SHUFood Research Chats are quarterly online meetings for Hallam-based SHUFood and AFIC staff and PGR students. They offer a space to talk all things (food) research: showcase work, provide updates, discuss plans, explore collaborations… You can bring along updates to share, or just come along to see what everyone else is up to – all are welcome! Next SHUFood Research Chat: 4 December, 2.30-3.30pm; info here.
Welcome to the September 2025 edition of the SHUFood Research Chat newsletter! As the new academic year begins, our research community gathered to share updates on ongoing projects, new collaborations, and emerging challenges in food, health, and sustainability. From symposiums and service design, to obesity research and food education, this session showcased the breadth and depth of work being done across SHU.
Sunil Sahadev
Sunil shared progress on a long-term research initiative focused on eco-labels, in collaboration with Pallavi Singh. Their goal is to build a research centre dedicated to eco-labels and consumer behaviour. With support of SBS RIKE fund, they recruited 2 student researchers to help with the project. A large-scale meta-analysis is underway, with 2,000 articles reviewed and 400 identified as directly relevant to eco label in consumer behaviour. The team is developing a quantitative model to understand how eco-label awareness influences consumer choices. Sunil also mentioned the acquisition of an eye-tracking camera, which will be integrated into future research and student projects.
Jennifer Smith Maguire
In the midst of administrative responsibilities, Jen was excited to reclaim her identity as a wine, consumption and culture researcher this summer, as she reported on her involvement in organising the Pinot Noir Symposium held in Oxford, which brought together academics, wine professionals, and sensory scientists. The event was a success and plans are in motion for a follow-up symposium in Burgundy. She is co-editing a book featuring work from the Symposium (to be proposed to Routledge’s Critical Beverage Studies series), and is working on a more digestible version of her own paper, for a proposed Académie du Vin collection (aimed at a general audience). Jen reflected on the importance of managing academic commitments (knowing when to say no!) and is exploring creative formats for disseminating research, including edited transcripts of plenary sessions. You can find out more about the symposium by clicking Pinot Noir and Identity Symposium — The Pinot Noir Project.
Elysa Ioannou
Elysa provided updates on the ENHANCE project, which evaluates complications in weight clinics for children and young people. She has been learning R, becoming an expert in analysing quantitative survey data using R, and creating customised visualisations to represent Likert scale responses and demographic distributions. Elysa is also involved in adapting the DigiBeat app—originally designed for diabetes support—for use in obesity clinics and have applied for a funding with a multidisciplinary team. She has received ECRIF funding to explore future research opportunities and is actively pursuing grant applications. Elysa emphasised the emotional challenges of working with vulnerable populations and advocated for integrating psychological support into research funding bids.
Hayley Grinter
Hayley is working on a study examining food waste behaviours among families with neurodivergent children. Data collection through interviews and focus groups is complete, and the team is preparing for analysis. She is coordinating with Pallavi Singh and Rachel Marsden for a dedicated analysis session and is exploring opportunities to connect with city-wide initiatives on neurodiversity to expand the project’s impact.
Jordan Beaumont
Jordan shared a comprehensive update on multiple ongoing projects. He is attending the UK Congress on Obesity with several presentations, including work on dark kitchens and behavioural weight management. Recent publications include studies on ultra-processed foods, obesity stigma, and definitions of dark kitchens. Jordan is initiating new collaborations focused on obesity and malnutrition in Malawi and Saudi Arabia, and working with Sheffield City Council and Kooth to address disordered eating in children and young people. He also reflected on the emotional toll of researching stigmatised topics and the importance of researcher well-being.
Pallavi Singh
Pallavi concluded the session with updates on several projects. She is co-editing a special issue on researching vulnerable communities in marketing and management, inspired by her work with Sheffield City Council. She is developing a paper on inclusive service design and has presented preliminary findings at the Academy of Marketing conference. Her food waste research with young consumers is progressing, with qualitative analysis completed and quantitative data collection underway. Pallavi is collaborating with the School of Artisan Food to explore food education in UK schools and is initiating conversations with the Foundation for Environmental Education to integrate food into global environmental curricula. She highlighted the value of student engagement in research and emphasised the need for peer support when working on sensitive topics.
Shared Reflections
The session closed with a thoughtful discussion on the emotional impact of researching sensitive subjects. Participants emphasised the need for institutional support, peer-to-peer networks, and the possibility of costing in support for researcher well-being in funding applications. Ideas for future initiatives included creating forums for researchers working on traumatic topics and integrating support structures into university research culture.
Latest Publications and Presentations
Publications:
O’Hara, B., & Beaumont, J. (2025). Unpacking ‘ultra-processed’ foods: what do nurses need to know? Nursing Standard. http://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2025.e12526
Beaumont, J., Reimann, T., Wyld, R., & O’Hara, B. (2025). “I Don’t Approve of a Fat Person…”: A Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring the Perceptions of Health, Weight and Obesity. Obesities, 5 (3). http://doi.org/10.3390/obesities5030049
Accepted papers:
Nield, L., Burgoine, T., Lake, A., Moore, H., Soon-Sinclair, J., Adams, J., … Beaumont, J. (n.d.). What are “dark kitchens”? A consensus definition from public, local authority, business and academic stakeholders in the United Kingdom. Perspectives in Public Health.
O’Hara, B., Nield, L., & Beaumont, J. (n.d.). Understanding Overweight and Obesity: An Update on Aetiology, Clinical Guidelines, and Person-Centred Care for Nurses. Nursing Standard.
Presentations:
Beaumont, J., Pearce, J., Rundle, R., Bowles, S., Martin, H., Wall, C., … Nield, L. (2025). Defining, identifying and regulating dark kitchens in the North of England: Perspectives from consumer, local authority and food business stakeholders. [Abstract only]. International Journal of Obesity, 49 (S1), 1-45. http://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-025-01880-9
Nield, L., Burgoine, T., Lake, A., Moore, H., Soon-Sinclair, J., Adams, J., … Beaumont, J. (2025). Why define? A consensus definition of ‘dark kitchens’: implications for practice [abstract only]. International Journal of Obesity, 49, 1-45. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-025-01880-9#Sec211
Beaumont, J., Martin, H., Wall, C., Pearce, J., Rundle, R., Bowles, S., … Nield, L. (2025). Consumer knowledge of and engagement with traditional takeaway and dark kitchen food outlets [abstract only]. Appetite, 213 (Supp). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108068
Beaumont, J., Dolphin, A., & Nield, L. (2025). Exploring the lived experience of tier two weight management services in the UK: A qualitative systematic review [abstract only]. International Journal of Obesity, 49, 1-45. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-025-01880-9#Sec208
Goodwin, E., Beaumont, J.D., Whitaker, C., & Dalton, M. (2025). Exploring Food and Alcohol Disturbance (FAD) and its risk factors in a diverse age range sample. Appetite, 213, 108089. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108089
Smith Maguire, J. (2025). People: Pinot Noir, Human Identity, and the Quest for Interconnectedness (Plenary Session). Pinot Noir Symposium, University of Oxford, July.