Food Matters Live Podcast

There's no doubt about it, flavour is a key factor in the success of any alcohol-free drink, but it's also one of the most difficult areas to master.How do you match the flavour of a single malt whisky, the taste of a session IPA, or the burn of a shot of tequila?Is it even about trying to replicate the taste of alcohol or should efforts be focused on different aspects?In this episode of Table Talk, brought to you in partnership with Kerry, we delve into these questions, as well as the science and the art of flavouring low and no alcohol drinks.We find out just how much work goes into getting the right flavour, including the sniff, taste and session tests.It's no surprise that good quality ingredients are seen as a major factor, but our experts say provenance is becoming increasingly important too, as is sustainability.And find out the one alcoholic drink each of our panel would really love to replicate but without the booze. Michel Aubanel, Flavour Ingredients Global Development Director, KerryMichel Aubanel, MSc is the Global Flavour Ingredients Director linking teams in various regions, including China, North America, Brazil, and Europe. Michel’s job is to explore new raw materials all over the world and find ways to improve not just the health of people, but also the planet. Michel holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and Organic Chemistry from University Marseille in France.He has 35+ years’ experience in the flavour industry, has worked with companies like Mane, Sanofi/Degussa, Cargill and Kerry Taste & Nutrition. This year he celebrates 10 years with Kerry.His knowledge and expertise have been captured on 8 scientific publications. He also holds 3 patents and a great number of scientific publications. He specialises on Natural Extracts, Chemistry, biochemistry, liquid flavours and powder flavours. John Kelly, Senior Strategic Marketing Manager – Beverages, KerryWorking in Kerry Taste & Nutrition as the Senior Strategic Marketing Manager for the beverage category, leading the beverages marketing strategies across Europe & Russia. Over 20 years’ experience in the global beverages industry working across all sectors of the industry, driving brand and business growth. Extensive consumer FMCG and B2B marketing expertise and wider business leadership gained through working in a broad portfolio of leading beverages companies including Diageo, Molson Coors, Glanbia Consumer Foods, and Almarai across the Middle East and currently Kerry Taste & Nutrition. Danielle Bekker, Co-Founder, Good Living BrewDanielle Bekker, founder of Good Living Brewing Co, is a supply chain professional with over 20 years’ experience in the brewing industry including Global Brewing Innovation Director for SABMiller. A qualified chemical engineer with an MBA and an MSc in Malting & Brewing she loves beer, innovation and food – all of which Binary encompasses. Craig Hutchinson, Founder of a portfolio of no-alcoholic spiritsCraig is the founder and former CEO of CEDER’S which he developed and grew to be sold in over 20 countries before the successful sale to Pernod Ricard in 2020.He has since launched CELTIC SOUL Non-Alcoholic Dark Spirit and M&C’s CBD Botanical Spirit.

How can you build a brand when you can't advertise or launch promotions, and there are restrictions on where you can position your products in shops? It's a dilemma many food companies are facing ahead of new legislation due to be enforced in England from October 2022. It means there will be restrictions on how foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar - collectively known as HFSS - can be promoted. The new rules will see the end of deals like buy-one-get-one-free, a ban on free soft drink refills, and restrictions on where HFSS products can be placed in a store – think sweets at the till. So what can affected brands do to make sure consumers are still aware of their products? In this episode of Table Talk, Stefan Gates is joined by three experts in this field who discuss the challenges and opportunities on the horizon. They discuss how marketing teams are going to be forced to think more creatively, why 2022 is going to be key for building up a customer database, and why premium HFSS brands are hoping to actually see an increase in sales. Rob White, Co-Founder at ZEAL Creative After 18 years in advertising, Rob set up ZEAL Creative with his partner Stewart Hilton. Together they have built a multi-award winning marketing agency which is currently the most effective brand activation agency in the UK and their team are The Drum’s most recommended for client service. As an expert in marketing, Rob plays a key role in advising multi-national brands such as Kellogg’s & Nestlé on brand strategy, understanding shopper behaviour and winning with retailers. As well as being a director for the for the Institute of Promotional Marketing, Rob also acts as a mentor with new business start-ups for Tech Manchester. Jeremy Stern, CEO of PromoVeritas Jeremy founded PromoVeritas after a successful career as a senior marketer with Kraft, BT and Tesco. It was when he was the European Promotions Director at Coca-Cola that he identified the need for a service that provided independent promotional compliance advice. Someone to bridge the gap between agencies with amazing ideas and lawyers with a preference for caution. PromoVeritas is now a team of 40+, with its own legal team, hundreds of clients and they ‘run it right’ for thousands of promotions every year in the UK, Europe & globally – writing terms, picking winners of draws, judging competitions and hiding those instant win golden tickets. Ben Greensmith, Lord Chocolonely iii, aka Country Manager at Tony’s Chocolonely Tony’s Chocolonely has a mission is to make chocolate free of child-labour and slavery; not just its chocolate but all chocolate worldwide. Ben has been working for Tony’s since September 2018 as employee number 1 setting up the UK operation. Prior to this, he spent 3.5 years at Propercorn, most recently as Chief Operating Officer taking the business from a start-up to an SME and into national distribution. Before joining Propercorn Ben was UK Commercial Director at innocent drinks having joined in 2007. He joined innocent after 5 years at Unilever in a mix of sales and category roles.

Rhiannon Lambert's path to becoming one of the UK's leading nutritionists hasn't always been a straight forward one.Years before she opened her own clinic on Harley Street, she was a successful singer, jetting off to perform around the world.But it was what she saw whilst singing at some of the world's biggest fashion shows, that encouraged her to pursue the career she has.Some of the models were swallowing cotton wool to feel full, without putting on weight."It repulsed me," Rhiannon tells Elisa Roche in this first episode of the Career Conversations series. "I didn't feel comfortable there."Rhiannon says later, her own unhealthy relationship with eating pushed her to "learn more about food" and go to university. Fast-forward a few years and she finds herself in another uncomfortable situation, this time after she was mis-quoted in some national newspapers.She describes it as a "really tough period" in her life, and says it made her realise the value in having a mentor.Rhiannon Lambert is the opitome of hard work; as well as running a hugely successful clinic, she is a best-selling author (her third book, The Science of Nutrition, was published in 2021), a chart-topping podcast host, and a new mother.And it's clear from her conversation with Elisa that success has not come overnight.Listen as Rhiannon busts the myth that being a social media star is "easy work", find out what she studied to reach the top, and get her top tips for starting out in the world of nutrition. Rhiannon Lambert, Registered NutritionistRhiannon founded Rhitrition, a renowned Harley Street clinic, which specialises in weight management, sports nutrition, eating disorders, and pre- and post-natal nutrition in 2016. As an evidence-based practitioner, Rhiannon is committed to the benefits of a scientific approach to nutrition. In 2017, she published her first book, the best-selling Re-Nourish: A Simple Way To Eat Well.Rhiannon hosts the top-rated ‘Food for Thought' podcast, which gives listeners practical, evidence- based advice on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Follow Rhiannon on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

The history of tea is as interesting and varied as the drink itself.In this episode we delve into that history to see what the past can offer present day tea makers.Stefan Gates is joined by Will Battle, Managing Director at Fine Tea Merchants, and author of the World Tea Encyclopaedia.They look back at the role tea has played in the economy of the world, in the past and today.The history of tea includes its use as a currency and how smuggling brought it to the masses in the UK.We also learn why one tiny parcel of tea was once worth more than a limousine. Will Battle, Managing Director, Fine Tea MerchantsWill Battle is Managing Director of Fine Tea Merchants Ltd, a business-to-business tea importing, trading and wholesale company. Will’s critically-acclaimed book The World Tea Encyclopaedia is in its second edition and won a ‘Best in the World’ award at The Gourmand World Cookbook awards.

Food brands need to work out what consumers will be eating in future, but how do they go about it, and what happens if they get it wrong?In this edition of the Table Talk podcast, we look at the business of predicting people's eating habits.How do companies work out what we'll all be reaching for in the supermarket in five years' time? What is the cost to them if they get it wrong? And how often do they get it right?Stefan Gates is joined by Sophie Davies, Senior Buyer at Planet Organic, and Mike Hughes, Head of Insight and Research at FMCG Gurus to try to answer those questions.They offer their insights into how the industry works, as well as setting out their predictions for 2022.Sophie Davies, Senior Buyer, Planet OrganicSophie has been at Planet Organic since March 2015 and is the Senior Buyer for the Fresh Food & Drink department, spanning across Grab&Go, Fresh Groceries including Fruit&Veg, Bakery and Chilled take home. Planet Organic has 14 stores in Central London and an online store, which distributes fresh products nationwide. Planet Organic prides itself on being at the forefront of innovation and leading on product trends within natural food and wellness. Sophie and her team are always on the hunt for exciting, innovative and delicious products to revolutionise the food and wellness scene.Mike Hughes, Head of Insight and Research, FMCG Gurus Mike Hughes has more than 13 years’ experience analysing consumer trends, attitudes and behaviours, and currently heads up the research and insight division at FMCG Gurus. Mike has a particular interest in highlighting how consumer attitudes and behaviours can often differ and what the true meaning of trends are for the industry.

In this edition of the Table Talk podcast, we're looking at the role of functional ingredients in low and no alcohol drinks. Stefan Gates is joined by Dash Lilley, co-founder of Three Spirits, and David Begg, co-founder of Real Kombucha. They discuss ingredients which lift the mood, as well as providing health benefits on the side.Functional ingredients have been one of the stories of the last few years, but the question is – can they also provide the beguiling and beautiful tastes to match the best in the sector? In this episode, Stefan, Dash and David explain what we mean by functional ingredients, debate what needs to happen to move the sector forward, and answer the question: Does the lo and no alcohol sector still have an innovative, entrepreneurial feel - or is it just big business now?

From October 2022, new rules are set to be enforced around the sale of foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).The HFSS promotion ban has been controversial since it was first devised and now retailers are calling for a further delay to its enforcement.The new rules will see the end of deals like buy-one-get-one-free, a ban on free soft drink refills, and restrictions on where HFSS products can be placed in a store - think sweets at the till.Enforcement of the law has already been delayed once, so would another postponement actually make a difference?In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by three experts to talk through the issues retailers have.They discuss what they see as ambiguity in the legislation, the challenges some stores face when it comes to complying in a small space, and how some retailers are already adapting to the new laws.Andrea Martinez-Inchowsti, Deputy Director, British Retail ConsortiumAndrea is Deputy Director responsible for food policy at the BRC. This includes labelling and consumer communication, allergen management, compositional standards and diet and nutrition policy. She has worked with the retailers’ nutritionists for over 14 years discussing and implementing provisions such as nutrition and health claims, food information regulation, PARNUTS legislation, reformulation initiatives and Natasha's law on allergens. She also led the joint project, with DH, to deliver the front of pack nutrition labelling scheme. Joe Harriman, Strategic Consultant – covering HFSS at data analytics and market research company IRIJoe joined IRI in 2021 to lead its Health and Wellness practice area with an immediate focus on supporting Brand and Retail clients to respond and plan for the upcoming HFSS restrictions. Joe has more than 10 years experience in retail consulting, working across various consulting areas, from analytics to client engagement and more recently solution design and implementation. This blend of experience makes Joe ideally placed to identify the best solutions to commercial challenges and opportunities as well as to support the strategic or tactical deployment of these solutions. Chris Noice, Communications Director, Association of Convenience Stores Chris joined ACS in October 2009 having graduated from York University with a degree in English and Linguistics. As Communications Director, Chris is responsible for all ACS external and internal communications, media relations and a growing research portfolio which includes the industry leading Local Shop Report.Chris is an official spokesperson for ACS, appearing frequently on national and regional radio and television including BBC News, Sky News, BBC Breakfast and the Daily Politics show. Chris completed the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma in 2013 and the CIM Strategic Marketing Masterclass in 2017.

Globally, alcohol consumption is thought to have declined by 6% in 2020.And between 2020 and 2024 the “low and no” market is expected to balloon by 31%. But what's next for the sector? What will we all be drinking in ten years' time? And how can "low and no" overcome some of the challenges it faces?In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by three experts to help answer some of those questions.They discuss why developments in alcohol-free wine have been slower than in alcohol-free beer, why a trace amount of alcohol means a drink is less likely to go to waste, and they tackle the big question: What should the low and no alcohol sector actually be called?They also try to predict what the alcohol-free trends will be in 2022 and beyond. Future-gazing is a fool's game - but let's do it anyway!Laura Willoughby MBE, Founder of Club Soda and the Mindful Drinking FestivalThe inspiration for Club Soda comes from Laura’s experience of giving up drinking ten years ago. A campaigner at heart with a background in movement building and politics, she realised that one of the big sticking points was a way to support people to take a self-guided journey to change their drinking.Club Soda has over 70,000 individual members and nearly 80 brand members who they support through research and collaborative projects. They have built a drinks guide and they run the UK’s only Mindful Drinking Festival which is now in its 8th edition. Rob Fink, Co Founder, Big Drop BrewIn 2016 Rob Fink founded the world’s first company to focus entirely on brewing alcohol-free beer – Big Drop Brewing Co. As a lawyer with zero brewing experience, he teamed-up with an experimental brewer (Johnny Clayton from Wild Beer) and the creative mind of school-friend and entrepreneur James Kindred. Together they applied left-field fermenting techniques that meant no alcohol needed to be extracted from the end product to meet the required maximum 0.5% ABV. Five years later he is selling over 4 million bottles of 0.5% ABV beer annually around the world and his beers have won over 85 international beer awards Between them, including 7 times ‘World’s Best’ at the World Beer Awards and beating full-strength rivals in blind-tastings. Thorsten Hartmann, Head of Custom Analytics, IWSR Thorsten leads the IWSR’s custom analytics team, providing clients with data, insights and strategic advice to help them define, refine and build their global business strategies. Thorsten has an extensive background in FMCG consultancy and beverage industry market research. Previous roles include director of consulting for GlobalData (formerly Canadean), as well as consulting roles at IMES Consulting/ManSci.

You might already know that you want to work in the green sector, but how do you go about finding the right job for you?It's a question we've been asking on Table Talk throughout our Green Jobs series and in this episode, we get more fantastic advice from someone who can not only talk the talk, but is already walking the walk.Marc Zornes is CEO and Winnow Solutions - a company that helps commercial kitchens reduce food waste.He tells Stefan Gates that people entering the green jobs market at the moment should be looking at companies that are "setting tomorrow's agenda".Find out why he thinks people shouldn't be looking for sustainability roles anymore, how he experienced self-doubt when starting his own company, and his three tips for landing your dream green job. Marc Zornes, CEO and Founder, Winnow SolutionsMarc Zornes was a former top-rated McKinsey Engagement Manager where he was a leader in the consumer and sustainability practices. While at McKinsey, Marc co-authored the McKinsey Global Institute report on Resource Revolution. In developing this report, his team highlighted food waste as one of the biggest issues globally and yet very little was being done about it. Marc then left McKinsey to found Winnow. Marc founded Winnow to help the hospitality sector cut food waste using technology. Winnow builds artificial intelligence tools to help chefs run their kitchens more efficiently focusing on helping them understand and prevent food waste. Since launch, Winnow has been deployed in 45 countries and has saved its customers over $40m by reducing food waste. Clients include global brands like IKEA, Compass Group and AccorHotels.

The Table Talk podcast is on a festive break, but that doesn't mean we stop providing top content. We've delved into our archive and pulled out some of the best interviews from 2021. In this episode, Stefan Gates met Josh Tetrick, CEO of Eat Just. Eat Just made history in 2021, following a regulatory approval decision in Singapore for lab-grown meat to be sold in a restaurant. System change needs to start somewhere, and this approval offers the potential to be the catalyst for changing the future of meat production and consumption and for cutting down on greenhouse gases, thus being more environmentally friendly. The 1880 restaurant in Singapore is the first restaurant in the world to have lab grown meat on their menu. The restaurant sells a trio of taster dishes using Eat Just cultured chicken: bao bun with crispy sesame cultured chicken and spring onion; filo puff pastry with cultured chicken and black bean puree; and a crispy maple waffle with cultured chicken with spices and hot sauce. In this episode, Stefan Gates is joined by visionary Josh Tetrick, Founder and CEO of Eat Just as they discuss what impact this approval process will have on the future of meat without animal slaughter, the challenges of moving at scale, and why environment and health conscious Gen Z are key to taking cellular meat to the mainstream. Josh Tetrick is CEO & Co-Founder of Eat Just, Inc. Josh Tetrick is CEO & Co-Founder of Eat Just, Inc., a food technology company with a mission to build a healthier, safer and more sustainable food system in our lifetimes. The company’s expertise, from functionalising plant proteins to culturing animal cells, is powered by a world-class team of scientists and chefs spanning more than a dozen research disciplines. Eat Just created America’s fastest-growing egg brand, which is made entirely of plants, and the world’s first-to-market meat made from animal cells instead of slaughtered livestock. Prior to founding Eat Just, Tetrick led a United Nations business initiative in Kenya and worked for both former President Bill Clinton and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. As Fulbright Scholar, Tetrick taught schoolchildren in Nigeria and South Africa and is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Michigan Law School. Tetrick has been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business,” Inc.’s “35 Under 35” and Fortune’s “40 Under 40". Eat Just has been recognised as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies,” Entrepreneur’s “100 Brilliant Companies,” CNBC’s “Disruptor 50” and a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.

This episode is part of a special series we’re running to celebrate the fact we’ve now made more than 200 editions of Table Talk. We would like to thank everyone who has joined us on the podcast since it launched and we are so grateful to you for helping us to reach this milestone. To mark the occasion, we’ve invited some friends of the podcast to make their own mini-episodes, looking back at 2021. It’s been another year that’ll stick in the mind, but we’re doing our best to avoid the C-word (that's Covid) as we get our guests to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of the last 12 months. In this episode, we hear from Andrew Ive, Founder and Managing General Partner at Big Idea Ventures. Andrew Ive Andrew founded Big Idea Ventures and invests and builds companies in the alternative protein and plant based sectors as part of their first fund – the New Protein Fund. Andrew has invested in more early stage / pre-seed food companies than most other investor worldwide. Andrew is focused on innovation, developing high-growth businesses opportunities and as a business advisor in multiple verticals. Andrew serves on the Tufts Nutrition Council advisory board, is a Friedman School Entrepreneurship Advisor. A Harvard Business School graduate and Procter & Gamble brand management trained.

This episode is part of a special series we’re running to celebrate the fact we’ve now made more than 200 editions of Table Talk.We would like to thank everyone who has joined us on the podcast since it launched and we are so grateful to you for helping us to reach this milestone.To mark the occasion, we’ve invited some friends of the podcast to make their own mini-episodes, looking back at 2021.It’s been another year that’ll stick in the mind, but we’re doing our best to avoid the C-word (that's Covid) as we get our guests to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of the last 12 months.In this episode, we hear from Derek Sarno, co-founder of Wicked Healthy, LLC, and Executive Chef & Director of Plant-Based Innovation for Tesco PLC Derek SarnoPrior to co-founding Wicked Healthy and partnering with Tesco, Derek served as the Senior Global Executive Chef for Whole Foods Market, where he oversaw global research and development for the company’s prepared foods department, worked with suppliers and leadership to develop and promote plant-based foods across the organisation, and served as Culinary Director for the WFM Academy for Conscious Leadership.Derek is a serial entrepreneur, founding several award-winning restaurants and food service companies in the United States, including the One Hundred Club, Mahalo’s Catering, and Mizuna’s. Derek also served as the resident Chef & Gardener at Padma Samye Ling, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and retreat center in upstate New York.

In this episode, we hear from Derek Sarno, co-founder of Wicked Healthy, LLC, and Executive Chef & Director of Plant-Based Innovation for Tesco PLCThis episode is part of a special series we’re running to celebrate the fact we’ve now made more than 200 editions of Table Talk.We would like to thank everyone who has joined us on the podcast since it launched and we are so grateful to you for helping us to reach this milestone.To mark the occasion, we’ve invited some friends of the podcast to make their own mini-episodes, looking back at 2021.It’s been another year that’ll stick in the mind, but we’re doing our best to avoid the C-word (that's Covid) as we get our guests to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of the last 12 months.In this episode, we hear from Ria Rehberg, CEO of Veganuary.Ria RehbergRia Rehberg is the CEO of Veganuary, a UK based charity that encourages people worldwide to try going vegan in January and beyond. Since 2014, Veganuary has inspired and supported more than one million people in 192 countries to try a vegan diet. Additionally, Veganuary works with hundreds of businesses to drive up vegan food provision in shops and restaurants, and have made veganism more visible and accessible through their work with national and international media.

This episode is part of a special series we’re running to celebrate the fact we’ve now made more than 200 editions of Table Talk.We would like to thank everyone who has joined us on the podcast since it launched and we are so grateful to you for helping us to reach this milestone.To mark the occasion, we’ve invited some friends of the podcast to make their own mini-episodes, looking back at 2021.It’s been another year that’ll stick in the mind, but we’re doing our best to avoid the C-word (that's Covid) as we get our guests to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of the last 12 months.In this episode, we hear from Barry Smith, Founding Director of the Centre for the Study of SensesBarry SmithBarry C Smith is a professor of philosophy and director of the Institute of Philosophy at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. He is also the founding director of the Centre for the Study of the Senses, which pioneers collaborative research between philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists.

This episode is part of a special series we’re running to celebrate the fact we’ve now made more than 200 editions of Table Talk.We would like to thank everyone who has joined us on the podcast since it launched and we are so grateful to you for helping us reach this milestone. To mark the occasion, we’ve invited some friends of the podcast to make their own mini-episodes, looking back at 2021. It’s been another year that’ll stick in the mind, but we’re doing our best to avoid the C-word (that's Covid) as we get our guests to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of the last 12 months.In this episode, we hear from Anna Taylor, Executive Director of The Food Foundation. Anna TaylorAnna joined The Food Foundation as its first Executive Director at the beginning of June 2015 after 5 years at the Department for International Development. At DFID, Anna led the policy team on nutrition and supported the delivery of the UK’s global commitments to tackle undernutrition.

The Table Talk podcast is on a festive break, but that doesn't mean we stop providing top content.We've delved into our archive and pulled out some of the best interviews from 2021.In this episode, Stefan Gates met Oliver Bennett; a British race car driver, turned energy drink entrepreneur.Oliver made his debut in the British Rallycross Championship in 2016 and fought for the title the following season. He is also the co-founder of Xite Energy, a brand bringing nootropic energy drinks to the mass market. Popular among Gen Z and E-sports athletes, nootropics support healthy brain function and mental ability.This podcast looks at the growing world of nootropics, as we chat to Oliver about why Xite entered the market and how the sector has developed, and will continue to grow. Why are so many E-sports athletes and Gen Z consumers embracing nootropics for cognitive health, and what can we expect from brands like Xite in the future? J Oliver BennettOliver Bennett is a 28-year-old British driver with experience in rallycross competitions. In 2016 he made his debut in the British Rallycross Championship and the following season he fought for the title. He also made his debut in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, where he has competed in recent seasons. Bennett has also participated in a number of Americas Rallycross events and the Gymkhana GRID in Cape Town in 2018, where he put on a great performance. XiteXITE Energy, which was born in Bristol UK, is only two years old but has already made huge waves in the highly competitive energy drinks market. The brainchild of university graduate and rally driver Oliver Bennett – who is racing in Extreme E for the Hispano Suiza XITE Energy Team – and co-founder Megan Jones.The product is designed to resonate with fellow Gen Z’ers by using nootropics (Cognitive amino acids that aid concentration and focus) natural caffeine (green coffee bean), natural flavours, pansax ginseng, L-tyrosine and L-carnitine – all designed to keep energy levels constant without the ‘highs and lows’ associated with most other energy drinks. The brand is also proud that 1p for every can sold goes to mental health charities.

Turkey, roast potatoes, Christmas pudding, Brussels sprouts - Christmas dinner hasn't always been this way.And there is certainly no reason to think it will stay that way in the future.In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates delves into the history of the Christmas dinner with food historian Seren Charrington-Hollins.Seren reveals why Victorian Christmas traditions have endured the longest, how plant-based foods have always played a role in the main festive meal, and she re-visits the once ubiquitous 'Christmas Kissing Ball'.And she tries to answer a key question; are current Christmas dinner traditions sustainable in the long-term? Seren Charrington-HollinsAs a food historian, Seren has been bringing food history to life since 2007. She has written countless articles on food and domestic history, has given countless local and national radio interviews, as well as having appeared in a variety of TV programmes and productions. Already the published author of "A Dark History of Tea", she is currently working on her new book 'A Century of Eating: How our tastes have changed", which focuses on what has happened to the way we shop and eat in the past century.

Professor David Nutt, on the science behind hangovers and how new trends in the drinks market could help eradicate them for good.Alcohol is very much on the agenda as we approach the end of the year and look forward to a new one.Typically, in December we drink too much and in January, many of us think about cutting back.In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by a very special guest who can offer some real insights into our relationship with alcohol, and specifically hangovers.Professor David Nutt is a former UK Government adviser and is currently employed at Imperial College London.He reveals the cost to the economy of people being hungover, why he thinks hangovers should be considered a form of illness, and how he believes synthetic alternatives to alcohol could eradicate some of its least desirable effects. David Nutt, DM, FRCP, FRCPsych, FBPhS FMedSci DLaws David Nutt is currently the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology, Head of the Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, and Director of the Centre for Psychedelic Research in the Division of Brain Science at Imperial College London. He is also visiting professor at the Open University in the UK and Maastricht University in the Netherlands.Professor Nutt was the UK Government’s drug adviser in the late 2000s. He was removed from the position in 2009 for claiming that alcohol is more dangerous than ecstasy or LSD. The following year, he published a study that showed that alcohol is more harmful to society than heroin or crack cocaine.Professor Nutt has held a number of significant scientific leadership positions including Presidencies of the European Brain Council, the British Neuroscience Association, the British Association of Psychopharmacology and the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology as well as Chair of the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. He has published over 500 original research papers, a similar number of reviews and books chapters, eight government reports on drugs and 35 books, including one for the general public; ‘Drugs Without the Hot Air’, which won the Transmission book prize in 2014 for Communication of Ideas. The second edition of this has just been released as has his autobiography ‘Nutt Uncut’.

If you are kicking yourself for taking an arts degree when really you want to be working in the green economy - this podcast is for you.As part of the Table Talk podcast's Green Jobs series, Stefan Gates meets India Langley, Communications Manager for the innovative indoor farming company LettUs Grow.She reveals the secret to switching from the arts to science, the surprising opportunities that have arisen as a result of her own journey, and why she thinks not having a scientific background has helped her to be better at her job.India Langley, Communications Manager, LettUs GrowIndia Langley is a Sustainability Communicator who specialises in food and farming. India heads up the communications and marketing team at LettUs Grow, an innovative indoor farming company that provides technology for vertical farms and greenhouses that take account of plants, people and the planet. Their combination of farm management software and aeroponic technology maximises growth rates while minimising environmental impacts to help make sustainable farming a sustainable business.

Most of us know that experiencing flavour doesn’t just involve our tastebuds, but what other factors are influencing us when we eat and why is it so important?In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by Betina Piqueras Fiszman, Associate Professor at Wageningen University. They discuss the history of taste and flavour, and the important role they have played in human evolution.From bitterness helping us avoid poisons, to making foods more palatable for hospital patients, taste and flavour have played, and continue to play, a key role in keeping us alive.But what tricks can be used to enhance flavour? What role do emotions play in the eating experience? And what can be done for people who have lost their sense of taste as a result of Covid?Oh, and we find out if Stefan is a "supertaster". Betina Piqueras Fiszman, Associate Professor, Wageningen UniversityBetina's research focuses on the exploration of new ways to understand consumer food preferences and motivations. She investigates these processes by looking into relationships between the sensory characteristics of the product, consumer traits, cognitive and contextual factors, and their combined effect on perception, behaviour, and memorability.She has published more than 70 scientific peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. She actively contributes to various international academic symposiums, courses, and other public events, lectures and podcasts. Betina is co-author of the book “The Perfect Meal” (2015 Prose Award) and co-edited the book “Multisensory Flavor Perception”. She currently sits on the editorial boards of the scientific journals Food Quality and Preference and Appetite.

Carlsberg is one of the biggest beer companies in the world, so working as its Sustainability Manager can mean making small changes that have a big impact.For the last three years, Pete Statham has been doing just that. In this episode of Table Talk, he tells Stefan Gates about how a switch to more sustainable packaging was a commercial success for the firm, and how it worked with competitors to develop the lowest carbon beer bottle in the world.He reveals that companies are now coming under pressure to be more sustainable, not just from customers, but also from investors. He talks about people in roles like his being able to balance activism with a business brain. And he sets out why he thinks collaboration is the key to tackling climate change. Pete Statham, Sustainability Manager, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company & Carlsberg GroupPete has 10 years’ experience working in corporate sustainability, supporting some of the world’s biggest brands to become more sustainable and transparent.Building on an MSc in Sustainable Development from the University of Exeter, Pete started his career in consultancy, advising brands across a range of industries including FMCG, home furnishings, pharmaceuticals, banking and telecoms, to set ambitious sustainability targets and communicate transparently on their performance.In 2019 he joined Carlsberg to create a new role leading the integration of the Together Towards ZERO sustainability plan across the UK business, while also being responsible for sustainability communications and reporting for the global organisation.In 2020, Pete was named in Edie’s 30 under 30 Sustainability Leaders, and accepted as a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability.

When the UK Government published its Obesity Strategy in 2020, many critics argued it didn't go far enough. Now, an alliance of organisations, ranging from doctors to dentists and charities to campaign groups, have come together to set out their vision for change.In this episode of the Table Talk Podcast, Caroline Cerny, Alliance Lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, joins Stefan Gates to set out why she believes their strategy could change the course of the UK's obesity epidemic.She talks about the impact of lockdown on our weight, why we need to move away from obesessing about obesity targets, and why she would like to see the end of cake sales at schools.Caroline CernyCaroline Cerny is Alliance Lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of over 40 health charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups. She coordinates policy development, public affairs and communications across the membership, representing their views to policy makers and the media. Prior to this role, Caroline worked at Cancer Research UK for eight years developing public health campaigns on prevention and early diagnosis. She spent six months seconded into the Department of Health’s policy communication team working on childhood obesity and public health issues.

Ever wondered how Waitrose creates its compelling food images and unique photography style? Or how Tesco’s food photos perfectly reflect their brand? Well wonder no more as Stefan is joined by award-winning food photographer to the stars, Georgia Glynn Smith. Georgia has worked with some of the nation’s most famous and much-loved cooks from Nigella to Nigel, along with many well-known food and drink brands and retailers. Georgia shares her passion for ‘the art of noticing’ and spills the secrets behind great food photography, as she shares hints and tips on what it takes to create the perfect photo to immortalise your product. From understanding your brand, your voice and your audience, she takes listeners on a journey to explore how all these elements should influence the aesthetic and reflect your brand values to create the perfect picture.

Dorothy Shaver is Global Marketing Sustainability Lead at Unilever – but how did a self-confessed “hippie at heart” end up working for one of the world’s biggest companies? And how does she go about getting it to think and act in a more sustainable way?As part of our Green Jobs series, Dorothy joins Stefan Gates to talk about her journey. She reveals how she helped Unilever play a proactive role in creating a more sustainable food supply chain – through its Future 50 Foods initiative. She also offers her top advice for making it in the industry – and why she thinks we need to stop talking about sustainability and start talking about restoration and regeneration.About our panelDorothy Shaver, Global Marketing Sustainability Lead, UnileverDorothy is a Registered Dietitian working in food sustainability with unique experience in, and passion for, driving behaviour change for positive health and environmental outcomes. Over the past fifteen years she has worked across media, retail, health care, and the fitness industry, championing food choices to enable personal and planetary health. Dorothy has helped to spearhead a lot of Unilever’s work on regenerative agriculture projects, including the Future 50 Foods initiative. The joint campaign between WWF and Unilever-owned Knorr, launched in 2019. It lists 50 plant-based foods which purport to have a lower impact on the environment than animal products and most other plants. The idea is to encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices by telling them what they should eat, rather than what they shouldn’t.Dorothy is a guest blogger, podcast speaker, expert contributor and food writer spreading her positive passion and drive to get the masses to fall in love with food that is good for people and the planet. She currently lives in a canal house in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Trying to get kids to eat their 5 a day can be a losing battle, but a battle that one man is brave to enough to take on. Dan Power, Chief Executive of Veg Power, and mastermind behind the Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign, joins Stefan Gates to talk about how a campaign to overpower veg has helped to increase vegetable sales by 500 million children’s portions. Dan shares his passion and ambition to transform every family’s dinner table into a place of joy, discussing the importance of looking at life through the lens of a child to help children change their bias towards fruit and veg, and his new seasonal veg campaign which will help a different generation of parents bring up their kids in a more sustainable and healthy way.

This episode delves further into our exploration of food science and nutrition and continues to explore just how food affects our bodies. Protein is often see as the magic ingredient in our diets, the key to unlocking our fitness and strength – but are these spurious health claims or does protein provide genuine health benefits? Richard MacKenzie, Director for Sport & Exercise Science Research Group, Roehampton University joins Stefan to explore what protein is, why we really need it in our diet and how much we should be consuming. From the role of protein shakes to the benefits to bicep muscles, listen to some fascinating facts and advance your understanding of this complex and often misunderstood area of nutrition science.

The food industry in Denmark is renowned for ambitious sustainable goals. This episode gathers a top panel of Danish experts who describe how the sector is working collaboratively with government, business, academics along with some non-conventional partnerships to continue to raise the bar on sustainability.Green technologies, resource efficiency, food waste, innovative business models, mainstreaming circular thinking, embedding sustainability across education and supporting consumer behaviour change are just some of the themes they tackle.Join the discussion with Camilla Lercke Odgaard, Director, Head of Sustainability & ESG at Chr. Hansen; Rubin Dollerup Nielsen, Business Development Manager at Food at Food & Bio Cluster Denmark and Berit Chavez Azeri, Investment Manager, UK & Ireland at Invest in Denmark to explore the secret ingredients to Denmark’s sustainability success, the benefits to the local economy and what other countries can learn from the Danish approach.

Continuing our conversations about careers, this episode's focus is on food science. What does it take to be a food scientist? Must you be a geek in a lab coat or have a Frankenstein-like interest in food? Stefan Gates lifts the lid on food science – what is it and what does it involve? What are the different roles in the profession, and what are the range of skills, and interests, you need to excel? He is joined by Jo Tivers, Head of Food and Quality at KFC, voted most likely to design ready meals for out of space when she left school, and Carole Bingley, Senior Associate Principal Scientist for Product and Ingredient Innovation at Reading Scientific Services. Sharing their passion for all things food and science related, our guests discuss the opportunities within industry, their own unique careers paths, and the secret behind developing a product that tastes truly amazing.

This episode continues our series of conversations taking us inside food science and it centres on the role of micronutrients as we age. For decades, medical scientists and the food industry have studied this microscopic world of vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, essential fatty acids and more in a bid to understand the true extent of the role they play in nutrition and health. Dr Christina Mesch, a nutrition scientist and product manager at SternVitamin GmbH & Co. talks to Stefan about how we should approach the lifelong task of getting the right micronutrients in our diet and how they can benefit immune health and the prevention of chronic disease. Join them for an exploration into this fascinating area of nutrition science and find out how food innovation is helping to fortify key food and drinks to support the healthy ageing process.

This episode is all about green jobs. David Reay, Professor of Carbon Management and Education at the University of Edinburgh, and member of the UK Government's Green Jobs Taskforce speaks to Stefan from COP 26 in Glasgow, where the future of green jobs have been central to the discussions.The UK government has an ambition to create 2 million more green jobs over the next 9 years - part of the plan for an economy with zero fossil fuel emission. But, are we really ready for green jobs? Join the conversation to explore what we actually mean by a green job and why all jobs in every sector will soon be seen through a ‘green lens.’ Hear how universities are moving to embed sustainability, net zero and climate change across their entire curriculum to benefit student learning outcomes and skills. Plus, find out what types of green jobs are on offer across the food industry and why green skills and understanding sustainability are fundamental for a sustainable food future.

In Europe alone there are hundreds of protein brands and products, and millions of Euros-worth of sales of protein bars. With this buoyant market growth, there’s a dilemma for every business entering this space - how do you cut through in such a crowded market? And, from the consumer side, how do you find a bar which is actually as delicious as the marketing?In this episode, Ivan Anton, Senior Development Specialist, and Floris Daamen, Marketing Manager for Performance and Active Nutrition from FrieslandCampina share their insights into the drivers behind the growth of protein, and how consumer attitudes are changing post COVID-19.With expertise ranging from low-protein to protein-plus solutions, they also explain why active nutrition, healthy ageing, digestive and immune health are major consumer trends influencing innovation in this dynamic category. The future is bright for high quality protein solutions at FrieslandCampina. Join them to hear how they are setting a new standard in innovative protein snacks.

In this episode, Stefan meets Norberto Chaclin, who is currently leading the Global Bakery Research, Development and Quality team at Mondelez International. Mondelez International are behind some of the most well-known brands in snacks. Oreo, Belvita, Ritz and Cadbury’s just to name a few. The business has a significant growth aspiration to bring their brands to new markets and to new consumers and they do this through global innovation. In the global bakery research and development part of the business, Norberto and his team find themselves dealing with hundreds of innovation projects across the globe at any one time. Tracking and measuring the success and impact of these projects is fundamental to the business being able to achieve the growth plans and the management of this on a global scale is a complex, demanding, diverse and fast-paced challenge.Norberto describes how Mondelez International has transitioned to create and implement a powerful data infrastructure that enables Mondelez International to track, analyse, measure and react to the success of global innovation projects - all through a collaborative, successful partnership with Sopheon.

The latest in the Careers Conversations series from Table Talk explores some of the secrets behind building a career in food communications and brand strategy.Sophie Caplan is a Flavours Communication Specialist at global flavour and fragrance manufacturer Givaudan. She studied English Language and Linguistics at university, during which time she started a personal food blog. She describes how this personal interest spurred her on to find a company that aligned with her personal values - ultimately leading her to Givaudan. She shares her journey to her dream job which now involves working with consumer insight experts and food technology teams all the way through to planning social media campaigns, photo shoots, video productions, podcasts and managing media.She is joined by Alex Ririe, Director at The Collaborators - a specialist food and drink branding agency. Alex studied advertising management at university and went on to work in financial advertising. But, it was her passion for wine and spirits that has led her to be a successful specialist in food and drink brand strategy and storytelling. She is now a leading brand strategist and recognised industry speaker working with some of the most exciting food and drink brands in the sector.Hear their stories about what drew them to the food industry; how their personal values have shaped their career paths; why being a people person matters in food communications and how to stand out when applying for that first job.

In this episode, Stefan talks to Sarah and Geoff Yates, founders of Sea Arch - a distilled non-alcoholic spirit and 2021 winner of the prestigious Food Matters Live New Drink of the Year Award. Building on their combined experience in the food industry - from pastry chef to wine bar owners - this enterprising couple share how they mastered flavour palettes, blended innovative botanicals on the kitchen table, and dug deep into technical and business know-how to introduce a brand new concept into a young, relatively unknown drinks category.Join the conversation to hear what they wish they’d known before starting out, how they overcame the pitfalls, hurdles and challenges of a young and unpredictable category, and the excitement they feel as they see their home grown Devon brand play a part on the global no alcohol stage.

Eat Just made history earlier this year, following a regulatory approval decision in Singapore for lab grown meat to be sold in a restaurant. System change needs to start somewhere, and this approval offers the potential to be the catalyst for changing the future of meat production and consumption and for cutting down on greenhouse gases, thus being more environmentally friendly.The 1880 restaurant in Singapore is the first restaurant in the world to have lab grown meat on their menu. The restaurant sells a trio of taster dishes using Eat Just cultured chicken: bao bun with crispy sesame cultured chicken and spring onion; filo puff pastry with cultured chicken and black bean puree; and a crispy maple waffle with cultured chicken with spices and hot sauce.In this episode, Stefan Gates is joined by visionary Josh Tetrick, Founder and CEO of Eat Just as they discuss what impact this approval process will have on the future of meat without animal slaughter, the challenges of moving at scale, and why environment and health conscious Gen Z are key to taking cellular meat to the mainstream.

It’s been 8 years since the introduction of the UK’s front of pack traffic light system which was intended to offer consumers a simple guide for the nutritional value of the food that they are about to buy. With rising levels of obesity and a lack of consumer understanding, is it time for an alternative approach to food labelling? In this episode - brought to you in partnership with Danone - Stefan Gates is joined by Rachel Bradford, Nutrition Policy Manager to talk through Danone’s Nutri Score System, which is their commitment to simplify front of pack nutritional information.Can this new system - which is already available to consumers in France, Germany and Spain - succeed in enabling healthier consumer food choices across all areas of society?

If you want to know how cashew apples can be turned into beautiful burgers, or how the millions of tonnes of waste from coffee cherries can be turned into nutrient rich drinks, you will love this episode of Table Talk. Join the conversation to understand how the current relationship between sustainability and consumers is changing - and how an innovative, sustainable supply chain can deliver exciting, healthier, nutritious, traceable and safe food to satisfy changing consumer needs.

In this podcast we are joined by barley experts and enthusiasts EverGrain, an ingredients company supplying nutrient dense barley for plant-based products whilst delivering circularity in the food system. How can barley help formulators deliver higher protein and fibres to meet growing consumer demand? What unique role does barley play in supporting sustainability and circularity?

The plant-based market is absolutely booming, with more and more consumers choosing plant-based foods and meat alternatives as they look to reduce their impact on the climate and improve their health. While the taste and texture of plant-based products has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years, is it still a barrier to some consumers who might make flexitarian choices otherwise?In this podcast we join the plant-based experts from Barentz, an ingredients company supplying plant based ingredients for plant based product concepts, to find out how brands can improve texture and taste of their products. What innovations are available for producers, and why is texture so important to our overall enjoyment of food? Host Stefan Gates is joined by Tracey Sanderson, Managing Director, Sensory Dimensions, Mariano Vasconcellos, Technical Director – Food, Barentz and Angela Whitney, Area Manager, Barentz to explore our senses and how they impact the popularity of plant-based products. Join the conversation on Table Talk.About our panel Tracey Sanderson BSc, CSci, RSensSciTracey is Managing Director at Sensory Dimensions where she has worked since 2010. In her role she supports clients across the food, personal care, home, and healthcare sectors to create successful products and packaging and maximise competitive advantage.Prior to Sensory Dimensions, Tracey worked at the University of Reading as a business advisor to the Life Sciences sector, and before that in Sensory and Consumer Science with RSSL/Cadbury and Leatherhead Food Research. Angela Whitney, Area Manager, BarentzAngela has worked for more than 30 years in the UK Food Industry for both manufacturers and for the last 17 years for a Food Ingredient Distribution business introducing a range of concepts and functional ingredients to market. With a degree in Agriculture and Plant Science she has spent most of her career in sales, product management and senior management roles. Mariano Vasconcellos, Technical Director – Food, BarentzMariano Vasconcellos is Technical Director of Food at Barentz International and studied Food technology in the Netherlands. Mariano started his career at Unilever and conducted research on lipids and fat-replacers. He continued working at this multinational consumer goods company filling roles from Culinary Development manager to Global Savoury Development manager. After 15 years at Unilever, Mariano moved to HJ Heinz to work as their Technical Brand Manager. In August 2010 Mariano took on the role as Technical Director of Food at Barentz International in which he is now present for more than 11 years, being responsible for the application capabilities within the Barentz Group. Mariano has extensive knowledge about food technology and is a noteworthy industry expert when it comes to innovative and trend-setting solutions.

Last July, Mintel labelled collagen a ‘hero ingredient’, with the global market set to hit €828.6m by 2023. What is behind the growing consumer demand for supplements, and how is the trend for ‘beauty from within’ driving significant growth in the collagen market.This episode, in partnership with BioCell Technology, brings together a panel of experts to help explain how the demand for collagen has exploded, and why brands are looking at collagen instead of other products such as whey. Joining host Stefan Gates are Suhail Ishaq, President, BioCell Technology LLC Nathan Gray, Science and Technical Director, Collagen Stewardship Alliance and Rowena Thomson, Nutrition Science Communications Manager, Solgar International, The Bountiful Company. Together they’ll explain why self care is so important for consumers right now, especially following COVID-19, and how collagen can help support healthy ageing and overall wellbeing. About our panel Suhail Ishaq, President, BioCell Technology LLCSuhail Ishaq, President of BioCell Technology, is a business executive with over 25 years of experience in the nutraceutical industry. His in-depth knowledge of food, drug, and cosmetic research and development, manufacturing, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance have made him one of the most sought‐after professionals in the dietary supplement industry. Suhail is an anti-aging pioneer and leading innovator with several patents surrounding hydrolyzed collagen type II, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid compositions for health and beauty. He's routinely quoted in trade and scientific publications internationally. Nathan Gray, Science and Technical Director, Collagen Stewardship AllianceNathan Gray is an industry analyst and consultant with more than a decade of experience in the food and nutrition space and more than 15 years in media and science communication.An experienced communicator and strategic connector, Nathan brings with a wealth of experience and expertise in food technology, nutrition science and wellness trends. As an industry thought leader, he is passionate about innovation and scientific discovery in nutrition – and in particular the microbiome and sports nutrition categories.Nathan has a BSc Human Biosciences from the University of Plymouth, UK, where he specialised in exercise nutrition, immunology and science communication. After this he gained a postgraduate certification in Science and Environmental Journalism at the University of Lincoln, UK, where he worked on radio and TV productions in addition to online and print journalism.Rowena Thomson, Nutrition Science Communications Manager, Solgar International, The Bountiful Company Rowena Thomson brings over 9 years of international expertise communicating science and health benefits at The Bountiful Company for the Solgar Brand. Her in-depth knowledge of food supplements, botanical ingredients and the consumer goods industry has supported award-winning innovation launches, business-to-business educational programmes and helps communicate complex and technical information to distributors, retailers and commercial teams.

When you think of Japanese food it’s unlikely that you’d think of plant-based meat alternatives. With a diet rich in fish and meat you’re more likely to think of Wagyu beef or some freshly made sushi delicacy, however the scene in Japan is changing thanks to food-tech start-ups like Next Meats. With products like the NEXT Egg 1.0, a dairy-free egg product, and the NEXT Yakiniku barbecue meat alternative products the company is looking to deliver tasty meat and dairy alternatives to the world from Japan.On this episode we’re joined by Saaya Matsukubo, US Area Manager, Next Meat, who will explain the rich plant-based culture that has existed in Japan for a long time, how the market for plant-based meat alternatives is growing there, and their ambitions for global expansion for their brand. Join us to hear how Japan might be the perfect location for the next explosion of plant-based innovation.About Next MeatsNext Meats Co, the alternative meat venture company from Tokyo, is known for commercialising the world's first vegan Japanese barbecue meat analogues—the NEXT Yakiniku series, as well as the NEXT Gyudon, which is a vegan simulation of the traditional Japanese beef bowl.Based in Tokyo, Next Meats is a food-tech venture company that specialises in the research and development of Japanese-style alternative meat products. Its journey of product development began in 2017, and the company was officially established in June of 2020. In December 2020 they announced their partnership with Toyota- Tsusho Corporation, and was listed on the American OTCBB in January of 2021.The company is currently rapidly expanding their presence to over 9 countries. They plan to research various types of alternative proteins in the future and aim to replace all animal meats by 2050.

In this episode we cast our eyes toward Singapore, home of a rapidly growing food and agri-tech sector. Why is food tech booming in Singapore? What start-ups are disrupting the future of food in the region? What is making investors so excited when it comes to innovation in the country? Join us to find out!From pioneering cellular meat tech to plant-based innovation centres, we'll discover why Singapore has proven such a fertile ground for next-gen solutions to the challenges our food systems face. Providing their unique insight and perspective are Dilys Boey, Assistant CEO, Enterprise Singapore and Andrew Ive, Founder, Big Idea Ventures. They'll explain the reasons why Singapore is leading the way on food and agri tech and what exciting things are coming from the investment that's being made in the country.About our panelDilys Boey, Assistant CEO, Enterprise SingaporeMs Dilys Boey is Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Singapore, overseeing industry development of the Lifestyle & Consumer, Food and AgriTech sectors. Enterprise Singapore is the government agency championing enterprise development. The agency works with committed companies to build capabilities, innovate and internationalise. It also supports the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups, and builds trust in Singapore’s products and services through quality and standards.Prior to joining Enterprise Singapore, Dilys was a Partner and ASEAN People Advisory Services Leader at Ernst & Young (EY) and has over 25 years of management consulting experience working with corporations and the public sector on people, culture and organisation priorities. Andrew Ive, Founder, Big Idea VenturesFounder / GP of Big Idea Ventures, a Fund Manager focused on Solving the World's Greatest Challenges by Backing the World's Best Entrepreneurs. Building US & Asia based Funds and Businesses to dramatically improve the world. Investor, Speaker, Writer, Business Leader. Focused on investing in companies which have the potentially to have a global impact on Climate Change, Conversation, Food Waste, Plastics and Water in the Food Supply Chain, Animal Welfare and Personal Health. We need to flatten the curve of Climate Change - it's a Global Imperative.

When you think of plant protein you immediately think of vegan food, right? Yet plant protein is also being used to make meat products healthier and more sustainable. Producing animal protein requires considerably more resources than plant protein. Using plants to enhance the meat most people already enjoy is a great way to reduce the meat products’ carbon footprint. In this episode of Table Talk we join Paul Shapiro, CEO, The Better Meat Company, to discover how plant protein can be used effectively in meat products as well as in 100% plant-based applications.“If you contemplate that the best tasting frozen chicken nugget in America is only 50% chicken, just imagine what we could do if every chicken manufacturer in the country were utilising these products,” said Paul Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of The Better Meat Co. “We’re using a combination of plant protein, fibre, fat and flavours that when combined in proprietary ways help to seamlessly blend directly into meat and improve on taste. That’s the real key for us. We are not subtracting from taste or texture. We’re actually enhancing it.”Join us for a fascinating look at how plant protein is being used in new and innovative ways to increase sustainability on Table Talk.Paul Shapiro, CEO, The Better Meat CompanyPaul Shapiro is the author of the national bestseller Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World (published by Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books in 2018). He's also the CEO of The Better Meat Co., a four-time TEDx speaker, the host of the Business for Good Podcast, and a long-time leader in food sustainability.He's been interviewed by hundreds of news outlets from CNN to StarTalk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson as an authority on food and agriculture sustainability. He’s also published hundreds of articles in publications ranging from daily newspapers like the Washington Post to pop-sci publications like Scientific American to magazines like FORTUNE to academic journals.

In the latest in a series of episodes focused on Net Zero, and its impact on food industry manufacturers, producers and retailers, we join Aditi Sen, Policy Lead at Oxfam to find out whether the focus on net zero is distracting us from the priority of cutting emissions to reduce our impact on the environment. Aditi co-authored Oxfam’s ‘Tightening the Net’ report which discovered that many governments are hiding behind unreliable, unrealistic and unproven carbon removal schemes to meet their 2050 goals. Is net zero causing more of a distraction than a help as we address climate change?Join host Stefan Gates as he chats to Aditi, and discovers the detail and research that has gone into Oxfam’s report, and what can be done next to effect real change. About Aditi Sen Aditi Sen, Policy Lead, OxfamWorking at the intersection of climate change, sustainability, and international development and advancing equity in climate solutions. Broad experience in policy analysis and advocacy, program design and management, and working with a diverse range of stakeholders. About the Tightening the Net reportOxfam’s report Tightening the Net says that too many governments and corporations are hiding behind unreliable, unproven and unrealistic ’carbon removal’ schemes in order to claim their 2050 climate change plans will be ‘net zero’. Their sudden rush of ‘net zero’ promises are relying too much on vast swathes of land to plant trees in order to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. At the same time, they are failing to cut emissions quickly or deeply enough to avert catastrophic climate breakdown. To limit warming below 1.5°C and prevent irreversible damage from climate change, the world collectively should be on track to reduce carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 from 2010 levels, with the sharpest cuts being made by the biggest emitters. Countries’ current plans to cut emissions are nowhere near, totalling around 1 per cent reduction in global emissions by 2030 according to the most recent stocktake. The climate crisis is already devastating agriculture globally. It is driving worsening humanitarian crises, hunger and migration. People living in poverty, particularly women farmers and Indigenous people, are being affected first and worst. It is undermining efforts to tackle poverty around the world. Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive of Oxfam GB, said: “Too many companies and governments are hiding behind the smokescreen of ‘net zero’ to continue dirty business-as-usual activities. “A prime example of the doublethink we are seeing is the oil and gas sector trying to justify its ongoing extraction of fossil fuels by promising unrealistic carbon removal schemes that require ludicrous amounts of land. “Net zero targets are vital to tackling climate change. Some governments and companies are taking bold action to cut carbon emissions but there are currently too few to give us a realistic chance of averting climate catastrophe and the widespread hunger and devastation that come with it. “The UK Government needs to be a credible broker for a deal that can stop the planet overheating when it hosts the COP26 climate talks in November – so it is imperative that it stops licensing new oil and gas in the North Sea, including a possible new oilfield near the Shetland Islands.”

Over 3,100 listeners from across the world of food, nutrition and health joined the Table Talk community in August, and in a stellar month on the podcast we unpacked some of the most important challenges for food, drink, diet, sustainability and nutrition. The top trending Table Talk episodes in August included a look at how Edlong are perfecting their plant-based cheese flavours by incorporating regional tastes and nuances, how the latest research is exploding some important myths about the health benefits of intermittent fasting, and how the food industry can come together to achieve net zero by 2040, ten years ahead of national targets.Each week Table Talk connects you to the key thinkers and change-makers from food and drink, sharing future trends and giving you a glimpse of the science-backed research that will shape how we eat. Follow on Apple, Spotify or your preferred platform to hear each new episode each week and join a community of more than 75,000 food industry professionals getting a head start on future trends with Table Talk.

In the second of our Behind the Brand series, we catch up with Food Matters Live Awards Innovative natural and organic product of the year winner, Melligel, and find out how the brand behind it, Mellifera, has created a sports nutrition supplement from organic honey. What motivated them to head down this path, and what are the potentials for organic honey within the sports nutrition sector? Join the conversation on Table Talk to find out. About MelliGEL by Mellifera Ltd.Carbohydrate is needed to fuel almost every type of activity as the amount of glycogen has a direct effect on physical and mental performance. Organic honey with its predominantly carb content is first class source used from the time of the first Olympian runners of the ancient Greece. Nowadays, there is numerous scientific documents and evidence that honey is the perfect fuel to consume before exercise in order to achieve both fast energy and endurance.MelliGEL is the first 100% organic certified energy gel, which is also certified by Informed Sport as a product suitable for professional athletes. It’s all natural and raw food based on pure honey, herbal extracts, and superfoods which deliver the flavor – Raspberry, Spirulina, GingerCherry, Matcha, Guarana, CacaoMint, or Strawberry. MelliGEL provides the much needed energy for athletes and active people without the burden of any chemicals, GMO, and artificial additives. In addition, it stimulates immunity as honey and the other ingredients are bursting with enzymes, polyphenols, minerals, antioxidants, and adaptogens. Immediately after its launch in its home country (Bulgaria) it was recognized by the Bulgarian Tennis Federation as main sport nutrition for the national teams of professional tennis players. Acknowledgment of the Official partnership can be seen on https://bgtennis.bg/.

What are the leading global food and agtech scenes? In this episode of Table Talk we join experts from the food and agtech investment community to shed some light on how countries are helping to support innovation and disruption and find out what is the secret to success.Joining host Stefan Gates are Christian Guba, Associate, Atlantic Foods Ivan Farneti, Co-Founder, Five Seasons Ventures and Nadav Berger, Founder & Managing Director, Peakbridge VC. Join the conversation to find out what different countries are doing to nurture food and agtech start-ups in this fascinating look at the future of food.About our panel Christian Guba, Associate, Atlantic FoodsChristian is an Investor with Atlantic Food Labs, an early-stage VC Fund & Venture Studio based in Berlin. Atlantic Food Labs invests in ambitious and mission-driven startups along the entire food value chain and has backed companies such as Gorillas, Formo, Mushlabs or Infarm. Christian gained a Master in Management from HHL Leipzig and before joining Atlantic Food Labs he worked with btov Partners, BCG Digital Ventures, and Google. Ivan Farneti, Co-Founder, Five Seasons VenturesIvan has been an active venture capital investor for the last 20 years and he is the co-founding Partner of Five Seasons Ventures, the first European venture fund fully focused on Foodtech.He is passionate about product and technology innovation aimed at solving big challenges in the food industry: from alternative sources of proteins, to functional foods, from new models of food distribution to the reduction of food waste. At Five Seasons he invested in gene editing company Tropic Biosciences, pet nutrition company Butternut Box and three more companies yet to be announced.His experience from previous venture funds in London, includes structuring venture investments, organisational and strategy development, setting up governance for growth and planning for successful exits. He was an early stage investor in Everbridge, Inc. (Nasdaq: EVBG), Tridion BV (acquired by SDL Plc), Gomez, Inc. (acquired by Compuware), Plazes AG (acquired by Nokia), among others.In his spare time he enjoys family life, cooking, fly fishing, and practicing karate and jiu jitsu with his son Adam Nadav Berger, Founder & Managing Director, Peakbridge VCComing from a Third generation food industrialist family , Nadav has actively built many companies specialising in food applications, marketing and distribution. In 2008, Nadav co-founded the food applications lab FoodLab. The innovative developments at FoodLab lead to founding FoodLab Capital, a premier seed fund. The successful portfolio includes DouxMatok, InnovoPro, NextFerm and SimpleOrder (exited).After that Nadav co-founded and is the managing Partner of PeakBridge, a fund manager managing NEWtrition (Nick's, TasteWise, Prenexus, UKKO..)– a series A+ Global fund for FoodTech and FoodSparks® – the 1st. European seed fund with collaboration with the EIT Food. Nadav holds a B.A in economics and political science from Tel Aviv University and an EMBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

In this new series we get personal with the people behind the brands, with the debut episode focusing on Beau’s Gelato. We join Co-Founder and CEO Joseph Eyre to find out how two partners with no previous experience in the food industry, one with a background in nursing the other in finance, came to start an award winning plant-based gelato brand.We discuss what made them take the plunge and start a business in an industry that was so alien to them, what fuels their passion and what comes next as they scale their brand. Join the conversation on Table Talk.About Beau’s GelatoBeau’s Gelato was born out of our shared passion for travel, discovery and – most importantly – great food. Prior to setting up Beau’s we travelled extensively, searching high and low for vegan dishes that were good enough to write home about.Along the way, we were lucky enough to meet many incredible artisans doing amazing things with vegan ingredients. Inspired, we decided we would go back and craft our own contribution to the plant-based world: a fantastic vegan ice cream that everyone could indulge in and feel great about.At the time that we made our decision, the vegan wave was still very much in its infancy. In stark contrast to all the exciting and interesting plant-based foods that we tasted on our travels, the scant options and bland fare that was available to us back in the UK left us cold. We could see that vegan food was being grossly undersold – and wanted to do something about it. With backgrounds in nursing and finance, there was a huge learning curve for us to go through before we could make a product as good as those we’d sampled abroad. Keen to learn more, we reached out to the former owner of a highly successful vegan ice cream parlour which operated in New York, who helped us to refine our initial development and recipe research, as well as providing valuable commercial advice for starting out.From all of this emerged Beau’s Gelato: an authentic Italian-style ice cream made without any animal products. In keeping with the Italian heritage we learnt in Bologna, we created many of the classic household flavours that everyone knows and loves.Beau’s Gelato were the 2021 Food Matters Live Awards Plant Based Product of the Year winner.

Healthy soil is full of living organisms that help to generate the nutrients crops need to grow. But many conventional farming practices inadvertently degrade soil health over time, which in turn can reduce crop yields. Regenerative Agriculture aims to capture carbon in soil and aboveground biomass, reversing current global trends of atmospheric accumulation. At the same time, it offers increased yields, resilience to climate instability, and higher health and vitality for farming and ranching communities.To explore regenerative agriculture and to find out the impact it could have on our environment, we once again, in partnership with Anglo American, join experts in the field to share their insight and experience. We speak to Ross Mitchell, Head of Agronomy and Technical Services, Anglo American Crop Nutrients and Paul Davey, seventh generation farmer and conservation agriculture contractor. Find out how we can regenerate our agriculture to improve sustainability in the future.About our panelRoss Mitchell, Head of Agronomy and Technical Services, Anglo American Crop NutrientsRoss runs a global agronomy team overseeing the development of POLY4 in support of the company’s commercial contracts. With over 30-years experience, Ross has a wide spectrum of knowledge of agricultural practices ranging from the research of nutrient and pesticide dynamics in soil to seed production.Before joining Anglo American, Ross specialised for eight years in sugar production – initially for large and smallholder farmers in China followed by large new farms in North Africa and the Indian subcontinent.Paul Davey, FarmerPaul Davey is a seventh generation farmer and conservation agriculture contractor. His wife manages their wholesale distribution and retail business which specialises in food, drinks and homeware made in Lincolnshire, UK. They run a shop in Lincoln which has an online home delivery service.The farm specialises in seed production growing cereals, oilseeds, grass seeds and pulses, including vining peas for Birds Eye. A lambing flock of Lleyn ewes is run in conjunction with the arable enterprises and the farm pursues a strategy of healthy soils producing heathy plants and healthy food.Paul was a finalist in the Soil Farmer of the Year competition 2019.

Intermittent fasting has been accepted for many years as a fast and effective way to lose weight, in fact Michael Moseley has published a number of best sellers on the 5:2 diet. However, a new and recently published study looks at the effects of fasting and lower energy intake in lean people. This podcast will explore the results of the study and what this means for our understanding of the success of intermittent fasting as a weight loss tool."Ultimately, fasting did result in weight loss in our experiment, so it is true to say that it was an effective approach in that regard," said James Betts, professor of metabolic physiology at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom and senior author of the new study. "However, we can confidently say it was not better than standard dieting in achieving that outcome and there were no other benefits specific to fasting within the context of our study."In this episode of Table Talk we speak to Professor James Betts to find out about the study, and what it means for our understanding of nutrition, weight loss and health. Join the conversation on Table Talk.About Professor James BettsJames Betts, Professor of Metabolic Physiology, University of Bath, Co-Director, Centre for Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism, Chair of the Department for Health Research Ethics CommitteeJames is Professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of Bath, where he is Co-Director of the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism and Chair of the Department for Health Research Ethics Committee. His research employs randomised controlled trials to study the effects of nutrition on metabolic regulation, the findings of which have been published in scientific papers in top-ranking scholarly journals. A particular focus of his work has been to examine the links between nutrient timing and human health, for which James was awarded the Nutrition Society Cuthbertson Medal at the Royal Society of Medicine for 'excellence in clinical nutrition and metabolism research'. James contributes widely within the University, having supervised many doctoral students through their research training; his integration of research into teaching was recognised by the University's Mary Tasker Award for excellence in teaching.