A pop-up food and drink event at Halifax Borough Market will celebrate food culture in Calderdale, allowing people to experience a taste of what Calderdale has to offer.
Hosted by the Calderdale Food Network, the 2024 Calderdale Food Gathering is taking place in the historic surroundings of the Albany Arcade at Halifax Borough Market on Thursday 3 October, from 1pm to 6pm.
The event will be opened by the Mayor of Calderdale, Cllr Ann Kingstone and will showcase local organisations, including local produce market and food and drink outlets. Visitors will be able to enjoy demonstrations and samples and find out more about good food to inspire meals to recreate at home. Information points will also provide advice and information about sustainable food, climate action and cost of living support.
The food culture in Calderdale will be celebrated through the Back to Our Roots project, funded by Culturedale (www.culturedale.co.uk(external link)). The project will showcase the unique way that food brings people together, celebrating the borough’s food heritage and how its diverse communities have shaped the food offer in Calderdale.
The way that food connects communities will be further explored at the event’s ‘Food Conversation Hub’, which will enable people to share their food experiences through stories and recipe sharing and to join the Calderdale Food Strategy consultations.
There will also be opportunities for people to meet and chat to local community groups, affordable food hubs, growing and cooking projects, community kitchens, food producers and local traders – all in addition to the wonderful array of traders and permanent stalls within the Borough Market.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Housing, Cllr Scott Patient, said:
“The upcoming Calderdale Food Gathering at Halifax Borough Market is an opportunity to celebrate local food and for people to enjoy the diverse food and drink offerings in Calderdale.
“Food brings us together and as part of our Year of Culture celebrations, we’re exploring our relationship with food and the way it can connect us to our heritage and inspire us, whilst enabling us to learn more about other cultures.
“Calderdale is rich with growers, producers and food inspirers. We’re so proud to continue our support for the Calderdale Food Network and their mission to make sustainable local food available to all.
“By promoting local producers, improving access to good food and inspiring people to eat more local produce, the Food Gathering event also supports our priorities to tackle the climate and ecological emergency and to reduce inequalities.”
The Calderdale Food Network was established in 2017 andworks collaboratively across the region to make affordable, good food a defining characteristic of Calderdale. It works in partnership with Calderdale Council, local communities, businesses and local organisations to establish a culture of good food.
Their efforts have led to Calderdale being part of the Sustainable Food Places network(external link), a national award programme which recognises and celebrates efforts to promote healthy and sustainable food. The borough currently holds the bronze award and is working towards progressing to silver level.
Tom Andrews, Director of Sustainable Food Places, said:
“At the heart of the Sustainable Food Places programme is a belief that good food is a right not a privilege and this principle is clearly evident in everything the borough has done. Calderdale stands out as a shining example of just what can be achieved when people work together to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where they live.”
To find out more about the Calderdale Food Network and the Food Gathering event, contact Aine Douglas, Calderdale Food Network Chair and Coordinator, at aine.calderdalefoodnetwork@gmail.com.
The Calderdale Food Gathering celebrates the key themes of the Vision 2024 for the borough, supporting the borough’s distinctive, kind and resilient communities and its talented and enterprising local businesses. Calderdale reached its 50th anniversary on 1 April 2024. This is the ultimate year for the Vision 2024 for Calderdale. Find out more about it here: www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision
The Year of Culture (CultureDale) programme features locally created events, festivals, exhibitions, performances and initiatives for everyone to enjoy from April 2024 to April 2025. It is funded by Calderdale Council, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Be inspired: www.culturedale.co.uk(external link)