Essay Collection

Food is never just food

It shapes our landscapes and livelihoods, our health and environment, our communities and culture. It connects town and country, land and sea, producer and consumer. At a time when food security, climate, nature and health are increasingly pressing issues, its place at the heart of society has rarely mattered more.

As Love British Food marks its 25th anniversary, together with Future Countryside we wanted to ask a big question: what is the role of food in Britain today?

This collection of essays captures that moment, a snapshot of British food and society in 2026, told through the perspectives of leading figures from across the food supply chain and beyond.

For 25 years, Love British Food has championed the people who produce our food and strengthened connections between producers and consumers. Importantly, this anniversary is as much about looking forward to ongoing action as it is of quiet reflection.

British food is not about nostalgia. It is about ensuring a secure and prosperous future for all: the resilience of our farmers and fishermen, the health of our landscapes, the strength of our domestic food supply and how the food we put on tables across the country brings people together.

The essays reflect that breadth, with their authors bringing a diversity of thought and lived experiences, designed to inspire and challenge thinking.

What emerges is a compelling reminder of just how much is connected through food.

Twenty-five years after Love British Food began, there is much to celebrate and much still to consider.

We hope this collection encourages fresh thinking, worthwhile debate and ultimately positive impact, while reinforcing something fundamental: food, and the people who produce it, matter profoundly to the future of our country and society at large.

Alexia Robinson....................................................Sarah Lee
Founder, Love British Food........................................Future Countryside