Who We Are
A Community-Driven Approach
UK Grain Lab is a Community Interest Company (CIC), a not-for-profit structure dedicated to the benefit of our community, not private gain. We are guided by a board of five directors who hold legal responsibility for our operations, fundraising, and financial stewardship. They ensure resources are directed where they are most needed—supporting our affiliated projects and organisations across the UK and Ireland.
Exploring Sociocracy
Beyond our legal structure, we are pioneering a devolved governance model rooted in Sociocracy. Instead of a top-down hierarchy, our decision-making is organised into "circles" of focused activity. Representatives from these circles and regional hubs come together in a General Circle to discuss our shared work.
This participatory approach keeps UK Grain Lab agile and collaborative. It ensures that those doing the work on the ground have the power to shape our direction, creating a space where every voice is heard, potential conflicts are managed constructively, and decisions are made through consent.
Our Collective Purpose
We recognise that creating radical, lasting change requires deep reflection, creativity, and persistent inquiry. Our purpose is not simply to swap the players in the current extractive systems, but to foster the emergence of new, relational economies.
By committing to mutual support and shared prosperity, we are building a system that serves everyone and strives to ensure that economic value remains within our local communities.
Current Governance Circle of UK Grain Lab
Kimberley Bell
Kimberley founded Small Food Bakery in 2014 to show that small-scale food producers can help build a more resilient, nourishing, and fair food system.
After international travel and inspiration from collaborations like the US Bread Lab, she organised the first UK Grain Lab in Nottingham in 2017, bringing together bakers, millers, scientists, and farmers to support a thriving non-commodity grain economy.
Josiah Meldrum
Josiah Meldrum is co-founder of Hodmedod, established in 2012 to reconnect British farms and communities through the revival of pulses, grains and diverse food systems. His work supports agroecological farming while bringing nutritious, minimally processed foods back into everyday diets.
He has been involved in the UK Grain Lab since its early years, helping connect farmers, millers, bakers and researchers to build a more resilient, place-based grain economy in the UK.
Isabel Kelly
Isabel has worked across the bakery and food industries in the UK, Ireland and Australia for over 15 years. She is a director at Paul Rhodes Bakery in London, and leads the Irish Grain Network.
Inspired by international exchanges such as Dr. Steven Jones’ Grain Gathering in the US, Isabel has been involved in UK Grain Lab since 2017, joining Kimberley to help curate and connect a growing network of farmers, millers, bakers and researchers.
Fred Price
Fred Price is a farmer at Gothelney Farm, where he grows heritage grains and pulses using agroecological methods that prioritise soil health, biodiversity and resilience.
As an active participant in the UK Grain Lab community, Fred collaborates with farmers, millers, bakers and researchers to explore regenerative practices and strengthen a more connected, place-based grain economy in the UK.
Charlotte Bickler
Charlotte Bickler is a researcher specialising in crop diversity and agroecology, with a background at the Organic Research Centre where she focused on participatory approaches to farming and increasing biological diversity in agricultural systems.
Charlotte joined the UK Grain Lab in 2022, leading projects such as the Diverse Cereal Seed Project and helping to connect farmers, researchers and practitioners working to develop a more diverse and resilient grain economy in the UK.