We know our food system needs to change. The question isn't whether we innovate, but what that innovation looks like, from lab to field to kitchen. For this Thursday Gathering, we're bringing together researchers, founders and food lovers to explore three layers of change: how we grow food, how we build food businesses, and how we consume food, particularly with the rise of GLP-1 drugs, which are fundamentally rewriting the relationship between people, appetite, and trust. From unexpected tastings to forward-thinking fireside chats, together we’ll discuss where the future of food is headed, and how innovation is shaping its trajectory.
Grab a drink, and join the conversation! Whether you're looking to meet potential collaborators, exchange ideas, grow your network, or simply continue the conversation, this is a great opportunity to connect with fellow innovators, entrepreneurs, and members of the community. You never know where a conversation might lead!
Join The Insect Cafe for a curious tasting session that invites you to rethink what belongs on our plates. Guests will sample a range of edible insect products while learning how insects can become part of a more sustainable and resilient food system. The session will also share the journey of building an insect-based food company, from product development and public perception to the challenges and opportunities of bringing novel foods into the mainstream.
Drop by our Conversation Corner with Three Robins to hear more about this family-driven oats drink company. Born from the founder's search for a tasty and nutritious plant-based milk for her three boys, this Edinburgh-based company brings great insights on what it takes to build a food brand from a family kitchen to the shelf.
What does the future of food look like to you?
Drop in throughout the evening and get creative by designing your own tote bag using potato stamps and fabric paints. Inspired by the ingredients, crops, and food systems that shape our world, this hands-on activity invites you to explore the future of food through creativity and conversation.
Whether you're passionate about sustainability, curious about food innovation, or simply looking to create something unique, you'll leave with a one-of-a-kind tote bag and a fresh perspective on the foods of tomorrow.
Curious about the future of alcohol-free drinks?
Drop by and meet the team from Jump Ship Brewing, an award-winning Scottish brewery crafting great-tasting alcohol-free beers. Sample a selection of their brews, learn more about the growing low and no-alcohol movement, and chat with the team about brewing, innovation, and building a purpose-driven business.
Whether you're already alcohol-free or simply looking to try something new, this is a great opportunity to discover a range of refreshing flavours and connect with fellow attendees over a tasting of some of Scotland's leading alcohol-free beers.
Hear from Venture Café Edinburgh Director, Claudia Cavalluzzo who will set the stage for this special evening with our funders, the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA).
Who is the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)? Hear from Fabrizio Ticchiarelli-Marjot, Science + Technology Lead within ARIA's Synthetic Plants Programme. Fabrizio will dive deeper into the research happening within his programme, and share the groundbreaking work ARIA is doing more broadly.
Plants have always been the foundation of human life, and they still hold the key to solving some of our most pressing challenges, from food insecurity to a degrading environment. What if we could programme them to do more: not just feed us, but help restore a thriving, sustainable biosphere?
That's the ambition behind ARIA's £62.4M Synthetic Plants programme. Synthetic biology is already revolutionising healthcare, and now, ARIA is exploring how it can be applied to tailor the traits of plants, with the potential to transform agriculture.
In this fireside chat, Peter Orrell (Founder & CEO of MycoNourish) sits down with Fabrizio Ticchiarelli‑Marjot (ARIA) to unpack the science, ambition, and real‑world impact of making crops more resilient, productive, and sustainable.
Hear from three inspiring food innovators at our Founders Spotlight: Karen Robinson (Three Robins), Nahla Mahmoud (The Insect Cafe), and Sam Jellard (Mycovolt Technologies). From family-driven oat drinks to insect-based bakes and smart crop protection tech, discover the bold ideas, personal stories, and pioneering spirit behind these innovative startups.
GLP-1 has triggered one of the most dramatic shifts in consumer behavior, yet most people don’t fully understand what it is, how it works or what to trust. In this conversation, Elizabeth Fairley (Co-founder and COO/CDO of Talking Medicines) and behavioural researcher Emily Shipp explore how we make complex decisions when food and medicine collide, why trust is fraying, and what the future of eating, health, and choice really looks like.
We know our food system needs to change. The question isn't whether we innovate, but what that innovation looks like, from lab to field to kitchen. For this Thursday Gathering, we're bringing together researchers, founders and food lovers to explore three layers of change: how we grow food, how we build food businesses, and how we consume food, particularly with the rise of GLP-1 drugs, which are fundamentally rewriting the relationship between people, appetite, and trust. From unexpected tastings to forward-thinking fireside chats, together we’ll discuss where the future of food is headed, and how innovation is shaping its trajectory.
Grab a drink, and join the conversation! Whether you're looking to meet potential collaborators, exchange ideas, grow your network, or simply continue the conversation, this is a great opportunity to connect with fellow innovators, entrepreneurs, and members of the community. You never know where a conversation might lead!
Join The Insect Cafe for a curious tasting session that invites you to rethink what belongs on our plates. Guests will sample a range of edible insect products while learning how insects can become part of a more sustainable and resilient food system. The session will also share the journey of building an insect-based food company, from product development and public perception to the challenges and opportunities of bringing novel foods into the mainstream.
Drop by our Conversation Corner with Three Robins to hear more about this family-driven oats drink company. Born from the founder's search for a tasty and nutritious plant-based milk for her three boys, this Edinburgh-based company brings great insights on what it takes to build a food brand from a family kitchen to the shelf.
What does the future of food look like to you?
Drop in throughout the evening and get creative by designing your own tote bag using potato stamps and fabric paints. Inspired by the ingredients, crops, and food systems that shape our world, this hands-on activity invites you to explore the future of food through creativity and conversation.
Whether you're passionate about sustainability, curious about food innovation, or simply looking to create something unique, you'll leave with a one-of-a-kind tote bag and a fresh perspective on the foods of tomorrow.
Curious about the future of alcohol-free drinks?
Drop by and meet the team from Jump Ship Brewing, an award-winning Scottish brewery crafting great-tasting alcohol-free beers. Sample a selection of their brews, learn more about the growing low and no-alcohol movement, and chat with the team about brewing, innovation, and building a purpose-driven business.
Whether you're already alcohol-free or simply looking to try something new, this is a great opportunity to discover a range of refreshing flavours and connect with fellow attendees over a tasting of some of Scotland's leading alcohol-free beers.
Hear from Venture Café Edinburgh Director, Claudia Cavalluzzo who will set the stage for this special evening with our funders, the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA).
Who is the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)? Hear from Fabrizio Ticchiarelli-Marjot, Science + Technology Lead within ARIA's Synthetic Plants Programme. Fabrizio will dive deeper into the research happening within his programme, and share the groundbreaking work ARIA is doing more broadly.
Plants have always been the foundation of human life, and they still hold the key to solving some of our most pressing challenges, from food insecurity to a degrading environment. What if we could programme them to do more: not just feed us, but help restore a thriving, sustainable biosphere?
That's the ambition behind ARIA's £62.4M Synthetic Plants programme. Synthetic biology is already revolutionising healthcare, and now, ARIA is exploring how it can be applied to tailor the traits of plants, with the potential to transform agriculture.
In this fireside chat, Peter Orrell (Founder & CEO of MycoNourish) sits down with Fabrizio Ticchiarelli‑Marjot (ARIA) to unpack the science, ambition, and real‑world impact of making crops more resilient, productive, and sustainable.
Hear from three inspiring food innovators at our Founders Spotlight: Karen Robinson (Three Robins), Nahla Mahmoud (The Insect Cafe), and Sam Jellard (Mycovolt Technologies). From family-driven oat drinks to insect-based bakes and smart crop protection tech, discover the bold ideas, personal stories, and pioneering spirit behind these innovative startups.
GLP-1 has triggered one of the most dramatic shifts in consumer behavior, yet most people don’t fully understand what it is, how it works or what to trust. In this conversation, Elizabeth Fairley (Co-founder and COO/CDO of Talking Medicines) and behavioural researcher Emily Shipp explore how we make complex decisions when food and medicine collide, why trust is fraying, and what the future of eating, health, and choice really looks like.