FŌDA - A Festival of Food Ideas

FŌDA is a two-day festival that will take place at Arnolfini and along the quay on 27 and 28 September 2025.

Saturday 27th September and Sunday 28th September 10am - 4pm: The outdoor producer market, art workshops (Arnolfini Community Workshop), exhibitions (Arnolfini) and pizza and pasta making workshops (on board The Pony Farm Bus) are free to attend.

There are two ticketed events on each day:

Saturday 27th September, 2pm–5pm The Sourdough Exchange & Talk with Dr Vanessa Kimbell

For sourdough lovers, this is a must!
Bake a sourdough, bring it along, and swap it with someone else.
Hosted by renowned baker, researcher, and author Dr Vanessa Kimbell, this afternoon includes a talk, Q&A, and a community bread exchange with tasting. Vanessa will share her long-loved starter (begun at age 11 in the south of France) and bakes made with the Bristol Meadow Blend. She’ll explore how baking supports biodiversity, why grain diversity matters for gut health, and insights from her research for Proven on the gut–mental health connection. She’ll also live-mill flour and demonstrate how fermentation and botanical diversity shape flavour, digestibility, and wellbeing.

More info about it here: The Sourdough Exchange

Sunday 28th September, 9am–6pm
The Talks: Salt, Fat, Acid, Sweet

FŌDA explores big issues in food—from health to regenerative farming—through four themed panels: Salt, Fat, Acid, and Sweet.

Speakers include: Margot Henderson, The Newt, Our Farm by Simon Rogan, Gurdeep Loyal, Tom Herbert, Kalpna Woolf, Yeo Valley, and Cornish Sea Salt.

You can attend:

• Morning Session (9am–1:30pm) – Salt & Fat Talks + breakfast by Yeo Valley
• Afternoon Session (1:30pm–6pm) – Acid & Sweet Talks + lunch by The Pony
• Full Day (9am–6pm) – All four talks + breakfast and lunch