The Food Programme

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Investigating every aspect of the food we eat

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The Food Programme: Veg Invention: The stories of new kinds of fruit and vegetables

Veg Invention: The stories of new kinds of fruit and vegetables

BBC Radio 4 - The Food Programme, Veg Invention: The stories of new kinds of fruit and vegetables

Leyla Kazim finds out how new varieties of fruit and veg make it from lab to plate.

Where do new varieties of fruit and veg come from? Who invents them? Why do we need them?

Seed breeders spend whole careers in search of that perfect fruit or vegetable, and some even come up with their own completely new designs. Think Tenderstem, Cotton Candy grapes, or a new type of cauliflower that's just started being sold: Caulishoots. 

In this programme, Leyla Kazim finds out what goes into creating these new varieties, what breeders, growers and supermarket buyers are looking for, and how they end up on our plates. 

She meets veg-inventor Jamie Claxton from Tozer Seeds, who came up with the Kalette (a cross between a brussel sprout and kale), while Ross Geach from Padstow Kitchen Garden explains why he enjoys experimenting with new varieties and getting them introduced to diners at Jack Stein's restaurants. 

Leyla also looks to the US where chef Dan Barber has set up an organic seed company to bring breeders, chefs and farmers together to design new, better varieties.  While Lane Selman in Portland, Oregon tells us how her 'Culinary Breeding Network' is working to both give breeders more feedback, and is educating the public about the new types of fruit and veg on offer. 

Presented by Leyla Kazim
Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

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