1 Tom Bliss gave a short intro to explain how we got to where we are now (audio here).
2 Sonja Woodcock talked through the headlines of the Food Audit – please see here for details (audio here).
3 Trish Cliff gave this presentation about Food Tourism (audio here).
Food Tourism (Trish Cliff – UoL)
4 Tom Bliss talked through the presentation that Sarah Priestley and Dinah Clark were sadly unable to deliver themselves
City of Culture Bid Process (Sarah Priestley – LCC)
5 Trish Cliff moderated an engagement session around Sarah and Dinah’s 5 key questions – all in relation to Leeds food culture:
1.What could Leeds do better?
2.Why should Europe care about Leeds?
3.What’s your big idea to put Leeds on the map?
4.What does culture mean to you / what is your culture?
5.What makes you proud of Leeds?
Responses
1 What could Leeds do better (regarding food)?
Recognizing, celebrating & promoting cultural diversity through food
More independent eateries & retail outlets
Create incubator & pop-up cafés & food stalls
Have a “Leeds Food Stall” in Leeds station as a showcase of local food & to create opportunities for new producers to test the market. A great opportunity for people arriving and leaving the city to take a bit of Leeds with them.
Increase links to local farms
Develop a ‘buy local’ campaign
Support more Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes ie. Swillington Farms
Support a local & sustainable food wholesaler that supports local producers & supplies independent cafes & shops
More independent greengrocers
Making more use of public spaces
More competition at farmers markets
Celebrate ‘good, healthy, sustainable’ food for everyone
Support people and groups to grow their own food
Challenging stigma of poverty through food sharing as a community
Create more opportunities eg. Street parties
Reduce food waste
Celebrate socially responsible companies ie. Pret a Manger
Share leftover food from restaurants/cafes with people in need of food – don’t throw food
Share allotment member skills / have more events on allotment sites to invite others in = inspiration & opportunity for skill share
2 Why should Europe care about Leeds (in regards to food)?
Many Europeans live here happily in amongst other people from around the world creating a melting pot of people and cultures which creates a diverse food culture especially if ‘food production to health’ is fair & sustainable (cradle to grave healthy food)
As a prominent UK city we set an example to the rest of the country
Food has to be central to planning issues
Leeds is in the North! A different UK than London and the south
3 What’s your big idea to put Leeds (food) on the map?
Make sustainable culture the ‘unique selling point’ of the Leeds 2023 bid
Set up incubators to allow food businesses to be established quickly and easily (possibly as a condition of planning consent)
Look at all the good stuff that happening & communicate what’s already going on
Take one good example, make it unique ie. Curry Mile in Manchester
Make more from our cosmopolitan cuisine
Make the cuisine as cosmopolitan as the city
Turn Kirkgate Market into La Boqueria (Barcelona) a food Mecca for all tastes and budgets
Re-brand Otley Run as Vegan Run! Re-branding existing successful events/activities to have a sustainable food focus
4 What does (food) culture mean to you / what is your (food) culture?
Street food
Sharing culture through food
More access to healthy food & healthy eating
‘Feast days’ sharing food culture, both historical traditions & Leeds panoply of cosmopolitan cultural offerings
Traditional meals eaten regularly ie Sunday lunch
Growing, cooking, sharing & composting food
Seasonal
Yorkshire curd tarts – a competition to find the best one!
A ‘new culture’ of Leeds food that represents everyone that lives here – from pies and fish and chips, to bhajis, stir fries, pumpkin pie, kimchee and hipster coffee
Allotments, ferrets, whippets & flat caps (?)
5 What makes you proud of Leeds (food)?
Its ethnic & cultural diversity
Its history
Different demographics – tensions & solutions
Independents – food – drink
The people
Green spaces / edible spaces
Creativity
Academic / research environment
Many community-minded people
Innovative projects
Lots of networking & partnerships
Co-operatives: bread/growers/coppicing/food/housing
A city that feels like a town – friendly
Parks that are well used
The countryside is nearby