BBC petition urging corporation not to archive recipes hits 60,000 signatures

The decision to close down the BBC Food website, archiving more than 11,000 recipes, is facing huge public backlash.

Over 63,000 people have signed a petition urging the BBC to rethink the move, after it emerged on Tuesday the corporation's Food site, along with a slew of other online services, would be halted or scaled back.

The closure is driven by a bid to save £15 million – 15 per cent of the BBC’s editorial spend – as well as to create a more "focused and distinctive" service.

The plans will mean around 11,000 recipes could potentially disappear from BBC sites.

However, the corporation has said it does not plan on deleting the recipes, as was widely reported earlier, sparking confusion over how much of its content will be remain available online.

The corporation said it will migrate "as much of the content as possible" to the BBC Good Food website.

The existing recipes on the BBC's Food site will not be deleted, however they will be “archived” and the BBC will stop promoting recipes.

Eariler, it said all new recipes connected to BBC cookery programmes will only stay online for 30 days, and will only be available on one of the corporation's commercial sites, BBC Good Food, before being permanently deleted.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We are glad that so many people care so much about all our content. But just to be clear, we have never said we'd delete all the recipes and nor will we.

"We currently have two websites and we'll move to one. The recipes you love will still be available and we'll migrate as much of the content as possible to the BBC Good Food website. So you'll still be able to carry on baking and cooking with the BBC."

The Save the BBC’s Recipe Archive! petition, launched on 10 May, began to amass tens of thousands of signatures after being mentioned on Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday.

Change.org have described the petition, which urges the BBC to maintain the recipe portal “in its current form”, as one of the fastest growing on the site.

Emma Barrington, 48, a baking enthusiast from London who set up the petition in retaliation of the moves, said: "This is a much loved and used website and a precious resource for people across the country providing easy, free and importantly independent information on a vast range of foods and recipe options. The database provides inspiration for those with a few ingredients to come up with meal ideas and cook from scratch.

"When the Government is trying to promote healthy eating, surely it is madness to remove such a comprehensive archive which has taken years to create, not to mention time and money.

"The BBC Food website is free, independent and British. It seems silly to not just leave the archive on there," she added.

Many have taken to Twitter expressing their dismay at the decision, including BBC staff. Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis launched an attack on Twitter saying: "Did someone actually sit down and think right, 'what's the one cut we can make which will displease everyone and save no money?'"

Anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe announced plans earlier this month to publish her recipes from the website onto a blog.

Writing on Facebook she said: “I learned to cook on the dole using free recipes online and for the BBC to reduce this vital service is an abomination.

“I hope I can go some way to filling the gap left for free, instructional, simple recipe resources and cookery guidance, which is vital for so many people.”

Officials say the food website will be closed within the next 12 months along many other online services including Newsbeat and the News Magazine.