Sustainable Gastronomy Day 2026: Food, Community & Change in Yorkshire – Recap

Don’t miss our recap of a special Sustainable Gastronomy Day 2026 Yorkshire event – all about connection – to the food we eat, the people who produce it, and the communities it nourishes.

Hosted by Women in the Food Industry & Food Savers Network – Inn Churches, the day featured inspiring keynotes and panels from food changemakers and demos from creative chefs.

The day began with a keynote speech by Ali Morpeth, Co-Founder of Planeatry Alliance  and a registered nutritionist focused on one of the defining challenges of our time: aligning what we eat with the health of people and the planet. She works with policymakers and businesses to turn ambition into action, translating science into strategies that deliver real-world change across the food system.

Ali holds a number of advisory, academic and governance roles across the food system. She is a Board Member of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a Commissioner for FixOurFood, and a Council Member of Root & Reason. She is also a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds.

Our attendees also enjoyed a range of panel talks including Sonja Woodcock (pictured above) from FoodWise Leeds. Since completing an MSc in Food Policy, Sonja has been actively working towards developing a sustainable food strategy for Leeds. She was project manager for the Leeds Food Audit, which was commissioned by Leeds City Council to to provide an overview of the food system in Leeds, reviewing the current evidence on food and its impact on the economy, health and well-being, and sustainability. She continues to work closely with partners, developing a network of stakeholders, speaking at public engagements and promoting healthy sustainable food for all people.

We also heard from Razan Alsous (pictured above), Founder and Managing Director of Yorkshire Dama Cheese,  an award-winning artisan dairy business based in the North of England.

Her journey began with a passion for high-quality dairy products and a vision to bring innovative, high-quality cheese to the UK market. Using her scientific background and entrepreneurial mindset, she reimagined traditional halloumi-style cheese by making it from cow’s milk and infusing it with unique flavors, creating a product that is preservative-free, vegetarian-friendly, and locally sourced.

Beyond business success, Razan has been recognized for her contributions to entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. She was honored as Women of the Year (2016) and received the Best SME Award from Arabian Business (2018) in London. She was also a winner on Aldi’s Next Big Thing, showcasing her ability to develop and bring innovative products to market.

Juli Thompson CEO at FoodSavers and Inn Churches and Soraya Overend COO of Inn Churches (pictured above) spoke about Soraya’s work and how she develops and delivers the Cooking Hub strand of Inn Churches. One day she could be teaching families with young children how to cook up a healthy dish, the next she could be delivering a food safety course at a church or a community organisation, and by the end of the week she could be helping a group of mums to run a café with the Lord Mayor being one of their special guests. She could also helping to deliver an away day for a corporate company, writing a funding bid or completing an evaluation or summary for some completed funding that we have received and spent on something really exciting. She is always on the lookout for new opportunities to be able to work with new organisations, businesses, schools, colleges and community groups.

There were live cooking demonstrations by Minal Patel Head chef of Prashad and Great British Menu contestant. Prashad is a vegetarian Indian restaurant with 2 AA Rosettes, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Originally from Gujarat in Western India, Minal (pictured above) represented the North East on Great British Menu in 2025.

There was also a demo from Imogen Tilt (pictured above left), Head Chef at The Hawthorn in Haworth. Imogen Tilt, prides herself on perfection and many of her dishes have a sharing element for family and friends. The Hawthorn are passionate about the conservation of traditional breed livestock to ensure their long-term survival and the preservation of the countryside. As such, their meat is sourced direct from small farms across the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District who share our passion and exclusively rear Rare and Native Breed livestock in the traditional manner where their welfare is paramount. Their fish is freshly delivered from Hartlepool and seasonal vegetables are from the very best local suppliers.

Attendees enjoyed a relaxed but engaging programme of panel talks, live cooking demonstrations, and plenty of opportunities to taste exceptional sustainable food.

Set within Wellnest at Darley Street Market in Bradford, our guests were able to explore and sample products from local traders, showcasing the very best in sustainable produce.

Come for the ideas, stay for the food, and leave feeling energised about the future of how we eat.

Thanks to Blossoms and Co for supplying flowers for the event.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE PHOTOS AND TAKEAWAYS FROM THE DAY

You might also like to see a recap of our Sustainable Gastronomy Day Event in London held at Mercato Metropolitano Mayfair.