I know I’m not the only food podcast on the block. And in the grand scheme of things, the Ken On Food Podcast is but a drop in the ocean – albeit a lovely, bite-sized, friendly on-the-ears drop in the ocean.
For years, my evening walking habits involved some element of a throwback playlist or album on Spotify, throwing on the headphones, and lip-syncing my way around my chosen route. I’m talking anything from Oasis and Radiohead to Alanis Morissette, Catatonia to System of a Down, Creed or Korn – it’s pretty varied.
For the last few months, however, it’s all been about food. With music, you can get lost in the song and I tend to let my mind wander between singing along as cars pass by to dissecting the day while the last remaining Hound of Doom (he’s an ageing beagle, but I love him dearly. Now, the music is being saved for the 5am starts or 9pm finishers on the bike (it’s an indoor training month for me) while my evening walks are spent digesting some of the latest conversations from the food world.
To that end, if you’re looking for some new listening on the food front, I’ve included a selection of recent podcasts that have been enjoying.
5 Food Podcasts Worth Listening To (February 2024)
As suggested, these are just a selection of what I’m listening to at the minute, but I’d love to be able to add to the list as I’m always looking for something new to listen to. If you’ve got something to share, drop a link in the comments at the end of the post or tag me on socials anywhere you can find @kenonfood.
The Food Chain
I had a few days off at intervals across January this year, stumbled upon and got stuck into The Food Chain from BBC World Service. If you’re walking, these make ideal company between the ears. By strapline definition, The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food and what it takes to put food on your plate. In recent weeks I’ve listened to discussions on feeding your brain, one that ponders if Chinese food is the best in the world, another covering fascinating insights on the urban farming scene in Detroit through to episodes on Turkey’s food culture, reading menus, eating your way to 100, immersive dining and more. I know I’m only scratching the surface though as the back catalogue is some 440+ strong.
You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or here via BBC.
The Food Programme
Courtesy of BBC Radio 4, The Food Programme investigates every aspect of the food we eat. This week it’s all been about the scientific research around the power of bitter foods. Another recent episode looks at the world’s smallest republic with the highest rate of obesity (looking at you, Nauru). There’s a walk through history exploring Burns Night last month with another solid listen on the rise of seaweed farming in the UK. You’re looking at max 30 minutes per episode, each one bringing some lovely stories and insights into the food that makes the world go around.
Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or here via BBC.
Food Blogger Pro
FBP has been on the go for an eternity, evidenced by the episode count soaring past 400 the last time I chedk. I’ve probably missed half of those episodes, but I’ve returned to the series of late for some of the topical conversation around food blogging in particular – and that’s what this is mainly about, the art and business of writing about food, content creation and navigating everything around it. Podcast episodes are typically one-to-one interviews discussing an element of content creation (there’s a great listen within the past few weeks with food blogger, cookbook author and pastry chef turned top man on Substack, David Lebovitz).
Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or here.
Dishing It Out
Billed as “the ultimate culinary companion that unites two passionate foodies – Gary O’Hanlon and Gareth Mullins, to lend you a helping hand with your food frustrations, share their culinary wisdom and ring you tales from the kitchen”, this is a solid, fun listen. It’s presented by GoLoud (Bauer / Newstalk etc) and kicked off a second season at the end of last month with another episode due this week. Their most recent puts the duo in conversation with 2210 Patisserie’s Una Leonard who shares incredible insights into her own life struggles, turning things around through baking. There are also past episodes with chef Mark Moriarty, actor Laurence Kinlan, Olympian David Gillick and more.
Gastropod
Gastropod is an interesting one, mixing all things food, science and history. Gastropod is on the go a long time too, their first episode ‘The Golden Spoon’picking up the International Association of Culinary Professionals award for Culinary Audio Series in March 2019 and they’ve collected a few more along the way since. Each episode takes a look at the hidden history and surprising science behind a different food and/or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, from cutlery to chile peppers, and from microbes to Malbec. The duo interview experts, visit labs, fields, and archaeological digs, while discovering new ways to understand the world through food. As it happens, they’re in my podcast pick for this coming weekend’s newsletter.
And the cheeky plug…
As for my own, you’ll find it in its infancy at the moment, with the Food In 5 Minutes segment of the Ken On Food podcast available every Sunday morning, just in time for your morning brew. The short-form podcast brings you five news stories from the food world each week, served up in five minutes or less. Subscribe for free via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you do your podcast listening.
