|
Devon Food Partnership Newsletter
April 2025
|
|
Devon’s Good Food Strategy Annual Report 2024-2025
Just over two years on from the launch of Devon’s Good Strategy, we are excited to release our second annual Strategy report. This report highlights the fantastic progress that has been made in addressing the priorities set out in the Strategy and the impact of the Devon Food Partnership.
We are delighted to see that there has been a significant uptick in activity compared to last year, including both actions taken by the Partnership directly and other partners and stakeholders. As the Partnership has developed, it has become a key forum for collaboration and joined up working around food, particularly within Devon County Council.
This year’s report also provides some more in-depth highlights of key pieces of activity across the Strategy’s six key themes. This includes our work on the Peninsula Food Plan in collaboration with the region’s other food partnerships; our local food campaign Every Bite Counts; Devon County Council’s Community Hubs for Food Security project (which is being supported by our Food Insecurity Working Group); and our People Planet Profit sustainable food and drink business events series being delivered with Food Drink Devon.
Moving forward, the Partnership will continue to harness the energy within the local good food and farming movement to undertake, enable, facilitate, and support action. We will also work to further improve the way we measure, capture, and communicate progress, helping to evidence impact and demonstrate the success of the Partnership.
|
|
The Devon Food Partnership is heading to the Devon County Show
The Devon Food Partnership is once again heading to the Devon County Show this year, with a stand on Innovation Avenue across all three days of the Show. Come along to find out more about the Partnership, what we do, and how you can get involved.
The nearby Farmers’ Hub is a new addition to the Show and will act as a social, collaborative, and informative space for local farmers. A number of food and farming related talks are planned to take place in this space, with further details to be released shortly.
The Devon County Show is great opportunity to connect with local food and farming, with something for everyone. The Show will take place on Thursday 15, Friday 16, and Saturday 17 May at Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ.
Buy your tickets to the Devon County Show
|
Local Food Growth Plan report calls for the local food sector to be bolstered in the interest of food resilience
The Local Food Growth Plan presents a comprehensive pathway for growing the UK’s local food sector, outlining key actions for food and farming organisations, local and mayoral authorities, national governments, investors, and academic institutions.
Part of the two-year Local Food Plan programme, this publication brings together insights from key stakeholders to develop a cohesive growth plan for the local food sector which can challenge overreliance on food imports and build a more resilient food system in the UK.
This report highlights the need for a shift from competition to cooperation, towards food supply systems that prioritise access to high-quality food, fair livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and food resilience.
Read the new Local Food Growth Plan report
|
Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps invitation to tender
Businesses and voluntary organisations are being invited to tender for a contract to deliver flexible training programmes as part of Devon County Council’s Train4Tomorrow programme. Tenderers should be able to deliver skills bootcamps of up to 16 weeks to adults (19+) in Devon looking to gain work or improve their skills.
The invitation to tender is split across 13 lots corresponding to specific sectors, a number of which are relevant to food and farming. This includes bootcamps focusing on sustainable/regenerative farming; land management; hospitality and catering; and food production/supply chain management.
The deadline to submit a tender bid is Friday 2 May.
Read the full invitation to tender and submit a bid
|
eat:Festivals to host food and drink festivals across Devon this Spring
eat:Festivals run free, family-friendly, accessible food and drink festivals in town centres across the South West. The festivals aim to bring a great range of producers and products into the town, with an emphasis on local food and drink mostly from within a 30-mile radius.
There are a number of upcoming festivals across Devon this Spring:
- Exmouth Gate to Plate – Sunday 27 April
- eat:Dawlish – Saturday 3 May
- eat:Tavistock – Sunday 4 May
- Axminster Gate to Plate – Monday 26 May
Further festivals across Devon are planned for later in the year.
Find out more about eat:Festivals
|
|
|
Creating your Wildlife Garden and Propagation Skills workshops
Saturday 26 April and Wednesday 30 April
Theatre Alibi, Emmanuel Road, Exeter, EX4 1EJ
Following the success of its previous workshops delivered with support from the Growing Communities Fund, Zero Mile Gardens are organising some additional practical gardening sessions in Exeter. ‘Creating your Wildlife Garden’ will focus on attracting nature to your garden, whereas ‘Propagation Skills’ will cover the propagation of vegetables, herbs, and other plants from both seeds and cuttings. To support the delivery of these additional workshops, participants are requested to make a small donation.
View the upcoming Zero Mile Gardens workshops
|
Guy Singh-Watson - My relationship with food
Wednesday 7 May, 18:30-20:00
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen St, Exeter, EX4 3RX
As part of its new ‘FOOD: beyond the plate’ exhibition, RAMM will host Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford, to talk about his personal relationship with food, from growing up around the kitchen table with a mother who loved to cook, to how his interest in the marriage of food and farming led to the creation of Riverford. Guy will consider where we have gone wrong as a nation in regard to food and what we might do in order to fix it. There will be the opportunity to ask Guy questions at the end of his talk.
Book you tickets to Guy Singh-Watson - My Relationship with Food
|
Ambios Restoring Nature: A Literary Festival
Saturday 17 May
Lower Sharpham Barton Farm, Ashprington, TQ9 7DX
Join Ambios and the East Gate Bookshop on Saturday 15 May at Lower Sharpham Farm and discover how rewilding and regenerative farming practices are restoring nature, improving food security, reducing the use of chemicals, rebuilding soil fertility, employing more people on the land, and creating places that benefit us all. There will be talks, books, authors, discussions, live music, a fully licensed bar, and delicious locally sourced food. All ages are welcome, and dogs are welcome too.
Find out more and buy your tickets to Restoring Nature: A Literary Festival
|
|
|
|
|
|
