WHO IS ON THE PANEL?

A Symposium of talks chaired by food writer Xanthe Clay, Josh Eggleton and Roger Saul

FŌDA aims to shed light on some of the big issues around food today - from health to regenerative farming.

2026 Symposium Themes

“The Ground Beneath Everything”
This conversation examines soil as a living system what we’ve stripped from it, what regenerative farming can restore, and why the health of the ground beneath us is inseparable from the future of food itself.

LAND

“What We Take, What We Return”
A candid reckoning with how we use the ocean from overfishing to waste and what a shift from extraction to stewardship would actually look like. Equal parts practical and ethical, it asks what we owe back to the ecosystems that sustain us.

Speakers: Disco Scallops, Mitch Tonks, Car-y-mor Seaweed, Chalk Stream Trout, Mussel Farm-Offshore Shellfish plus more to be announced

Sea

“The Space Between Us”
Loneliness is an increasingly urgent crisis. This panel explores whether the table can be part of the solution, examining how communal dining, grounded in genuine hospitality can rebuild connection and foster a sense of belonging. Alongside this, the discussion will share practical, real-world ways the table can become a quiet but powerful antidote to isolation

Speakers: Anjula Devi (Author, Consultant Chef - Manchester United), Fadi Kattan (Franco-Palestinian Chef, Author, Hotelier), Melanie Vaxevanakis (Founder - The MAZI Project)

AIR

“Why Food Needs Trees”
A deep dive into agroforestry and why trees are fundamental infrastructure for food systems shaping soil health, water cycles, and even flavour. The conversation zooms out to examine how interdependence in nature mirrors what resilient food production actually requires.

Speakers: Sam Leech (Wildings Cider), Will Mayor (Yeo Valley), Faye Cooke (Yeo Valley) plus more to be announced

FOREST

OUR HOSTS

  • A smiling woman with blonde hair resting her chin on her hand outdoors, wearing a blue shirt and a red necklace that says "Lucy."

    Xanthe Clay (Telegraph writer / Guild of Food Writers)

    Xanthe Clay is a food writer, chef, and columnist for The Telegraph. She has over 25 years of experience in the field and has written extensively on various culinary topics. Her work includes restaurant reviews, taste tests, and explorations of topical issues like ultra-processed foods and sustainability. She also has a background as a chef and caterer, and has authored five cookbooks. 

  • A man smiling and holding a wooden tray filled with walnuts in an outdoor garden setting.

    Roger Saul (Sharpham Park)

    Founder of the iconic British fashion brand Mulberry, Roger Saul turned a £500 start-up into a global lifestyle Designer brand before moving into hospitality with the Michelin-starred Charlton House hotel and spa. In 2003, he purchased Sharpham Park, a 300-acre estate near Glastonbury, and transformed it into a pioneering model of organic regenerative, mixed farming. Under his stewardship, it became the UK’s leading producer of the ancient grain spelt, supplied to major retailers and restaurants. Today, Roger champions British-grown organic walnuts – recognised as a Future 50 Food – while continuing to advocate for biodiversity, future food security, and organic regenerative agriculture as essential to our planet’s future.

  • Josh Eggleton (Chef and Owner, The Pony Chew Valley)

    Josh Eggleton is a celebrated Bristol chef who rose to fame running a Michelin-starred pub with his sister Holly. Inspired by family, he champions sustainable, locally sourced British cuisine. With multiple acclaimed restaurants, including The Pony Chew Valley and Root, he’s also active in community projects and ethical food initiatives.

2025 Panelists

SALT

Philip Tanswell (Cornish Salt), Ash Ranpura (Neuroscientist), Gurdeep Loyal (Food Writer), chaired by Josh Eggleton (Chef and Owner of The Pony)

FAT

Dr Lucy Williamson (Nutritionist), Margot Henderson (Chef and Owner of The Three Horseshoes), Tom Calver (Westcombe Dairy), Tomos Parry (Chef and Owner Brat), chaired by Xanthe Clay (Telegraph writer / Guild of Food Writers)

ACID

Alice Mayor (Yeo Valley), Alice Power (The Black Swan), David Rowley (Head Grower at The Newt), Debbie Warner (Wild Wine), Liam Fitzpatrick (Head Chef, Our Farm), William Mayor (Yeo Valley), chaired by Roger Saul (Sharpham Park)

SWEET

Emma Hopkins (Mother’s Manifesto), Eleni Morus (Community Organiser, Bristol North West Food Bank), Kalpna Woolf (Founder of 91 Ways, Food Writer), Natalia Middleton (Food Behind Bars), Tom Herbert (Founder, The Long Table), chaired by Josh Eggleton