MORE TO EXPLORE
DORSET & SOUTHWEST INITIATIVES
Bridport Town Council worked with the Landworkers Alliance and Bridport Food Matters to gather data and define actions to address issues of local food supply.
Bridport Food Security Plan
Bridport Local Food Group (BLFG)
BLFG aims to promote and support the local food and drink industry and inspire everyone to eat locally and healthily. The showcase is the annual Bridport Food Festival which takes place mid-June each year. Contact: admin@bridportfoodfestival.co.uk
Bridport Food Group
DF&D is the membership organisation for Dorset-based food, drink and hospitality businesses who produce, serve, and sell great local products whilst celebrating their connection to this beautiful county. Dorset Food and Drink – has lists of food suppliers and producers as well as food and drink events in the county.
Downloadable recipes on the website.
Email: hello@dorsetfoodanddrink.org or telephone 01304 224717.
Dorset Food and Drink
Dorset Council’s guide: Reduce your food waste, help combat climate change and save money!
Dorset Council
Bee Educational Experiences and Consultancy plus apitherapy and wellbeing sessions with bees through their Community Interest Company, Nature Buzz. Founders of the community group Bee Friendly Bridport, through which they have installed a solitary bee hotel trail across the town, helping to raise awareness of solitary bees and their vital role in the ecosystem.
The Dorset Bee
Lead organisations of Dorset’s Sustainable Food Places are Help and Kindness and Dorset Climate Action Network, working closely with Bridport Food Matters.
Feeding Dorset Partnership
Seeks lasting change to our local food system by tackling the issues of food poverty, diet-related ill health, food waste and unsustainable farming practices.
Food Exeter
Reducing food surplus repurposing fresh organic produce, building community. Based in Totnes.
Food in Community
Building awareness of food sustainability and the local food economy in Frome.
Frome Food Network
Growing Through Climate Change
Local Responses to Food Security. Potentials for agriculture and food adaptations in Southwest England, 2020. Commissioned for Bridport Food Matters.
A friendly East Devon network of independent, small-scale food producers, wholefood suppliers and residents working together to build a more resilient, nourishing and community-centred food system for the local area.
In My Backyard
A community initiative designed to strengthen the health and resilience of wildlife and soils in and around the Marshwood Vale and Char Valley. An interactive map highlights in green the areas of land, or Lifelines, that are helping insects and other wildlife move safely around the landscape. You can join the scheme by having your garden, field or farm included in the Lifelines.
Lifelines Project
A label for Dorset you can trust. Love Local Trust Local are proud to recognise and celebrate small independent businesses that genuinely support and embrace everything ‘local’. One of the key objectives of Love Local Trust Local has always been to help tell the stories of Dorset producers, letting people know where they are and how to buy their products.
Love Local, Trust Local
Melplash Agricultural Society
A charity (Reg no1130201) in place to support and promote local agriculture. Melplash Agricultural Show held in August is its showcase event. An annual garden & allotment competition is held in June and a Ploughing & Hedgelaying match in September.
Email: office@melplashshow.co.uk or telephone 01308 423337
The Nutrition Advisory Team
Founded in 2020, Bournemouth-based NAT brings together education and health professionals including registered nutritionists, food scientists, cognitive behaviour therapists, sports coaches, physiotherapists, and educationalists. They are dedicated to realising the whole school food approach in primary schools and improving education on the role of diet on mental health, behaviour, academic and physical performance.
Aims to encourage a more resilient and sustainable Bridport. In partnership with Home in Bridport we run the Edible Garden at St Mary’s school and Bridport Primary School. Also work on fast fashion, buying local, sustainable farming, and Open EcoHomes. Email: admin@transitiontownbridport.co.uk
Sustainable Bridport
TGL is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company which runs educational programmes, promotes community engagement around local good food, and has an online shop to support sustainable local produce across the Tamar Valley.
Tamar Grow Local
Film made by Robert Golden features several farmers and others local to West Dorset who are practicing an agroecological approach, and addresses the various aspects of the food system, with an invitation to action.
This Good Earth
Shouting about all the amazing local food in and around Totnes, and bringing it to you on a plate through fun events and projects.
Totnes Ten
West Dorset Beekeepers Association
Offers membership and a library of books plus equipment to hire, as well as news. Contact Carole Brown: secretary@westdorsetbees.org.uk or telephone 01308 456210.
NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
Agro-Ecology Centre, Coventry
Biodynamics is the world’s oldest system of organic growing. An inspirational global movement that promotes a uniquely holistic approach to organic agriculture, gardening, food and health.
Biodynamic Association
Ecological Land Co-Op
Investing in land for agroecological smallholdings
Mission is changing food policy and business practice to ensure everyone, across the UK nations, can afford and access a healthy diet.
Food Foundation
GCT is an educational charity which explores our relationship with food and encourages ways of growing and eating that nourish people without harming the environment. It runs courses and the website contains plenty of resources about food issues.
Green Cuisine Trust
a UK union of small-scale producers and family farmers who use sustainable methods to produce food. They began, and have a strong presence, in the Bridport area. Publications and campaigns include:
Food, Farming And Climate Change How we can feed people and cool the planet.
Supporting The Next Generation Of Farmers Schemes to assist the establishment of New Entrants.
Land Worker’s Alliance
National Farmers Union (NFU)
Representing farmers and growers, the NFU is the national voice for British Farming, championing what matter most to agriculture. Local office Beaminster 01308 887062 NFU Group Secretary Jennie Greenwood.
Permaculture is a design approach based on understandings of how nature works. The association runs courses, covering aspects of sustainable living including food. Several courses are regularly run in the vicinity of Bridport.
Permaculture Association
National programme run by Public Health Collaboration and involving 5 locations, including at St Mary’s primary school, Bridport (linked with Edible Gardens project). Dr. Sue Beckers is involved in the Real Food Rebellion, and also runs
Good Mood and Good Food Clinic in Charmouth and Bridport Promoting metabolic health through REAL foods. Promoting mental wellbeing through good metabolic health and by meeting our emotional needs with our own resources.
Real Food Rebellion
An alliance for better food and farming. It campaigns for a healthy and sustainable food system which is publicly accountable and socially and environmentally responsible.
Sustain
A Network bringing together pioneering food partnerships from towns, cities, boroughs, districts and counties across the UK that are driving innovation and best practice on all aspects of healthy and sustainable food. Bridport is a Sustainable Food Place, led by BFM; as is Dorset, led by Help & Kindness and Dorset Climate Action Network.
Sustainable Food Places
Works to accelerate the transition to more sustainable food and farming systems that nourish the health of both people and planet.
Sustainable Food Trust
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Growing Through Climate Change
Local Responses to Food Security. Potentials for agriculture and food adaptations in Southwest England, 2020. Commissioned for Bridport Food Matters.
Feeding Britain, Tim Lang
Horticulture Across Four Nations
Landworkers Alliance, authored by Bridport-based Rebecca Laughton.
The Land Magazine
An occasional magazine about land rights.
A UK Government Food Strategy for England
Considering the wider UK Food System.
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