BBC Good Food is a go-to for dinner ideas, but its Trustpilot rating tells a different story. A 1.6 out of 5 from recent reviewers raises questions about the brand’s reputation beyond the recipes.

4 related posts

Monthly UK visitors: over 15 million · Trustpilot rating (BBC Good Food): 1.6 out of 5 · Fake reviews removed by Trustpilot in 2024: 4.5 million

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • 1986 — Good Food magazine launched by BBC (BBC Good Food)
  • 2017 — BBC sold Good Food to Immediate Media (BBC Good Food)
  • 2023 — Rebrand to Good Food by Immediate Media (BBC Good Food Collections)
  • 2024 — Trustpilot deploys AI detection (Trustpilot Trust Report 2025)
4What’s next
  • Trustpilot aims to reduce fake reviews further with AI models (Trustpilot Trust Report 2025)
  • BBC Good Food continues as independent recipe platform under Immediate Media (BBC Good Food)

Six key facts, one pattern: the brand’s reputation diverges sharply between its editorial past and its current user reviews.

Fact Value Source
Good Food ownership Immediate Media Co (since 2017) BBC Good Food archive
Trustpilot reviews (last 12 months) 57 reviews Trustpilot page
Trustpilot rating (overall) 1.6 out of 5 Trustpilot subpage
Fake reviews removed by Trustpilot (2024) 4.5 million Trustpilot Trust Report 2025
Fake reviews removed (2023) 3.3 million Trustpilot Transparency Report 2024
Most trustworthy review site (2024 survey) Consumer Reports Trustpilot comparison

The implication: the Good Food you read about on Trustpilot may not reflect the recipe quality — it reflects a small, unhappy sample.

What are 10 good foods?

Dietary guidelines consistently point to a core set of nutrient-dense foods. Here’s a list backed by authoritative recommendations:

  • Leafy greens (spinach, kale) – BBC Good Food (healthy eating editor)
  • Berries (blueberries, strawberries) – BBC Good Food nutrition guides
  • Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) – BBC Good Food collections
  • Whole grains (oats, quinoa) – BBC Good Food
  • Nuts and seeds (almonds, chia) – BBC Good Food
  • Legumes (lentils, chickpeas) – BBC Good Food
  • Lean poultry (chicken breast, turkey) – BBC Good Food
  • Greek yogurt – BBC Good Food
  • Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts) – BBC Good Food
  • Avocado – BBC Good Food

Everyday nutritious food list

These ten foods form the backbone of a balanced diet. BBC Good Food publishes hundreds of recipes incorporating them, from Good Food Show recipes to everyday meal plans.

Good foods for dinner

Lean proteins, whole grains, and vegetables are the core of a healthy dinner plate. BBC Good Food’s recipe library offers searchable filters for each category.

Bottom line: BBC Good Food’s recipe content remains editorially rich, but its user reviews on Trustpilot tell a different story — 57 reviewers in the last year, most unhappy, give it a 1.6 average. For recipe seekers: ignore the Trustpilot noise. For platform shoppers: the reviews reflect customer service, not food quality.

The pattern: user reviews are about customer service, not recipe quality.

What do I have for dinner tonight?

Three quick dinner ideas using the good foods above, all sourced from BBC Good Food recipes:

  • Grilled salmon with quinoa and steamed broccoli – BBC Good Food (fish recipes)
  • Chickpea and spinach curry with brown rice – BBC Good Food (vegetarian)
  • Chicken stir-fry with mixed vegetables and ginger – BBC Good Food (quick meals)

Good food everyday recipes for quick dinners

BBC Good Food’s “everyday recipes” filter delivers meals under 30 minutes, using ingredients like chicken, greens, and whole grains. The site indexes hundreds of such recipes.

Good foods to eat for a balanced meal

A balanced dinner combines protein, fibre, and healthy fats. BBC Good Food’s recipe collection for balanced meals provides step-by-step guides.

The trade-off

Recipe quality is high, but the brand’s Trustpilot score (1.6) suggests users who needed customer support were left frustrated. For recipe reliability, stick with the site. For customer service expectations, lower them.

The catch: the score reflects support issues, not the food.

Is Good Food still owned by BBC?

No. In 2017, BBC sold the Good Food magazine and website to Immediate Media Co, a UK-based special-interest publisher. The brand now operates under Immediate Media’s portfolio, which also includes Radio Times and Gardeners’ World.

What’s happened to BBC Good Food?

The website was rebranded in 2023 from “BBC Good Food” to simply “Good Food” by Immediate Media, though the recipes and editorial team largely remained intact. The BBC logo was gradually removed from the site.

BBC Good Food top recipes and baking resources

The recipe library still carries thousands of BBC-era recipes, but new content is now produced independently by Immediate Media’s editorial team. Baking resources remain a major draw.

What to watch

The ownership change means the brand no longer carries the BBC’s editorial oversight — but Immediate Media maintains a strong editorial reputation. The gap shows up mostly in customer service, not recipe accuracy.

The implication: content stays reliable, but support may differ.

What are the Trustpilot reviews for Good Food?

The official Trustpilot page for BBC Good Food (now Good Food) shows a 1.6 out of 5 rating based on reviews. Most reviewers expressed dissatisfaction with subscription issues, delivery problems, or customer service. Only 57 reviews were submitted in the last 12 months.

Is Trustpilot still trustworthy?

Trustpilot’s 2024 transparency report shows the platform removed 4.5 million fake reviews in 2024 — 90% of them automatically detected. That’s up from 3.3 million in 2023 and 2.6 million in 2022. The company defines fake reviews as those that do not reflect a genuine service or are intended to manipulate perception. But critics note that review volumes on individual brand pages can be tiny, making scores easy to swing.

What is the most trustworthy review site?

Consumer Reports consistently ranks as the most trusted review platform in independent surveys, due to its product-testing methodology and refusal to accept advertising. Trustpilot and Google Reviews both rely on user-generated content, which is more vulnerable to manipulation.

What’s better, Google reviews or Trustpilot?

Google Reviews has a much higher volume of reviews (often thousands per brand) but less transparent moderation. Trustpilot publishes detailed transparency reports and has automated fake-detection, but its sample sizes can be small. For food brands, Google Reviews often reflects actual product experience, while Trustpilot captures customer service encounters.

The catch

For Good Food specifically, the 57 Trustpilot reviews in the last year are a tiny fraction of its 15 million monthly visitors. The low score says more about upset subscribers than about whether the recipes are any good.

The takeaway: small sample size makes the score unreliable for recipe quality.

Can Trustpilot detect fake reviews?

Yes, but with limits. Trustpilot’s 2025 trust report states that 90% of detected fake reviews in 2024 were automatically caught by its AI models. The system monitors reviews both before and after publication, looking for unusual patterns. In 2023, 82% of fake reviews were removed automatically, up from 68% in 2022.

What is more reliable than Trustpilot?

Bazaarvoice (used by many retailers) and Consumer Reports (non-profit testing) offer stronger verification. Google Reviews provides volume but less transparency. For food-specific reviews, dedicated food blogs like Kitchn or Serious Eats often provide more detailed and honest evaluations.

How do you tell if reviews are fake?

  • Check for repeated phrasing across multiple reviews – Trustpilot moderation FAQ
  • Look for reviews with no verified purchase badge – Trustpilot Trust Report 2025
  • Examine the reviewer’s profile for a single review – Trustpilot Transparency Report 2024
  • Use fake-review detection browser extensions – third-party tool

Trustpilot’s own definition: fake reviews are those that do not reflect a genuine service or buying experience, or that are intended to manipulate consumer perception.

Bottom line: Trustpilot’s detection is improving — 90% of fake reviews now caught automatically. But for BBC Good Food, the real issue is that only 57 reviews exist: too few to draw a reliable conclusion about the brand. For recipe seekers: ignore the score. For platform users: look for sites with higher review counts and transparent moderation.

The implication: detection works, but sample sizes matter more.

Additional sources

corporate.trustpilot.com, corporate.trustpilot.com, wiserreview.com, corporate.trustpilot.com, marketintelligencetools.com, corporate.trustpilot.com, trustpilot.com

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Frequently asked questions

Is BBC Good Food free to use?

Yes, the website is free. Some premium content may require a subscription, but most recipes are accessible without payment.

When did BBC Good Food change ownership?

The brand was sold by BBC to Immediate Media in 2017.

What happened to BBC Good Food magazine after sale?

The magazine continued publication under Immediate Media, rebranded as Good Food magazine. The website was rebranded in 2023.

How many Trustpilot reviews does Good Food have?

As of 2024, the Trustpilot page shows 57 reviews in the last 12 months, with an overall rating of 1.6 out of 5.

Does Trustpilot remove fake reviews?

Yes. In 2024 Trustpilot removed 4.5 million fake reviews, 90% detected automatically.

Related reading

For the home cook looking up dinner ideas, BBC Good Food’s recipe library remains a solid resource — but its Trustpilot score reflects a customer-service failure, not a food-quality one. If you’re a UK consumer choosing a review platform, the data is clear: Trustpilot’s small sample for Good Food is misleading; Google Reviews or dedicated food blogs offer a more reliable picture. The choice for the reader is whether to trust the recipe site itself — and for that, over 15 million monthly visitors say yes.