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- Promotes the serious study of food and drink and their place in our cultures

- Diminishes the boundaries between food, drink and other cultural forms (literature, music, art)

-  Engages in public outreach, education, consultancy and events

Oxford Gastronomica: the centre for food, drink and culture

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• Public

• Students

• Academics

• Food and drinks industry professionals

Outward looking organisation that has wide audience

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- Satisfy the public hunger for information on food and drinks issues

- Engage a wide audience with the other products of Oxford Gastronomica

- Primarily public lectures and seminars

- Attracts positive PR and strengthens networks

Public outreach

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Education

-  short courses

-  MA Food, Wine and Culture

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External engagementTransylvania – Sustainable tourism development

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Transylvania - Commune of Biertan - Context

- Outstanding natural landscapes

- Rich in biodiversity

- Distinctive cultural traditions

- Subsistence agriculture

- Unique architectural heritage

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Areas of focus

- Gastronomic tourism

- Architectural restoration

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Gastronomic tourism - the product

- Build a ‘story’ (research by

student volunteers)

- Generate cultural pride

(village workshops)

- Create infrastructure

(food barn)

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The challenges

- Cultural diversity

- Complex political structures

- Lack of community engagement

- Poor communication between agencies

- Lack of skills

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The tactics

- Community engagement –

(Transylvania Fest)

- Formed over-arching steering

committee

- Student and ‘expert’

volunteering

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The lessons

- Projects have to have ‘meaning’ for the recipients

- Be sensitive to cultural contexts

- Form close working alliances

- Engage young people and community leaders

- ‘Step-by-step’ approach required

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• One of the most significant gastronomic libraries in the world (approx 30,000 texts)

• Private collections of John Fuller, Jane Grigson, Ken Hom, Prue Leith, National Brewing Library

Gastronomic literature

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Events

- to lower the boundaries between food and drink, and literature, art and music

-  Sunday Times Literary Festival

- 24 eminent literary contributed to discussions on food and literature

-  displays much about changing tastes, attitudes to food and drink, and on changing social circumstances