The Source

Food is never just food. To mark Love British Food’s 25th anniversary, Love British Food and Future Countryside have commissioned a collection of essays exploring the role of food in Britain today. Bringing together diverse perspectives from across the food supply chain and beyond, the collection provides a snapshot of British food and society in 2026 – designed to inspire fresh thinking, worthwhile debate and positive action for the future. 

When food is nearby but choice isn't

One of the most important aspects of life is food. But having food available isn’t enough; it should also be fresh, nutritious, and enjoyable to eat. For me, having a choice matters too. We shouldn’t have to keep eating the same foods simply because they are the only healthy options available nearby. Food access is shaped by our surroundings and our circumstances: what shops are nearby, what they sell, how easy they are to reach, and whether we can afford what they offer. Even if fresh food is available, it isn’t truly accessible if we can’t afford it.

As a student living on my own in Glasgow, food became more important to me than I had expected. I wanted to make sure I was eating well because I needed the energy not only for classes, but also for everyday life and to maintain my health. I walked almost every day for around 25 minutes between my accommodation and campus, and with the cold and often rainy weather in Glasgow, I felt like I needed to keep myself well-fed and warm. A good meal was not just about satisfying my hunger; it helped me feel ready for the day. Also, as an international student, getting sick was something I really wanted to avoid. I was in a different country and far from my family, and I didn't always know what I would do or what medicine I would take if I became unwell. Because of that, I tried to keep my everyday diet as healthy and nutritious as I could.

At the time, I was living near my university, where there were several grocery stores within walking distance. This made buying food relatively convenient, but I still had to think about what I could find, how fresh it was, and how much time and money I was willing to spend on groceries. I realised that having grocery stores nearby did not necessarily mean that I had access to everything I wanted or needed. For example, I found it surprisingly difficult to find the kind of fresh red meat that I wanted. When I wanted something specific, I often had to travel further or visit an Asian grocery store. Even when I went out to eat, I once asked for orange juice and was given a juice box, with added sugar and preservatives, rather than fresh, real orange juice.

These experiences made me realise that food access is also about having the quality and variety of food we want, including foods that are familiar to our culture. When you are living abroad, being able to find ingredients that you grew up eating can feel like a small connection to home. There was one time where I really need fresh garlic for my meals, but I couldn’t find any in the groceries near me, instead I often found pre-chopped garlic. I also noticed that some of the shops near my area had a greater selection of frozen and processed foods, such as frozen fish and chips and nuggets, compared with fresh alternatives.

In contrast, when I visited grocery stores closer to the city centre, I noticed a wider variety of fresh foods. This difference made me realise that food access can vary even within the same city, and that the convenience of having a grocery store nearby does not necessarily guarantee the same level of choice or access to fresh food. In less affluent parts of Glasgow, the number of food outlets predominantly selling ultra-processed foods greatly increases, forming neighbourhoods known as ‘food deserts’ or ‘food swamps.’ Here, as my fellow Food Ambassador Dominic Watters has written about, someone might be able to find a blueberry vape but not find any blueberries.

Different people can face different challenges when it comes to accessing food. For students living independently like me, choosing what to eat often means balancing fresh and nutritious meals with a limited budget, a busy schedule, and cooking for one. Sometimes, the healthiest option isn't necessarily the easiest or most affordable choice. Families might have to think about feeding several people with different preferences and nutritional needs, while older people may face challenges with mobility, transportation, or how far they need to travel to a shop. This made me realise that food access isn't just about having a grocery store nearby. It's also about whether the food available is affordable, fresh, nutritious, and realistic for the people who live there.

My experience in Glasgow showed me that having a grocery store nearby does not necessarily mean having equal access to fresh and nutritious food. For fairer food access, I would like to see fresh, nutritious, and good-quality options become convenient choices too, with a wider variety of foods available for people from different backgrounds and cultures. For Asian and other international communities, this could mean easier access to familiar ingredients and foods without having to travel far. For me, food access is not just about having food nearby but having real choices.