The aim of Southampton's Food Partnership is to improve access for everyone in the city to healthier, affordable, sustainable food – making food fair for everyone.
We are a dynamic and evolving group, with representatives from communities, voluntary sector, private businesses, public health and the public sector, coming together for a common purpose. Our partnership is a community of interest, being developed and coordinated by in-kind contributions from its members, it currently has no legal status or funding streams.
Southampton Food Partnership members are connected by core values and beliefs. They guide both our strategic planning as well as our day-to-day work. The local food system we will create will:
Be accessible, inclusive and for local people to own decisions about what happens in their environment, addressing stigma through open communication
Foster civic pride in being a sustainable food city
Exemplify collaboration and coordination through an awareness of partners activities, fostering of entrepreneurial opportunities and to collectively benefit from economies of scale and less duplication
Have a balance that favours healthy and sustainable food choices
Demonstrate commitment to our Healthy Weight Declaration pledges, raising food standards everywhere, especially in schools and early childcare settings
Southampton Food Partnership has over 70 members on it's distrbution list with between 20-30 regularly attending meetings. Members of the partnership were involved in the Southampton Food Map project (2023-24) and the development of a policy brief. We also align with district networks such as the Food Aid Forum and the Cooking and Nutrition Network.
Duncan House, CEO at Southampton City Mission, is the elected Chair for the Southampton Food Partnership in 2026. Duncan says "It is an honour to be involved with this excellent community rooted initiative. It is heartening to have members from so many diverse fields, coming together as volunteers, to cooperate around making food in Southampton healthier, fairer, more sustainable and more affordable. Through sharing stories of what is already happening in Southampton and further afield, we hope to inspire and invite more and more Southampton residents to join the movement."
In November 2025, representatives from the Southampton Food Partnership attended the Sustainable Food Places Day of Celebration and Action in Westminster and met with Dan Jeffrey (Chief of Staff for Darren Paffey MP).
Southampton's Data Intelligence & Insight Team provide an up to date analysis of Southampton's food environment data, part of Southampton Data Observatory Healthy Weight resources.
Southampton Food Partnership member, Sanjay Mall is Chief Executive of The Big Difference whose social supermarkets recently appeared in a BBC article Southampton social supermarket alternative to food banks - BBC News
Another member, Gary Smith from Southampton University Students’ Union (SUSU), explains the great work his team are doing to make their food offer more sustainable and the value of the Southampton Food Partnership SO Cultured: 'Improving Southampton's access to healthier food' | Daily Echo
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