Place at the Table: food, drink and Scotland’s identity

 

City Halls and city centre venues – 30^th July to 1^st August 2026

 

• A cultural festival from the Oxford Cultural Collective, University of Glasgow (Beniba Centre for Slavery Studies) and Glasgow Life.
• Prominent culinary and cultural figures (chefs, food writers, television broadcasters and academics) gather to explore Glasgow and Scotland’s relationship with Commonwealth nations

 

Whilst Glasgow is in the international spotlight during the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, leading chefs, food writers, television broadcasters and cultural figures will gather for Place at the Table, a festival that celebrates the city’s diverse food culture and explores Scotland’s relationship with Commonwealth nations.

Familiar faces including Andi Oliver, presenter of the BBC’s Great British Menu; broadcasting legend Kirsty Wark; poet, playwright and Scotland’s former Makar, Jackie Kay; and renowned US historian Dr Jessica B. Harris, whose book High on the Hog inspired her Netflix series of the same name, will use food as a tool to explore Scotland’s place in the world.

As Dr Peggy Brunache of the University of Glasgow explains, food cultures provide an ideal lens through which to view Scotland and Glasgow’s complex shared history with other countries: “Glasgow needs to consider new and engaging ways to discuss its participation in Trans-Atlantic slavery, British imperialism, and their legacies, including racism and prejudice. As the city expands through diverse communities, our love, curiosity, and passion for food provides a channel to (re)examine these difficult histories and embrace a hopeful future that reclaims and honours our shared heritage.”

Whilst the various talks and panel discussions will focus on challenging issues, the festival will also adopt an optimistic, forward-looking approach, as outlined by the festival’s lead curator, Don Sloan: “Glasgow’s restaurant scene is the most visible representation of its creative, diverse culture. We will take the opportunity to acknowledge the city’s wonderfully talented community of chefs and food writers, who are shaping its’s welcoming and inclusive character.”

Place at the Table will also include three high-profile dinners, each focused on distinct aspects of our shared food heritage. Chef Ajay Kumar, proprietor of Swadish in the Merchant City, will be joined by Romy Gill, the respected chef and broadcaster who began her international career in Scotland, to prepare the opening night dinner on 30^th July. As Ajay notes: “Our menu and discussion will explore how Indian cuisine has evolved as a defining part of Scotland’s food landscape, shaped by migration, shared histories, local produce, and generations of cultural exchange.”

Dinner on 31^st July at the Drygate Brewery, from chef Julie Lin and podcaster and food writer Noby Leong, will be a Malaysian feast. As Noby explains, the dinner will provoke new thinking: “While the foods of migrant communities are enthusiastically consumed, migrants themselves are often ignored or devalued. As food writers and chefs, we can tell our personal stories, promote cultural understanding and help everyone move forward together.”

The festival’s closing dinner, on 1^st August, will be held at Celentanos at Glasgow’s new Arthouse Hotel. Chef Proprietor Dean Parker will be joined by Andi Oliver and Pam Brunton, owner of Inver restaurant on Loch Fyne, to prepare dishes that combine the distinct culinary cultures of Scotland and Caribbean nations.

 

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME IN FULL

Thursday 30th July 2026

Dinner with Ajay Kumar and Romy Gill MBE

7pm to 10pm

Swadish, Ingram Street

Join us for a special dinner in Swadish, to explore and celebrate Scotland’s rich and complex relationship with India. Romy Gill and Ajay Kumar are known for shaping our understanding of India’s diverse regional cuisines, and in doing so, stimulating our collective fascination with Indian culture.

Before dinner, Romy and Ajay will discuss the evolution of Indian cuisine in Scotland, shaped by shared history, migration, travel and generations of cultural exchange.

 

Friday 31st July 2026

 

10am

The Food of the Indian Diaspora:

Romy Gill and Ajay Kumar in conversation with Chitra Ramaswamy

Does Indian culinary culture take on heightened significance for those in the Diaspora? And do leading chefs and food writers have a responsibility to be cultural ambassadors, representing heritage, promoting respect and understanding and building a more inclusive society?

 

 

12 noon to 1pm

Between Two Waters: In conversation with Pam Brunton

Pam Brunton will be joined by Don Sloan, to discuss her acclaimed book, Between Two Waters. She will reflect on Scottish cuisine – how it has evolved and been shaped by colonialism, capitalism and gender. Pam will also look to the future and consider how progressive Scottish cuisine might consciously represent our modern, diverse nation.

 

 

3pm to 4pm

Affirming humanity: food, culture and social justice

Kirsty Wark in conversation with Jackie Kay CBE, Andi Oliver and Dr Jessica B. Harris

Kirsty Wark will be joined by three extraordinary women, to consider how chefs, artists and activists can harness the power of food to reclaim history, connect generations and mobilise for social justice.

 

 

7pm – late

Dinner with Julie Lin and Noby Leong, with sounds from Calum Sloan

Drygate Brewery

Capturing the spirit of Glasgow’s young, diverse food scene, which is enhancing the city’s character and international reputation, Julie Lin and Noby Leong will prepare a dinner that marries the very best Scottish produce with the vibrant flavours of Malaysia.

In discussion before dinner, Julie and Noby will explore the role of chefs and food writers as champions of inclusive culture.

DJ Calum Sloan will provide the sounds!

 

Saturday 1st August

 

10am – 11am

Reckoning with Glasgow’s Past: the role of culinary culture

Dr Peggy Brunache in conversation with Dr Rosie Spooner, Graham Campbell and Nelson Cummins

As Glasgow continues to (re)address its participation in transatlantic slavery, this panel will examine food’s role in Glasgow’s ongoing reckoning, by exploring how culinary culture can illuminate lasting legacies and bring together the city’s diverse communities.

 

12 noon to 1pm

Rethinking Scottish Identity: in conversation with Jackie Kay

Through her acclaimed poems, plays and novels, Jackie Kay has challenged rigid interpretations of Scottish identity. In this conversation she will advocate for an expansive view of Scottishness that acknowledges our complex history and reflects our inherent diversity.

 

2pm to 3pm

Food cultures and social change: in conversation with Dr Jessica B. Harris

Dr Jessica B Harris will reflect on the use of food as a catalyst for social change, drawing distinctions between practice in the UK and US. She will also consider how food professionals can give voice to historically marginalised communities.

 

 

4pm to 5pm

The New Glasgow: how food professionals and shaping the city

Julie Lin, Chitra Ramaswamy, Fariya Sharif and Dr Noby Leong, in conversation with Torgi Squire

A diverse community of young and creative chefs and food writers are shaping the restaurant scene and culinary culture of Glasgow. Contributors to this panel will consider the role of food professionals in shaping the wider reputation and character of the city. Can they help Glasgow become defined by a distinctive, inclusive culture.

 

 

7pm to 11pm

Dinner with Andi Oliver, Pam Brunton and Dean Parker, joined by Jackie Kay CBE

Celentanos, Arthouse Hotel, Bath Street

Join us for a very special culinary and cultural celebration of Scotland and the Caribbean. As we seek to better understand and reconcile with aspects of our past, dinner from Andi Oliver, Pam Brunton and Dean Parker will focus on what binds us and will point the way to an ever more inclusive and harmonious future.

In discussion before dinner, Andi, Pam and Dean will explore the role of chefs and food writers in enhancing cultural understanding and appreciation.