School Dinners - Past, Present and Future

School Dinners - Past, Present and Future

Author: BBC Radio 4 May 16, 2025 Duration: 42:47

Baroness Floella Benjamin once said “childhood lasts a lifetime” and our experiences of school dinners can shape how we eat for the rest of our lives. In this edition of The Food Programme Sheila Dillon investigates the importance of those early food memories with the help of Dr Heather Ellis from the School Meals Project. The Project says its aim is to produce the first ever comprehensive history of school meals across the different nations of the United Kingdom The programme makes a trip to the Food Museum in Suffolk to see a landmark exhibition around school food and Sheila pays a visit to a forward-thinking school in West London which bakes its own bread with flour made from the wheat that it grows just outside the school kitchen!

Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Robin Markwell

Featuring an archive clip from BBC Breakfast in April 2025 with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson MP Also a brief extract from the book The Farmer's Wife: My Life In Days by Helen Rebanks


The Food Programme from BBC Radio 4 digs into the stories behind what we eat. This podcast moves beyond recipes and restaurant reviews to explore the entire ecosystem of our meals. Each episode is a reported journey, examining the cultural, historical, economic, and personal forces that shape food production and consumption. You might hear about the surprising science of flavor, the future of farming in a changing climate, or the revival of a nearly forgotten culinary tradition. The series connects the dots between the field, the supply chain, and the dinner plate, offering a deeper understanding of the choices we make as consumers and citizens. Listen for insightful interviews with growers, chefs, scientists, and policymakers, all framed by thoughtful narration. It’s for anyone curious about the true cost and value of their food, providing context and conversation that changes how you think about your next bite. Tune in for a consistently engaging exploration of one of life’s fundamental pleasures and its complex global impact.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Food Programme
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