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Dispatches from the Food Front

4 Extra Debut. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4’s Derek Cooper recalls the first 20 years of The Food Programme – including meeting Elizabeth David. From 1999.

To mark the 20th anniversary of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4's The Food Programme, Derek Cooper recalls some memorable moments from the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ archive.

Bashing out scripts on a typewriter, Derek recalls chronicling the pitched battles of food wars – and celebrating the joys of real food.

Working with six different producers over the years - he looks back to how it all began and the way the show’s investigative approach was developed.

Derek sets out to revisit some of the places he’s been to and some of the people he’s met in pursuit of the story behind the global world of food.

It includes an unusual encounter with influential food-writer Elizabeth David, a trip down the London sewers and a gruelling visit to a slaughterhouse.

Producer: Min Raisman

First broadcast on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 in September 1999.

Available now

1 hour

Last on

Thu 29 May 2025 00:00

Broadcasts

  • Wed 28 May 2025 10:00
  • Wed 28 May 2025 16:00
  • Thu 29 May 2025 00:00