Nan Rita becomes a radio food sensation

MEET gardening grandma Rita Ward — whose weekly culinary conundrums have proved popular with radio listeners.

The 83-year-old — better known as Nan Rita — serves up a fun Friday morning food guessing game on RB1.

The Nan vs Food feature involves her giving clues to a mystery meal or foodstuff, which listeners have to guess.

Rita, of Kimberworth, said: “The funny thing is, I know a lot of people who listen and nobody has really known that it’s me.

“I’ve known the lady next door for years, and I only told her last week because I was going to be in the Advertiser.

“It was something we experimented with and it’s stayed ever since. I enjoy doing it.”

It was Stewart Nicholson, RB1 programme director and host, who came up with inviting his nan on air back in the RotherFM days.

“It was about three years ago that he mentioned the TV show Man vs Food,” said Rita, who grows her own veg for recipes.

“He said how would I feel about doing Nan vs Food on the radio. I’ll have a go at anything, so that’s how it started.

“How it works is every Friday at about ten past eight, I go on the radio and describe an item of food or a dish like a meat and potato pie or lasagne.

“I give three clues and the listeners have to guess what it is. It can be anything at all.

“I look through my recipe books, and sometimes I might spot something in an advert.

“Last week, it was Toblerone. The first clue was that it was a chocolate with nougat and then the second clue was that it was shaped like a mountain.

“It’s a laugh and we’ve continued doing it with the new radio station. People usually get them and they have quite a few phoning in.”