The Food Chain

Corner shop, mom and pop store or konbini, whatever you call them, most of us have a local business that sells convenience.

Rising food costs mean many are struggling to make a profit, one solution is to improve the fresh food and beverage offering which can have better margins.

Ruth Alexander visits a convenience store in Morley in West Yorkshire in the UK, where owner Ajay Singh has introduced cocktails and street food alongside the traditional offering of bread and milk. Retail analyst Rob Wilson from L.E.K. Consulting explains why the US is looking to Japan for inspiration. Reporter Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo, visiting some of the biggest chain convenience stores in the country and finding out what has made them so successful.

And author Ann Y.K. Choi tells Ruth what it takes to run a convenience store, reflecting on her family’s experiences running such businesses in Toronto after moving there from Korea in 1975.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Image: from left to right, Jazz Singh, Ajay Singh and Suki Singh who run Premier Morley convenience store in the UK. Credit: BBC)

What’s the purpose of restaurant reviews?

The Food Chain looks at who is qualified to write a review, how helpful they are today and the impact they can have on a business.

In this programme Ruth Alexander speaks to Giles Coren, restaurant critic for The Times newspaper in the UK, Opeyemi Famakin, online reviewer and influencer in Nigeria, and Ana Roš, chef and owner of the Hiša Franko restaurant in Slovenia which holds three Michelin stars.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Presenter by Ruth Alexander.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup and Bisi Adebayo.

(Image: from left to right, Giles Coren, Opeyemi Famakin and Ana Roš. Credits: BBC, Opeyemi Famakin and Suzan Gabrijan)

Saffron - the world's most expensive spice - is treasured for its rich aroma, vibrant colour, and unique flavour. But why does it command such a high price?

In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander uncovers the story of saffron from crocus flower to kitchen, finds out about the labour-intensive harvesting process, and learns about the innovations in lab-grown saffron that could change the industry forever.

Iranian chef and author Najmieh Batmanglij shares saffron's culinary and cultural significance. Saffron trader Mehrdad Rowhani offers insight into the complex global market and the problem of fraud, and agricultural scientist Dr Ardalan Ghilavizadeh tells us about why more countries are investing in lab-grown saffron, taking the harvest from traditional fields and into indoor units.

To get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Izzy Greenfield
Reporting: Irshad Hussain

Why do brands have such power over us?

Ruth Alexander talks to the designers influencing your decisions about what and where you eat.

Renowned graphic designer Paula Scher shares her insights on what it takes to create a visual identity that stands the test of time, including her work on the US fast-food restaurant Shake Shack.

And Arjen Klinkenberg, the creative mind behind Dutch company Tony’s Chocolonely, tells us how he designed its distinctive chocolate bar wrapper in just 10 minutes. Together they discuss what makes a design classic a classic and reveal the secret to building a brand that endures (hint: don’t tweak).

To get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producers: Izzy Greenfield and Sam Clack.

What makes a noodle? Is it the shape? The ingredients?

In this programme Devina Gupta explores the history of noodles, tracing their origin back to Third-Century China. She finds out how they came to be eaten in so many different ways in so many different places.

Devina enjoys a Tibetan-influenced noodle dish in Delhi’s Monastery Market, a long-time home of Tibetan restaurants and businesses in India. She hears how noodles were one of many foods to travel the silk trading routes in the region.

Jen Lin-Liu, author of ‘On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome with Love and Pasta’, tells Devina about the earliest mention of noodles in historical documents. Frank Striegl in Tokyo, who runs the blog ‘5AM Ramen’ picks up the story, explaining how noodles travelled from China to Japan and became ramen – one of Japan’s iconic dishes today.

In 1958 dried instant noodles were invented in Japan. Devina speaks to Varun Oberoi of Nissin India, to hear about the opportunities and challenges facing the instant noodle company today.

Presented by Devina Gupta.

Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

(Image: noodles dangling from chopsticks above a bowl. Credit: Getty Images/ BBC)