What is the future of food? What will we be eating in 5, 10, 50 or even 100 years…?  

Our food systems are on the edge of huge transformation, but what say do we have in what we will produce and eat in the future?  

Are you interested in food, cooking and its evolving future? Then be part of the food democracy revolution. We’re going on a future foods journey and it involves everyone, come and join us…. 

Imagine a series of meals hosted in people’s homes and large outdoor communal feasts; where people explore, plan, and eat their possible food futures. We want local communities to shape their food futures. Through creative, democratic exploration of our food culture, systems, limits and new technologies, we want to make that happen together. 

Our food systems will transform over the next few years. The most marginalised will feel the most negative effects of this, and feel them first.  

We all felt the heat last summer. Every second, an acre of soil turns to desert. Greggs have pioneered the vegan sausage roll. There’s now a company that PRINTS meat. And this is just the start… 

What is Warm Grain?  

Small, local shared meals 

Meals hosted at home or in community spaces by volunteer hosts. They will invite a mix of local people, policymakers, artists, chefs, growers, environmentalists and enthusiasts to eat and discuss food futures.  

Community Feasts 

Jubilee-style trestle tables stretching across Billingham, Festival of Thrift and beyond. Menus will be developed with volunteer hosts and future food producers. Imagine baked goods made from drought-resistant ancient grains; sharing plates of vertical-farmed veg and legumes; mushrooms grown in people’s homes; lab-grown meat and insect proteins; and entire menus with zero food waste. 

People from a huge range of backgrounds will explore heritage dishes, family recipes, and future foods reimagined for low-carbon. 

Food Democracy 

Local people will share in a possible food future alongside artists, chefs, growers, climate scientists and food researchers. Crucially, we will build facilitated citizens assemblies into the feast events, attended by local council representatives, policymakers, decision-makers, and MPs.  

Make Stuff 

Art and the creative process helps us make sense of complicated and difficult ideas. Like what’s going to happen to our food systems. We embed artists in the creation and hosting of the meals. They make stuff, and share it. Readings, illustrations, music…the possibilities are endless, and are guided by our meal hosts. 

Community-led Business   

How do we put all this learning into action and create long-term community-led change? Along our journey we’ll identify ways we can support local people to set up their own local sustainable food systems, cottage industries and micro-businesses centred around food production and consumption, supporting communities to take control of our collective food futures.   

Interested in finding out more, getting involved or becoming a volunteer host then click here

Warm Grain is a partnership project by Festival of Thrift and Threads in the Ground.