On Wednesday 8th March our Sheffield Hallam Appetite REsearch (SHARe) sub-cluster met for a ‘Complete and Finish’ event here at SHU. Attendees included SHARe co-leads Jenny Paxman and Dr Jordan Beaumont and other SHARe founders and steering group members: Dr Caroline Dalton, Dr Rachel Marsden, Dr Steve Brown. We also welcomed Food and Nutrition GTA Megan Flint, Food and Nutrition Lecturer Dr Richard Gillis and Elizabeth Goodwin from Leeds Trinity University. We were brilliantly supported for this event by Food and Nutrition Student Champion Millie-Ann Hall.
SHARe is a sub-cluster of engaged academics, PGRs and associates who have a keen interest in eating behaviours, the hedonics of food and feeding, obesity and weight management or sensory analysis. This is by no means an exhaustive list – we are a really inclusive group welcoming anyone with shared research passions or something to offer in any field affiliated to appetite. SHARe sits within the CHEFS research cluster (along with sister sub-clusters SWEFS (Surplus Waste and Excess Food in Society) and CHEFS (Culture, Health, Environment, Food and Society)). You can find out more or sign-up to SHARe, and CHEFS here.
The purpose of the event was to Shape, Sharpen and SHARe (get it?) our appetite-related research ideas. Getting to know others who are active in our field is a brilliant way to progress any project. For SHARe, this event helped us to identify:
the overarching state of current projects;
our own nature, both as individuals and as researchers.
SHAPE:
Research idea generation; Project design; Funding ideas; Target journal suggestions; CPD and support needs SHARPEN:
Poster design/content; Abstract drafts; Conference presentations; Planned publications; Pilot questionnaires;
Recruitment material; Interview schedules SHARE: Research ideas; Collaborations; Potential examiners; Potential reviewers; Copies of work; Present
In the room there were varying degrees of familiarity. Some had long-standing working relationships or had previously collaborated; others were meeting for the first time. We all learnt something new about each other and our areas of interest and expertise.
As a group we cover all bases:
However, in terms of our research projects, individual’s projects may be at different stages but we are each most in need of shaping support.
Drilling down what this meant to attendees, it meant:
getting projects up and running;
finding and connecting with collaborators;
looking for concept or pilot project ‘adopters’;
seeking out funding opportunities;
getting back on the research horse.
We left feeling enthused and perhaps even a little clearer about next steps. Some left with new connections, plans to meet, show-rounds to schedule and even specific projects to reignite! Exciting times for SHARe.
Of course, it doesn’t end there. As a sub-cluster we benefit from monthly CHEFS newsletters (‘What’s Cooking?’) with the associated opportunities to write and publish blog-pieces, search out conferences, explore calls for abstracts, find funding opportunities and to come together as researchers to enjoy the regular CHEFS talks. SHARe will be hosting a CHEFS Talk on Tuesday 13th June 2023 15:00-16:30 with talks from Dr Miriam Clegg (University of Reading) and Dr Jordan Beaumont (Sheffield Hallam University). Sign up here. We can’t wait to see you there!
If you aren’t already a member you can join SHARe by clicking bit.ly/SHAReCluster
Many thanks to all who could join us on 14 March 2023, for the English and Welsh Wine Symposium, hosted by the CHEFS research cluster and the Department of Service Sector Management, Sheffield Business School.
The half day event explored the current context and future directions of the English and Welsh wine industry, with keynotes, a tutored tasting of English and Welsh wines, and a panel discussion featuring a cross-section of industry perspectives. Co-organisers Professor Jennifer Smith Maguire and Dr John Dunning welcomed over 50 academics and industry professionals, including wine makers, winery owners, wine retailers and wine writers, and hospitality and retail professionals.
The afternoon’s first keynote was delivered by Mr Simon Thorpe: ‘WineGB and its role supporting an emerging wine region.’ Simon is a Master of Wine, past trustee of the WSET, and current CEO of WineGB, the industry body for the wine production sector in Great Britain. Simon’s presentation provided a ‘state of the nation’ overview of wine production in the UK, and reviewed the challenges and opportunities for supporting an industry in its journey to maturity. Simon effusively captured the optimism of the event: “We are brilliantly set up: brilliant product, enormous market, brilliant consumers. We are amazingly well set up to be successful.”
Professor Steve Charters delivered the second keynote: ‘PDOs and Terroir: The Complexities of Wine and Place.‘ A Master of Wine, Steve is Professor of Marketing at Burgundy School of Wine and Spirits Business, and Adjunct Professor at Adelaide Business School. Steve’s talk explored the historical roots of PDOs (Protected Designations of Origin), which were a matter more of struggles between grape growers and wine merchants and the pursuit of economic power, than mystical notions of soil and place. Steve also shared preliminary findings from the UK portion of a transnational study of consumer perceptions of terroir, underlining that the sort of PDO that might best serve English and Welsh wine producers was far from straightforward.
Following lively question and answer sessions for each keynote, and a brief coffee break, the event resumed with a tutored tasting of a selection of wines, generously selected and donated by WineGB. Led by Simon Thorpe, the tasting took participants through six wines showcasing the diversity of English and Welsh wine production:
Penn Croft Bacchus 2021
Yotes Court Loose Rein 2021
White Castle Siegerrebe 2021
Sharpham Dart Valley Reserve 2020
Halfpenny Green Chardonnay 2019
Thorrington Mill Pinot Noir Rosé 2021
We had fantastic engagement from participants in the discussion of the wines, which ranged from anecdotes about the challenges of growing different varieties, to the challenges of selling little known varieties (Bacchus, Siergerrebe, Madeleine Angevine) to consumers, to the question of whether colour should matter when it comes to rosé.
The final major portion of the Symposium was devoted to a panel discussion, chaired by Dr Greg Dunn, head of the wine division at Plumpton College. Panellists drew on their varied industry perspectives to reflect on the challenges and opportunities for the future of English and Welsh wine. Mr Will Harper (a Sheffield Hallam alum!) drew on his experience in the hospitality industry and role as General Manager at Ivy Asia to offer excellent insights as to where small scale wines are best served (and not best served) in the spectrum of restaurant businesses. Mr Barry Starmore reflected on how much had changed over his long involvement in wine retail in terms of consumer interests and tastes, and highlighted the unique capacity of independent retailers to hand sell small scale wines and tell their stories. Finally, Mr Kieron Atkinson drew on his wide and varied experience as a winemaker at Renishaw Hall and Darley Abbey, alongside several other wine industry roles, to reflect on the challenges of creating financially sustainable wineries that take best advantage of their place.
The Symposium concluded with a networking event, the centrepiece of which was a selection of English sparkling wines donated by WineGB. Guests were treated to:
Dunesforde Queen of the North
Raimes Blanc de Noirs
Harrow & Hope Brut Rosé
Giffords Hall Classic Cuvée
Smith & Evans
Breaky Bottom Grace Nicols
Judging by the volume of conversations in the room, there was plenty of appetite for further discussion and agreement that the future of English and Welsh wines looks bright indeed.
Thanks in particular to the Department of Service Sector Management, Sheffield Business School, and to Mrs Julia Trustram Eve and WineGB, for the fantastic support that made the event possible.
I decided the title ‘Ketchup’ for my second blog post whilst lying in bed this morning, trying to eeek out the last bit of duvet warmth before stepping into the chill of our money-saving-less-than-usually-centrally-heated house. I’d already decided this post would be a catch-up post – bringing me, and you (the reader) up to date on the PhD journey thus far.
Unexpectedly my brain pinged up a scene from Pulp Fiction, where Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) shares a joke with Vincent Vega (John Travolta). The joke is as follows: “One day there were three tomatoes walking down the street, a mama tomato, a daddy tomato and a baby tomato. Baby tomato is walking too slowly, so the daddy tomato goes back, steps on him and says ‘ketchup!’ ” The scene is better than the joke, so you can watch it here if you fancy. I’m going to attribute the brain ping (or is it brain fart nowadays? lol) to a weak triangulation of catching up, something food related, and something slightly left field to engage, and who knows, distract even… Perfect for a second blog post, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Finding the original email I received in April 2022 from the CHEFS email list took a bit of time, making me realise just how quickly and easily nuggets of digital gold are found, lost and found again. The moment I opened the email in April I know this was an opportunity I needed to act upon. It read:
Food events, ‘sustainability imaginaries’ and shaping consumer perceptions and behaviour
This project aims to improve the sustainability of regional food systems through the platform of food events (e.g. food festivals, farmers markets, agricultural shows), focusing on Yorkshire/Northern England. It explores the construction of food sustainability ‘imaginaries’ (Taylor 2004): normative conventions and expectations as to what constitutes sustainable food systems, and how people imagine everyday life (e.g., eating, purchasing, choosing, growing), and their roles, identities and relations to others in a sustainable food system. Building on previous examinations of food events as drivers of sustainability (Lin & Bestor 2020; Organ et al 2015; Star, Rolfe & Brown 2020; Williams et al 2015), the research will:
(1) generate a comprehensive account of how ‘food sustainability imaginaries’ are constructed through a food event’s experiential, material and communicative dimensions;
(2) devise and evaluate a food event-based intervention through which to enhance consumers’ practices and behaviours in relation to the environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability of food.
By May 2022 I had written a research proposal, secured two trusted academic peers (thank you Peter, thank you Jane) and got my application in by the deadline – phew! Receiving the interview invite was a GOOD THING, immediately followed by a visit to the pub to celebrate, and getting down to preparing my short presentation for the interview, which took place on 21st June 2022. The BIG NEWS of an unconditional offer arrived on 1st July, followed by another visit to the pub of course! Fast forward through the summer to October 2022 when ‘My PhD Journey’ embarked proper.
The full title of my post is ‘Graduate Teaching Assistant PhD Scholarship’, which I am undertaking on a part-time basis over 6-7 years. So, what does this mean? Broadly speaking it means I receive a scholarship payment to complete the PhD and to teach. The bureaucracy of enrolment was inevitable, but pretty painless – and various new PGR inductions into the Sheffield Hallam Doctoral School did exactly what they needed to do in terms of getting across all the key information in a timely manner. Thanks to the great support teams 🙂 whether it was filling in the correct forms, activating IT accounts, applying for SHU cards or getting access to the right rooms, everything that was needed has happened. I’ve also accessed a couple of really useful webinars delivered by the amazing Library Services.
In terms of teaching, the Doctoral School offered a ‘Teaching Skills for Doctoral Students’ course, for which I was eligible. However after speaking with the course leader and taking into consideration my previous teaching qualifications and 10 years + teaching experience (most of which has been here at SHU) I was able to decide that I didn’t need to attend the TSDS course. I felt well supported to make the right decision. Another positive in relation to teaching is that there is a block of time at the start and end of the PhD where I am not required to do any teaching. It’s not allowed in fact! This feature has created a very useful period of time for everything else to happen and to settle in, including speaking with my Subject Team Leader about what teaching I will be doing. More on teaching to come…
The first study block ‘Critical Thinking in Business Administration’ ran from 17th – 21st October covering a wide range of topics, including theories of truth and management research, ethics, ontology, epistemology, research philosophies and much more. The module was expertly co-delivered by Dr Richard Breese and Dr Fariba Darabi, with a great range of activities and guest lecturers, plus a welcome message by Professor Conor Moss, Dean of College Business, Technology and Engineering. The module assignment is a 5-7000 word essay due in February 2023, focusing on a critical exploration of the research aims and objectives I have developed. More on this assignment to come…
I reached a key milestone on 15th November with my first proper PhD supervision meeting with my Director of Studies Professor Jennifer Smith Maguire. The brief ahead of the session was to “revisit your proposal and try to pick out what’s likely to form part of your focus going forward”. This involved following up a couple of scribbled notes I made one afternoon during a group activity in the earlier study block. The keywords were ‘deliberative democracy’, and something about them resonated with me. So it was, towards the end of October, that I embarked on what I now see as my first proper rounds of structured literature searches and reading. At the supervision session I shared my thinking with Jen, and what emerged was a scribbled venn diagram, and the sentence ‘food events as spaces for deliberation in support of values based food systems’. More on how this develops to come…
A key challenge I’ve encountered has been finding the time I want to dedicate to my PhD studies. My aim currently is a day a week. I’ve managed this most weeks so far, but not all weeks, and each day I have found has been disrupted in various ways by my work, by family matters and life in general, but on a positive note this disruption is happening less each week, which is good I think. I’m learning that I actually prefer having a few things on the go at any one time, and that it’s more about finding the right balance, rather than aiming for exclusivity of my time and attention on just one thing. We’ll see how I get on with that!
Finally, a quick note to self – as well as keeping this blog, I have a pen and paper notebook especially for the PhD. Like a first day at a new school, it felt right, and I’m already glad I did it. A quick flick through the pages allows me to reflect on what has already happened, and where I might need to go next. Where is next? A supervision session with Jen next week to share my progress on identifying literature topics. More on the next supervision session goes to come…
What’s Cooking is an update on all things related to CHEFS: the Culture, Health, Environment, Food and Society research cluster at Sheffield Hallam University. What’s been cooking since our last edition?
The next instalment of our online research talk series is on 9 November, when we’ll have paired papers on the theme of ‘Food, Economic Imaginaries, and Entrepreneurship.’ We’ll be joined by Dr Alessandro Gerosa (University of Birmingham), who will be talking about his research with Italian gourmet food truck operators, and by Dr Jasmina Božić (University of Zagreb), who will be talking about her research with Croatian micro entrepreneurs in organic fruit and vegetable production. Details (including full abstracts and the Zoom joining link) are available on our Online Research Talks page. The online talks are open to all, both local and global, students and staff, practitioners and public. Please feel free to share with your networks—all welcome!
Future talks:
7 December for a joint CHEFS talk/Department of Service Sector Management Distinguished Lecture from Dr Maria Touri (University of Leicester) on her collaborative research with farmers in South India and consumer in the UK, using a storytelling experiment to bring farmers’ voices into the food supply chain. Details and joining link here.
26 January for Barbara Bray MBE, who will deliver a BTE Talk (for the College of Business, Technology and Engineering) on ‘Consolidating the population, planet and people: Food industry solutions.’Registration and details here.
Our virtual research roundtables are an informal chance to check in, share updates, trade suggestions, ask questions and bounce ideas around. No prep needed—just a chance to meet up and talk CHEFS for an hour:
Thursday 17 November, 4-5pm
Wednesday 14 December, 4-5pm
Research roundtable meeting invites (with Zoom link and meeting password) will be sent out shortly via the CHEFS JISC list. Not joined the JISC list yet? See information on the very bottom of each CHEFS webpage. In the meantime, please email me directly (j.smith1@shu.ac.uk) if you’d like me to forward a meeting invite.
Below, we have:
updates on recent CHEFS members’ activities (cuisine, wine, and alcohol licensing research activities, plus introductions from two CHEFS-linked GTA PhD students);
resources/calls for papers/conference announcements (upcoming Sheffield event re. food and social enterprises; CFP on food and communication);
the usual call for contributions and content for the January 2023 edition of What’s Cooking.
John Dunning has been invited to serve as Academic Board Member for HRC Culinary Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria. This role will allow him to engage with employers in Bulgaria, who are also represented on the Board. John has also recently developed a Wine Tourism, Destination Marketing Management HSE student project that focuses on the Yorkshire Wine Trail (YWT), which will be advertised to students in the Department of Service Sector Management. The HSE project is part of a wider CHEFS focus on regional wine, wineries and wine tourism, which we’ll be showcasing in the spring with an academic/practitioner event focused on English and Welsh wine—a Covid-delayed follow-up to the CHEFS Sparkling Symposium. Watch this space for more details!
Jennifer Smith Maguire, Richard Ocejo (City University of New York), and Michaela DeSoucey (North Caroline State University) have recently published ‘Mobile trust regimes: Modes of attachment in an age of banal omnivorousness’ in the Journal of Consumer Culture. Abstract: The 21st century rise of culturally omnivorous tastes and classifications proffers a new dilemma for how markets create attachments and achieve trust for global consumers. Consumer entities must be both globally circulatable and offer a sense of localized authenticity without compromising either. Drawing from research on market trust and attachment, this article introduces the concept of mobile trust regimes to account for how sets of actors and repertoires attempt to address this tension. Through two case studies from gastronomic industries—food halls and natural wine—we investigate the devices of mobility used to facilitate the global circulation of the local. These include standardized aesthetic and affective templates communicated through physical décor, recurrent narratives, and social media curation. We argue that the concept of mobile trust regimes helps clarify two key issues in contemporary consumer culture: tensions between homogenization and heterogenization and how the symbolic value of omnivorous tastes becomes institutionalized and even banal. The article is open access!
John and Jen are delighted to be working again with Samantha McCormick. Sam is a SHU grad (BSc Hons Nutrition, Diet & Lifestyle) and is working as a research assistant on a Department of Service Sector Management funded project on wine gifting, which has involved interviews with British and Chinese consumers. Sam will be transcribing and coding transcripts. The research builds on an earlier study by John and Jen focused on Chinese expat consumers’ wine gifting attitudes and behaviours, which will appear in the edited Routledge collection Wine and the Gift (editor, Peter Howland).
Jennifer Smith Maguire and Nikita Bridgeman, and co-authors Sharron Marco-Thyse (Centre for Rural Legal Studies, South Africa) and Charles Erasmus (Wine Industry Value Chain Round Table, South Africa) have recently had their article accepted at the Journal of Wine Research. The article, ‘Wine farmworkers, provenance stories and ethical value claims’ reports on a pilot study utilizing storytelling workshops with South African wine farm manual workers, and work carried out as part of Nikita’s dissertation for her MSc in Food Consumer Marketing and Product Development (Sheffield Business School). (More on Nikita, below!). Jen has just submitted a BA/Leverhulme small research grant bid to scale up the project. You can read more about the research in the pilot study findings report and this recent CHEFS blog about the impact portion of the research.
Finally: CHEFS is delighted to welcome two food-focused GTAs to Sheffield Business School!
Nikita Bridgeman is working with supervisors Pallavi Singh and Dianne Dean, on the project, ‘Intergenerational Attitudes Towards Food from a Cross Cultural Perspective.’ It is hoped that the research can contribute to developing culturally appropriate suggestions (which are at present limited) regarding the reduction of food waste, in support of national sustainability objectives. As a previous MSc Food Consumer Marketing and Product Development student at Sheffield Hallam, Nikita is excited to continue her education here at SHU and look forward to getting involved with all the different opportunities the university has to offer. Over the last 9 months, she has been an Associate Lecturer at SHU within the Food and Nutrition, Marketing, and Business Operations and Systems subject groups, and is thrilled to be able to continue teaching alongside studying for her PhD. Outside of work/study, she is a “complete foodie” and explores her passion through food blogging, which has been great fun and provided her with further insights into both the food and marketing industries. She hopes one day to use these experiences to conduct research into the promotion of food in social media/influencer culture. Nikita says: “I’m very excited to be a part of CHEFS and looking forward to seeing where my research takes me!” We’re excited too!
Gareth Roberts is working with supervisors Jennifer Smith Maguire, Mark Norman and Caroline Westwood, on the project, ‘Food events, ‘sustainability imaginaries’ and shaping consumer perceptions and behaviour.’ Gareth is no stranger to working at Sheffield Hallam University. Once upon a time, he pushed a tea trolley around the Stoddart building! Between 2002-04 he completed a Post Compulsory Education and Training PGCE and from 2005-15 he taught in the Events Management team. Gareth is passionate about cooperation, and has worked collaboratively with people from all walks of life for over 25 years. His various experiences as an arts administrator, event manager, lecturer and serial social entrepreneur bring useful skills and resilience to the Sheffield cooperative economy. Gareth is a founder member and co-director of Regather, and established ShefFood – Sheffield’s Food Partnership. Since 2015 he has led strategic developments around Community Economic Development and Sustainable Food Systems, enabling innovative economic and social change in Sheffield. His mission is a food system where money is retained in the local economy, land is more productive, food is better quality, health is improved, and people have involvement in changing the food system for the better.
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Resources/call for papers/conference announcements
A Sustainable Future: Sheffield’s Social Enterprise Exchange Conference, 2022.
In-person event to mark International Social Enterprise Day, offering the chance to connect with others and explore what a sustainable future looks like for you and/or your organisation. The day will include panel discussion, in-depth workshops, lunch and plenty of opportunities for networking. The conference is free and open to anyone working with, in or interested in the social enterprise sector. Information and registration link available here.
Call for papers: Third International Conference on Food and Communication. Deadline 15 February.
The third conference on Food and Communication will be held in Örebro, Sweden, 13 – 15th September 2023, with the theme “Communication ‘good’ foods.” By studying topics at the intersection of communication and food, the conference welcomes scientific contributions covering all geographic areas, historical periods, and methods, including, but not limited to food and: health; sustainability; ethics; science; branding/marketing; media; advice and cookbooks; governmental discourse; corporate discourse; professional communication (chefs, restaurants); politics; religion. Full information and abstract submission point available here.
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Call for content for the next edition of What’s Cooking
The next edition of What’s Cooking will be January 2023. Please send content (research updates, calls for expression of interest, relevant calls for papers/conference/event announcements) to j.smith1@shu.ac.uk by 4 January.
CHEFS blog
Interested in writing a blog post? These are usually 800-1200 words and written for a general audience in an informal style. Blogs can revisit work you’ve already done (e.g., highlighting a recent output/publication); discuss research or research-related activities (teaching, public engagement, etc.) that you are working on; offer your informed take on contemporary food/drink issues or policy; provide a profile on your research. If you’d like to contribute a piece, please get in touch with Jen (j.smith1@shu.ac.uk).
Want to stay updated? Follow us on Twitter (@SHU_CHEFS), subscribe to the blog and/or join our Jisc email list: see information on the very bottom of each CHEFS webpage.
What’s Cooking is an update on all things related to CHEFS: the Culture, Health, Environment, Food and Society research cluster at Sheffield Hallam University. What’s been cooking since our last edition?
We had another great instalment of our online research talk series on February 10th, with ‘paired papers’ focused on beer, consumption and authenticity. Nadine Waehning and Victoria Wells (University of York Management School) shared their current research on how beer consumers ‘forage’: in addition to exploring between patch (pub) and within patch (product) consumer choices, they also gave us insights into some neat methods and a York pub tour to boot! Andrey Sgorla (University of Siena) then shared insights from his research into the narrative construction of the Brazilian craft beer market and brewers’ performances of passion and authenticity. A recording of the session is available on our ‘past talks’ webpage.
Our next online research talk is coming up soon! On March 23rd (3.30-5 GMT on Zoom), two of our very own SHU CHEFS members are talking about their research on pubs, alcohol and the pandemic: Joanna Reynolds will give a talk on ‘“Pub-ageddon”! Risk, responsibility and alcohol licensing in England during COVID-19 pandemic,’ providing on analysis of how the media reported restrictions on pubs and bars over the course of 2020, and the shifting discursive framing of problems relating to alcohol consumption and licensing; Pallavi Singh will be sharing insights from qualitative research on ‘Sustainability in the beer and pub industry during the COVID-19 period: An emerging new normal,’ drawing on in-depth interviews with pub and brewery owners, managers, and customers, as well as netnographic and offline observations of pubs’ engagement with customers. Full details (including full abstracts and the Zoom joining link) are available on our Online Research Talks page.
The online talks are open to all, both local and global, students and staff, practitioners and public. Please feel free to share with your networks—all welcome!
Below, we have:
updates on recent CHEFS members’ activities (including new food-focused PhD research from new GTAs in Sheffield Business School, and a call for participants in research on wine consumers);
resources/calls for papers/conference announcements (including upcoming online events (online event on the sociology of wine, with (optional!) tasting; webinar on research on post-hospitalization food), funding deadlines and conference calls);
the usual call for contributions and content for the May 2022 edition of What’s Cooking.
Cheers, Jen
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Recent CHEFS Activities
We are pleased to welcome two new GTAs in Sheffield Business School, each with a food focus to their research!
In the Department of Management, Ufuoma Arangebi is working with Dianne Dean and Pallavi Singh on her PhD project, which explores the intergenerational and cross cultural attitudes towards the symbolic nature of food and food waste. Ufuoma’s specialist area is Marketing. She has a BSc in Geography and Regional planning and an MSc in International Business. She is very interested in food consumption, the symbolic and ritualistic nature of preparing and sharing food, particularly within the community.
In the Department of Service Sector Management, Megan Flint is working with Jenny Paxman, Tony Lynn and Simon Bowles on her PhD project which aims to explore the consumer health valuation of plant-based convenience foods versus their actual nutritional profile and satiating potential. Megan’s specialist area is Nutrition and Public Health. She has a BSc in Nutrition and Public Health and an MSc in Nutrition with Public Health Management. She’s particularly interested in consumer engagement with novel plant-based convenience foods, and their health value in comparison to meat-based equivalents.
John Dunning and student researcher Rachel Robinson are currently undertaking data collection on wine gifting and cultural values, for research in collaboration with Jennifer Smith Maguire and Samantha McCormick. They are keen to recruit British and Chinese consumers of varying levels of wine involvement for semi-structured interviews. Interested in taking part? You do not have to be a wine expert, or have any particular wine knowledge, to take part and there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers in the research; we are interested in your experiences and opinions! Involvement in the study is voluntary. If you are interested in taking part in an interview (conducted via Zoom), or if you’d like to know more about the research, please contact John (j.dunning@shu.ac.uk). Equally: please feel free to pass on this recruitment request to others. Thank you!
Jennifer Smith Maguire is taking part in an online launch event, to mark the publication of the ‘Constructing the Sociology (or Sociologies) of Wine’ special issue of the Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change. (The journal is open access.) All are welcome, so please join us for short talks from the article authors: Friday March 11th, 2.30-4.30 on Zoom. Registration details are below; registered participants will receive the Zoom link when they sign up, along with a list of wine-and-paper pairing recommendations for an informal tasting to close the launch event. Jen is also delighted to share that the co-edited Routledge Handbook of Wine and Culture is now available for pre-order, with a 20% discount available until 30th April (code ASM02). The book offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary overview of contemporary research and thinking on how wine fits into the cultural frameworks of production and consumption. Editor royalties have been donated to WaterAid.
Jenny Paxmanhas been busy with organising the Nutrition Society Summer Meeting 2022, to be hosted in Sheffield, 12-15 July. Registration is now open—see the details in the section below; abstract deadline is 17 April.
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Resources/call for papers/conference announcements
Constructing the Sociology (or Sociologies) of Wine, online launch event, 11 March, 14.30—16.30 (GMT) This event is open to all, and marks the ‘Constructing the Sociology (or Sociologies) of Wine’ special issue of the Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change. Each of the special issue authors will be suggesting a style and/or region of wine to accompany their article; participants are welcome to join in an informal towards the end of the event. (Wines not supplied!) To attend, please register via Eventbrite. Attendees will receive the Zoom link when they sign up, along with a list of wine and paper pairing recommendations.
Sustain Webinar, 16 March (2-3pm) Home from Hospital and access to food. This event marks the launch of Home from hospital: Ensuring people have access to food at discharge from hospital and beyond. The guide highlights the importance of this issue and presents good practice case studies from around the country. This event will feature a summary of the guide and speakers from some of the case study areas in the report. Register via the Sustain webpage.
EuroSense 2022 Conference: abstract deadline 18 March EuroSense 2022 the 10th European Conference on Sensory and Consumer Research, theme: ‘A Sense of Earth’. 13-16 September 2022, Turku, Finland. Submission deadline of 18 March 2022 for abstracts for workshops, talks and poster presentations on the following themes: Sensory and Consumer Science for Sustainability and Biodiversity | Sensory, FoodTech & Health | Sensory Food Terroir | Cross Cultural in Sensory and Consumer Research | Citizen Involvement | Multisensory Perception | Food Choice, Sensory Perception and Beyond | Sensometrics. View topic descriptions and submit abstracts here
Brewers’ Research and Education Fund: application deadline 31 March British Beer & Pub Association, through the Brewers’ Research and Education Fund, invites applications for its research grants. These support scientific research and education that supports the UK brewing industry. Projects must satisfy at least one of the following objectives: promoting brewing education, training and research; researching and educating the public about beer consumption; researching the composition and nutritional value of beer in relation to diet and wellbeing; promoting research related to the environmental and economic sustainability of the brewing sector. Project must have a principal benefit to the brewing industry in the UK. Organisations, institutions and individuals may apply. Information and application procedure available here.
Nutrition Society Summer Meeting 2022: abstract deadline 17 April We’re excited to announce that registration for the Sheffield-hosted Nutrition Society Summer Meeting 2022 is now open. The four day conference, ‘Food and Nutrition: Pathways to a sustainable future’, 12-15 July, will be an in-person event hosted at Sheffield Hallam University city campus organised by SHU in partnership with The University of Sheffield and Sheffield City Council. The conference will cover various pathways to a sustainable future in food and nutrition, including:
Call for content for the next edition of What’s Cooking
The next edition of What’s Cooking will be May 2022. Please send content (research updates, calls for expression of interest, relevant calls for papers/conference/event announcements) to j.smith1@shu.ac.uk by Friday 29 April.
CHEFS blog
Interested in writing a blog post? These are usually 800-1200 words and written for a general audience in an informal style. Blogs can revisit work you’ve already done (e.g., highlighting a recent output/publication); discuss research or research-related activities (teaching, public engagement, etc.) that you are working on; offer your informed take on contemporary food/drink issues or policy; provide a profile on your research. If you’d like to contribute a piece, please get in touch with Jen (j.smith1@shu.ac.uk).
Want to stay updated? Follow us on Twitter (@SHU_CHEFS), subscribe to the blog and/or join our Jisc email list: see information on the very bottom of each CHEFS webpage.
What’s Cooking is an update on all things related to CHEFS: the Culture, Health, Environment, Food and Society research cluster at Sheffield Hallam University. What’s been cooking since our last edition?
We’ve launched a new series of online research talks! Our inaugural talk was on 15 October: Jennifer and Warwick Frost (La Trobe University) joined us from Australia to talk about their research on ‘Food, laneways and public art: The gastronomic transformation of Melbourne.’ Up next: join us on November 10th, 4pm on Zoom for Nino Bariola (University of Texas at Austin) talking about his research on ‘Authenticity, legitimacy, and the racial politics of ceviche.’ Info on how to join on Zoom (plus a link to the recording of Jennifer and Warwick’s talk, and details of upcoming sessions on ‘Craft Beer, Agility and Authenticity’ and ‘Pubs, Alcohol and the Pandemic’) can be found on our Online Research Talks page.
Check out our latest blog post, from Jordan Beaumont: in ‘Electric Currents and Eating Behaviour,’ Jordan tells us about his research on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and eating behaviour. There’s also an invitation to a survey, to share your views on tDCS as part of the research.
CHEFS monthly virtual research roundtables are an informal chance to check in, share updates, trade suggestions, ask questions and bounce ideas around. No prep needed—just a chance to meet up and talk CHEFS for an hour. Upcoming dates:
Wednesday 17 November, 2-3pm
Wednesday 8 December, 4-5pm
Meeting invites (with Zoom link and meeting password) are sent out via the CHEFS JISC list. Not joined the JISC list yet? See information on the very bottom of each CHEFS webpage. In the meantime, please email me directly (j.smith1@shu.ac.uk) if you’d like me to forward a meeting invite.
Below, we have:
updates on recent CHEFS members’ activities (including the start of new research on how alcohol provision affects people’s experiences of public spaces, and on public sector waste service delivery focussing specifically on household waste);
resources/calls for papers/conference announcements (including upcoming abstract submission deadlines for conferences on beer, food and drink, and wine);
the usual call for contributions and content for the January 2022 edition of What’s Cooking.
Cheers,
Jen
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Recent CHEFS Activities
Joanna Reynolds (Senior Lecturer in Sociology) is applying for a BA/Leverhulme small research grant to understand how alcohol provision affects different people’s experiences of public spaces and access to the benefits of these spaces, to inform efforts to ‘build back better’ high streets and town centres, post-COVID-19. She plans to conduct a case study of Sheffield, exploring experiences of alcohol provision in different areas and how this shapes people’s experiences (positively and negatively) of public spaces.
Dianne Dean and Pallavi Singh are undertaking a new project that examines household waste. ‘Co-creation and co-destruction of value in public waste service delivery: Building a sustainable service for household waste’ seeks to build an understanding of public sector waste service delivery focussing specifically on household waste. The service provision provided by local councils to collect household waste is becoming more complex and the demand for reuse, recycling and disposal of different types of waste increases. The aim of our research is to examine the extent to which households engage in the recycling process and question if or what customer value is derived from household waste disposal. While traditional service delivery was developed by the organisation, contemporary practices also consider the person who is engaged in the service. Customers are encouraged to recycle in order to minimise waste and thus work to co-create value through a sustainable household waste system. However, reluctance to engage in these sustainable practices leads to value co-destruction and service failure so we need to understand the barriers to engagement. Earlier research has identified that if effort is required then there is more chance of value co-destruction but if there is little effort required it is more likely that value-is co-created. Thus, service delivery is improved and, with less likelihood of service failure, becomes more sustainable.
We would like to work with local council departments with responsibility for household waste and examine the service provision offered to their customers. There are a range of different approaches that are adopted in different councils so we would like to compare and contrast service systems and identify any barriers to adoption and also establish how the service delivery can be improved. The outcome of the research will lead to improved mechanisms that can enhance service delivery and a more sustainable environment. For further information please contact Professor Dianne Dean at Dianne.dean@shu.ac.uk or Dr Pallavi Singh at P.Singh@shu.ac.uk.
John Dunning and Jennifer Smith Maguire hosted an online ‘Digital Innovation and Wine’ colloquium on 13 September 2021, in collaboration with colleagues at Sheffield Hallam University and Excelia. The event featured two research presentations: Sylvie Lacoste and Rémi Bréhonnet (Excelia) gave a preliminary account of new research on the ‘Digital transformation paradox: The case of the Bordeaux Chateaux (wine-growing estates)’, and John and Jen presented research on ‘Digital storytelling in the context of the Midlands/North UK emergent wine region,’ based on CHEFS research carried out last year. Details of the event available here.
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Resources/call for papers/conference announcements
CFP: Beer Culture Division of PCA Conference 2022, Washington USA, 13 – 16 April 2022. Submission deadline: 15 November 2021
For information or submission to PCA, please go to http://www.pcaaca.org . Proposals are requested for works (panels, paper presentations, well-developed research in progress, multi-mediated/graphic projects) that identify and discuss any aspects of beer, including its producers, its consumers, the communities and identities beer inspires and maintains, and/or its social, cultural, historical, and economic impact. ALL submissions must be made through the conference submission site. For individual papers, please submit a title and 100-word abstract. DEADLINE: 15 November 2021.
CFP – IEHCA International Convention on Food and Drink Studies (2-3 June 2022), Tours, France. Submission deadline: 15 December 2021.
We are pleased to announce that the European Institute for Food History and Cultures (the IEHCA, Institut Européen d’Histoire et des Cultures de l’Alimentation) is organizing the seventh edition of its annual international convention, to be held on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 June 2022 in Tours (France). The event is part of the ongoing activities organised by the Thematic Reasearch Network led by IEHCA and supported by the Centre-Val de Loire region in pursuit of its editorial policy, support for research and efforts to facilitate networking opportunities among Food Studies researchers. Deadline 15 December 2021. More details at: https://iehca.eu/en/news-events/international-conference
5th Wine Active Compounds Conference, 29 June – 1 July 2022. Submission deadline: 13 December 2021
The fifth edition of the Wine Active Compounds (WAC) conference series will take place in the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon, France, from Wednesday June 29 to Friday July 1, 2022, under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair “Culture & Traditions of Wines” and the Institut Jules Guyot at University of Burgundy. The international WAC conferences have become an essential meeting point for promoting interdisciplinarity in experimental and human and social sciences of vine and wine, considering active compounds related to viticulture, enology, their biological roles and their taste/olfactory properties. Multidisciplinary research on the impact of grape and wine molecules on fermentation processes, on stability, on aroma profile, on health or consumption behaviours will be presented within the frame of four sessions: Viticultural practices and wine compounds; Winemaking processes; Sensory related compounds: perceptions, acceptations, prescriptions and discourses; Compounds with biological interest, including those beneficial and detrimental to health, and associated social representations.
Abstract submissions from September 28 to December 13, 2021 at https://ubwac.com/call-for-abstracts/ Full conference information at https://ubwac.com/
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Call for content for the next edition of What’s Cooking
The next edition of What’s Cooking will be January 2022. Please send content (research updates, calls for expression of interest, relevant calls for papers/conference/event announcements) to j.smith1@shu.ac.uk by Monday 03 January (slightly later publishing due to the holidays!).
CHEFS blog
Interested in writing a blog? These are usually 800-1200 words and written for a general audience in an informal style. Blogs can revisit work you’ve already done (e.g., highlighting a recent output/publication); discuss research or research-related activities (teaching, public engagement, etc.) that you are working on; offer your informed take on contemporary food/drink issues or policy; provide a profile on your research. If you’d like to contribute a piece, please get in touch with Jen (j.smith1@shu.ac.uk).
Want to stay updated? Follow us on Twitter (@SHU_CHEFS), subscribe to the blog and/or join our Jisc email list: see information on the very bottom of each CHEFS webpage.
What’s Cooking is an update on all things related to CHEFS: the Culture, Health, Environment, Food and Society research cluster at Sheffield Hallam University. What’s been cooking since our last edition?
Something new! For the coming academic year, we’ll be hosting a series of CHEFS online research talks. Thanks to the advantages of Zoom, we have the chance to virtually bring in speakers to share their research on the socio-cultural dimensions of food and drink from around the world. Our first talk is by Warwick Frost and Jennifer Frost, from La Trobe University. On October 15th, 10am (UK time!), they’ll be joining us from Australia to talk about the gastronomic transformation of Melbourne. Details of the event with Zoom link are available on the CHEFS Online Research Talks Page.
Food, laneways and public art: The gastronomic transformation of Melbourne Dr Warwick Frost & Dr Jennifer Frost, La Trobe University Friday 15 October, 10am, on Zoom Abstract: In the 1980s, Melbourne was increasingly characterised as a ‘doughnut city’ in which night-time activities had deserted the Central Business District. A number of strategic policy reforms paralleling organic developments in public street art led to the rise of a strong cafe culture which reinvigorated the city and which has become central to the city’s destination marketing campaigns. Melbourne’s cafe culture was particularly characterised by small independent operators presenting themselves as cutting edge and in tune with the latest developments in artistic culture and environmental sustainability. This presentation outlines these changes, the challenges they have brought and explores attempts by other cities to replicate them.
If you’d like to recommend a future speaker, or self-nominate to deliver a talk, please let me know.
After a summer break, our monthly virtual research roundtables are back! The roundtables are an informal chance to check in, share updates, trade suggestions, ask questions and bounce ideas around. No prep needed—just a chance to meet up and talk CHEFS for an hour:
Meeting invites (with Zoom link and meeting password) will be sent out shortly via the CHEFS JISC list. Not joined the JISC list yet? See information on the very bottom of each CHEFS webpage. In the meantime, please email me directly (j.smith1@shu.ac.uk) if you’d like me to forward a meeting invite.
Be sure to check out our most recent blog post: Punita Chowbey reflects on her research with British South Asian mothers, and the complex relationship between healthy eating and time.
Below, we have:
updates on recent CHEFS members’ activities (findings report and webinar recording from an exploratory project on digital marketing, storytelling, and the regional wineries of the UK’s Midlands and North);
resources/calls for papers/conference announcements (including the ‘Digital Innovation and Wine’ CHEFS symposium on 13 September, and a BSA event on the lived experience of alcohol in social science research and teaching on 15 September);
the usual call for contributions and content for the November 2021 edition of What’s Cooking.
Lastly, some sad news to share: Deborah Harrop, one of the original forces behind the creation of CHEFS, passed away in August after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Deb’s food-related research interests focused on older people, care homes, and defining health and wellbeing outcomes; her humour, insight and capacity to bring people together were also key ingredients in the initial CHEFS launch events. Deb’s family has suggested donations in her memory to Cats Protection or the cattery that she used to volunteer at: Dove Cat Rescue Sanctuary. They are also planning a virtual book of condolences. Deb will be much missed.
Jen
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Recent CHEFS Activities
Jennifer Smith Maguire and John Dunning, in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam food and nutrition student researchers Samantha McCormick and Piotr Hipsz, recently wrapped up an exploratory project looking at digital marketing, storytelling and regional identity in relation to the wineries of the Midlands and North of the UK. Information about the project, ‘Innovation Opportunities and Digital Storytelling: An Exploratory Study of the Midlands and North Wine Region’ can be found on the project page, including links to download the findings report and to access a recording of the June 14 webinar that presented some of the findings to regional wine sector stakeholders.
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Resources/call for papers/conference announcements
Digital Innovation and Wine Online Colloquium, 13 September, 14.00-16.00 (GMT).
This event is intended for colleagues based at Sheffield Hallam University and Excelia, and forms part of the ongoing exploration of potential collaborations between SHU and Excelia. The two-hour, online event focuses on digital innovation and wine. Please register as a participant by 9th September (extended deadline). Details, including a draft programme for the event, can be found on the CHEFS event page.
Relevant perspectives on the colloquium theme of ‘digital innovation and wine’ may include but are not limited to: Marketing and storytelling; Destination branding; Hospitality and tourism management; Experience economy; Cultural production and consumption; Provenance, authenticity, and heritage; Sensory analysis; Practitioner and industry perspectives. Equally, colleagues with no prior research engagement with wine as an empirical field of study are very welcome to take part. Wine is a fertile area of research, providing ample opportunity for inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural comparative work.
Thinking critically about lived experience of alcohol in social science research and teaching’, A BSA Alcohol Studies Group Workshop – Wednesday 15th September 2021 (9.45am-1pm BST)
This half-day online workshop will be structured around the broad theme of ‘lived experience’ of alcohol, in social science research and teaching. To view the presentation abstracts and to book please see the information online. The event is free for BSA members and £10 for non-members. Please get in touch with the convenors claire.markham@ntu.ac.uk or kat.jackson@newcastle.ac.uk if you are not a BSA member and would like to enquire about applying for a subsidised place, or if you would like more information about the workshop.
This book examines how Napa became a pre-eminent site for the production of great and sometimes iconic wines in a short space of time. Unlike its Old World counterparts whose development took place over centuries, Napa’s inception didn’t start until the beginning of the 19th century, and even then struggled to identify appropriate grape varietals and find a market for such wine, only to be frustrated when Prohibition occurred in the early 20th century and practically shut down the industry. It was in the 1960s that winegrowing would re-emerge on a scale and quality that began to be noticed by informed critics and neophyte consumers. In the following decades, critical information sharing networks of owners and winemakers emerged, facilitating a collective organization learning that fostered a commitment to quality and consistency that would cement Napa’s reputation. During these decades, technical skills were embraced, institutional support harnessed, and demand for premium wine in America grew. This book is a story about this evolving wine market, about how key individuals were able to shape its organization and build a brand that would increasingly be identified as amongst the best in the world. It starts with an early discussion of what constitutes quality and how wine has been evaluated over the centuries, and ends by exploring Napa’s apotheosis and the current critical issues facing the industry in that area.
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Call for content for the next edition of What’s Cooking
The next edition of What’s Cooking will be November 2021. Please send content (research updates, calls for expression of interest, relevant calls for papers/conference/event announcements) to j.smith1@shu.ac.uk by Friday 29 October.
CHEFS blog
Interested in writing a blog? These are usually 800-1200 words and written for a general audience in an informal style. Blogs can revisit work you’ve already done (e.g., highlighting a recent output/publication); discuss research or research-related activities (teaching, public engagement, etc.) that you are working on; offer your informed take on contemporary food/drink issues or policy; provide a profile on your research. If you’d like to contribute a piece, please get in touch with Jen (j.smith1@shu.ac.uk).
Want to stay updated? Follow us on Twitter (@SHU_CHEFS), subscribe to the blog and/or join our Jisc email list: see information on the very bottom of each CHEFS webpage.
As a Registered Nutritionist and appetite researcher at Sheffield Hallam University, the food and nutrition impact of the ongoing COVID pandemic has resonated with me. We are only just beginning to understand the socio-cultural dimensions of the crisis; the emergent inequalities, challenges and opportunities for change and how broadly this impacts on food security, appetite, nutrition, and food behaviours. In this blog I set out some of my thoughts and reflect on the relevance of our collective research expertise, as members of SHARe (Sheffield Hallam Appetite REsearch), a new CHEFS (Culture, Health, Environment, Food and Society) sub-cluster, as we move into ‘the new normal’.
The coronavirus pandemic that spread across the world throughout 2020 has shone a light on human behaviour, social injustice, inequality, and the fragility each person’s own world construct. Researchers globally are still working through the science and social science lessons learnt so far and what this means for the future: the so-called ‘new-normal’. The pandemic has laid bare the glaring inequities in food security between and within all nations, whilst also highlighting the link between overweight/ obesity and ill-health, both chronic and acute. It is well recognised that higher BMIs present a significant risk factor with overall poorer COVID prognosis compared to when equivalent patients contract the disease at a ‘healthy weight’.
Energy balance lies at the heart of our understanding of obesity and, in turn, weight management. But for appetite researchers such as myself, the pandemic has re-emphasised that biological need is rarely what drives food and drink consumption. We eat because its lunchtime, because we’re celebrating, because cake tastes good or out of habit. Ubiquitously there are hedonic, social, habitual, environmental and other drivers, alongside biological ‘hunger’, that lead us to ingest specific food and drink items at particular times in certain quantities. I still eat Christmas pudding, even after the turkey!
In COVID-times, we’ve seen the Banana Bread Renaissance. Vogue magazine framed this as a way to make the most out of ‘the circumstances’ of the pandemic, resurrecting a ‘make do and mend’ war-mentality; it is also part of a wider rise in home-baking during COVID. In addition, the home-baking trend is likely driven by a range of reasons, from running out of staples as certain items disappeared from our supermarket shelves, to increased time at home and furlough, to the need, for many, to occupy children suddenly out of school and learning from home.
By the end of November 2020 take-home alcohol sales had increased in Britain by 18.1% (that’s half a billion litres) but this was reportedly off-set by an overall reduction in alcohol sales due to hospitality closures and lockdowns. In line with fears voiced about the potential health implications of increased home drinking in lockdown, WHO Europe produced an alcohol and COVID factsheet that highlighted that alcoholic products neither prevent nor treat COVID-19, and alcohol consumption comes with other COVID-relevant risks including impeding good decision-making and, with heavy use, weakening of the immune system. It remains to be seen whether the new levels of home drinking remain as the hospitality sector opens up over 2021, in line with the Government’s roadmap, and if so, what the longer term health implications could be.
The academic COVID literature emerging around eating behaviours and COVID suggests that emotional distress and poor quality of life during lockdown led to increased emotional eating and more frequent binge eating. It has also been found that motivation to pay for and expend effort obtaining food (across categories) was highest in those with higher COVID-related stress and highly processed and sweet foods had high motivating value across a range of measures of motivation. The lockdown effect has also been shown to be highly individualised. The ZOE COVID Symptom Study app allowed researchers insight into the lockdown effect on healthy behaviours. Findings have shown that for many with the unhealthiest lifestyles pre-lockdown, the gains and improvements made in diet, physical activity levels and sleep were greater than those who were healthier to start with.
So, what is the ‘new normal’ for appetite research? A recent BNF guest blog captures the outcomes from an MRC-funded workshop I was fortunate enough to attend. It outlines opportunities for reformulation and innovation for health, ‘Big data’ to improve our understanding of appetite, variability in response to obesity services and support for behaviour change. The take away message: “Cross-discipline, collaborative research is key to driving change in this area.”
This is precisely the approach that characterises the SHARe (Sheffield Hallam Appetite REsearch) cluster, which has members from across SHU: psychologists; registered nutritionists; dieticians; exercise scientists; biomedical scientists; nurses; pharmacologists and more. The diversity of discipline of appetite research is well recognised and the wide range of research methods used has been subject to recent review authored by some of the discipline’s most significant contributors. As SHARe is reimagined as a new sub-cluster within CHEFS, the Culture, Health, Environment, Food and Society research cluster, we have a unique opportunity to enhance our contribution, furthering and expanding the cross-disciplinary and collaborative work being undertaken to examine the socio-cultural dimensions of food and drink. We’re so excited to move forward working together.
If you’d like to know more about SHARe, or get involved, please contact SHARe lead, Jenny Paxman j.r.paxman@shu.ac.uk. For regular updates from SHARe and CHEFS and to hear more about events and funding opportunities join our JISC-mail list, subscribe to the Blog and follow us on Twitter @SHU_CHEFS.
Recent research by Dr Cecile Morris, Dr Peter Schofield and Dr Craig Hirst of Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) explores how members of the public perceive breastfeeding in public, identifying how different factors are associated with acceptance or opposition. They recommend adopting social marketing and branding as a means to improve the image of breastfeeding and to achieve long term sustainable behaviour of accepting of breastfeeding in public among the members of public.
Building on the above research, SHU doctoral candidate Anuradha Somangurthi aims to critically evaluate the existing UK breastfeeding campaigns and develop a social marketing and branding campaign that will more effectively target those opposed to breastfeeding in public. In this way, the research will contribute to increasing acceptance of public breastfeeding.
Why is it important to support breastfeeding?
Though breastfeeding is a natural process, mothers often require support to get started and sustain breastfeeding. The promotion of breastfeeding is the focus of World Breastfeeding Week, an annual event over the first week of August, and first celebrated in 1992. The theme of Breastfeeding week 2020 was “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”.
Malnutrition contributes to one-third of deaths among children under the age of five, often associated with inappropriate feeding practices during the first year of life. As per WHO recommendations, optimal breastfeeding practices include exclusive breastfeeding for first 6 months initiated within one hour of birth and continued for up to 2 years of age and beyond. To achieve global nutrition targets and increase breastfeeding rates, the WHO recommends implementation of campaigns and investing in breastfeeding promotion and support.
There are a range of public health benefits of promoting breastfeeding, especially in reducing mortality and morbidity and improving the wellbeing of mothers and infants. Breastfeeding cuts the incidence of ear, chest and gut infections in children and this helps the NHS save £50 million each year. It also reduces the incidence of breast cancer in women.
Breastfeeding acceptance in public: the situation in the UK
There are multiple factors which affect the mother’s choice to breastfeed or to bottle-feed in public. It is not only a mother’s decision or attitude that matters; a vital role is played by her immediate and social circle. One obstacle to improving UK breastfeeding rates relates to how breastfeeding in public is viewed. Researchers at SHU have found that some mothers in the UK experience embarrassment while breastfeeding in public and hence discontinue breastfeeding. This is echoed by the Infant Feeding Survey of 2010: 47% of mothers in the UK faced difficulty to find a suitable place for breastfeeding and 11% of mothers were stopped or felt uncomfortable feeding in public.
Reducing the embarrassment mothers can experience when breastfeeding in public, and promoting acceptance of breastfeeding in public are thus two ways in which to potentially deliver improved health for infants and mothers, cost savings for the NHS, and reduced environmental impact from the production and use of formula milk.
Why is social marketing useful for promoting breastfeeding acceptance in public?
A range of social marketing campaigns have targeted mothers, their entourage, and health professionals in order to promote breastfeeding in public. Social marketing and branding campaigns have been shown to have some success in changing behaviour and improving public health as can be seen through different campaigns targeting quitting smoking, water quality and use of fertilisers, teen health and use of bicycle. For example, branding strategies have had positive results in reducing teenage smoking. Branding is different from traditional approaches to public health campaign. By building a positive association between the target audience and the campaign, public health branding can encourage individuals to not only adopt, but also sustain positive health behaviours.
Thus, social marketing can be a powerful tool through which to change behaviour of a target audience, provided the health promotion campaign is based on realistic expectations and plans that reinforce the intention.
What does this research explore?
The overall aim of Anuradha Somangurthi’s PhD research is to critically evaluate social marketing breastfeeding campaigns, in order to design more effective social marketing interventions to increase acceptance of breastfeeding in public. The research will explore how to encourage members of the public to empathise with breastfeeding mothers and think about breastfeeding in public from the point of view of mothers, and how to change the image of human milk.
The first step in the research is to critically evaluate social marketing campaigns in relation to theoretical models of behaviour change. On that basis, a social marketing and branding campaign can be developed, which targets members of the public opposed to breastfeeding in public. Pilot testing of that campaign will determine the impact on levels of acceptance towards breastfeeding in public. The information from the pilot testing can then be used to develop, deploy and evaluate a larger scale social marketing campaign aimed at increasing acceptance of breastfeeding in public.
Potential impact of this research
The potential impact of this research would be increased acceptance of breastfeeding in public, which in turn could increase breastfeeding rates. Increasing breastfeeding rates may contribute to improving maternal health by reducing breast cancer incidence, and infant health by reducing infant infections.
The research also seeks to contribute to a more inclusive society, by helping creating an accepting environment for breastfeeding and improving the mental health of mothers who are at risk of isolation or embarrassment when electing to breastfeed their babies in public. Also, supporting breastfeeding helps in building climate resilience and build a healthier planet as breastfeeding has a very low carbon footprint compared to breastmilk substitutes.
About the author:
This blog is based on PhD research (A Critical Application of Branding to Promote Acceptance of Breastfeeding in Public in the UK) by Ms Anuradha Somangurthi, under the supervision of Dr Cecile Morris (Cecile.Morris@shu.ac.uk), Dr Craig Hirst (C.hirst@shu.ac.uk) and Dr Rachel Rundle (R.rundle@shuc.ac.uk), at Sheffield Hallam University.
Food Matters Live to offer an engaging virtual experience in October 2020 and announces new dates for 2021
Taking place on 13 and 14 October 2020, the Food Matters Live virtual experience will provide an engaging and inclusive opportunity for the global food, drink and nutrition industry to explore the latest innovative ingredient and nutraceutical solutions, hear food and drink experts discuss the latest insights via five streams of live webcasts and Q&A sessions, from the future of sustainable diets to nutrition in the community, packaging and marketing, and make valuable connections through the hosted buyer programme via virtual 1-2-1 meetings.
On Wednesday 8th March our Sheffield Hallam Appetite REsearch (SHARe) sub-cluster met for a ‘Complete and Finish’ event here at SHU. Attendees included SHARe co-leads Jenny Paxman and Dr Jordan Beaumont and other SHARe founders and steering group members: Dr Caroline Dalton, Dr Rachel Marsden, Dr Steve Brown. We also welcomed Food and Nutrition GTA Megan Flint, Food and Nutrition Lecturer Dr Richard Gillis and Elizabeth Goodwin from Leeds Trinity University. We were brilliantly supported for this event by Food and Nutrition Student Champion Millie-Ann Hall.
