Islands in a Common Sea

Discover stories from The Netherlands, South Africa and North India whose lives are dedicated to farming and fishing, each celebrating the food they produce and where it comes from. The people featured have a lot to teach us about the power of growing, harvesting, and sharing food within communities wherever they exist and regardless of faith, colour, and gender.

From the urban sprawl of our cities to remote countryside and rugged coastlines, these are inspirational voices whose shared goal is a regenerative, productive and positive future for all. Join us for an evening of short films, discussion and Q&A about the future of food production.

Islands in a Common Sea is about hope. It is also about Mother Nature and how we nurture her all over the world in the face of adversity.

Event Schedule

6:15pm: Pre-event socialising and networking
A cash bar will be available for refreshments.

6:30pm: Event begins

8:00pm: Event ends

Speakers

Jenny Jefferies is a farmer’s wife living on a regenerative family farm in South Cambridgeshire and is a Food Columnist writing for Country & Town House, the Cambridge Independent and Rural Life magazine. Jenny is an award-winning Author, a Producer and a Campaigner, who co-founded #Fish24; the first national 24hr social media campaign highlighting and celebrating the British fish and seafood industry. Jenny is also an Ambassador for Love British Food and The Country Trust, and is a member of The Guild of Food Writers and The British Guild of Agricultural Journalists. Jenny is adapting her fifth book ‘Islands In A Common Sea: Stories of farming, fishing and food around the world’ into a global docuseries in collaboration with Dragonlight films and with fiscal sponsorship from The Grateful Film Fund.

John Cherry farms in Hertfordshire and has been transforming the way he does it over the last few years by adopting regenerative principles. He was so astonished by how quickly everything from the soil up improved on the farm and by how little talk there was in farming circles about this farmer-led revolution, that he started the Groundswell Festival on the farm in 2016. The original idea was to gather many of the pioneers together to discuss techniques and to encourage other farmers to join in. The event attracted 450 enthusiastic non-conformist farmers, whose numbers swelled over the following years, with over 10,000 attending the two day event in 2026. He is currently setting up Groundschool, to help grow the movement with further education.

Mallika Basu is a food writer, broadcaster and adviser in food, drink and hospitality. She presents and writes planet friendlier features for Good Food Magazine and is a panellist for BBC Radio Four’s The Kitchen Cabinet. Mallika has a podcast, award-nominated newsletter and new book called In Good Taste on food, people and planet. She has previously published two Indian cookbooks.

Full panel to be announced soon.