Event Summary and Programme. - Horticulture and Healthy Diets Conference: Supporting Healthy Diets with a Thriving UK Horticulture Sector

We are delighted that Henry Dimbleby will provide the first Keynote talk to discuss the critical role for the Horticultural Sector in making the switch to a more healthy, locally-supplied diet.

Henry will draw upon this vast experience as co-founder Leon restaurants. author of the National Food Strategy and School Food Plan and now as co-founder in of Bramble Partners, a key investor in the technologies that will shape the future food system.

We very much look forward to hearing his thoughts on this important area and his suggestions as to how the horticultural industry will be a key player in food system change.

We are delighted that Professor Martin Warren will provide a second Keynote talk to discuss the critical role of food systems research to facilitate the required changes in this area. Martin was Chief Scientific Officer for the Quadram Institute from 2022 to 2026.

His current interests include understanding how cobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) is made and distributed across the Kingdoms of Life. A key area of investigation is understanding the metabolic advantage provided by metabolosomes to specific bacteria and whether these are associated with health or disease.

The conference will showcase cutting-edge research and practical innovations across scientific and sociological aspects to bring more horticultural crops into the UK diet.

Session 1 – UK Horticulture’s role in improving the quality of nutrition in the nation’s diet.
Session 2 - Nutrition and Plant Science
Session 3 – Bitesize Research supporting Horticulture and Healthy Diets
Session 4 – How do we improve the UK diet with domestically grown produce?
Session 5 – Investing in ourselves and the Horticultural sector

We strongly encourage Early Career Professionals to attend the meeting to network with more sector experts. In addition we will provide the opportunity to introduce their research with a short talk and poster presentation. ECPs who are selected to present their research will have their registration fee waived :)

Early-bird registration fees ->

£96: Standard attendee
£48: Early Career Professional attendee

Registration now open!

Early Bird registration closes September 1st 2026

AAB offers generous travel grants for early career professionals.

Apply for AAB Travel Grants here

- Henry Dimbleby MBE – Author, National Food Strategy and co-founder Bramble Investors

- Prof. Martin Warren – Chief Science Officer, Quadram Institute

- Prof. Cathie Martin, John Innes Centre – ViTaL D and Biofortification in horticulture crops

- Dr Sven Batke, Edge Hill University and Green Innovation Consortium – NHS, Patient Care, & Horticulture

- Dr Eleftheria Stavidou, The phytochemical quality of UK horticultural crops: does agronomy matter?

- Prof Johnathan Napier (Rothamsted Research) - The O3TOM project – making omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in tomato fruit

- Dr Luke Charbonnier-Bevan.Manager, Zinc - Investing in food systems

- Dr Bethan Mead, University of Liverpool - · Food Consumer Psychology ‘How do we understand what consumers what and how do we get them to pay for it’

- Helena Gibson-Moore, British Nutrition Foundation – The importance of Fruit & Vegetables in the diet of adolescents.

- Claire De Silva, Tesco - Fruit & Veg for Schools programme

- Prof. Carol Wagstaff, University of Reading- FoodSEqual: Co-production of healthy, sustainable food systems for disadvantaged communities