How to create a good food revolution in Bristol 

More than a decade after chairing Bristol’s Food Policy Council, Professor Kevin Morgan returned to the city to discuss how we might create a good food revolution. He was joined by a panel of local food experts to explore how public bodies endeavour to serve good food “against the odds”. Volunteer Hannah Shepherd was in the audience to hear their thoughts. 

The event opened – much like Kevin’s latest book ‘Serving the Public’ – by dipping into stories about the pioneers, and failings, of urban food planning. He spoke about his early work on the Powys Food Links project — an initiative that struggled to bring local food into hospitals. That project went on to inspire a report (and decades of work) delving into the systemic obstacles within public procurement. Kevin commended initiatives such as the ‘Who feeds Bristol?’ report, the Good Food for All Londoners report and the Sustainable Food Places network for their influential methodologies and applauded organisations like Sustain and Soil Association for ‘punching above their weight’.  

Kevin was joined on the panel by several of Bristol’s sharpest local food experts and Heloise Balme from Bristol Food Network who chaired the event;  

• Ruth Galpine, programmes director at the Soil Association. Ruth discussed the Soil Association’s Food for Life programme, which has worked directly with caterers, schools, and communities for over 20 years.  

• Glyn Owen, chef at Whitehall School. Glynn talked about balancing local, nutritious and delicious food with a tight budget of 99p/head. 

• Humphrey Lloyd, market gardener at Three Hares Farm. Humphrey championed the importance of local farmers and how they have been overlooked in public procurement conversations. 

• Amy Morgan, head of catering and events at the University of Bristol. Amy explained how the university sources 60-65% of their food from a 50 mile radius to enhance positive social, ethical and environmental benefits. 

However, for every outstanding public sector caterer or trailblazing organisation, there are as many examples of England falling behind; particularly when it comes to school meals which represent the largest share of the ‘public plate’. Here are some of the key themes to come out of the discussion: 

The true cost of good food 

Against the backdrop of food inflation and decreased public funding, the price of food was a live topic – with no firm answers. One audience member asked; if there was one financial change that would make a difference, what would it be? Responses ranged from ‘reflecting the true cost of fossil fuels in food prices’, to ‘substantial funding for school meals’. All panellists talked about the difficulties of working within the current financial landscape, with calls to de-commodify food and recognise it as a basic human right. 

Connecting the dots

At the national level in England, government policies have often failed to link food with the multiple health and environment crises. Kevin pointed to the critical, yet overlooked, role of good food in hospitals – despite its importance in shifting healthcare from a treatment-focused model to one centred on prevention. Building on this, Humphrey highlighted how organic farmers improve public health by producing nutritious food, but struggle to compete on price within the current financial model. 

Some organisations, like the University of Bristol, have found practical ways to literally connect the dots. Amy explained how the use of technology, specifically dynamic purchasing systems, have enabled the university to work more closely with local suppliers, shorten their supply chains and buy food on a smaller scale. 

If you or your organisation is involved in making food better for communities, climate or nature, then you are Bristol’s good food movement. Being part of Bristol Good Food shows that you’re part of a united movement to make our city’s food system better, and helps people find out about the work you’re doing and how to support you. Get in touch to tell us what you are doing.

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