Groundswell 2026: Celebrating 10 Years

Few events leave us feeling as hopeful and inspired as Groundswell.

Returning to the Hertfordshire countryside to celebrate the festival's tenth anniversary, we spent two days surrounded by growers, chefs, farmers, researchers and changemakers all asking the same question. How do we build a food system that works in partnership with nature?

Across the seminars, workshops and even our lunchtime conversations, one message rang really clear.

Meaningful food system change starts with the way we farm.

Healthy soils, thriving biodiversity and resilient ecosystems don't just benefit the environment, they also produce food with deeper flavour, greater nutritional value and stronger connections to the people who grow it.

One of the standout sessions came from Dr Chris van Tulleken, who challenged us to rethink the role of processing in our diets. As he reminded the audience, "Processing food isn't the problem. Ultra-processing is." Cooking, fermenting, chopping and preserving are ancient human practices, the issue lies in food designed primarily for convenience, profitability and displacement rather than nourishment. His talk reinforced the idea that transforming our food system is about much more than what's on our plates, it also means protecting biodiversity, reducing waste and rebuilding local food cultures.

"The UN calls chefs agents of change because they have enormous influence over what we choose to eat… If you're putting food on the table, you're influencing what people value."

Jack Feeny, Tomorrow's Kitchen

Another highlight came from Sam Ratanji and Jack Feeny of Tomorrow's Kitchen, who explored the relationship between flavour and nutrition. As Sam explained, "When tomatoes are grown in their natural season and in harmony with nature, they tend to be richer in flavour, and with that comes greater nutrient density."

Jack offered another powerful reminder of the role chefs play within this movement: "The UN calls chefs agents of change because they have enormous influence over what we choose to eat… If you're putting food on the table, you're influencing what people value." It's a perspective that resonates deeply with our work alongside growers and chefs, helping to create demand for food grown with care.

Away from the talks, we hosted a stand for Farm Fund in the Emergent Generation tent, connecting with passionate young growers, farmers and future applicants. We also brought together our community for seasonal snacks, drinks from MOMO Kombucha and a keynote from Franco Fubini, alongside a conversation with Ellen from Winnow Farm Seeds, one of our former Farm Fund grantees, who shared her journey and the impact of the programme.

We were also delighted to share lunch with the Regenerative Healthcare European Association (RHEA), exploring how we communicate nutrient density not just through scientific data, but through flavour, aroma, texture and the experience of eating truly exceptional food. It's a conversation that feels increasingly important as we continue to reconnect people with the value of seasonal produce.

Groundswell continues to remind us that regenerative agriculture isn't simply about changing how we farm, it's about changing how we value food, support farmers and care for the landscapes that sustain us.

Thank you to everyone who made Groundswell 2026 such a memorable celebration of the movement's first ten years.