Bristol Food Network hosted the Food Action Group as part of Bristol’s year as European Green Capital. There were 16 Action Groups in total. Some of them thematic (Waste, Energy etc), some ‘cross-cutting” (Arts & Culture; Evaluation & Research etc). The Action Groups were the place to come together to share information, determine priorities and help drive activity in the city in 2015 and beyond.
Meetings took place on a monthly “drop-in” basis so that people could find out what was happening with food activity in the city and make connections.
Many of the projects that took place during 2015 were run by the Bristol 2015 company which was set up to run the events of 2015 and to distribute grants. The Bristol Green Capital Partnership was already in existence and is independent of the company. Find out more about the Bristol Green Capital Partnership at: bristolgreencapital.org
Some of these projects include:
Bristol Good Food Tour: Let’s all Cook and Eat was an innovative partnership initiative inspired by several precursor projects locally and elsewhere. This involved outreach pop-up cookery events around the city, demonstrating attractive, simple, affordable, low carbon, healthy food, using basic equipment and seasonal ingredients from local suppliers to show what’s achievable by anyone on a budget.
Previously we have hosted meetings whose focus has been helping people and projects come together to help collaborate successfully.
Bristol Food Producers was funded through the Bristol Green Capital strategic fund, to help to support the scaling up of the local food system in Bristol. BFP is diverse network of local, independent growers, farmers, food processors and distributors working together to supply the city we love.
Food Route was a collaboration between neighbourly.com, Fareshare SW and Incredible Edible Bristol, supported by Bristol Green Capital 2015 and was all about redistributing surplus food to where it was needed most in your community.
Incredible Edible Urban Food Growing Trail: Incredible Edible Bristol, Grow Bristol and Bee The Change collaborated on an exciting project bringing food growing to the centre of the city. You could see food growing spaces springing up as you walk from Platform 3 at Temple Meads past the council offices at 100 Temple Street and along Redcliffe Way to Millennium Square.
The Big Picnic: As part of the Food for Life Partnership’s Bristol commission, schools were encouraged to grow food for the Bristol Big Green Week, Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st June 2015. 15–20 picnics were planned – at least one in each of Bristol’s 14 Neighbourhood Partnerships – with up to 3,000 children having the chance to share their ideas on food and growing and enjoy learning more about food.