In Good Taste

It’s never been a better time to be a food lover. We binge Bake Off, follow foodie influencers, queue for trending hotspots and scroll endlessly for ideas on what to cook next. But for all this appetite, how much do we really know about what goes on behind the scenes with our food? And what can we really do to change things? 

That’s where this handbook comes in. In Good Taste is a guide to the issues shaping our edible world today. It’s not exhaustive and it’s not meant to be preachy. It’s a starting point to help us see the bigger picture and find our place in it. Starting with a bird’s eye view of how the food system works (and why it urgently needs transforming), the book then covers: 

• The players: Who holds the power, makes decisions and to what extent, and what food policy means for our everyday lives. 

• The people: How global trade and colonisation created inequality and continue to shape what we eat – and who gets left behind. 

• The planet: How we got here – and what’s at stake for the environment and the climate. 

• Positive, practical change: Tangible ways food lovers can make an impact with what’s on our plates and beyond. If enough of us take an interest, we become powerful ingredients in making a difference in what really matters in food and drink today.

Mallika Basu is a writer, presenter and commentator on food, drink and hospitality, with a firm belief in the power of food as a force for good. A features writer and presenter for Good Food, she explores planet-friendlier eating and the links between food, people and the planet in her award-nominated newsletter, In Good Taste. Mallika is the author of two Indian cookbooks, Miss Masala and Masala, a recipe writer and a regular speaker and chair at food events across the UK. She educates curious eaters about food systems and food writing at the British Library, and is a finale judge and co-presenter of the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards, reviewing entries for its ethical and sustainable bursary. Alongside her food writing, Mallika has over 20 years of strategic communications and advisory expertise, having worked with organisations including Jamie Oliver Group and Waitrose. She also helped shape Borough Market’s 2030 strategy. She has completed the Sustainable Food: Production and Processing programme at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and holds a master’s degree in journalism. Born in Kolkata, India, Mallika lives in South London with her two teenage children.