Queen Margaret University (QMU) has a proud history relating to food, cooking and nutrition dating back to its inception in 1875. In this podcast, lecturer Donald Reid interviews Dr Ana Tominc, Reader in Media and Communication at QMU and Dr Kevin Geddes, QMU MSc Gastronomy graduate, about food and cooking programmes on TV – where they started in UK and across Europe, their development, and how they have grown in popularity to become an important part of modern culture.

Dr Tominc specialises in food, media and communication, and in 2022, she edited a collection of essays and articles on food and cooking in early TV in Europe (Routledge), which was shortlisted for MeCCSA Outstanding Achievement Award 2023. Dr Geddes, whose recent PhD from Edinburgh Napier University looks at early food TV in Britain, was a contributor to the book.ook.