25/04/2026
🌻 TLDR: A newly planted bed reminded me why local growing matters: we need to support the people changing the food system from within, and Lethan Croft is my small part of that.
About seven years ago, I went to see Patti Smith at the Kelvingrove Park bandstand on a summer evening. It was incredible. She sang beautifully and the crowd didn’t stay in their seats for very long.
One of the songs she sang was a cover of Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil, an Australian song about land rights. Standing here looking at this newly planted bed, I was suddenly taken back to that evening.
It made me think about our right to grow, and the importance of feeding people from the places around us. Growing food locally, supporting local producers and building a better food system from the ground up feels more important than ever.
I’ve worked in food for over two decades now, which is still a bit of a shock to my inner 21-year-old self. Sometimes it feels as though the food system hasn’t shifted much at all, but I also know that producers, growers, farmers and food businesses across the country are working tirelessly to make it better. That has always been inspiring to me.
But we need to properly support those people in doing that work. Not just with policies, plans and good intentions, but with practical support for the people already inside the system trying to make it better, and for those who are curious about changing the way they work.
We have to change the food system from within it, through the choices we make, the conversations we have and the small shifts we keep making. Not everyone has the time, energy, experience or desire to cook from scratch, but many people still want to eat well. That is the gap we try to fill at Lethan Croft Kitchen.
For me, running Lethan Croft is about playing one small part in that bigger food story. It is about planting seeds in our kitchen garden and seeing that care travel all the way through to nourishing plates of food, whether that is in our meal deliveries or at the events we cater.
From the bed to the table, there’s a whole quiet politics in it. 🌱
