This is a special episode of The Dietitian Cafe, inspired by a recent article in the Daily Mail, which branded dietitians (amongst other health care professions) as “opportunistic” and “non-essential”. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) hit back at the article, stating that they “categorically reject these assertions and call on the Mail to retract their ‘story’ until they better understand the vital work of dietitians in the pandemic as well as across health care.” Here at The Dietitian Cafe, we have been overwhelmed by the response from fellow dietitians who are keen to speak up on our podcast to champion the important work of dietitians. We will be sharing your own personal experiences in a follow-on episode. In this part 1 episode, we are delighted to be joined by the Chief Executive of the British Dietetic Association (Andy Burman) alongside the Chairman of the BDA (Caroline Bovey). Links to articles discussed:1. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8928887/Unions-demand-pre-Christmas-pay-rise-burned-NHS-staff.html 2. https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/bda-hits-back-as-daily-mail-brands-dietitians-non-essential.html