Tastes Like Home

Tastes Like Home is an audio food trail project based in Bedford, a concept developed by Alex Levene, Creative Producer & Company Director of WordSetFree and Radhika Aggarwal, award-winning Voice Over and Actor, Artist and Presenter.

Bedford is a town pulsating with the influences of Italian, Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, and Polish communities. Tastes like Home seeks to honour and embrace this cultural diversity by uncovering the stories and memories behind the flavours that have become an integral part of the town’s identity.

The heart of the project lies in a series of workshops led by Radhika Aggarwal. These workshops, scheduled for early 2024, serve as collaborative spaces where participants contribute their stories and memories, creating a collective narrative that reflects the town’s vibrant culinary heritage. From written material to songs, poems and short stories, the creative process becomes a shared endeavour, weaving together the threads of Bedford’s diverse food culture.

The project will unfold digitally, featuring an interactive map that guides participants through the diverse culinary landscape of Bedford. Restaurants, markets, cafes, and stalls become waypoints on the digital map, providing users with a visual and immersive experience.

Beyond merely documenting food and drink, Tastes like home endeavours to foster community engagement. Alex Levene emphasises the communal nature of food, viewing it as a bridge that brings people together. The project seeks to break down cultural barriers by inviting participants to share in the universal experience of breaking bread and creating shared memories around food.

Taste Like Home is concept by Radhika Aggarwal and Alex Levene, produced by WordSetFree Ltd and Echo Chamber Audio in association with Overhear and The Place Bedford, with support from Bedford Creative Arts. It is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and is part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zone Cultural Programme, led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund