Perhaps you’re part of a food partnership

Are you part of a food partnership that’s just starting out?

Perhaps you’re part of a food partnership

Are you in the process of writing your first food strategy?

Perhaps you’re part of a food partnership

Or are you part of a food partnership that needs some support coming back together?

With over 20 years of expertise in the structure and governance of food partnerships, we can facilitate conversations using planning frameworks, mapping exercises, consultation, and workshops to help kickstart your food partnership. We understand the complexity of working as a food partnership across different sectors, because we have been part of this movement since the beginning.  We founded the UK’s first food partnership in Brighton, subsequently co-founding the Sustainable Food Places (SFP) network which helps over 120 local food partnerships strategise and evolve.

20+

Years of expertise in the structure and governance of food partnerships

120+

Local food partnerships part of the Sustainable Food Places network

What we Offer

We offer bespoke support for local food partnerships, at any stage of their journey. Some of the services we can offer are:

Strategy design & development

Support to create or refresh your local food strategy. Structure and governance developments, such as; terms of reference, a strategy, theory of change and legal structure for your food partnership.

Facilitation & partnership building

Participatory facilitation for meetings, strategy days, focus groups, and more . Mentoring to help you focus and refine your ideas valuation.

Scoping & feasibility studies

Mapping to explore the viability of local food infrastructure— through stakeholder mapping, food system mapping, and food policy mapping. Consultation with stakeholders

Strategy design & development

Support to create or refresh your local food strategy. Structure and governance developments, such as; terms of reference, a strategy, theory of change and legal structure for your food partnership.

Facilitation & partnership building

Participatory facilitation for meetings, strategy days, focus groups, and more . Mentoring to help you focus and refine your ideas valuation.

Scoping & feasibility studies

Mapping to explore the viability of local food infrastructure— through stakeholder mapping, food system mapping, and food policy mapping. Consultation with stakeholders.

Previous partners

Brighton & Hove Food Partnership

We played a key role in founding the UK's first food partnership in 2005, and continue to play a key role as trustees in their ongoing development. We used a comprehensive food system mapping exercise to map the city's food system, leading to the 'Food Shed Report' - the UK's first food strategy. Since then, we've helped countless food partnerships grow across the country.

East Sussex Food Partnerships

We were commissioned by East Sussex County Council to deliver a county-wide food systems review, to help think strategically about how to unite and strengthen the food system at county level. Through thorough research, stakeholder mapping, and a series of participatory workshops, we identified priorities for food systems change at county and regional level. This work led to the creation of the Good Food East Sussex network and a set of shared recommendations that have been adopted by the Council and the five local partnerships.

Greater Brighton Food Plan

For the Greater Brighton: The Future of Food project, we partnered with a food systems consultant and the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership on behalf of the Greater Brighton Economic Board to research and cost potential food system investments across the region. We identified five priority opportunities — from a regional food procurement system to community-supported agriculture — as part of a comprehensive systems-change approach. The recommendations were combined into a unified strategy to support economic, health, environmental and equity outcomes, and will guide ongoing consultation and efforts to secure investment and develop a regional food infrastructure plan.

Lambeth Food Partnership

We supported the Lambeth Food Partnership through a remobilisation process designed to revitalise the network in the face of challenges like COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis. The work involved tailored consultancy, mentoring, facilitation, governance support and resource sharing with partnership members and local public health staff to build a more robust, community-centred food partnership.

Brighton & Hove Food Partnership

We played a key role in founding the UK's first food partnership in 2005, and continue to play a key role as trustees in their ongoing development. We used a comprehensive food system mapping exercise to map the city's food system, leading to the 'Food Shed Report' - the UK's first food strategy. Since then, we've helped countless food partnerships grow across the country.

East Sussex Food Partnerships

We were commissioned by East Sussex County Council to deliver a county-wide food systems review, to help think strategically about how to unite and strengthen the food system at county level. Through thorough research, stakeholder mapping, and a series of participatory workshops, we identified priorities for food systems change at county and regional level. This work led to the creation of the Good Food East Sussex network and a set of shared recommendations that have been adopted by the Council and the five local partnerships.

Greater Brighton Food Plan

For the Greater Brighton: The Future of Food project, we partnered with a food systems consultant and the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership on behalf of the Greater Brighton Economic Board to research and cost potential food system investments across the region. We identified five priority opportunities — from a regional food procurement system to community-supported agriculture — as part of a comprehensive systems-change approach. The recommendations were combined into a unified strategy to support economic, health, environmental and equity outcomes, and will guide ongoing consultation and efforts to secure investment and develop a regional food infrastructure plan.

Lambeth Food Partnership

We supported the Lambeth Food Partnership through a remobilisation process designed to revitalise the network in the face of challenges like COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis. The work involved tailored consultancy, mentoring, facilitation, governance support and resource sharing with partnership members and local public health staff to build a more robust, community-centred food partnership.

“Food Matters have been the architects behind much of the success in Brighton & Hove on delivering a more sustainable, accessible fair and healthy food system.” – Brighton & Hove City Council

Get In Touch

Reach out to the Food Matters team to find out more about what we do, get involved or to collaborate with us on a future project at [email protected]

Get In Touch

Reach out to the Food Matters team to find out more about what we do, get involved or to collaborate with us on a future project.

Contact Us