Forty-seven people made it to the seventh FeedingManchester gathering on the evening of Thursday 21st July, where we mixed business and pleasure.
With people from Stockport, Oldham and Liverpool and a mix of social enterprises, charities, private businesses and individuals the formal and informal discussions were fascinating.
The first half of the event (from 5 til 7.30pm) focused on sharing stories of our work; exploring opportunities around the Food & Drink Festival and reviewing Manchester's Sustainable Food Steering Group progress over the last year.
The highlight for Kindling was the support and enthusiasm shown by Manchester's Food and Drink Festival organisers. Phil Jones and Siobhan Hanley introduced their work and plans for the festival this year (2011) as well as opportunities for FeedingManchester and individual sustainable food projects to get involved.
We then dedicated an hour, working in small groups, focused on individual ideas for the festival. Ideas included a market bingo ( similar to a pub crawl, going from market to market carrying out a task or purchase at each one), cooking lessons and general publicity about sustainable food.
We also had a productive discussion about Manchester Sustainable Food Steering Group and how we can ensure the meetings benefit the City's sustainable food movement as a whole.
We then headed outside for a BBQ, beer and networking opportunities at Hulme Community Garden Centre, where we chatted and planned until ten at night.
For more photos of the event please click here.