Searching For a Really Good Lunch

Project details

The Food Systems Equality (FoodSEqual) project is a UKRI (Strategic Priorities Funded) five year research project led by The University of Reading, with four smaller research ‘hubs’ across the country, including one at The University of Plymouth, led by Dr Clare Pettinger.

The vision is to provide citizens of culturally diverse disadvantaged communities with choice and agency over the food they consume, by co-developing new products, new supply chains and new policy frameworks that deliver affordable, attractive, healthy and sustainable diets.

In Plymouth the FoodSEqual project is about:

• Improving access to food that is healthy, affordable and sustainable for people in Plymouth.
• Putting the community at the heart of the project so that local people can lead change.
• Supporting connections between communities and the organisations that supply their food.

To support our local food system transformation processes, the FoodSEqual Plymouth project team have been working closely with the Whitleigh community in the north of the city. This has included students from Sir John Hunt Sport and Community college (SJH) who the team have engaged in annual food themed events. In summer 2022, this included a food themed curriculum enrichment week of activities.

In summer 2023 a small group of SJH students engaged with a participatory film project (hosted by Fotonow CIC), in which they learnt about filming equipment, stop motion animation processes and interviewed some local food system stakeholders. They also tried to find themselves a lunch locally for £2.40 (the cost of a free school meal).

The following series of short video interviews ‘Searching for a Really Good Lunch’ is part of FoodSEqual Plymouth community engagement research activities, a collaboration between Fotonow CIC and University of Plymouth. 

Episode 1: Searching For a Really Good Lunch with Elaine Hayes (CEO Plymouth Sound National Marine Park)

Episode 2: Searching for a Really Good Lunch with Brad Pearce (Managing director of CaterEd)

Here you can see the students engaging in conversations about some of the problems within our (local) food system. They bravely put themselves in front of the camera, sharing their insights and leading interviews with key food system stakeholders, showcasing their efforts and enthusiasm for local change.

Episode 3: Searching for a Really Good Lunch with David Barrett (company owner Tamar Fresh Ltd)

Episode 4: Searching for a Really Good Lunch with Yve Ashton (Coordinator of Four Greens food bank)

Episode 5: Searching for a Really Good Lunch with Jonathan Devereux (vicar at St Chads  Church Whitleigh)

Episode 6: Searching for a Really Good Lunch on Whitleigh Green for SJH Enrichment Week

Please watch these short films and consider for yourself, what can YOU do to better engage in food system transformation. 

If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved in the FoodSEqual project locally then please see visit the FoodSEquals Plymouth website or contact Dr Clare Pettinger at foodsequal@plymouth.ac.uk

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