Food For Thought 3

Following the success of Food for Thought 1 and 2, we are bringing people together again to talk about how we strengthen our local food community.

Food sits at the centre of far more than the dinner table. It shapes our health, our culture, our environment and our local economy. It carries stories of heritage and nostalgia. It connects farmers, fishermen, chefs, producers, retailers, logistics, technology and hospitality. It creates jobs, drives tourism and keeps money moving through local communities.

When you step back, the food system is one of the most powerful networks in the business ecosystem.

Every meal depends on dozens of businesses working together. Growers, distributors, packaging companies, delivery firms, restaurants, software platforms, energy providers, marketers and investors. Food quietly links sectors that often never sit in the same room. When those sectors start talking to each other, new ideas appear. Waste reduces. Supply chains strengthen. Innovation moves faster.

That is why these conversations matter.

In the discussions that have taken place so far, one thing has been clear. Real progress happens when different industries collaborate. When hospitality talks with agriculture. When technology meets sustainability. When local producers connect with local buyers. The result is stronger businesses and a healthier community.

Food also forces us to think long term. The way food is grown, transported, sold and valued shapes our landscapes, our high streets and our health. The choices we make today will influence the economy and environment our children inherit.

This is not just about food. It is about the future of our local business ecosystem.

If you care about local business, community resilience and the role food plays in both, this conversation is for you.

Join us for another Spark collaboration on Thursday 19th March at Shanty Spirit Distillery between 6pm and 9pm.

Come along, bring your ideas and meet the people shaping the future of food in our region.

Speakers (commencing 6:45pm)

James Warren (The Salt Pig) subject - Local supply chains and farming

Steve Oxford (Oxfords Bakery) subject - Local supply chains

Carole Jones (The Vale Family Hub) - subject - Access to food - how to grow resilience

Matthew Adams - food innovation - citizen science - growing resilience (he’s then staying to do the workshop the next day)

And more to follow!

Food will be available to purchase on the evening from local farm, South Paddocks. And drinks will be avaliable from Shanty.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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