Sustainable Food Somerset is an alliance of individuals and organisations passionate about making healthy, sustainably grown food accessible to all. We aim to increase nature- and climate-friendly approaches to farming and build the market for sustainably produced food, which we believe are critical to curb carbon emissions, boost biodiversity and enhance longterm food security. We also believe that good food is the foundation of health, community and joy.
Sustainable Food Somerset was originally founded as the Wells Food Network in 2016, following a debate entitled Eat the Landscape at the 2015 Wells Food Festival, which highlighted the importance of food to our landscape, environment and the climate crisis, as well as to our local economy and health.
In 2023, we changed our name to Sustainable Food Somerset to better reflect our activities across the county. We are a volunteer-led organisation, run by a board of five trustees, with a network of volunteers.
Our partners include Cultivate (a Take Art initiative), Feed Avalon, Glastonbury Growers, One Planet Bruton, Green Wedmore, Reimagining the Levels, Sustainable Wells, Somerset Community Food, Somerset Local Food, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Somerset Climate Action Network.
Sustainable Food Somerset organises the annual Somerset Food Trail Festival (www.somersetfoodtrail.org), which is modelled on an arts trail concept and sees farmers, growers and food producers opening to the public in the second half of July. Participating cafes, pubs and restaurants focus on local sustainably produced food during that time, with Food Trail menus.
After a pilot event in 2018, we launched our first full-scale festival in 2022 with 198 participating enterprises and 247 events, ranging from cider and cheese tastings to farm tours and open days, attracting 8,500-10,000 visitors. The 2023 Food Trail featured around 170 participating enterprises and more than 384 events, and had a feasting & tastings theme, with 36 venues rising to our challenge of producing a 30-mile feast where most of the menu was sourced from a 30-mile radius.
The Food Trail Festival will take a break in 2024, returning in 2025. In the meantime, we are organising a major sustainable food conference on 22-23 November 2024, in partnership with the Bath & West Society and Somerset Council. Held at the Bath & West Showground in Somerset, the LandAlive conference will gather practitioners and thought-leaders together to present a new vision for the future of food and farming in the South West.
We also aim to produce a directory of Somerset sustainable food and farming enterprises.
Organising a widespread 17-day food festival engaging hundreds of local growers, farmers and food producers, and attracting thousands of visitors
Sustainable Food Places
c/o Soil Association
Spear House
51 Victoria Street
Bristol
BS1 6AD
info@sustainablefoodplaces.org
Through the power of partnerships we make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where people live.
2024 © Sustainable Food Places
Data privacy & cookies
Sustainable Food Places is powered by:
