Online TBC
“Please, Sir, I want some more.”
Oliver Twist’s ill-fated plea captures the heart of our 2026 theme: Poverty Food. We interpret “poverty” broadly—as the lack of the resources necessary to thrive— and invite proposals exploring how poverty shapes what, when, and how we eat across time and place. We welcome approaches grounded in ethics, the arts, history, politics, culture, economics, dietetics, religion, science, and the environment. Explorations of how the lived experience of poverty translates directly into dietary practices are welcome.
What to expect
The Weekend promises distinguished keynote talks, paper panels in parallel sessions, curriculum-inspired meals prepared by guest chefs, and other educational and social activities. The Online Conference continues the engagement through various Zoom meetings and allows participation by those who can’t make it to St Catherines.
The Symposium is open to all; no academic qualifications are required, but space is limited at St Catz, so book early to guarantee a spot in college.
Get involved
Join us at the Symposium
Tickets will be released before the end of the year, sign-up below and be the first to know when they are. As well as full price tickets, there are early-bird offers, a limited number of student grants and Young Chef places available.
Propose a paper
The Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery invites anyone with an interest in food and its history to submit a paper for consideration. The Symposium maintains high standards regarding content, however has a longstanding tradition of quirky openness to all things, including seemingly non-academic topics. To learn more about the process and requirements click the button below.
Student and Young Chefs grants
The American Friends of the Oxford Symposium and the Julia Child Foundation subsidise 50% of the cost of a limited number of student places at the Symposium.
They also annually sponsor the Young Chef Grants, designed to bring several early career food professionals to experience both the academic and practical guises of the Symposium. Young Chef Grants are awarded to culinary professionals with not more than ten years in the industry.
To learn more about our monthly events — Kitchen Table Conversations, Sifter:The Ask, Kitchen Lab,
please sign up to our monthly newsletter.
Expand the table
Improve the plate
