Food Matters Live Podcast

Catherine Washbrook Davies is one of the UK’s leading experts in diabetes, diet and weight management.  She currently has two roles, as a Diabetes UK clinical champion in Wales, and as the All Wales Nutrition and Dietetic Lead for Diabetes for NHS Wales. Catherine advocates an "everything in moderation" philosophy and says she still enjoys chocolate! She says no food group should be banned when trying to get healthier. Catherine has an amazing job whether she is advising individuals or entire communities about how to make life changing improvements. Find out more about the up-coming Food Matters Live careers event series Listen to the full episode to find out how she ended up with such a prominent role in the place she studied, why she is not so keen on nutrition advice being given out on social media, and her take on how some elements of the food industry are fuelling obesity. Catherine Washbrook-Davies MSc, BSc (Hons) RD, All Wales Nutrition and Dietetic lead for diabetes and All Wales Diabetes Prevention Programme Catherine has 20 years experience delivering patient education in both type 2 diabetes and weight management.  She currently holds a dual role across Wales and is a Diabetes UK Clinical champion. Catherine is the all Wales nutrition & dietetic lead for diabetes for NHS Wales, responsible for ensuring a consistent approach to food and nutrition education across Wales for people living with diabetes.  Within this role she leads the all Wales type 2 diabetes remission project.  Catherine is also the dietetic clinical lead for the All Wales Diabetes Prevention Programme working in partnership with public health Wales and partners to instigate a once for Wales diabetes prevention programme. She has gained a great deal of understanding and empathy for people living with obesity and/or diabetes and the complexities of coping with these through the use of motivational interviewing techniques and skills.

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy, also known as the Sugar Tax, was introduced in the UK in 2018 with the aim of tackling childhood obesity.But what might the implications be if the UK Government decides to scrap it?According to many people, it has been a great success.  Drinks manufacturers have reformulated their products, reducing the sugar content in drinks, around £300 million a year has been raised, which has been spent on things like school sports and breakfast clubs, and it is estimated the amount of sugar purchased by households through soft drinks fell by 10% in the year following the introduction.However, not everyone thinks it is a good thing. And its existence is under threat. At the time of writing, Liz Truss has announced her resignation as UK Prime Minister, but it is not clear who will replace her.In the weeks before her resignation, it was widely reported that she was considering scrapping the Sugar Tax.As treasury minister Liz Truss said "taxes on treats" hit those on the lowest incomes and people should be "free to choose".     Whoever takes over at 10 Downing Street will have a decision to make; keep the Sugar Tax or abandon it.So, we are asking: how well has the tax worked, and what might happen if it was to disappear?Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics, Institute of Economic AffairsChristopher Snowdon is Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs.He is the author of The Art of Suppression, The Spirit Level Delusion and Velvet Glove; Iron Fist. His work focuses on pleasure, prohibition and dodgy statistics. He has authored a number of publications including Sock Puppets, Euro Puppets, The Proof of the Pudding, The Crack Cocaine of Gambling and Free Market Solutions in HealthGiles Yeo MBE,  Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology at the Medical Research Council’s Metabolic Diseases UnitGiles Yeo is a Principal Research Associate at MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit and the Scientific Director of the Genomics/Transcriptomics Core at the University of Cambridge. His main research focus is exploring brain control of food intake and the role genetics plays in appetite behaviour. Giles is not just a researcher; he is also a published author and broadcaster. 

It is boom time for the ancient method of food production known as fermentation.And it is being driven by the growth in alternative proteins.  As the sector grows, new ingredients are being created by fermentation, and research is showing even greater possibilities for the future.Of course, as any lover of beer, wine, yoghurt, and cheese knows fermentation is nothing new.      But modern methods like biomass fermentation and precision fermentation are helping people innovate, not just through new products but also through incredible efficiencies in production. Even at its most basic, fermentation seems like a slightly magical process. So, in this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we investigate at the science and look to the future to ask where the sector might be heading.Listen to the full episode to find out how fermentation is defined, how the process works, and why, despite being around for centuries, it could have a significant role in the future of food.Dr Tim Finnigan, Chief Scientific Officer, Quorn FoodsDr Tim Finnigan serves as Chief Scientific Officer at Quorn Foods, responsible for the research collaborations that underpin our agenda for sustainable nutrition. With more than 30 years at Quorn, Tim has designed many of the products, processes and intellectual property held by the business, as well as advancing an ever deeper scientific understanding of Quorn mycoprotein and its contemporary role in assuring a sustainable food future. Tim is also a keen exercise enthusiast committed to the possibilities of healthy ageing.Tim is a PhD graduate of the Food and Biosciences faculty of the University of Reading and has held innovation roles in UK government food research, Kraft General Foods, APV, RHM, AstraZeneca and Premier Foods. He designs and directs fast-paced and profitable scientific research and innovation through high-performing teams. Tim has been instrumental in helping to establish Quorn Foods as the world’s leading sustainable protein business.Carlotte Lucas, Corporate Engagement Manager, Good Food InstituteCarlotte supports the food industry to make delicious and affordable plant-based meat available across Europe, and prepare the sector for the arrival of cultivated meat.Carlotte leads the Good Food Institute's corporate engagement work, connecting with companies and investors across Europe to encourage investment and innovation in sustainable proteins.She is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and her background is in change management consultancy with Deloitte, supporting companies and stakeholders through large-scale transformations.

"I see my job as being the guardian of COOK's values and purpose," says the company's Co-CEO, Rosie Brown. "To make sure that everybody in COOK is living the values that were set out when he started the business."It is clear from listening to Rosie that the way COOK does business is just as important to her as making a profit, if not more so.In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, she tells us how she ended up co-running the hugely popular frozen meals company.She tells host Elisa Roche she started life wanting to be a nurse, then moved into the political world, before deciding to join her brother Ed at COOK.Ed founded the business and Rosie joined three years later.They also work with another of their brothers. "We've always got on," she says."I think it helps that Ed and I share values and have been completely united in our vision for COOK, not just in what we want to achieve but how we want to get there."Listen to the full episode to find out why Rosie believes business can be a force for good in the world, her secret to maintaining a company's values when you have 1,600 staff members, and how the cost of living crisis is affecting the business.Find out more about the up-coming Food Matters Live careers event seriesRosie Brown, Co-CEO, COOKGrowing up, Rosie Brown dreamed of a career in nursing, but a year into training she realised it wasn’t for her. Then she worked in the City. Another mistake. Aged 25, she joined her brother Ed’s new frozen meals business – COOK. Together, the siblings built it into a £100m company, with nearly 90 stores, hundreds of concessions, and a thriving e-commerce arm – making it one of the largest independently owned food businesses in the UK.Rosie was the company’s first Head of People – and people remain at the core of her work today. She believes in the power of business to make a positive impact and, for her, COOK is about building community one plate, one person at a time. “The biggest impact a company can have is its people,” says Rosie. “Employment can change people’s lives. Given the right support, everyone can achieve extraordinary things.”Rosie is proud to chair the employment board at HMP Wandsworth – and ex-offenders, former addicts and the homeless made up 10 per cent of COOK’s new recruits last year, as part of its pioneering RAW Talent programme.Founded in 1997, COOK nourishes the nation through 90 retail stores (but notably not in the big four supermarkets), 800 concessions, and a rapidly expanding delivery business. Their kitchens use the same techniques you would at home, so everything looks and (more importantly) tastes – homemade. They just use bigger pans.  Resolutely independent, today COOK has 1,700 employees and turned over £94.4m in 2021/22 – without selling a single meal through one of the Big Four supermarkets.There are three key strands to COOK: food that tastes like it’s been made at home, business independence, and creating community.

Millions of people around the world go to bed hungry every night.It is an appalling fact, especially in a world where billions of tonnes of food is wasted every year.There are few places on Earth, if any, were hunger is more of a critical issue than in Somalia, East Africa.Malnutrition is rife in the country, which has been beset by drought and conflict. Government officials warn Somalia is on the brink of famine.In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we meet the people who are working tirelessly to stop hunger, in Somalia and elsewhere in the world.Action Against Hunger works in more than 50 countries around the world, providing life-saving programmes and helping millions of people.But how does an organisation like this go about helping so many people?The Love Food Give Food CampaignAction Against Hunger UK’s Love Food Give Food campaign brings together the food and hospitality industry and their customers to take action against hunger. Through our shared love of food, we can fight the hunger crisis and help vulnerable communities to build a brighter future.Just £1 can provide a mother with a day’s worth of life saving therapeutic food to treat a malnourished child. In September and October, you can support our life-saving work by donating on Action Against Hunger’s website or at one of the restaurants participating in the campaign.Click here to find out moreWhat work goes into getting the right help, to the right people, at the right time?We are joined from Mogadishu by Action Against Hunger's Country Director in Somalia, Ahmed Khalif, detailing the exact work that is happening in the country.He tells us about the groundwork that needed to be laid to allow aid to arrive, as well as how they overcome the challenge of working with different communities in the country.Alison McNutly, Action Against Hunger UK's Director of Operations reveals how the charity works out what help is needed, and the logistics of getting it where it is most needed.Action Against Hunger UK's Head of Nutrition, Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera, sheds some light on the innovations in nutrition that are helping to ensure the maximum amount of help is sent to the maximum number of people.Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera, Action Against Hunger UK’s Head of Nutrition Alexandra is a multi-skilled registered nurse holding an MSc in Nutrition for Global Health from the London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine. She has 16 years' experience in the field of public health nutrition in diverse settings across Africa and Asia.  Before Action Against Hunger, she worked for Doctors Without Borders, International Medical Corps and Save the Children. Recognised for her technical skills, she is a guest lecturer at the LSHM, LSTM, Metropolitan and Westminster Universities, King’s College and the American University of Beirut.  She is, amongst others, a member of the strategic advisory groups of the Global Nutrition Cluster and Infant Feeding in Emergency core group and co-chairs the Global technical Assistance Mechanism on Nutrition Information Systems. She also coordinates a group of researchers working on the topic of Kwashiorkor Alison McNulty, Action Against Hunger UK’s Director of Operations Alison McNulty has been Operations Director at Action Against Hunger UK since 2020. She brings a strong background in research, evaluation and strategy following a career as a health and social care researcher, and has managed and led teams to support the creation of strong evidence.  Alison has worked in the humanitarian sector since 2010, after leaving the academic sector, and has a passion to showcase the impact of the charity as it strives for a world free from hunger. Ahmed Khalif, Action Against Hunger Country Director in Somalia Ahmed is a seasoned humanitarian and development professional who has held middle and senior leadership positions in various organisations.  Ahmed holds a Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance from Tufts University, USA; a Post Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies from the University of Northampton, UK.  He has a specific interest in strengthening systems, such as food, health, and water as well as disaster resilience.

How much impact will the drought of 2022 have on the food system in the UK, Europe, and around the world?The summer of 2022 will be remembered for a lack of rain, wildfires, and extreme temperatures.For the first time since records began, Britain endured temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius.Records were broken across Europe too, with a high of 47 degrees recorded in Portugal.Rivers dried up and wildfires broke out in 19 European countries, including England, France, Spain, and Greece.The high temperatures were compounded by a lack of rain. For the UK, 2022 is the driest in nearly 50 years.In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we ask: how is the extreme weather affecting food production?With climate change promising more summers like this, what does it mean for the future of the global food system?And what might the long-term impacts be of some the challenges we are beginning to face today?Professor Tim G. Benton, Research Director, Environment and Society Programme, Chatham HouseProfessor Tim G. Benton joined Chatham House in 2016 as a distinguished visiting fellow, at which time he was also dean of strategic research initiatives at the University of Leeds.From 2011-2016 he was the ‘champion’ of the UK’s Global Food Security programme, which was a multi-agency partnership of the UK’s public bodies (government departments, devolved governments and research councils) with an interest in the challenges around food.He has worked with UK governments, the EU and G20. He has been a global agenda steward of the World Economic Forum, and is an author of the IPCC’s Special Report on Food, Land and Climate (2019), and the UK’s Climate Change Risk Assessment (2017, 2022).He has published more than 150 academic papers, many tackling how systems respond to environmental change. His work on sustainability leadership has been recognized with an honorary fellowship of the UK’s Society for the Environment, and a doctorate honoris causa from the Université catholique de Louvain, BelgiumJack Ward, Group CEO, British Growers AssociationJack Ward is the Group CEO and he has a prestigious background in the sectors having previously held roles such as Regional Director for the NFU, Director for the Oxford Farming Conference, Chairman & Trustee for Nuffield Farming Scholarship, CEO of the City & Guilds Land Based Services before becoming CEO of British Growers in 2014.As he states “We aim to raise the profile of UK Fresh Produce and horticulture by encouraging a greater understanding of the industry and its importance to the UK economy. The sectors are a major employer, an important source of investment and an integral part of the UK food supply chain. We believe that raising the profile is an ongoing process and our ability to bring together a diverse cross sector of the industry enables us to provide a focal point for the Fresh Produce and horticultural industry.”Sylvie Wabbes, Resilience Advisor, Emergency and Resilience Office, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

"I've always realised the power of physical fitness, ever since I was very young," says Dr Greg Lessons, Health Improvement Lead at the Fire Fighters Charity. "Being in the fire service, the food environment was leading me to gain body fat."Dr Lessons says it was not just the thought of losing some weight that got him interested in nutrition, he was interested in the other ways a healthy diet could help him and his colleagues.He says things like obesity and poor nutrition within the fire service are reflective of wider society, but that there are specific challenges that need to be addressed.In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, Dr Lessons explains all about his role at the Fire Fighters Charity and the path that led him to his current job.Initially, he wanted to be a Royal Marine and went to the University of Exeter to study Sports Science, as a way into the military at officer level."It wasn't long after starting that I realised I didn't want to join the military after all," he says.So, he decided to carry on with his education before joining the fire service as a fire fighter.Find out more about the up-coming Food Matters Live careers event seriesWhen it comes to comparing the military to the fire service, Dr Lessons has this to say: "There are parallels, but in terms of what you actually do, it couldn't be further apart."In the military, one of the main objectives is to injure and kill. As a fire fighter, you're doing the opposite, you're purely trying to rescue people."That appealed more to my nature."Listen to the full episode to find out why, after 17 years, he decided to stop fighting fires, how he became an award-winning student whilst studying at London Metropolitan University, and find out about opportunities for new starters who are interested in forging a career in nutrition.Dr Greg Lessons, Health Improvement Lead, the Fire Fighters CharityDr Greg Lessons is a registered nutritionist specialising in public health, sports and exercise nutrition. He holds an MSc and PhD in nutrition and a postgraduate certificate in learning and teaching in higher education. His innovative research has resulted in the first fire service-specific nutritional assessment tools and the first dietary intervention trials at UK fire stations. These trials resulted in significant improvements to fire fighter dietary behaviour, body composition and markers of health and wellbeing. Prior to his career in nutrition, Greg served London for 17 years as a full-time operational firefighter. In 2019 Greg was named ‘Nutritionist of the year’ by the Caroline Walker Trust. He then went on to win the Public Sector Catering ‘Health and Nutrition Award’ in 2020 for his pioneering work in the delivery of a clear health and nutrition strategy in the London Fire Brigade. In addition to leading on the Fire Fighters Charity ‘ill-health prevention' portfolio of services, Dr Lessons is an associate lecturer of Human Nutrition and continues his research to benefit the health of the UK fire service community.

Sustainability has become a key goal for so many companies in the food and drink industry, but how do you go about actually making your business more sustainable? It is clear that the food system has plenty of work to do in this area, but what is equally clear is that many things are already being achieved. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Tetra Pak, we dive into the company's 2022 Sustainability Report, and learn the secrets of an organisation identified as one of the 50 leading companies in the world for sustainability. How do you react to sustainability challenges when you are a vast, global organisation, with hundreds of millions of people relying on your products each day? Tetra Pak says sustainability has been at the heart of the business throughout its 70-year history, and that means it is built into the company's ethos. But things have changed over the decades, and sustainability priorities throughout the world have moved on from where they were in the middle of the 20th Century. The headline figure in Tetra Pak's 2022 Sustainability Report is that it achieved a 36% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions linked to its operations in 2021.   So, how did the company do it? There are obvious challenges around packaging for an organisation like Tetra Pak. What innovations are helping with its sustainability goals? Sustainability is not simply about reducing carbon emissions. One of the commitments in the report is 'acting for nature' - what does that mean, and how does it play out in real life? Listen to the full episode to get answers to those questions, and learn about Tetra Pak's land restoration initiative in Brazil, how a sustainability agenda can boost innovation, and the company's progress towards resilient and sustainable food systems. . Lisa Rydén, Vice President Corporate Social Responsibility, Tetra Pak Lisa and her team are driving excellence in the company’s sustainability approach linked to the brand pillars ‘Food, People, Planet’ and ensuring progress towards Tetra Pak’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Lisa is engaged in several industry coalitions and platforms driving joint actions and collaboration in different areas of sustainability. Lisa is a Swedish citizen, based in Lund. She holds an MSc in Industrial Management and Engineering from Lund University. She completed the Prince of Wales’s Business & Sustainability Programme in 2016 at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Lisa joined Tetra Pak in 2005 and has previously held positions within R&D and Services as well as being globally responsible for Recyclability and Recycling Technologies. Previous Tetra Pak episodes Is collaboration the key to the future of food? Plant-based? Healthy? Sustainable? How ice cream is changing

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 too around the coffee houses that sprung up in Europe in the 17th Century and became centres for political debate.Why did coffee beans spread around the world at such pace? Did early coffee-bean drinks taste like the ones we drink today? And why did coffee spread into the industrial working classes in continental Europe, whilst tea took off in the UK?Listen to the full episode to find out more about Brazil's defining role in the modern coffee industry, when and how the cappuccino first appeared, and when sugar and milk were first gained popularity among coffee drinkers.Oh, and there are some top tips on how to make the perfect cup of coffee.Professor Jonathan Morris, "the Coffee Historian"Jonathan Morris is Research Professor in History at the University of Hertfordshire, and Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society. He trained as an historian of Modern Italy, specialises in the history of consumption, and is now recognised as one of the world’s leading coffee historians. His book Coffee: A Global Historyexplains how coffee became popular the world over, and why coffee tastes differ around the world. His A History of Coffeepodcast series, explains how coffee’s dark history laid the foundations for the current sustainability crisis. Jonathan has also published Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry, and directed the Cappuccino Conquests research project tracing the rise of espresso beverages to global dominance.

“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 coming out from across the world.”She says she maintains close links with former colleagues in the food industry, which helps her understand how they are thinking and feeling about specific issues, and then she works with them to perhaps persuade them towards a different view, if needed.Paula says her interest in sustainability really kicked in when she worked at Sainsbury’s: “It was instrumental in shaping my thoughts about sustainability and presented me with the opportunity to work on projects that were sustainability-related.”Now she works for an organisation that has offices all around the world. That can present challenges, but Paula says there is something special about working for a non-governmental organisation.“My experience of WWF is that it doesn’t matter where you sit in the world, you instantly have this connection and ultimately you’re working towards the same purpose, which is fighting for people and nature and ensuring that we achieve the most positive outcomes for the planet and communities throughout the world.”Listen to the full episode to find out what a typical day is like for Paula, how to get into a career like hers, and what you can expect to earn.Paula Chin, Senior Policy Adviser on Consumption, WWF-UKFollowing 20 years in industry, primarily in packaging-related roles at Proctor & Gamble, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Pret, Paula joined WWF in 2019 to work on the packaging element of the Tesco partnership.Additionally, she provides internal and external technical expertise on materials-related issues including plastics, with her policy and advocacy work focusing more broadly on resources, waste and circular economy thinking.Most recently, she played a leading role in influencing Government to adopt Greener UK’s priority amendment for the Resource and Waste chapter of the Environment Act and co-authored a chapter on Waste Prevention and Waste Management for a UNEP Finance Initiative Sustainable Blue Economy guide.As well as being invited regularly to speak at events, she is the current Chair of the Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Resources and Waste Working Group, an advisor on UKRI’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Fund and sits on several government and industry stakeholder advisory groups addressing this broad topic.