Small kitchens

Small kitchens

Author: BBC World Service February 26, 2026 Duration: 26:29

From Michelin starred kitchens to Hong Kong’s high rise tower blocks, via informal settlements in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Ruth Alexander hears from people making the best out of the cramped and tiny spaces they’re cooking in.

Gina Lai shows her around the kitchen in her cramped Hong Kong high rise flat and Ruth visits chef Ryan Blackburn who has retained a Michelin star whilst cooking out of the tinest of professional kitchens in Northern England.

Plus Leah and her daughter Janice explain how they cook family meals in an informal settlement in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and AJ Forget describes what it's like to give up a big kitchen for a new life on the road, living and cooking in a converted bus.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Izzy Greenfield, Rumella Dasgupta and Lexy O'Connor

Image Description: Gina Lai is cooking in her tiny Hong Kong flat. (Credit Gina Lai/BBC)


There’s a story behind every meal, and The Food Chain from the BBC World Service goes out to find it. This isn’t just a series about recipes or restaurant reviews; it’s a deep and often surprising exploration of how food shapes our world. Each episode follows a single thread, whether it’s the economic forces that decide what grows in a field, the hidden science in your kitchen, or the profound cultural traditions carried in a family dish. You’ll hear from farmers, chefs, economists, historians, and scientists, all contributing pieces to a larger picture about our global relationship with what we eat. The conversations reveal the complex journey from source to table, unpacking the labor, innovation, and sometimes the controversy, involved in feeding communities. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a well-reported global conversation, one that changes how you think about the next thing you’ll eat. It connects the personal act of eating to vast systems of business, culture, and science, making the everyday subject of food endlessly fascinating.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Food Chain
Podcast Episodes
Giving it all up for food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Ruth Alexander meets three people who gave up well-paid, high-flying careers to start all over again in the world of food. Nisha Katona left a career as a child protection barrister behind to start Mowgli, a chain of Ind…
The story of the sandwich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Shattering the myth of its aristocratic origins and exploring some of the boldest creations; Ruth Alexander finds out about the history, culture and family ties wrapped up in the sandwich. Josh Veasey, co-owner of Rack i…
The risk takers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Every food company starts with a gamble - and not all of them pay off. In this episode Ruth Alexander speaks to business owners about the risks they’ve taken to get where they are today, from financial leaps to personal…
How to write a recipe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:41
We all have recipes we turn to again and again, perhaps from the stained pages of our favourite cookbooks, or handed down through families. But have you ever wondered about the work that’s gone into writing that set of i…
Can you learn to love the foods you hate? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Most of us have foods we refuse to eat - think coriander, or maybe olives. But where do those strong dislikes come from, and is it possible to change them?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander sets out to fin…
Fermented foods: A beginner's guide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:47
Fermented foods are fashionable – kimchi, kefir, kombucha – they're all having a moment, many thousands of years on from where they were first produced. But how much do you know about how they're made? Do you know your S…
Dinner unboxed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Meal kits have become a familiar part of food shopping in many countries, offering pre-portioned ingredients and recipes delivered to the door. But how widespread are they, and what do they reveal about how people are ea…
Should we all eat the Mediterranean way? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:27
The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, pulses and olive oil and traditionally includes small amounts of fish and very little red meat. Thousands of studies back its health benefits. In fact, it's considered to be…
Tweaks for 2026: How to eat better [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Ruth Alexander gathers the most useful, actionable nutrition advice from our episodes of 2025 to help set you up for 2026. Things like how to nourish your brain, keep an eye on portion sizes, and why it’s important to fo…
Family ties [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Food is at the centre of family life – on ordinary days, in the everyday rush, during the dramas, and the quieter moments too. In this episode, Ruth Alexander looks back at some of The Food Chain's most moving and intima…