About

FŌDA is a two-day festival for small-scale food & drink suppliers from the South West, returning from 26 - 27 September 2026.

There will be panel discussions, interactive discussions, specialised workshops, networking opportunities, and a market to showcase the best food and drink the UK has to offer, all rooted in exceptional local produce and connected to wider global food systems and community conversation.

This year's event will feature a bigger producers market, an expanded symposium curated by Xanthe Clay, and a richer programme of workshops, masterclasses, tastings and The Pony Farm Bus.

Saturday Symposium

LAND: Can we feed the UK?

A frank conversation on the state of British food security from soil to supermarket shelf. As climate pressure, land use conflicts, and shifting subsidies reshape what and how we grow, this panel brings together growers, funders, and policymakers to ask: can the UK actually feed itself, and what needs to change to make that possible? Expect real talk on investment gaps, planning barriers, and what resilience looks like on the ground versus in Westminster.

Speakers: Ed Moorhouse (Rivenhall Green House), Guy Singh Watson (Riverford), Natalie Gaibani (Head Farming at Strutt & Parker), Renee Elliott (Planet Organic), Dr Lucy Williamson (Public Health Nutritionist, Author & Former Vet)

SEA: Wwhat we take, what we return

A candid reckoning with how we use the ocean from overfishing to waste and what a shift from extraction to stewardship would actually look like. Equal parts practical and ethical, it asks what we owe back to the ecosystems that sustain us.

Speakers: Rachel Walker -Boggis (Disco Scallops), Meg Haines and Fergus Evans (Car-y-mor Seaweed) and Philip Tanswell (Cornish Sea Salt)

FOREST: Why we need trees

A deep dive into agroforestry and why trees are fundamental infrastructure for food systems shaping soil health, water cycles, and even flavour. The conversation zooms out to examine how interdependence in nature mirrors what resilient food production actually requires.

Speakers: Sam Leech (Wildings Cider), Will Mayor (Yeo Valley), Faye Cooke (Yeo Valley), JP McMahon (Founder, Food on the Edge/Chef), Genevieve Taylor (Chef & Writer)

AIR: The space between us

Loneliness is an increasingly urgent crisis. This panel explores whether the table can be part of the solution, examining how communal dining, grounded in genuine hospitality can rebuild connection and foster a sense of belonging. Alongside this, the discussion will share practical, real-world ways the table can become a quiet but powerful antidote to isolation

Speakers: Anjula Devi (Author, Consultant Chef - Manchester United), Fadi Kattan (Franco-Palestinian Chef, Author, Hotelier), Melanie Vaxevanakis (Founder - The MAZI Project), Phoebe O’Hara (Founder, Open Door Community Kitchen)

Tickets

Symposium tickets are £55 + booking fee for all talks including breakfast by Yeo Valley and lunch prepared by The Pony and Baxter Storey, using local produce from Yeo Valley.

Sunday Talks & Masterclasses

Fermentation: Have they got a place at your table? - Dr Caroline Gilmartin PhD (Auditorium, The Arnolfini)
A Masterclass in Offal Butchery - HG Walter Butchery and Josh Eggleton (The Fish Tank, Salt and Malt)
The Evolution of Restaurants: An interview with Pete Sanchez, Gareth Ward & Josh Eggleton
Blood, Guts and Black Pudding - Book Talk & Tasting with Kate Ryan and Josh Eggleton (The Fish Tank, Salt and Malt)
Interview with George Lamb (Wild Farmed) hosted by Jenny Chandler (Auditorium, The Arnolfini)
Masterclass Wine Tasting with Palestinian Winemaker Anna Patrowicz (The Fish Tank, Salt and Malt)
Masterclass in Food Writing with Meg Houghton-Gilmour (The Fish Tank, Salt and Malt)
The Sourdough Exchange with Dr Vanessa Kimbell (Auditorium, The Arnolfini)