This article explores what culture means in the context of FOIA, the difficulties in assessing whether it has occurred and the reasons why it is important. It examines the background to FOI in the UK and contrasts it with foreign experience. It argues that cultures vary across the public sector and indeed within public authorities themselves, and that in the UK the context is that FOI is less a formal indicator of democracy and more a customer service designed to build up trust in government. The contradiction that FOI is supposed to bring about a culture change in government but that for FOI to succeed the culture change needs to come first is a theme explored.