Good food, grown and shared across the Garden of England
Kent Food Partnership brings together councils, farmers, community organisations, universities and businesses to build a fairer, healthier, lower-carbon food system for Kent and Medway.
Get in touch What we do We're hiring: download the job description (PDF)Who we are
A partnership for the whole food system
Kent Food Partnership was established in 2023 and became a community interest company in January 2026, so that the work belongs to the community it serves.
From field to fork, we connect the people who grow, buy, cook, share and champion good food, so that everyone in Kent and Medway can eat well, local growers thrive, and our countryside is restored rather than depleted.
We are a member of the national Sustainable Food Places network and work hand in hand with the Medway Food Partnership. Our steering group brings together local authorities, the NHS, universities, environmental charities, food businesses, farmers and community food organisations.
Our vision: a resilient, equitable and nourishing food system, where nature-positive farming directly fuels community health and regional prosperity, and where good food is an everyday reality for every household in Kent and Medway.
What we stand for
- Good food for everyone Healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food as the norm, not the exception.
- Fair reward for producers Local growers paid promptly and fairly for food that restores the land.
- Action, not strategy shelves We exist to deliver measurable change, from procurement contracts to community pantries.
- Partnership first Nobody can fix a food system alone. Everything we do is done together.
What we do
Five work groups, one food system
Each group is led by partners and open to new members.
Catering & Procurement
Shifting the buying power of public kitchens towards local, seasonal, sustainable food.
Food for the Planet
Supporting the transition to farming that builds soil, restores nature and cuts emissions.
Good Food Movement
Campaigns and events that help households eat well and buy local.
Healthy Food for All
Tackling food insecurity with dignity, from emergency food to affordable pantries.
Sustainable Food Economy
Helping Kent's food producers, processors and retailers grow and reach new markets.
Governance
Our directors
Seven directors, drawn from across the food system, are legally responsible for the partnership.
Fresh produce & horticulture
Carol Ford
Twenty years in fresh food, from Sainsbury's buyer to Commercial Director at AC Goatham & Son. Chairs Kent's Fresh Food Production & Horticulture Task Force and sits on the board of Produced in Kent.
Finance
Iain Hawthorn
A career in food and farming finance: formerly HSBC's Regional Food & Drink Sector Director for the South East, and more recently with Oxbury, Britain's specialist agricultural bank.
Rural funding
Huw Jarvis
Spent his career at Kent County Council supporting the rural economy, managing the Kent Downs & Marshes LEADER programme, one of the region's main rural grant schemes.
Farming & education
Emma Loder-Symonds
Farms 1,100 nature-friendly hectares at Nonington Farms, a LEAF Demonstration Farm. A qualified teacher, she welcomes over 1,500 visitors a year to learn where food comes from.
Community growing
Vanessa Ross Russell
Founder of Lynsted Community Kitchen Garden, an award-winning, volunteer-run no-dig garden sharing its harvest freely with the local community.
Food systems & supply chain
Andrew Stephen
Twenty years in sustainable food: former CEO of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, ex-Foodsteps and Wildfarmed, and a Medway Food Partnership board member.
Anchor institutions
Iain Wilkinson
Professor of Sociology and Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Kent, where he leads the university's Right to Food commitment.
Contact
Get in touch
Whether you grow it, buy it, cook it or share it, there is a place for you in the partnership. To join, partner with us, or find out more:
andrew@kentfoodpartnership.org.uk
We're hiring: download the job description (PDF)
A full website, including the Kent Food Map and events listings, is in development.