Established in 2010, MFP brings together organisations and communities to shape a better food system for the town. Using food as a catalyst for change, the Partnership works to ensure everyone in Middlesbrough can access affordable, good quality, healthy food.
Our vision is simple but ambitious: a town where good food is accessible to all, supports local livelihoods, and contributes to a healthier, more sustainable future.
MFP is how the town comes together to make change happen through food. It connects organisations, communities and businesses to turn shared ambition into practical action that improves everyday lives.
Working across the whole food system, MFP supports partners to work better together, influence decisions and embed healthier, more sustainable approaches in how food is produced, supplied and experienced across Middlesbrough.
In Spring 2026, this collective effort was recognised with a Sustainable Food Places Gold Award, a major milestone for the town. But for MFP, this is not an endpoint. It is a platform to go further, strengthening collaboration, reaching more people, and making lasting change part of how the town works.
A strong focus is ensuring that everyone can access good food with dignity. MFP brings partners together to tackle food insecurity in a joined up way, whilst also supporting a growing network of community-led activity across the town.
At its heart, MFP is about people, creating space for ideas, building partnerships, and enabling action. By working together, Middlesbrough is continuing to shape a food system that is fairer, healthier and built to last.
Our strength is in turning a whole system approach into something practical and deliverable. We focus on making connections, between organisations, communities and decision makers, so that action is joined up and grounded in local need.
A key part of this is creating space for people to be heard. We work to ensure the Partnership reflects the town, enabling partners and communities to share their views, experiences and ideas, and use this to shape priorities and influence change.
As a Gold Sustainable Food Place, we are committed to sharing learning and supporting others, while continuing to build on what works locally.
Sustainable Food Places
c/o Soil Association
Spear House
51 Victoria Street
Bristol
BS1 6AD
info@sustainablefoodplaces.org
Through the power of partnerships we make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where people live.
2026 © Sustainable Food Places
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