The Small Print

16. Why is food still absent from UK carbon plan?

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:50:16 GMT

The UK Government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 87% by 2040 as part of its seventh carbon budget. Yet comprehensive plans to decarbonise agriculture and land use remain conspicuously absent from policy papers, with food production on track to become the UK’s largest source of emissions by 2050. In this week’s episode, Ruth Westcott from the charity Sustain joins Nick to discuss why food and farming has failed to receive the same level of policy attention as the energy and transport sectors, and why farmers need greater support to produce food that is good for health and the environment. Ruth also reflects on why ministers are so scared to talk about the need for dietary change to meet emissions targets, and the kind of levers that should be pulled to get us eating less meat and dairy, and more fruit, vegetables and pulses.

15. The cold chain feels the chill

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:55:43 GMT

The cold chain describes the collection of businesses responsible for keeping temperature-controlled goods like meat, dairy and fresh produce moving safely and efficiently through supply chains: from source all the way through to restaurant kitchens and supermarket shelves. Trade body the Cold Chain Federation is concerned about growing risks to the chain from a range of threats including targeted cyber attacks, extreme weather events and disruptions to fuel and energy supplies, all of which are set out in a newly released whitepaper. Yet there’s a strong sense that government ministers continue to turn a blind eye to the unique challenges facing suppliers and distributors of perishable goods that make up 50% of the UK’s food supply. In this week’s episode, CCF chief executive Phil Pluck explains why the cold chain is essential to the effective functioning of the foodservice sector and why it’s high time for a resilience strategy that protects against current and future risks.

14. The next frontier in scope 3 reporting

Tue, 26 May 2026 13:17:38 GMT

Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions account for the lion’s share of the total for the average foodservice business. These are the emissions buried within food and drink supply chains that can be difficult to capture and measure in a consistent way. WRAP has taken on the task of creating a voluntary set of protocols for how food and drink businesses should report their scope 3 emissions. It has just published version 3 of its guidance that includes key changes in areas relating to the quality of data, what should feature within the scope of a company’s inventory, how to approach the task of rebaselining and, most significantly of all, how to account for emissions reduction from land use change and management. In this week’s episode, Hamish Forbes from WRAP joins Nick to cut through the jargon and give The Small Print listeners the lowdown on this next frontier in scope 3 reporting.

13. Have businesses dropped the ball on salt?

Wed, 20 May 2026 09:09:00 GMT

New research from the campaign group Action on Salt & Sugar has revealed worrying levels of salt in some of the UK’s most popular sandwiches sold by high street food-to-go brands and retailers. It’s now two years since the deadline passed for food businesses to meet voluntary salt reduction targets and still the government has failed to publish its report on industry progress. In the meantime, policy focus has shifted towards a more holistic approach to nutrition via plans for a healthy food standard. In this week’s episode, Nick is joined by Sonia Pombo from Action on Salt & Sugar to hear why salt should remain high on the health agenda and how businesses can play their part in helping lower our intake.

12. Soy sustainability at a crossroads

Tue, 12 May 2026 14:35:37 GMT

The humble soybean plays a major role in powering the global food system as a key source of animal feed. But with industry targets for sourcing verified deforestation- and conversion-free soy having been missed, and with the landmark Amazon Soy Moratorium on the brink of collapse, is sustainable soy still within reach for UK food businesses? In this week’s episode, Nick speaks with Jonathan Gorman from Efeca which heads up the UK Soy Manifesto to delve into the complexities of soy supply chains, highlight the current risk to businesses sourcing from the key Amazon region, and explore alternative feed sources and their potential to replace soy at scale.

11. Can businesses close the ambition-action gap on animal welfare?

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:36:14 GMT

The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) ranks 149 leading food companies, including many in the hospitality and foodservice sector, on their policies, practices and performance. This year’s report highlights pockets of good progress, including a UK-led reduction in reliance on animal-sourced foods, yet overall food companies are struggling to match ambition with action on farm animal welfare. In this week’s episode, Nick Hughes speaks with Nicky Amos from the consultancy Chronos, which oversees the BBFAW, to drill down into the key results for the UK foodservice sector, explore current barriers to change and hear why a lack of investment in animal welfare should be viewed as a systemic risk to the future food industry.

10. The new School Food Standards for England: the good, the gaps and the consequences

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:13:29 GMT

School food standards in England are set for their first overhaul in over a decade following the publication of a government consultation. Ministers say the current standards are out of date and want to align them with the latest health guidance to ensure children are getting the nutritious food they need. But how effective a lever for change can standards alone be? In this week’s episode of The Small Print, Nick Hughes speaks with Naomi Duncan, chief executive of the charity Chefs in Schools, to assess the pros and cons of the new standards and what other conditions need to be in place to drive a transformation in school food culture.

9. Scotland's journey to becoming a Good Food Nation

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:17:49 GMT

Scotland has the ambition for high quality, nutritious food to be available to everyone as set out in the Good Food Nation Act. In this week’s episode of The Small Print, Jayne Jones, chief executive of the newly launched Scottish Food Commission, tells Nick Hughes how this landmark piece of legislation can help break down the barriers to food systems change and the role of the Commission in supporting its effective delivery. She also highlights key policies impacting the foodservice and hospitality sector, including those relating to public sector food, and offers advice for those seeking to make the case for a Good Food Bill in England.

8. How can we build a future-fit food system?

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:54:06 GMT

Mike Barry has been working at the coal face of food sustainability for several decades, as the architect of Marks & Spencer’s pioneering Plan A strategy and most recently as co-founder of food systems consultancy Planeatry Alliance. In this week’s episode of The Small Print, Mike shares with Nick Hughes his vision for a future-fit food system in which businesses and policy makers have created healthy, sustainable food environments; high quality data is driving effective decision making; and industry collaboration is married with competitive leadership to deliver food business transformation at scale.

7. Microplastics and human health: a ticking time bomb?

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:29:23 GMT

A new Netflix documentary, The Plastic Detox, has questioned the link between infertility and human exposure to microplastics. In this week’s episode of The Small Print, Nick Hughes is joined by Pierre Paslier, who worked as a plastics packaging engineer before co-founding the Earthshot prize winning start-up Notpla, which makes packaging out of seaweed. In a wide-ranging conversation they discuss the risks to human health from microplastic exposure, why it's proving so difficult to curb global plastics production, and what the path to a plastic-free society and foodservice sector could look like.

6. The campaign for food system targets

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:27:35 GMT

A new NGO-led campaign is calling on the UK Government to deliver a Good Food Bill. Supporters say that only by having food system targets written into legislation can they withstand a continuous cycle of political change and provide long-term stability for businesses and investors. In this week’s episode, Nick Hughes speaks to Anna Taylor of The Food Foundation, a driving force behind the campaign, and Charlotte Wright from Elior which is among over 100 organisations to have lent its support.

5. Are shoppers shunning bacon over nitrite concerns?

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:35:55 GMT

Professor Chris Elliott is a global expert on food safety and security and a leading voice in a coalition campaigning for the use of nitrites to be banned as additives in cured meat products. As data shows falling demand for bacon, Chris tells Nick Hughes why he believes the direction of travel is towards an outright ban on nitrite-cured ham and bacon, and why foodservice operators need to move quickly to offer their customers nitrite-free alternatives.

4. Lessons from a career in sustainability

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:41:58 GMT

Robin Sundaram has spent almost four decades working in sustainability roles within the food industry, including 30 years with Nestlé. In this week's episode, Robin shares lessons from his career to-date including how a role working in sustainability has changed since he started in the sector, why resilience is the current industry watchword, and how collaboration with suppliers is key to delivering a company's environmental ambitions.

3. Banging in the beans

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:22:04 GMT

BaxterStorey has committed to double volume sales for all bean products by 2028 as part of its support for The Food Foundation and Veg Power's new Bang In Some Beans campaign. In this week's episode Nick Hughes talks to BaxterStorey's head of nutrition and ESG, Lizzie Foskett, about how the caterer plans to ramp up bean sales, how chefs are empowered to get creative with beans, and why nutrition and sustainability are two sides of the same coin.

2. The case for consistent food education

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:12:36 GMT

New polling of parents and young people shows access to food education in England is fragmented, inconsistent and insufficient with fewer than half of young people receiving dedicated curriculum time, and with the food served in schools often misaligned with what young people are being taught about good food and nutrition. Nick Hughes is joined by Jenny Paxman, CEO of The School of Artisan Food, to explore why the provision of food education is so inconsistent, what are the benefits of high quality food education, and how good food education in schools can act as a gateway into a career in the food and hospitality industries for more young people.

1. A passion for fresh produce

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:14:01 GMT

Chantelle Nicholson is a champion of veg-forward cooking through her work as a chef, author and advocate. In this first episode of The Small Print, Chantelle tells Nick Hughes what inspired her love of fresh produce, how plant-based cooking and eating can go mainstream, and why she advocates for seasonality, circularity and regenerative practices in the hospitality sector.