Marsha Smith

With ten years’ experience working in award winning-community food initiatives before returning to academia, Marsha's research interests span sociology, anthropology and theories of practice, and in particular how emergent forms of commensality, or group eating practices, are valued by participants.

Marsha uses a range of creative methods to create forms of knowledge that are invitational and which seek to position participants as holders of vital forms of knowledge about the practices they engage in. She regularly takes part in community food dialogues, and public health strategy work, and is currently shaping carbon neutral food policy in her home city of Nottingham.

She is currently undertaking a PhD in Sociology and social eating initiatives at the Centre for Business in Society at Coventry University. She is a Visiting Fellow at Nottingham Trent University and an academic advisor to FoodHall, the Sheffield branch of the National Food Service.