Non‐technical summary  Feeding behaviour is controlled in part by activity within brain hypothalamic nuclei. The ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) contains a population of neurons that inhibit feeding when they are active. The neuropeptide nociceptin or orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) acts within the VMN to stimulate food intake. We show that N/OFQ, through its receptor, directly inhibits these VMN neurons. We think that by inhibiting anorexigenic VMN neurons, N/OFQ thereby allows the stimulation of food intake. These studies increase our knowledge of how VMN neurons participate in regulating food intake and maintain energy homeostasis in the body.