Nottingham hospitality businesses and organisations are being invited to submit expressions of interest to operate a pioneering public restaurant pilot in the city, due to open later this year, as part of an exciting research project supported by the University of Nottingham.
The pilot forms part of the DISHED project, a collaborative partnership led by the Institute of Development Studies along with the University of Nottingham, Nourish Scotland, and the University of Sussex, and in collaboration with Thriving Nottingham and the Dundee MAXwell Centre, to explore the role of public restaurants in Britain and internationally.
The year-long pilot will explore how a state-supported eatery serving high-quality meals at low prices can support healthier diets, improve wellbeing, strengthen Nottingham's local economy and reduce environmental impact. The deadline for expressions of interest is Tuesday 10 February, with a subsidy of £240,000 available plus research and partnership support.
Public restaurants are state-supported eateries serving high-quality meals at low prices for everyone. Nottingham is one of just two British cities selected to host a pilot public diner in 2026, alongside Dundee.
This is a brilliant opportunity for local businesses and organisations to be involved in this exciting project for Nottingham. Nottingham has a strong legacy of socially conscious food initiatives, grassroots innovation and civic experimentation.
Public restaurants were a familiar fixture in the UK in the past. Started under Churchill, they ran until the 1960s and there were 2,000 of them at their peak. They continue to exist in countries all over the world and have been increasingly rolled out in numerous cities globally, from Istanbul to Mexico City.
Researchers hope the project will test a simple but powerful idea – to what extent can public restaurants support healthier, more sustainable food systems and support local economies.
The DISHED (co-Designing innovative Infrastructure for Sustainable Healthy & Equitable Diets) project is now seeking a hospitality partner to deliver catering and/or venue management for the public restaurant in Nottingham and offers a subsidy of £240,000 to local businesses and organisations, plus research and partnership support.
Project Lead for the initiative, Elise Wach of the Institute of Development Studies, added: "Public restaurants could increase choice and empower everyone to eat well. We want these to be everyday places everyone would enjoy going to.
The DISHED project – funded by the UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Strategic Theme on Creating opportunities, Improving Outcomes (COIO) – is open to hearing from established hospitality businesses, social enterprises, community organisations, venues and consortia of local groups. They stress that potential operators must align with principles of inclusion, collaboration, fair work and sustainability.
