Public food procurement in local government bodies such as municipalities is highlighted for its potential to address interlinked food system challenges and crises. It is also seen as a policy tool for strengthening local food systems. However, many theoretical aims for public food procurement from local and regional farmers are only achieved to a limited degree in practice. This article reports findings from a case study in a northern European context, which through interviews and observations explores the diverse experiences of food practitioners working with municipal food supply on local and regional scales. The study reveals inhibiting and supporting factors affecting different practitioner groups. Specifically, farmers experience risks and uncertainties associated with production for largely industrialized and vertically integrated municipal supply systems, while municipal practitioners experience risks and uncertainties associated with securing supply from farmers given requirements on municipalities and conditions in municipal kitchens. Further, local logistics and wholesale practitioners describe the absence of bridging actors to help navigate these diverse risks and uncertainties. In light of the results, this article discusses key governance conditions for building up the "missing middle" of municipal supply systems to enable public food procurement from local and regional farmers in practice.