The Food Chain

Ruth Alexander

podcast.support@bbc.co.uk

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Booking Overview

A weekly BBC World Service interview show examining the business, science, culture, and supply chains behind food, typically featuring multiple external specialists per episode. Suitable pitches include food scientists, nutrition researchers, chefs, hospitality leaders, food critics, sports-nutrition professionals, and senior food-industry experts with strong subject expertise; booking difficulty is medium.

Metrics

Episodes: 550

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Estimated listeners: 10k-100k

Gender skew: Neutral

Location: USA

Contact Information

podcast.support@bbc.co.uk

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

Ruth Alexander - BBC journalist and presenter specializing in food, business, and global food systems.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

medium
Typical Credentials:  
Established subject-matter experts such as academics, physicians, senior nutritionists, chefs, food critics, hospitality professionals, sports specialists, and food-industry practitioners with directly relevant experience.
Required Achievements:  
Leading academic or clinical research, Senior roles at major sports teams, restaurants, hospitality organizations, or food institutions, Professional recognition in food criticism or culinary practice, Direct experience advising elite athletes or large food-service operations

Recent Guest Discussions

Giulio Caccamo - The Logistics Of Feeding An International Football Squad

Mona Nemmer - Nutrition Planning For Elite Footballers And International Squads

Kasper Schmeichel - How Nutrition Changed During His Professional Football Career

Matthew Taylor - The History And Evolution Of Footballers’ Food Culture And Nutrition

James Knight-Pacheco - Restaurant Menus, Specials, And Ordering Advice

Recent Topics

Food Systems, Nutrition, Food Science, Hospitality, Food Culture

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
The Food Chain
:

What do World Cup footballers eat?

July 08, 2026

Elite footballers are among the world's most finely tuned athletes. Every meal is carefully planned to fuel training, maximise recovery and prepare for the next match. But it wasn't always this way.In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander explores how football's relationship with food has changed, from the days of steak and beef before a game to today's highly personalised nutrition plans.Sports historian Professor Matthew Taylor traces the evolution of football's food culture, expla...

How to order a restaurant meal like a pro

July 01, 2026

With dining out becoming an increasingly expensive luxury, we find out how to order the perfect restaurant meal with top tips from a panel of seasoned pros. The Irish Times food critic, Corinna Hardgrave, veteran server and podcast host Brittany Felton and chef and hospitality advisor James Knight-Pacheco join Ruth Alexander to discuss how to make the most of a well-deserved meal from your hard-earned money. They cover everything from sharing dishes, whether to trust a waiter’s recommendat...

What to eat for a better night's sleep

June 24, 2026

Many of us have our own theories about sleep. Perhaps it's avoiding coffee after lunch, drinking chamomile tea before bed, or having a warm glass of milk. But what does the science actually say?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander explores the relationship between food and sleep, asking whether changing what we eat and drink can help us get a better night's rest.Professor Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia Uni...

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