About Us
Hull Food Partnership works to connect businesses, organisations and individuals across Hull and the surrounding area.
Our vision for Hull as a Sustainable Food City is of a flourishing local food system which is both healthy and fair for people and the environment. We will work together to increase local and sustainable food production, retail and procurement, directly supporting our local economy and reducing the need for unnecessary transportation and waste. Through this action, we are taking responsibility for our food system, and developing opportunities for education and meaningful employment.
Food equality is central to this vision, ensuring that everyone can access a range of healthy food appropriate for their needs and acquire the skills needed to nourish themselves and their families. Utilising and developing the skills and assets that already exist in communities across the city, we will grow a healthy and resilient food system, and become a city in which the joy of eating, cooking, growing and celebrating good food can be shared by all.
Our Aims
Promote healthy and sustainable food to the public.
Tackle food poverty, diet-related ill health and access to affordable healthy food.
Build community food knowledge, skills, resources and projects.
Promote a vibrant and diverse sustainable food economy.
Transform catering and food procurement.
Reduce waste and the ecological footprint of the food system.
Our History
Hull Food Partnership developed as a result of the work undertaken by Food4Hull between 2013 and 2018.
Food4Hull was a network of people embedded within the voluntary and community sector in the city of Hull. The Food4Hull network aimed to encourage public, private and non-profit organisations to collaborate together with local communities to improve the local food system and make food more sustainable and available to everyone.
Food4Hull worked to raise awareness of the huge amount of work already happening in the city in the provision of local food to all communities. They did this by building links between local producers, schools, colleges and universities and organisations such as the Growers’ Network.
Food 4Hull became a member of what was then called the Sustainable Food Cities national network. This laid the foundation for the formation of Hull Food Partnership in 2016, and Hull became a Sustainable Food City in 2017.
The Hull Food Charter was launched in June 2018.
The Hull Food Inequality Alliance was initially established in September 2018.
In 2019, after years of hard work and dedication, Hull was awarded the Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award.
Using the Hull Food Action Plan we are now working towards gaining the Sustainable Food Places Silver Award. This is a lengthy process that seeks to build on our success to date and bring together key players to further develop the mechanisms needed to deliver a secure and ethical food network that benefits the people of Hull and surrounding areas.
Our Set Up
The Hull Food Partnership is overseen by our chair and cross-sector steering group and employ a two members of staff to work on specific projects that are funded by external parties.
Hilary Hamer
Chair
Hilary Hamer is the Chair of Hull Food Partnership. Hilary holds an MSc in Food Policy and has previously worked as a food scientist and professional cook. She is passionate about supporting local communities and businesses that grow and produce food and is dedicated in work towards improving access to good fresh food in cities and the urban and rural populations.
Through her work, she has developed an in-depth understanding of the issues that sit between the needs of the food industry and the needs of the consumer and the huge importance of access to food and a good diet and the way it impacts on public health, food security and sustainability.
Sharon Clay
Hull City Council
Sharon Clay is Partnership Development and Engagement Lead based within Regeneration at Hull City Council. Sharon brings her knowledge and experience of a variety of partnerships, networks and initiatives across the city that link to or support the work of the Hull Food Partnership.
Joanne Arro
Hull City Council
Jo Arro is a Public Health Commissioning and Service Development Manager at Hull City Council. She has a HND in Food Science, BSC in Dietetics and PGdip in Public Health. Jo has 20 years’ experience working in the area of food and nutrition within Public Health and brings that expertise to the Hull Food Partnership.
Anna Route
Development Officer
Anna has worked in the non-profit sector for over 15 years with a focus on social justice and community engagement. Hull born and bred, over the years she has worked for the disabled children’s charity KIDS; as part of the Hull 2017 City of Culture team; and for Keep Britain Tidy managing community environmental projects across England. She wants everyone to enjoy food as much as she does.
Darren Squires
Veg Cities Community Campaign Officer
Darren worked as a community arts facilitator for over 20 years, and before that was a vegetarian chef. He is also a teacher, film maker and have produced and presented for TV. Darren passionately believes that well cooked meals made from good raw ingredients are what constitute good food; and that vegetables play a central role in proper meals.
Our Partners
Hull Food Partnership brings together organisations, businesses and individuals from across Hull and the surrounding area with the collective aim of making sustainable, healthy, affordable food a reality for everyone.
We work together on projects that are creative, ambitious and fun, but have the provision of good quality food at the centre of everything we do.
At Hull Food Partnership we want to share the good work that everybody is doing in order to inspire others to do the same. Becoming a partner will enable us to amplify the work you are doing.
Currently over 40 organisations have signed the Hull Food Charter to become our partners, and we’re always looking for more who are ready to make positive changes to the way they relate to food, either for their benefit or the wider community.
Anyone can become a partner, the first step is to sign the Hull Food Charter. This will automatically record your interest and you will receive our monthly newsletter which is packed full of information relating to food, local and national news, special offers, events and resources.