Online TBC
People suffering chronic poverty must find food to eat. Poverty foods have varied across time, place, and culture, ranging from the products of subsistence agriculture and foraging to mass-produced industrial foods. The recent rise of starvation as a weapon of war and oppression has lent increased urgency to the theme of Poverty Food, chosen in 2023 as the topic for the 2026 Oxford Food Symposium. We invite proposals on this theme from any number of disciplines and especially welcome approaches exploring how lived experiences of poverty translate into dietary practices.
Paper proposals for 2026 are now invited
The Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery invites anyone with an interest in Poverty Food to submit a paper for consideration by the Editorial Committee. No formal credentials, academic affiliation, or advance qualifications is required. To learn more about the process and requirements click the button below.
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 Catherine’s.
The Symposium is open to all; no academic qualifications are required, but space is limited, so book early to guarantee a spot in college.
Book Your Place
The campus layout at St Catherine’s may be the same as last year so we are restricted to 220 Symposiasts. Priority will be given to residential tickets meaning non-residential places will be made available in 2026 subject to availability. We’ll be continuously reviewing this. For the same reason, single day and individual meal tickets cannot be considered until late June / early July 2026.
Please note that twin rooms are very limited in number and priority is given to symposiasts sharing a room. Additionally, arrivals on Thursdays and departures on Mondays are subject to availability as determined by St Catherine’s.
Early bird discount vouchers offering 10% off full price residential bookings will be issued through our newsletter. To receive your voucher please subscribe to our mailing list.
Please login or create an account to purchase tickets.
Subsidised student places
The American Friends of the Oxford Symposium and the Julia Child Foundation subsidise 50% of the cost of a limited number of places at the Symposium for Students.
If you are interested in applying please fill out the form below.
Young Chefs grants
The American Friends of the Oxford Symposium and the Julia Child Foundation 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.
Opening of applications for the Young Chef Grants will be on the 12th of January.
To learn more about our monthly events — Kitchen Table Conversations, Sifter:The Ask, Kitchen Lab,
please sign up to our monthly newsletter.
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