The Weekend Edition - Sleep In. Slow Down. Enjoy.

The Locals Panel Series returns to examine food choices and eco eating Jack Stone from Bee One Third Tracey Bailey from Biome Phil Garozzo and Alice Star from Loop Growers | Photo: Tim Swanson

The Locals Panel Series returns to examine food choices and eco eating

A few short months back, Brisbane's dining scene was put under the spotlight as a panel of our city's culinary best dissected everything from review aggregators to the future of fine dining. June saw a collection of Brisbane-based designers gather to go into detail about how they built a sustainable business on their terms. Last month, several forward-thinkers dug deep into the world of slow fashion and sustainable style. On Wednesday August 28, The Locals Panel Series returns for the fourth and final event of 2019. This time, we're double dipping back into the realm of food, pivoting our point of focus to shine a light on the environmental impact of our food choices and how we can eat healthier, smarter and more sustainably.


Over the past four months, The Locals Panel Series has brought some of Brisbane’s brightest movers, shakers and dreamers together to celebrate the best of our city’s creative and culinary scenes. These experts from Brisbane’s fashion, design and food industries imparted their wisdom on audiences, giving pointed insight into the inner workings of their respective fields. For the final event of 2019, The Weekend Edition and West Village will once again bring together some inspirational folk for an evening of insightful conversation – this time tackling the increasingly important issue of food sustainability.

On Wednesday August 28, The Bromley Room #2 at West Village will host a panel of eco-minded individuals discussing food or, more specifically, how the choices we make in regards to what we eat can affect the world around us. Our consumption habits and food choices are quickly becoming an area of focus for planet-friendly thinkers, but the key issue of sustainability goes beyond just what products we personally consume. Farming practices, minimisation of production waste, biodegradable packaging, household utensils, environmentally friendly distribution methods and the protection of Australia’s biodiversity are all important criteria that one must consider when shopping sustainably. While this may seem like a daunting task, making better choices simply starts by knowing what to look for. The assembled panel of experts at The Locals Panel Series will be discussing the issues relevant to Australia’s sustainable food movement, as well as providing handy tips on how to enact positive change from our pantry and beyond.

The first member of our esteemed panel is Jack Stone from Bee One Third – an urban beekeeping and pollination-centric social enterprise. Jack is responsible for cultivating 220 European and native beehives between Noosa and Byron Bay across rooftops, backyards and urban allotments, creating the Bee One Third’s unadulterated Neighbourhood Honey. Through his work wrangling the winged insects, Jack’s centralised pollination hubs help contribute to the vital act of pollination within the city and coastal environments. Not only does Bee One Third distribute some of the best gourmet honey in the country, it also aims to educate and inform consumers on the importance of bees to our food system, our impact on the environment and the importance of having a closed-loop, regenerative mindset.

Joining Jack on our panel is sustainability and social justice advocate and founder of beloved eco store Biome Tracey Bailey. Since launching the brand in 2003, Tracey has built Biome into a go-to haven for those seeking household products that are as environmentally and socially responsible as possible. Biome’s range encompasses non-toxic, organic and biodegradable goods that are free from palm oil, BPA, PVC, synthetic fragrances and preservatives, helping save millions of single-use items heading to landfill. To this day Tracey and the Biome team remain committed to empowering shoppers, educating them on the benefits of conscious consumption and the telltale signs of greenwashing.

The third and fourth members of our panel are Alice Star and Phillip Garozzo, co-founders of closed-loop bio-intensive market garden Loop Growers. Based in Samford Valley, Loop Growers grow, harvest and distribute a wide range of chemical-free produce to local cafes and restaurants, in turn taking away excess yields of organic matter (fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells) to feed the worms at their farm, thereby turning waste into nutrient-rich compost for the next batch of produce. Loop Growers is setting the standard for conscious growing by promoting waste minimisation, sustainable farming practices and reliable, community-oriented distribution.

Last, but certainly not least, is our esteemed panel moderator – Emma-Kate Rose, executive director of Food Connect Foundation and chair of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council. Since joining Food Connect Foundation as General Happiness Manager in 2011, Emma-Kate has helped the foundation transform the local food system through numerous initiatives, from paying farmers a fair price, employing marginalised people and engaging passionate locals as volunteers. As a member of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council, Emma-Kate has engaged member businesses, entrepreneurs and political advocates to utilise business as a force for good, and since 2018 Emma-Kate has been the social entrepreneur in residence at The Yunus Social Business Centre, which aims to drive systems change through social entrepreneurship and enterprise. We’re excited to hear Emma-Kate’s insight into the factors that can drive positive change in our consumption habits and improve food sustainability.

Tickets for The Locals Panel Series are on sale now through Eventbrite, with a complimentary drink on arrival and nibbles included in the ticket cost. Be sure to stay tuned for our panel moderator announcement in the coming weeks! 

To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.



Suggested Event News Reads

City-wide Easter hunts, juicy theatre and riverside discos – here’s what’s on in Brisbane this weekend

City-wide Easter hunts, juicy theatre and riverside discos – here’s what’s on in Brisbane this weekend

… more

Fill your days on a shoestring with these free and affordable things to do in The City

Fill your days on a shoestring with these free and affordable things to do in The City

… more

Greece is the word – Paniyiri Greek Festival returns for another year of feasting, dancing and fun

Greece is the word – Paniyiri Greek Festival returns for another year of feasting, dancing and fun

… more

Darkness to Daylight is running towards a domestic-violence-free future for Brisbane

Darkness to Daylight is running towards a domestic-violence-free future for Brisbane

… more



back to top