and after the past couple of years of economic turmoil? It takes a fascinating combination of attributes to lead such change, especially in an organisation which has been a pioneer for organic food for a quarter of a century. George previously held a senior position at the mobile phone company, the Carphone Warehouse.  Mobile phones sound like they are a-million miles away from organic food, but George thinks there is a link between his pre

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 in protecting it. We have made episodes in the past looking at how important biodiversity is within soil, and it can be incredibly complex stuff. The British journalist, author and activist, George Monbiot has previously told this podcast soil is home to as diverse and abundant an ecosystem as a coral reef.  Protecting that biodiversity is as crucial now as it has ever been, but the question is: How can that be done, whilst also maintaining crop yields? Biodiversity plays a big part in our lives. The UN defines it as the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms. But why is it so important? Why d

"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 on a Sunday: "I wasn't very academic at school," he says. "But I did excel at arts and home economics." After initially getting into art college, he had a very late change of heart and ended up doing a BTEC in hotel and catering management at New College Durham. Find out more about the up-coming Food Matters Live careers event series In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, he reveals how he ended up working with Marco Pierre White, forming a lifelong friendship: "That's when my world changed." Paul also reveals the one piece of advice from Marco that sticks with him to this day, and it was

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, looking at the eating habits of people in Britain, showed only one per cent identified as being vegan and just three per cent as vegetarian. So, it looks like a big mountain to climb and it could take some time. But in this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we meet a man who not only thinks it will happen, he thinks it will happen relatively soon. Klaus Mitchell is founder of the media platform Plant Based News, which produces podcasts, editorial, and plant-based lifestyle news all about making veganism and plant-based living part of the mainstream. We delve into his personal story to find out what ins

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 time where the world is opening up, where we perhaps have a different perspective on our personal and collective health, which areas in nutraceuticals are seeing the most demand?   It is a question worth asking, because nutraceuticals are big business. And the people who can spot consumer trends and shifts in the market, will flourish. Gauging the size of the market though, is difficult. There are so many different types of products that fall into the category, it is tricky to quantify exactly how big it is. But it is clear that it is growing and it is growing across multiple sectors of society. Covid-19 changed a

"It's a good conversation starter," says Dr Miriam Ferrer of her job title. "People say 'food supplements? That's just cheap vitamins'. Then I tell them all about it." Dr Ferrer is Head of New Product Development at Cambridge Nutraceuticals, a company that makes health supplements with proven clinical benefits. The company says: "If it isn’t supported by data, we won't sell it." In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, Dr Ferrer tells us all about her role and how she ended up in the field of nutraceuticals. Her love of science began when she was a teenager and watched a documentary about the double helix.  "I wanted to genetic engineering," she says. "I was told I had to study biology, so I did." She studied at the University of Barcelona before securing a position at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge: "The very first thing you see when you go in is the pictures of all the Nobel Prize winners. So no pressure!" Dr Ferrer decided that she wanted to lay down some roots i

According to the United Nations, a large percentage of fisheries are overfished. In many parts of the world there simply are not enough fish to catch and make a profit.  72% of the world is ocean and one-in-three of the fish on your plate are considered to be fished unsustainably. Given that there are billions of people who depend on fishing, either as food or a source of income, something has to change. Both for the industry and for the wider health of our oceans. It is not known how long we can go on fishing the way we are globally, but there is general consensus that it is not too late to turn things around. The idea of sustainable fishing is nothing new. But the question is, which methods used by the fishing industry are actually sustainable? And how realistic is it to think we will get a vast global industry to adopt them? In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we look what the impact would be if we carried on as we are, on fish stocks, local economies and on food security. And we ask:

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says we lose the equivalent of one football field to soil erosion every five seconds. That figure becomes even more shocking the more we learn about what soils are made up of, and the crucial role they play in so many aspects of our lives. Soil is fundamental to human health and society. 95% of food comes from the land, soils filter water to give us clean drinking water, and they provide a range of medicines - most antibiotics come from the soil.  Crucially, when it comes to feeding a growing population, soils are essential.  Whether that’s boosting food production or making sure what we eat contains sufficient nutrients.  The FAO predicts by 2050, we will have up to 10% less crop yield due to erosion, which is the equivalent of removing millions of hectares of land from crop production. In short, soils are so much more than just dirt, and their protection is something that should concern us all. In this episode of the Food Matters Live p

"We hope the students might go on to choose a career in food," says Adele Louise James, Director of Learning for Catering and Technology at Whitefield School in Barnet, North London. "It's a massive industry." "This project shows them the other side of food. Normally, when a student thinks about food they just think about a chef. They don't know about all the other jobs that are involved." Adele is passionate about food and the jobs that the industry can provide in the future for her students. In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, made in partnership with the charity School Food Matters, we learn all about the special project that is helping introduce school children to the wonderful world of working in food. The Fresh Enterprise Project is run by School Food Matters in collaboration with the food manufacturer, Belazu. Schools: Find out more about the Fresh Enterprise project and how to apply to join Ethical food brands: How you can partner with School Food Matters It sees teams

"I find it interesting how poorly understood the food system is by politicians in the UK," says Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). "Food manufacturing is something we need to educate them on better. We're often hidden away and out of view, but what goes on in our industry is absolutely vital." Karen took on the role at the FDF in December 2021 and what a time to do it. Since her appointment, the food industry has faced enormous challenges, including inflation, a fuel crisis, and the global effects of the war in Ukraine, not to mention the fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic. But she is well-placed to face those challenges, with a CV that is as intriguing as it is impressive.  She is a former lawyer and has had posts including: ambassador to Morocco, positions in the Cabinet Office and the Joint Intelligence Committee, and senior jobs in industry, recently as Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association. So what is her vision for the FDF? What are her priorities amo

The World Health Organization says there are four-times as many people with Type 2 Diabetes today than there were just 30 years ago. Type 2 Diabetes is often called a “lifestyle disease”, with inactivity and an unhealthy diet greatly increasing the risk of developing it.   Food is a central part of the cause and appears to be a major part of the solution.      So what role has the food industry played in the huge rise in cases, and what role it might be able to play in bringing them down? This episode also delves into the advice given to people to avoid developing Type 2 Diabetes and looks at the work being done to reverse the condition in those who have it. For both of the above, we ask: Is general advice applicable to everyone, or do we need to adopt a more personalised approach? Listen to the full episode to find out what happens deep within someone's body when they go intro remission, how much is known about diabetes in people in all populations, and where anyone worried about Type 2 Diabetes can go

"I've always been driven, not by wealth, but by a desire to make a difference." Wendy Wilson-Bett is the co-founder of Peter's Yard, the food company that makes sourdough treats, most-famously their sourdough crackers. Her career has seen her working for some of the biggest food brands in the world, and her story of launching Peter's Yard is one of perseverance. She discovered a baker making the crackers whilst touring Sweden and approached him about working together to take the product to the UK. Now, 12 years after the brand was first launched, Peter's Yard has been bought by a bigger company, potentially helping the business to grow even further. Despite the timescales involved in the journey, Wendy says she does not regret a thing mainly because: "I love what I do." She is a big advocate of having a solid plan if you want to achieve success, something she says comes from her time working at big companies: "I don't think you can work in marketing in a big corporation and not believe in the strength o

For decades, the global food system has evolved around a small number of plants and animals. 75% of our calories now come from just five animals and 12 crops.     But as the world becomes more insecure, and the climate crisis worsens, the risk of relying on a small number of crops rises.   And the risks are not just around the crops, they are around the geography of the system. We are all seeing that now, as the war in Ukraine causes global issues in food price and supply. So the food system needs to adapt and change; we should be growing different crops in different places. The good news is, our world is full of incredible, edible things. There are thousands of plants which can give us what we need, and which are not currently being eaten at scale.   Within that diversity, surely there are plants which could become new global or regional staples, which could resist drought, which could make us healthier. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, our panel of experts look at what the diet of the

Throughout history, the link between social class and food has been undeniable. But is it still there today? So many of the things we do signify social status; how we speak, our hobbies, the things we buy. But how does food fit into all that?     We may no longer live in a country where the upper classes are feasting on peacock, whilst the lower classes make do with gruel, but that doesn’t mean social class and food are not linked.    Avocados have almost been weaponised in recent years in Britain, often used by those apparently keen on a class war. How have avocados ended up being used in that way? And are there other examples of certain foods becoming powerful symbols in quite the same way? The language of food can be important too in this context. Just think about the different ways people refer to their dinner, supper, or tea. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast we look to the history for clues about how much class still influences food in the modern world. Are there certain foods in t

"Your first job is not necessarily what you're going to do for the rest of your life. Just think about what you would enjoy, rather than stressing that you've committed to a career for 50 years." Ella Jones is Junior Brand Manager at Mondelez International, the multinational company which boasts the likes of Cadbury, Oreo, Ritz, and Green and Black's in its portfolio. She's only been in the role a few years, but her story could prove inspirational for anyone receiving exam results this summer, and starting to consider where their career might be heading. Ella studied English Literature at the University of Exeter and wasn't entirely sure what she would do after. In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, she reveals the unconventional approach she took to hunting for a job and ended up at Mondelez. She says she looked at the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list and thumbed through, highlighting companies that she though looked interesting. When she came across Mondelez, she says she th