Event
A Bioregional Banquet: Cultivating Common Ground for the Future of Food
The Bioregional Learning Centre (BLC) would like to warmly invite you to the Bioregional Banquet, a unique evening bringing together farmers, food producers and people from across South Devon working to provide food for their community.
Food is at the heart of culture and life. In the context of the modern food economy, access to good food can often be limited to the privileged few. Yet historically, celebrating the abundance of the harvest season was something shared across entire communities. The BLC is offering this banquet as a celebration of place, for the people of this land and sea; a gathering to honour the region and the hard work of those who care for it.
At the heart of this gathering is a shared commitment to climate adaptation and resilience. As the ground shifts beneath us – ecologically, socially, and economically – the banquet offers a chance to come together and find new ways forward. Whether you bring food onto our plates, sustain its vital role in the economy, help redistribute it, or simply enjoy eating it, your voice matters in shaping a food system that nourishes both people and planet.
The event is inspired by a Sardinian tradition called La Rasgioni, which offered communities a way to share different perspectives over a shared meal. At the Bioregional Banquet, voices from across the South Devon food world will be heard, creating opportunities to understand one another better, even when perspectives differ. Through storytelling and conversation, the realities and pressures faced by those who care for the land will come into focus.
Guests will enjoy a good meal showcasing the breadth of South Devon’s produce, connect with neighbours, and hear perspectives from across the region – some familiar, others less so. Together, participants will consider where common ground and shared purpose might be found, with the support of a community “judge”, a randomly selected jury on the night, and audience facilitators.
The BLC recognises that the work of producing food is changing as the climate changes. The banquet is intended to offer guidance that responds to food security needs in a shifting climate, while also creating a food identity for South Devon and laying the first steps toward joined-up action. The outcomes are not predetermined, but the intention is clear: to see the food system as a whole, to understand what is not working, and to identify where collective action might be taken.
Why this Event?
South Devon is rich in food culture and in the people who bring it to life. But the systems that support them are under stress – from market pressures, policy uncertainty, and especially from climate breakdown.
The Bioregional Banquet creates space to step back and see the bigger picture:
- What is our shared food identity here in South Devon?
- What’s working? What’s not?
- Where might we act differently, together, in adapting to climate breakdown?
This is about making sense of complexity in community – listening to one another, breaking bread, and beginning to imagine a joined-up, resilient food system.
Why the BLC?
The Bioregional Learning Centre (BLC) works to foster resilience at the scale of the bioregion – in this case, South Devon. For nearly a decade, BLC has been building capacity for democratic decision-making, ecological regeneration, and systems change grounded in place.
The Bioregional Banquet is a natural next step in this wider mission: using food as an entry point to bioregional democracy, rooted in the needs, knowledge, and networks of the people who live and work here.
This event builds on years of action learning, research, and community building in South Devon. Most recently, through the Learning Journey in summer 2024 as part of BLC’s Local Climate Adaptation work, the organisation learned how central food is in adapting to a rapidly changing climate – and is now taking steps to act on that learning.
What Inspired the Banquet?
- La Rasgioni, a Sardinian tradition of resolving conflict and addressing shared community issues through public storytelling over a shared meal.
- A growing call for regional food security as global systems falter.
- A desire to craft a South Devon food identity, shaped by those who live it every day.
- Years of listening – to farmers, fishers, citizens, councillors, community groups, educators, and entrepreneurs.
What to Expect
- A locally sourced meal showcasing the richness of South Devon’s land and sea, cooked by The Cellar Door Caterers.
- A welcoming, beautiful setting at The Barn in South Milton, with views of the sea at Thurlestone.
- Stories and perspectives from a diverse group of food producers.
- Table conversations guided by facilitators and a symbolic “community judge.”
- A chance to connect with neighbours and share experiences of what’s changing – and what’s possible.
This evening is for anyone who feels the impact of a shifting food landscape and wants to be part of shaping what comes next.
Ticket Prices
This event is being largely funded by the BLC. Highly subsidised tickets are available on a sliding scale: £15 – £35 – £50. Guests are asked to pay what they can afford, with additional donations welcomed to help cover event costs.
The ticket price includes drinks on arrival, table wine, and a three-course dinner, as well as all entertainment and activities throughout the evening. Accessibility is a priority – nobody will be turned away for lack of funds. If none of the ticket options are affordable, please contact Bridie at bridie.kennerley@bioregion.org.uk
Our Caterers
The food will be provided by The Cellar Door, working directly with local producers to really showcase the incredible farmers and fisher people of South Devon, including some produce from their own kitchen garden.
