Timo Santala began work as the project manager for the Helsinki food culture strategy in November 2014. In addition to strategic guidelines, Santala provides the city with a face, ears and mouth for its food culture.

Helsinki has had a food culture strategy since 2011. It was developed for the World Design Capital year to establish food as one element within our overall design.

– Wherever you go, food has a huge impact on people’s and the city’s wellbeing, as well as everyday and festive events, says Santala.

Now the Helsinki food strategy is being redeveloped for the years 2016-20, and the goals and guidelines for food culture are being laid down.

For these things to be put into practice, Helsinki wants boards, companies, organisations, associations and inhabitants alike to share in the endeavour.

Santala’s responsibility is to help these different parties develop and provide the food culture.

– I am like some kind of an expert witness at a great many roundtables, someone who can bring something to the conversation. The city can easily be dismissed as a faceless organisation where the individual doesn’t really know who to contact. You can contact me about anything related to food. I will do my best to help, for example by bringing people together. When the right people meet, new ideas are bound to come up, Santala explains.

Santala also has a big role in improving channels of communication and access. He puts together groups and the means by which things related to food can get to the public, and introduces new ideas for discussion.

– Especially when resources are limited, good communication is vital.

Together with his food culture strategist job, Santala is still in the thick of it with the volunteering work for We Love Helsinki, Restaurant Day and many other events, all of which tie in nicely with his day job.

Timo Santala’s latest conquest related to food culture is working as a presenter in the radio programme Ruokaradio (‘Food radio’) on Radio Helsinki. The programme work is a part of his strategist job and is created in contribution with Teurastamo. Ruokaradio will be on air from January 2015 on Tuesdays from 5-6 pm. Catch-up is available online.

More on Timo Santala’s work as the developer of the Helsinki food culture strategy:

• ”Timo Santala Helsingin ruokakulttuuristrategian vetäjäksi” (‘Timo Santala takes over as head of Helsinki’s food culture strategy’), Helsinki foodism, Helsinki food culture strategy
• Timo Santala talks about his work with food culture strategy on Yle Puhe’s afternoon show, 5 November 2014, ”Ruoka toimii välittäjänä siinä, että voimme kohdata toisemme ja olla yhdessä” (‘People who eat together, meet together’)

 

Cover picture is by photographer Mitro Härkönen (Mitro Härkönen on Intagram).