ICCAS
The International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences (ICCAS) was founded in 1993 by the Worshipful Company of Cooks of London as a forum for culinary artists and scientists from academia and industry to present their work and share ideas. ICCAS is the only international conference that brings together the two sides of the international food industry; food sciences and food services.
Ten ICCAS conferences have been held around the world in countries which include England, Egypt, Sweden, Portugal and the USA. The 11th conference will be the first time that ICCAS has been held in Wales. The conference’s theme will investigate how food can be used to support and develop a more hospitable society.
ICCAS 2019: Food and Society
27 - 28th June 2019
ICCAS 2019 brings together three organisations whose core aim is to contribute positively to global society through the medium of food:
Cardiff Metropolitan University
The 11th International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences is being hosted by Cardiff Metropolitan University, specifically the Welsh Centre for Tourism Research (WCTR) in conjunction with the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre. WCTR has expertise in the areas of hospitality and frontline food service sector operations whilst ZERO2FIVE specialises in food manufacture, new product development, food safety and food science. In addition, ICCAS 2019 includes a dedicated postgraduate symposium as a pre-conference activity, aimed at research students and early career researchers.
The conference theme, Food and Society, reflects the key role the food and drink industries play in society. In Wales, for example, the 2017 Welsh Government economic action plan, Prosperity for All, is based on four foundational sectors, two of which are food and tourism. These are recognised as being crucial to the lives of people and communities across Wales and are instrumental in creating long-term sustainable local economies. As part of the theme of food and society we are working with The Clink Charity. One of the keynote speakers is a director of the charity and The Clink Restaurant in Cardiff will work with the Park House, an award-winning fine dining restaurant set in a Grade 1 listed building, to deliver the conference gala dinner.
Worshipful Company of Cooks of London
The Worshipful Company of Cooks of London is one of the oldest and smallest London Livery Companies and can trace its origins back to the 12th century. The Company was initially responsible for controlling all the catering within the City of London, the ‘Square Mile’. The Company’s purpose nowadays is to contribute as effectively as it can to the pursuit of a good society; through supporting the craft of cooking. It is involved in supporting the next generation of cooks through prizes, awards and financial support. The Company also supports a range of charities connected to the catering industry including The Clink Charity.
The Clink Charity
The Clink Charity’s sole aim is to reduce the reoffending rates of ex-offenders by training prisoners and placing graduates into employment in the hospitality and horticulture industries upon release. The charity works in partnership with Her Majesty's Prison Service to run various projects within prisons: four restaurants, two horticultural garden schemes and a catering scheme. The Clink Charity was founded by Alberto Crisci MBE whilst he was catering manager at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) High Down in Surrey. With the support of the then Governor of HMP High Down, Peter Dawson, the first Clink Restaurant was set up in 2009. Due to its success, a second Clink Restaurant opened in 2012 in HMP Cardiff.
