Food Matters Live Podcast

When Ben Christopherson was travelling, shortly after going to catering college, he knew he wanted to work in pastry - but nobody would let him have a go."On the continent they just would not let you in the pastry kitchen if you didn't have experience or a qualification. I didn't have either of those," he tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, made in association with the University of West London (UWL).But Ben says that experience is what drove him to get some qualifications in patisserie and go on to have a hugely successful career as a Head Pastry Chef.He ended up working at places like the luxury Goring Hotel, Harrods, and eventually launching his own business.All of that experience feeds into the work he does now as a lecturer in Food Studies and Hospitality at UWL.Ben describes the role as being a mix of teaching, competition training, creating new modules, liaising with industry, and of course, some admin.He says the variety is what he loves abut the job: "There aren't two or three days that are the same."Ben is also leading a brand new course at UWL that puts sustainability at the heart of cooking and eating. Future Food and Culinary Management covers all sorts, including how to create plant-based menus, learning how to source food responsibly, and following new eating trends that won’t harm the planet.Ben says one module focusses solely on pastry, but using only plant-based ingredients: "Patisserie and bakery lend themselves really well to using plant-based alternatives."And the course is not just aimed at people who want to become traditional kitchen chefs. Students go on to do all sorts of jobs from teacher to chocolatier, and development chef to entrepreneur. Listen to the full episode to find out more about Ben's varied past, why he ensures his course takes a holistic approach to learning, and how the UWL can help students with work placements. Ben Christopherson, Course Leader and former Pastry Chef, University of West LondonBen is a lecturer in Food Studies and Hospitality, and Course leader in Future Food and Culinary Management at the University of West London. During this period he has co-authored on Practical Cookery, travelled as a guest lecturer to Malaysia, led international culinary competitions to Paris and been invited on a culinary tour of Spain, by the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade. His research investigates customer acceptance of plant-based alternative ingredients, focusing on their chemical and physical properties. Prior to his academic work he had a successful career as an international pastry, chef culminating in running his own company with products being sold in Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and developing items for Cadburys Cocoa House. His current academic focus concentrates on the practical application of sustainability within culinary education.  BSc (Hons) Future Food and Culinary Management at UWL - what you need to know Study Options: Full-time, Full-time with placement, Part-time Duration: 3 years, 4 years, or 4.5 years Location: West London Entry Requirements: 112 UCAS points from level 3 qualifications (can include A-levels, BTEC Extended Diploma, HE Diploma) Mature Students: If you don't have the above qualifications but do have work experience, you can still apply Fees: £9,250 per year for UK students. £13,250 for international students. Start date: September 2022 Find out everything you need to know about the course and apply on the University of West London website.Get to know Ben - 5 Quick Questions What’s your career highlight so far?"Probably when I ran my own business and got my products into Selfridges. I was quite pleased with myself then. It was around the Royal wedding and I made a mini white chocolate wedding cake. It was featured in Vogue magazine as well." What would you like to see the industry at large doing more of?"It would be really nice to see more promotion of the careers of young chefs. We always hear all about the Executive Chef and the Head Chef, you never hear about the young commis chef. It would be really great if we heard more about them, their story, their progress, where they came from, and where they're going. That would be really good." What’s the most useful mistake you’ve made in your career?"I think the most useful mistakes I've made in my career are when I've been on the phone and I've been weighing up, which we do loads of in patisserie, and somehow along the way I've managed to weigh-up things wrong, because I'm not concentrating. And then the product I've made has been slightly different but in a really good way. Sugar is a big one. I've weighed up the wrong amount of sugar and started to realise you never actually need that amount of sugar. That's been a really happy accident." What do you wish you could tell your younger self?"Stop over-complicating everything! Particularly in patisserie dishes. Don't try to make dishes so complicated, just relax a bit, don't try to put everything on a dish." What’s your favourite meal?"Sadly it's probably the same as quite a lot of people. I do love a quality Sunday roast dinner, particularly on a winter day. A nice winter day, a cold winter walk, but the bit that I'll look forward to the most is if they've got sticky toffee pudding with a nice bit of vanilla ice cream. That would be my perfect Sunday."

Millions of Muslims around the world have been marking the holy month of Ramadan, with celebrations reaching a crescendo with Eid al-Fitr.Food is central to Ramadan, and in this episode of the Table Talk podcast, we look at some of the history and tradition, but also the vital role of nutrition.We also pose some questions: Is the food industry in the UK doing enough to cater for people observing Ramadan? And is it missing an opportunity?Ramadan contributes more than £200m to the UK economy - but is enough being done to cater for specific needs?Listen to the full episodes to find out about the many different ways Ramadan is celebrated around the world, and why dates play such a central role in the breaking of the fast.We also look at the types of foods that are helpful when fasting during daylight hours, how some traditional dishes are being given a modern twist, and get some tips on how to make the traditional Turkish dessert Gullac. Mursal Saiq, Director and Co-Founder, Cue PointMursal was born in Kabul, Afghanistan to middle-class, educated parents. A few weeks into her birth, her family were forced to evacuate their home and give it up to members of the Taliban during the 1990s civil war. They fled their home and made their way to India, before being separated, with Mursal moving to London as a child refugee. Mursal went on to study political history at university, then straight to internships. She couldn’t afford to do them solely as she had to pay bills so she started to work @streeteastldn in the evening after her advertising internship, where she met Josh (the other co founder of Cue Point) and the rest is history. Cue Point is a British-Afghan smoked BBQ company, with an ethos of inclusive catering, designed to be accessible to people from a wide range of backgrounds. Mary Isin, Food HistorianHailing from Nottingham, England, Mary Işın met her Turkish husband Yavuz while she was studying philosophy at York University and moved to Ankara as soon as she graduated in 1973. In 1980, they moved to Istanbul, where she has lived ever since, writing up a storm of wonderful non-fiction books on Turkish and Ottoman culinary history and becoming a specialist on the topic in Turkey and abroad.Mary Işın has published three books in English and eight in Turkish, with her most recent being "Bountiful Empire: A History of Ottoman Cuisine". It examines how the culinary traditions evolved in the over five centuries of Ottoman rule and explores culinary aspects such as etiquette, cooks, restaurants and food regulations.Her book "Sherbet and Spice: The Complete Story of Turkish Sweets and Desserts" was released in 2013 and is the English version of "Gülbeşeker," which won the Dünya Kitap Gastronomic Book of the Year prize in 2009.

Just how important is the history of beer when it comes to looking at the history of human civilisation?It might seem like a flippant question, but there's evidence that beer-making has played a crucial role in our species' past.The art of beer making is thought to go back as much as 12,000 years, with different cultures and societies all around the world brewing their own varieties.In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, we delve into the history of one of the world's most popular drinks and look to what the future of beer might look like.Listen to the full episode to learn about different methods for making beer in far-flung parts of the world, find out the proper way to taste beer (and why an early start can be useful!), and why prohibition never took off in the UK.We also look at the history of the British pub, why they've played such a central role in our culture, and what their future prospects look like. Pete Brown, Author, Broadcaster, Consultant, Beer LoverPete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink, especially the fun parts like beer, pubs, cider, bacon rolls and fish and chips. Across twelve books, his broad, fresh approach takes in social history, cultural commentary, travel writing, personal discovery and natural history, and his words are always delivered with the warmth and wit you’d expect from a great night down the pub. He was named British Beer Writer of the Year in 2009, 2012, 2016 and 2021, has won three Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, been shortlisted twice for the Andre Simon Awards, and in 2020 was named an “Industry Legend” at the Imbibe Hospitality Awards. After looking for a book that explained the British love for beer but not being able to find it, Pete wrote Man Walks Into A Pub: A Sociable History of Beer (2003, revised 2010). Its follow up, Three Sheets to the Wind (2006) and then Hops & Glory (2009, ) Shakespeare’s Local (2012), The Pub: A Cultural Institution (2016) and Miracle Brew (2017) have all been critically well received.

What's it like to be Head of Sustainability at a huge company like Nestlé UK and Ireland?To mark Earth Day 2022, we've been speaking to the woman who holds that role, Dr Emma Keller.Emma started out doing a biology degree at Imperial College London but, by her own admission, "was useless in a laboratory".She says that's when she realised she was "much more interested in the bigger picture, the systems-change piece".After doing a Masters in Environmental Technology, she went on to get a PhD in Environmental Strategy and Sustainable Systems at the University of Surrey.So, is studying an environmental subject the key to landing a job like Head of Sustainability at a multinational conglomerate such as Nestlé?Not so, says Emma: "We need a whole wealth of different talents and skills. There are lots of ways to get into this space."Listen to the full episode to find out how Emma rose to the top of her profession - including successful stints at Unilever and the WWF - what she loves most about her role, and how she once got to work alongside Sir David Attenborough.We also reveal where you can go to learn and what you can expect to earn if you would like to follow in Dr Emma Keller's footsteps. Dr Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability, Nestlé UK & IrelandEmma is Head of Sustainability for Nestlé UK&I, focussing on delivering the ambitious net-zero climate commitment and driving the business to be a force for good. Prior to joining Nestlé, Emma led a team at WWF on food system transformation and before that was in Unilever’s sustainability team working on bringing the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to life. She also holds a doctorate in supply chain sustainability. Useful links The Nestlé Academy - apprenticeship scheme  Nestlé Graduate Programme The Open University Course - Enterprise and the Environment The International Institute for Environment and Development - jobs and placements Hubbub.org.uk - information about sustainability, including jobs and paid work placements

Could adopting a climatarian diet be the biggest single change each of us could make to reduce global warming?It's a big question, and possibly a big change for many of us, but James Hand, Co-Founder of Giki Zero, thinks it could have the biggest impact.In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, James sets out why and attempts to bust some myths around climatarian diets.He says that the average person in the UK has a carbon footprint of nine tonnes per year, and in order to meet CO2 reduction targets, that needs to come down to two tonnes.Our diet is one of the areas we have a lot of control of, and when you consider that food makes up around 25 per cent of the average person's carbon footprint, it's clear that making a positive change would have a big impact.But how easy and how realistic is it to expect everyone to make such a change? What are the main challenges for the average consumer? And can those challenges really be overcome?When thinking about the carbon footprint of the food we eat, there are so many things to consider; farming practices, processing, packaging, delivery. So is it all just too difficult?And what are the worst foods when it comes to impacting the environment? Would simply removing meat and dairy from your diet make a big enough difference? Would switching your pet food to insect protein help? James tries to answer all these questions and more. Listen to the full episodes to find out what a climatarian diet might look like, how market forces are both helping and hindering moves towards more sustainable eating, and why James believes it's vitally important not to take the fun out of food. James Hand, Co-Founder, Giki ZeroJames Hand is a data scientist and carbon footprint specialist who co-founded Giki with his wife Jo in 2017. Before setting up Giki, James worked for 20 years in fund management at Ninety One where he was co-CIO, co-head of the 4Factor equity team and built the ESG team. James has worked with various academics, including Dr Richard Carmichael, on the role that individuals can play in achieving Net Zero and lectured on behavioural finance and personal carbon footprints About Giki ZeroGiki offers a step by step guide to reduce an individual’s footprint on the planet. It calculates, tracks and reduces environmental foodprints.

The destruction of tropical rainforests to make way for palm oil plantations is a growing environmental crisis.It's forecast that by 2050, worldwide production of palm oil will triple, leading to the continued large-scale loss of habitat and rising CO2 emissions.So if it is so damaging to the environment, why is it so widely used and isn't the answer simply to ban it?In this episodes of the Table Talk podcast, we look at the reasons why palm oil has gained such a foothold, not just in the food industry but in other industries too, and investigate why banning its use might not be the panacea it's sometimes put forward as.Palm oil is in a huge number of products, with estimates suggesting it is in around 50% of all processed food.It is used as a primary cooking ingredient, an ingredient to increase viscosity, and it's also used in some biofuels.Part of the reason it is so popular, is because it is a very high-yielding crop - it produces five-times more oil per hectare than rapeseed, and is ten-times more productive than soya bean.Our guest on the podcast, Professor Chris Chuck, says palm oil itself isn't the problem, it is the scale of production that is of most concern.Listen to the full episode to find out more about why the growth in palm oil production in particular is bad news for the tropical rainforests, how palm oil underpins the livelihoods of many poorer rural communities, and why it's so difficult to find sustainable alternatives. Professor Chris Chuck, University of BathChris is a Professor of Bioprocess Engineering at the University of Bath, where he explores the production of novel foods and materials from sustainable resources. He completed his PhD in biofuel development at the University of Bath in 2008, before joining the Department of Chemical Engineering in 2011 as a Whorrod Research Fellow. He was promoted to full Professor in 2019. While he has published over 90 scientific journal papers in this area, he is also very active in bringing these discoveries to market. To achieve this, Chris is the co-founder of two start-ups, including the Clean Food Group to develop cellular agriculture in the UK, such as yeast-based alternatives to palm oil and with Kelpi, to commercialise biopolymers from seaweed. 

The history of sugar is inextricably linked to the horrors of the slave trade.In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by evolutionary biologist and food historian, Neil Buttery, to reflect on that history.Sugarcane originated as a crop in New Guinea around 8,000 BC, but quickly spread through Asia.It played a role in the economy of the Persian Empire and was eventually cultivated by Europeans during the Crusades.This is when the story takes a dark turn, with plantations spreading across the continent, and the first African slaves used in sugar production on Madeira and the Canary Islands.When Europeans moved into the Americas, the sugar trade grew, and so too did the slave trade.Listen to the full episode to hear discussion on how much modern Britain benefits from the sugar and slave trades of the past.Neil also talks about why humans have evolved to crave sugar, and the impact the cultivation of sugarcane has had on the environment. Neil Buttery, Evolutionary Biologist and Food HistorianNeil Buttery is a food historian, chef, author, blogger, podcaster and scientist, who has been obsessed with historical and traditional British food since he began writing his food blogs in 2007 in an effort to improve his writing for his PhD in ecology & evolutionary biology. Ecology lost out in the end, eventually leaving science to pursue a career in food, first holding regular pop-up restaurant events, then a real restaurant. These days, however, he is kept busy writing about and studying (and eating!) food history for his books, and popular blogs and podcast. He has a particular love of offal and puddings.

"The food industry is a fantastic place to work. It can be challenging, but it can be so much fun. You will always be learning."So says Rachel Auty, New Product Development Controller at Greencore.Greencore make all sorts of food products that end up being sold in supermarkets, from soups, to sushi, and salads to sauces.Rachel works in the prepared meals sector and in this episode of the Career Conversations series, she reveals all about the process of getting a new product to market - from brief to shelf.It could all have been very different though. Rachel says a chance meeting on a bus when she was a teenager set her on her career path.She says that day "when the stars aligned" is the reason she is so passionate about sharing information with young people at the start of their food careers: "So they don't have to meet a certain person, on a certain bus, on a certain day to find out what they want to do."Rachel went on to study Food Marketing Management at Sheffield Hallam University and later became Marks and Spencer's first ever Product Development Graduate.Listen on to find out about all the different product categories you can work in, how asking the right questions is key to success, and how Rachel stays on top of the all the latest food and drink trends. Rachel Auty, NPD Controller, Prepared Meals, GreencoreRachel has more than 17 years of product development experience working in the food industry, across multiple different sectors. This journey has led her through some amazing adventures, she has worked in development within premium retail, food service and manufacturing, working for businesses both small and large. It is all this varied experience, combined with a huge passion for food and customer-focused development that she takes to work with her every day. Additional information and useful links Areas of Study:• Sheffield Hallam University run a range of food centred courses, both undergrad and post-grad• Cardiff Metropolitan University• University of Reading• Harper Adams University• University of Leeds• Bath Spa University Work placements:For industrial placement schemes of food internships, most good universities with placement degrees have a good network of contacts for this, but if you want to do your own research, try big brands such as Co-op, Pepsico, McCain & Bakkavor. Who to follow on Instagram:@mobkitchen@5oclockapron@poppycooks@salihacooks@sabrinaghayour@HotDinners@clerkenwellboyec1@rachelaliceroddy@georgiepuddingnpie@felicitycloake@aprilprestonandcoFollow Rachel too: @hungrytff_ Rachel also recommends... Flourish in Food is an excellent new mentoring scheme for people starting out with their career in food.

Quick Commerce, online services that deliver products to your door in minutes, appear to be booming at the moment.Boosted by a huge shift in consumer habits during the pandemic, new companies have been sprouting up all over the place. In some parts of the UK, it's possible to get groceries delivered to your home in just 10 minutes.But is a model where pickers, drivers and processing staff have to rush orders to customers in the time it takes to make a decent cup of tea financially sustainable?In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, made in partnership with Accenture, we delve into the world of Quick Commerce and look at where the evidence suggests the sector might be heading.Who is the target customer? Which markets are proving most fruitful? And is anyone making a profit?Promotional pricing and super-fast delivery times might attract new customers, but how long can they be sustained?Will the gig economy continue to be the staffing model of choice, or, as in some parts of China, will there be a shift to employing fully-trained staff in a bid to improve the customer experience?We discuss all of this and more, with the over-arching question: Is Quick Commerce here to stay and what might it look like in future? Matt Jeffers, Managing Director of Retail Strategy, AccentureMatt has led projects covering omni-channel strategy and e-commerce performance improvement for multiple retailers across grocery, DIY/building materials, apparel and luxury goods sectors. Prior to this, Matt led Tesco.com’s international development, launched it in China and oversaw the internal strategic growth plan for the Group. He also planned Tesco.com’s strategic development in Central and Eastern Europe and across Asia-Pacific.

Easter is an important time of year for the food industry, and is one of the pillars of the calendar for any company working in the sector.But the role of food goes way beyond planning stock or staffing restaurants, it has always played a key role in how Easter is celebrated.Easter symbolism is laced with food at almost every turn, from Shrove Tuesday, to Lent, Easter Eggs and the Holy Communion.In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, we explore the food-related traditions that go hand-in-hand with Easter.Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? Why is lamb the meat of choice on Easter Sunday? And when did chocolate Easter Eggs come to prominence?We also learn how the hot cross bun rose in popularity in the UK, was banned, and then returned.And we look further afield at the traditional Easter dishes being served up around the world. Emma Wells, Historian and Archaeologist, University of YorkDr Emma J. Wells is an historian and archaeologist of the medieval Church based at the University of York. She is the author of Pilgrim Routes of the British Isles (Hale, 2016), and the imminent, Heaven on Earth: The Lives & Legacies of the World’s Greatest Cathedrals (Head of Zeus, 2022). Her next book, currently in the works, is on relic merchants of the Middle Ages.