Find out how your meals impact your mood, what you should eat for the planet’s wellbeing, and where you can go in Southampton to forage for a snack at this year’s British Science Festival.
Running from 16-20 September 2026 in partnership with the University of Southampton, the Festival’s programme of free talks, activities, drop-ins and performances explores some of the most important subjects and questions of our present and future.
Events take place at different locations on the University of Southampton’s campuses, in top cultural venues such as the John Hansard Gallery, and in public locations like Guildhall Square.
Several events on the programme explore how food shapes the wellbeing of people and our planet.Tuck into subjects like the link between gut health and brain function, why chickpeas are a sustainable phenomenon, and how we can tackle food waste to help the earth.
Food and sustainability events on the menu include:
The Urbane Forager project (now fully booked)
(Workshop)
Date: 17 September 2026
Time: 15:00-16:30
Venue: Turner Sims (52) – Foyer
‘The Urbane Forager’, Alan Gibson (University of Southampton) uncovers how foraging can transform the way you see your city. Join this walk with Alan and lay bare the different types of fruit that grow at the end of your road. Learn how to identify them, give them a nibble and even see how locally gathered produce can be turned into juice! Time to taste, explore, and rethink the ecology of Southampton city.
Eating for the Earth
(Drop-in activity)
Date: 17 September 2026
Time: 10:00-15:00
Venue: Centenary Building (100) – Seminar Room 4013
How many scientists does it take to fix a food crisis? Quite a few, apparently, and from many different areas of research. From agriculturalists and biologists to engineers and economists, join researchers from across the University of Southampton to explore how what we eat shapes both our health and the planet’s wellbeing. Get stuck into interactive exhibits covering sustainable seafood, climate-resilient crops and the role of AI in transforming future food systems. Play games to discover the messy reality of food research and the challenges that the future may bring us.
Retelling the land – Sustainable songs
(Performance)
Date: 18 September 2026
Time: 15:30-16:30
Venue: Stage Door
Join sustainable farming researchers and musicians from across the UK for a show blending music, storytelling, and soil. From Dartmoor to the Highlands, follow the melodies drawing on traditional folk music on a farming journey from Neolithic times to modern day. The music will paint a portrait of the farmers and fisherfolk of the past, who have lived through shifting climates, changing land uses, and environmental transformation.
Bite-size behaviour changes
(Talk)
Date: 18 September 2026
Time: 17:30-18:30
Venue: Sir James Matthews Building – Lecture Theatre 1
Natalia Lawrence (University of Exeter) delves into the question of why we eat what we eat and why lasting changes in our diets are so hard to stick to. Natalia’s work draws on psychology research into the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that contribute to our food choices. Covering response inhibition training and plant-based meals, digital innovation and AI approaches, come along to discover how small shifts in behaviour can make a big difference for both our health and the planet.
Meals, moods and microbes
(Drop-in activity)
Date: 19 September 2026
Time: 12:00-17:00
Venue: Guildhall Square
What your meals are made of can change your emotions. It’s all down to your gut microbes and how they work with your brain to create changes in mood. Join researchers from the School of Biological Sciences (University of Southampton) to celebrate this lively alliance at our vibrant street festival, with painting, games, plant-based African street food, and music.
From waste to feast
(Drop-in activity)
Date: 19 September 2026
Time: 12:00-17:00
Venue: Guildhall Square
Roll up your sleeves and tuck in with African Oasis, a Leicester-based garden community, to explore how natural processes can be used to tackle food waste and contribute to a healthy planet. Make a mess building hot compost. Get up close and personal with carbon-capturing algae. Explore spores and substrates and plant some mushrooms. From cardboard to coffee grounds, come along to witness how this Leicestershire garden community transforms scraps into fertile soil and superfoods.
Engineering food solutions
(Talk)
Date: 19 September 2026
Time: 13:00-14:00
Venue: Sir James Matthews Building – Lecture Theatre 2
Can engineering solve food poverty? Hear from a team of engineers, clinicians and community leaders on how they came together to turn waste into fresh food and improve the health of their communities. Speakers from The African Oasis CIC and the UK-Congolese Engineers Network Association will explore how aquaponics, bioreactors, hydroponics and community-led design transformed Shelthorpe Garden in Loughborough, and sister projects in Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.
Chickpeas, culture and cuisine
(Drop-in activity)
Date: 20 September 2026
Time: 12.00 – 17.00 (cooking demos will take place at 12.30, 13.45 and 15.00)
Venue: Guildhall Square
Chickpeas may seem like a simple legume, but even the smallest plants can have big impacts. Join researchers from the School of Biological Sciences (University of Southampton) to cook up a storm in celebration of the chickpea and discover how small food choices can spark big, sustainable change. Watch a chef make tempting chickpea dishes, then taste your way through global and local flavours. Take home tasty recipes and eco-tips to share with your friends and family.