Leicester's Food Plan
The Food Plan marks the start of a long term programme to make Leicester a healthy and sustainable food city.
Quick links
Our city will become a place where the production, distribution, purchase and use of affordable food leads to better health, stronger communities and a successful economy – while protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.
Why is a food plan needed?
People are taking more interest in where their food comes from, how it is produced, how much it costs and how healthy it is.
In Leicester we know there are important challenges including:
- Unacceptable levels of food poverty
- Health challenges including high rates of diabetes and heart disease
- Unemployment – and the potential for job creation in the food and drink sector
- Environmental impacts of food production, transport and wastage.
About Leicester's food plan
Leicester's food plan will help tackle these challenges and ensure we can support the city to make healthy and sustainable choices about the food we produce, sell, buy and eat.
The plan includes a Food and drink charter which sets out 10 ambitions for the city. To view the Food and drink charter please follow the link below:
Our commitments achieved between 2014 and 2016
- support for at least nine more community food and horticulture projects
- at least 3900m2 of new allotments
- help for families, children’s centres, nurseries and schools including healthy nutrition and cooking skills sessions
- support for food businesses
- looking at the health and sustainability of the food we buy.
Putting the plan into action
A detailed list of the actions we will take in the first year of the three year programme can be found from page 19 of the Leicester food plan.
We have a wide variety of activities, events and projects that we will be looking to improve or start in the coming months.
Getting in touch
Sign up for e-bulletins
To keep up with news about Leicester’s food plan and find out about events and opportunities to get involved, register for food plan e-bulletins by emailing us at foodplan@leicester.gov.uk.
Contact us
If you’ve got questions or want to discuss Leicester’s food plan, you can contact the public health team:
- Call 0116 454 2381
- Email foodplan@leicester.gov.uk
Access further services
- Change4Life - Advice on eating well, moving more and living longer.
- NHS Choices - Includes advice on healthy eating, healthy recipes, food safety and losing weight.
- Allotments - Request a plot or find out more.
- Sustainable Food Cities Network - Leicester is one of the founding members of the UK Sustainable Food Cities Network. This website provides information about what’s going on across the network.
- Leicestershire Nutrition and Dietetic Service - provide support for people who have diverse nutritional needs, during the treatment of health conditions or in their prevention.