From the 18 -24 September 2023, 23 participating restaurants and chefs, 17 events and Regent Street’s very first Urban Farm, in partnership with Square Mile Farms, will be a reality across Regent street and St James’ Park for the Future of Food Festival.
Showcasing unique culinary experiences that cater to all, Future of Food sets out to engage and inspire local communities and beyond, by celebrating the diverse culinary landscape in central London, rooted in sustainability, innovation, and creativity.
Over the course of the festival, patrons will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of intriguing and inspiring activations. These include the unveiling of the Regent Street’s very first Urban Farm, that will host drop-in as well as bookable events throughout the week, on-street feasts taking place on Heddon Street and St James’s, expert led panel discussions, and one-off ticketed dining events, headlined by top chefs that will take place in one of central London’s most vibrant restaurant destinations. A festival for all, those unable to attend events can access a whole host of special offers and giveaways that will be taking place across Regent Street and St James’s participating restaurants, bars, pubs and coffee shops.
Unparalleled opportunities
Future of Food festival promises to captivate and inspire through offering unparalleled opportunities to embrace the ever-evolving world of gastronomy firsthand. From reusable ingredients to eating in space to Michelin-starred menus, partaking experts will demonstrate the power of sustainability, innovation and creativity in the culinary world.
Each bringing their own unique perspectives to the table, esteemed operators, participating chefs and restaurants include James Bulmer and Head Chef Karl O’Dell of Monarch Theatre, Park Row, Head Chef Justin Horne of Fortnum Mason, Head Chef Rishim Sachdeva of Tendril, Co-owner and Head Chef Will Murray of Fallow, Two Michelin-starred Chef Alex Dilling of Hotel Café Royal, Executive Chef John Williams MBE of The Ritz and Executive Chef Anthony Demetre of Wild Honey St James.
A series of exclusive foodie events
There is the opportunity to discover and engage in the Future of Food across the festival’s entire series of events, with additional offerings including an after-hours live cooking demo and tasting at SMEG’s flagship store, led by three best-in-class female chefs Chantelle Nicholson, Anna Haugh and Sally Abe.
There will also be live panel discussions where the architects of taste, Bompas & Parr, will unveil their Future of Food 2024 Report, while Fortnum & Mason will discuss regenerative farming; and alternatively a live oyster-shucking masterclass at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill.
Prominent will be al-fresco dining and on-street feasts on Heddon Street featuring The Starman, Piccolino, Heddon Street Kitchen, Casa Do Frango and Yokocho, whilst St James’s Market will feature participating restaurants including ‘O ver, Fallow, Toba and Scully.
Event highlights throughout the week include:
Chef All Stars: Taste and Talk – Taking place at the Smeg Flagship store on Regent Street. An after-hours drinks reception and live cooking demo and tasting, led by three best-in-class female chefs: Chantelle Nicholson, Anna Haugh, and Sally Abe, whose passion and creativity know no bounds. Ticket Price: £28 pp, including welcome drink from DO Cava.
Fortnum & Mason: Field to Fork to Future – A live panel discussion in Fortnum & Mason focused on regenerative farming taking you through the journey from field to fork to future, with a drinks reception and canapés. Ticket Price: £14 pp, including welcome drink from DO Cava.
AI & Beyond – Inspired by the Future of Food, experience a fully immersive four-course dinner with paired wines led by theatrical gastronomy in the Monarch Theatre, Park Row. Ticket Price: £190 pp
Tendril: A Mostly Vegan Kitchen – Hosted by Head Chef Rishim Sachdeva, delivering his vision on the Future of Food through a four-course tasting menu. Ticket Price: £65 pp, including welcome drink from DO Cava.
About the Urban Farm
Open daily from 10am to 8pm, Urban Farm welcomes both drop-ins and attendees of ticketed events throughout the week. Through a series of insightful and educational drop-in experiences, bookable daily workshops and ticket events, visitors are invited to delve deeper into sustainable urban practices. Free-to-book initiatives include hands-on micro herb masterclasses, chef-led pesto-making demos, using herbs from the on-site farm pods and educational talks that shed light on building a sustainable food ecosystem. Ticketed events include the official opening at the Urban Farm, where Bompas & Parr will reveal their Imminent Future of Food 2024 report, and mindful mixology classes with Sapling Spirits Mixologist, using herbs grown on the Urban Farm.
As part of engaging local communities and inspiring the future generation, Urban Farm will be inviting pupils of all ages from schools in and around Westminster, including George Eliot Primary School, Millbank Academy and Westminster City School, and beyond, for first-hand experiences of an urban farm. Bookable morning and afternoon sessions are available.
Throughout September (Friday 1st – Saturday 16th; Monday 25th – Saturday 30th), Urban Farm will continue to run daily harvests and tastings drop-in sessions, giving passersby an opportunity to learn more about the sustainable journey of an urban farm and its impact on the future of food beyond the week of the festival.
Future of Food is proud to work alongside charity partner, The Felix Project, to donate food waste from the Urban Farm as well as charitable donations that will go towards reaching a target to feed over 1000 people in need.
To discover more, visit: future-of-food-festival
View this post on Instagram
All imagery courtesy of Future of Food festival.