Food and Drink

Food and Drink
Format Cookery
Presented by Simon Bates
(1982 - ?)
Gillian Miles
(1982 - ?)
Jilly Goolden
(1983 - 1999)
Michael Barry
(1984 - 1997)
Country of origin  United Kingdom
Production
Running time 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel BBC Two
Original run 6 July 1982
–
27 March 2001

Food and Drink was a long-running British television series on BBC Two between 1982 and 2001. It was the first national television programme in the UK to cover the subject of food and drink without cookery and recipe demonstrations.

Created in 1982 by BBC producer Henry Murray from an original idea by Jancis Robinson, Fay Maschler and Paul Levy, the first series was presented by Simon Bates and Gillian Miles, and introduced Jilly Goolden in her first regular television appearances as the programme's wine expert. Russell Harty presented filmed location reports from exceptional restaurants around Britain. This series featured the innovative idea of a small contributing audience of 20 people who were called "tasters and testers". The first series broadcast in the summer months but was instantly successful, drawing an average audience of 1.5 million a week, a high rating for BBC Two in the summer in the 80s.

Later series were presented by Chris Kelly and chef Michael Barry with wine experts Jilly Goolden and Oz Clarke.

A spin-off panel game, Food and Drink Summer Quiz, aired during the main show's summer break in 1987.

The theme music was by Simon May.

Transmission guide

External links