By Paul Caunce, Publishing Editor, North West Food & Drink Means Business

One of the most common topics of discussion among our food and drink producer network is that of scaling up their businesses.

One of the big considerations for scale-up is kitchen space. Working from a home kitchen has its advantages, not least that it costs nothing! At some point however, as ambitions grow, the home kitchen is likely to become too small, both in terms of production area and storage space.

For those that decide enough is enough and who need a more professional environment, there lies another problem. To lease long term, rent on a flexible basis, or maybe event share.

Tying a business into a long-term lease is often a huge step, and risky, but if the circumstances are right, it is an exciting one.

Sharing a space is very possible, but has many considerations, not least in the area of food safety and allergen control.

For most, an ideal solution would be renting space in a commercial kitchen, either on a pay by use basis or a flexible month to month agreement. Low risk and big benefits in terms of extra space and a more professional environment.

At FDMB, we have been shocked and disappointed as to how few of these places actually exist.

There are some excellent facilities out there, such as the NoWFOOD Centre in Chester (pictured above), which has an incubation scheme and the excellent development kitchen at R Noone & Son in Stockport. There are others of course, such as at Blackpool and Fylde College and Myerscough College, but given the demand for such facilities, they are actually few and far between.

We are of course mere Publishers, not Property Developers, however, if we were, we can think of no better enterprise than affordable and flexible commercial kitchen space for growing food and drink producers in the North West.

The rental demand is certainly there from producers, which begs the question as to why there are so few facilities around?

It is certainly food for thought for any property developers, building owners or even farmers out there who are looking for a building project with a point of difference and a ready and waiting list of potential tenants.

We await developments in more ways than one.

Photo Credit – James Randolph www.infinityimagesbyjr.co.uk

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North West based bakery Lovingly Artisan, which operates from two sites, at Plumgarths, near Kendal, and at Altrincham Market, Manchester, have won two prestigious bakery awards at the inaugural Bakery Business Magazine National Bakery Awards.

Owners Aidan Monks and Catherine Connor attended a swanky red-carpet celebration at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, in London, hosted by television presenter Mark Durden-Smith, where they were officially crowned winners of North West Regional Bakery of the Year and National Bakery of the Year.

On the evening the county bakery winners from across the UK eagerly waited to find out if they had been named as winners of one of the 14 regional bakery awards and who had also won through to be crowned the UK’s National Bakery of the Year.

Commenting on their win husband and wife, Aidan Monks and Catherine Connor, owners and bakers at Lovingly Artisan, said: “We didn’t expect to win Best North West Regional Bakery and certainly didn’t expect to win the overall award as the UK’s Bakery of the Year. We can’t get over it, it’s such a huge pat on the back for all of us, we’ve all worked so hard to create the best possible artisan breads for our customers.

“The whole team take great pride in what we do, quite simply we want to show people what real bread is all about, that we as consumers don’t have to accept poor quality bread in our diets.”

PHOTO: Alice Cooke editor of Bakery Business with Lovingly Artisan Winners of National Bakery of The Year

The winners of each category are listed below:

National Bakery of the Year – Lovingly Artisan

Outstanding Contribution Award – Sara Autton

Scottish Bakers Young Baker of the Year – Sam Ireland-Taylor

CBA Young Baker of the Year – Owen Morris

ABIM Young Baker of the Year – Christina Gibbons

East Midlands – Hambleton Bakery

West Midlands – Live Love Loaf

East of England – Flour & Spoon

Yorkshire & Humber – Pie Bakery

London – Paul Rhodes

South Scotland – Lough’s Home Bakery

North East – Sweetharts Bakery

Central Scotland – Fisher & Donaldson

Northern Scotland – Casella-Polegato

North West – Lovingly Artisan

Wales – The Pudding Compartment

South East – Warings Bakery

Northern Ireland – Ditty’s

South West – Patisserie Mark Bennett

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FDMB North West had the pleasure of attending the very first Goosnargh Gin foraging and distilling day, hosted by Rachel and Richard Trenchard, in the beautiful Beacon Fell area of the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.

These days will run intermittently through the year, at times when botanicals are at peak season.

The first event ran on May 10, with a further event on June 2. Events following that will run in the autumn – September 27, 28 & 29, and October 11, 12 & 13 – when berries will be in full force.

Each day will accommodate just 6 people, to ensure a personal hands on experience throughout.

In the morning, we met with expert forager Ade Rose in beautiful surroundings, to identify and collect a range of seasonal local botanicals. It was then back to the distillery to enjoy a light lunch, before finding out more about gin, Goosnargh Gin’s story, recipe development and the distillation process.

For the remainder of the day, we took charge of one their mini stills to produce a 500ml bottle of our own botanical blend of gin to take home with us.

The couple, who are fiercely passionate about the area they live and work in, only entered the spirits market last October. They have had great success with their first two offerings – Chapter one, Signature Gin and Chapter two, Dark Skies.

With Chapter three in the pipeline, and an autumn schedule of foraging and distilling days to look forward to, the future is an exciting one for Goosnargh Gin.

As for our experience, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational day, in beautiful surroundings with an amazingly passionate pair of gin entrepreneurs. What more could we have asked for!

www.goosnarghgin.co.uk

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Bosu Body Bar, the healthy meals fast-food store has announced it is closing its Manchester city centre outlet, situated in Cross Street, after nearly two years of trading.

FDMB North West understands that the firm will be focusing entirely on its nationwide chilled delivery service model as well as expanding its online meal offering.

Bosu’s Founder and Creative Director Oli Drummond explained: “We’re excited to continue the growth of Bosu online, and although we’ll be sad to leave Cross Street behind us it’s important to remember it’s served us well in growing our brand name and reaching a larger customer base.

Drummond continued: “The Bosu restaurants have allowed us to get to know what our customers want, build up their trust in our product and gain a loyal following.

“Over the past year in the city centre, we’ve noticed a growing number of customers who just want a convenient lunch option to eat at work, rather than a specific meal-plan to support their health and fitness goals. Being online means we can offer more choice to that market too.

“Over the past year, it has made less and less sense to carry on meeting the economic demands of having a high street location when we could be serving those same customers better with an improved online delivery service and expanded range of healthy meal plan options.

“Since the majority of our revenue has always come from our nationwide delivery service, dealing with challenges of operating a city centre location risked becoming a distraction to our long-term goal of being the UK’s leading healthy meal-prep delivery provider.”

www.bosubodybar.com

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The team at Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel in Windermere have learned that they had been included in the top 100 restaurants in the UK.

General Manager, Elia Shreiber, discovered that the Lake District restaurant had been listed at No.98 in the influential magazine’s list of top 100 UK eateries for 2019, which were announced at The 12^th annual National Restaurant Awards held at London’s Hurlingham Club.

Each year the National Restaurant Awards celebrate the brilliance and vibrancy of the UK’s eating out scene, from Michelin-starred dining rooms with tasting menus to casual neighbourhood bistros and steakhouses and reward the very best chefs, front of house staff and restaurants the country has to offer.

The awards are a celebration of places in the UK that make eating out a true pleasure. The list of the 100 best restaurants in the UK is voted for by 200 industry experts from across the UK, including chefs, restaurateurs, critics and food writers. The UK is split into 11 regions, with judges voting for the top seven restaurants they have dined at in the last 12 months, in order of preference. This year, 46 of the top 100 restaurants are located outside London.

Holbeck Ghyll’s General Manager, Elia Shreiber commented on the win: “The team at Holbeck Ghyll are over the moon to feature alongside the UK’s top restaurants; including Moor Hall, Raby Hunt, Mana, and Roganic.

“Being listed at No.98 is huge for us, especially as it massively recognises the efforts of everyone at Holbeck Ghyll. We are immensely dedicated, and this is a huge pat on the back for what we are striving to achieve.

“Food is one of our great passions, combine that with stunning surroundings and some of the best produce on offer anywhere in the country and you really can’t go far wrong.”

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A North Wales bakery has launched a new campaign to promote the use of Welsh lamb and beef.

The Wrexham-based Village Bakery has secured accreditation to label their popular pies and slices as being made with Welsh meat which has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.

The family have now teamed up with Meat Promotion Wales and one of the shops they supply to unveil the new drive to emphasise the quality and value of their ingredients.

The campaign was launched at the Nisa Local store in Corwen which is run by Merle and Andrew Westbury who are big fans of the Village Bakery products.

Merle said: “Things are going really well. We did our homework before we opened. Around 12,000 cars pass the store every day and that makes a big difference.

“The Village Bakery products are very popular with our customers and we have a very good relationship with them.

“The fact that they use Welsh lamb and beef in their pies is good for the farmers.

“Like us, the Village Bakery are a family-run company so we have a lot in common. “The whole family work here, my husband, my two sons and my daughter. Things are going really well.”

The Village Bakery pioneered the idea of local sourcing two decades ago and they only use Welsh beef and lamb in their products.

They buy all their meat from Conwy Valley Meats, in Llanrwst, and it can be traced back to individual farms where it was reared.

Managing Director Robin Jones said: “We wanted to launch the campaign with Merle and Andrew at Nisa Local in Corwen because they are great customers of ours and they have a terrific business.

“We’re grateful to them for helping us launch this campaign and we’re also working with Meat Promotion Wales.

“We’re paying a premium for the lamb and beef that we buy because it’s a great product and has excellent provenance.

“We were well ahead of the curve when Dad introduced our local sourcing policing 20 years ago.

“Quite rightly these days everybody wants to know where their ingredients come from and now the labels on our packs makes it immediately clear to customers

“We’re the only producer of size and scale in Wales to use Welsh beef and Welsh lamb in its entirety. It’s a 100 per cent Welsh, and it’s great stuff.

“We’ve been buying off Conwy Valley Meats for 15 years now continuously and which means I know exactly where our Welsh beef and lamb comes from.

“We can trace it back to the individual farms and that’s a great comfort to our consumers.

“It’s also great news for the North Wales economy because we are buying local which helps the farmers. It means that the North Wales pound stays in North Wales.

“Everything is reared in the area, it’s sold in the area and the supply chain from field to fork is within a 50 or 60 mile radius.”

Being at the launch was a proud moment for the Village Bakery’s pie room Manager, Kerry Wilson.

He said: “The secret of making a really great pie or slice is very straightforward, it’s all about what you put in it.

“Welsh lamb and beef are the best and it’s great to used locally sourced meat.

“Our latest product, the lamb slice, is proving hugely popular and it’s flying off the shelves. “Even though I say it myself it is delicious, it’s like a roast dinner in pastry.”

According to Meat Promotion Wales, having PGI status was of enormous economic importance to the Welsh red meat industry, as it identified the origin and unique qualities of both Welsh lamb and beef.

Their UK Market Development Executive, Emily Davies, said: “The PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef brands are highly respected and give added value to retail products at home and abroad.

“It’s great to see a local company using this sought-after designation to give consumers reassurance that the meat used in their products is fully traceable from farm to fork, and reared by Welsh farmers to high standards of animal welfare and environmental sustainability.”

PHOTO: Pictured (L/R) are Chris Clarke, Robin Jones MD, Kerry Wilson Pie Manager and Ian Roberts from Village Bakery with Merle and Andrew Westbury from Nisa Local, Corwen. Picture Mandy Jones

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The Royal Victoria Hotel in Llanberis, North West Wales was presented with an AA Rosette just six months after completing a stunning £1million revamp.

Led by head chef Aron Davies, the venue’s Padarn Brasserie and Eryri Bar and Lounge were lauded for producing distinctive dishes using local ingredients, supporting farms and producers in the area.

General Manager Steve Lee praised the team and said the dining and hospitality experience is one of the jewels in the Royal Victoria’s crown and said: “To have been recognised for the quality of our cuisine by the AA is an incredible honour. This is one of the country’s most prestigious awards, so we are very proud to have been acknowledged in this way, especially given the hard work that’s gone into achieving it.”

The recent refurbishment included upgrades to all 104 bedrooms at the Gwynedd landmark, which employs up to 90 staff.

Taking place over five years, the overhaul also saw improvements to the reception, garden and dining areas and has contributed towards a doubling in turnover.

Affiliated to the Focus Hotels Group, the Royal Victoria was originally built in the 1830s and has been owned by the Ackerley family for over 50 years.

As well as using local ingredients in the restaurant, bosses were determined to incorporate Welsh granite and slate into the décor and fittings.

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Active Partners has joined Leeds-based Northern Monk brewery’s team of shareholders in a deal negotiated by niche law firm 3volution.

The brewery which was founded in 2013 by Russell Bisset and Brian Dickson now exports to 23 countries worldwide.

Active Partners, a London-based company specialising in assisting young disrupter consumer brands, has acquired a less than 25% shareholding in Northern Monk.

The brewery attracted a fiercely loyal following right from its inception and has had to ramp up its production capabilities to cope with demand which has almost doubled each year. Having started out in his parents’ cellar with a £5,000 gift from a grandparent, Russell soon attracted further investment from local businessman David Seymour and moved the business to The Old Flax Store, a Grade II listed mill in Holbeck, Leeds.

In the last 12 months, due to a hugely successful crowdfunding round, Northern Monk has significantly expanded its operations moving into a much larger production facility located just five minutes from The Old Flax Store. They added a state-of-the-art canning line and opened their second UK tap room in Manchester. The company has over 60 employees across their brewery and Refectory sites.

Commenting on the investment, Northern Monk’s founder and Managing Director Russell Bisset said: “Like many of our peers we’ve had numerous approaches from big beer acquirers, investment firms and the rest. It has always been a resounding “no” from us. We have a strong independent spirit and if a potential investor doesn’t share our values, or our vision for the future, we’re not interested. However when we were approached by Active Partners, we felt the synergy was just right.

“We’ve been working with Active Partners for some time, in order for us to properly understand their business and for them to understand ours. They are deeply involved in the companies they support and make long term investments into truly authentic and visionary brands. We are all very excited about this next significant phase in our development.

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SAUSEDGE, a new brand of square sausage from Scottish butchers We hae meat, has just been tested across the England through Aldi.

The butchers say that their product is different product from traditional Scottish ‘square sausages’ that are usually beef based. SAUSEDGE is 70% British pork and was developed by the family owned business in a bid to break into lucrative markets in England and Wales.

Alex Paton, Director, said: “We came up with the new brand name SAUSEDGE and tweaked our square sausage recipe for the English palate who prefer pork based sausages”.

It has a great eating quality and texture due to it being molded into blocks in the traditional Scottish way and not pressed like a burger.

Carlyn Paton, Sales Director said: “Aldi loved it and decided to stock it as a test last week in their stores in England where it flew off the shelves.”

We hae meat recently completed a £750,000 investment in production facilities making us the most efficient sliced sausage producer in the UK.

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St Andrews Brewing Company has signed a £600,000 a deal to supply Sainsbury’s with beer in its Scottish stores.

The supermarket will stock its 4% lager, a session IPA at 3.2%, a 4.5% pale ale and their signature beer Yippie IPA, a 6.0% American-styled IPA from June 12.

FDMB North West also understands that under the new agreement, Sainsbury’s will also offer five-litre mini kegs of the lager and session IPA for sale, targeted at the barbecue and party market and fridge packs of the lager designed to sit in the fridge without the cardboard disintegrating.

St Andrews Brewing Company Managing Director Philip Mackey commented: “It’s great to work collaboratively with Sainsbury’s, one of our oldest accounts, in order to get our beer to more consumers.

“We have also seen the increase in demand for environmentally friendly packaging and it’s great to be able to sell our cans and mini kegs, and their cardboard containers, as 100% recyclable; no plastic rings or shrink-wrap which is so damaging to the environment.”

Sainsbury’s Regional Buyer David McMahon said “We’re delighted to be able to work with St Andrews Brewing Company to extend their range of craft beers and lagers in our Sainsbury’s stores in Scotland.

“We’ve seen huge growth in this sector over the past year which has been largely driven by local breweries and with the addition of the St Andrews new beers, branding and overall offering, we expect this to continue.”

PHOTO: Phil Mackey, MD of St Andrews Brewing Co flanked by David McMahon and Paul Gordon of Sainsbury’s

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Scotty Brand has secured a UK-wide contract with Asda which will see it double its supply of strawberries and raspberries to the supermarket giant.

The soft fruit is grown and packed by Bruce Farms in Perthshire and impressively will find its way to supermarkets within 24 hours of being picked.

Michael Jarvis, Head of Marketing at Scotty Brand, said: “Strawberries are always an exciting addition to our portfolio during the summer months and this year we are delighted that Scotty Brand strawberries will be available throughout the UK.

“Scottish berries are popular both north and south of the border, and for the first-time customers across the UK will get the chance to try and enjoy our strawberries.”

Strawberries will be available in 300g punnets at Asda immediately, with raspberries will follow at the end of this month.

PHOTO: Nine-year-old Carys Melton gets the strawberry harvest under way at Bruce Farm

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FDMB are paying – where would you like to go for a meal?

If you will pay the air fare, one of my favourite restaurants in the world is Rowley’s Bistro in Dublin. It‘s where I got engaged. Delicious food, beautiful surroundings and great value!

Who would be your ideal dinner party guests?

Jeremy Paxman (a chance to get to know him without having the fear of being interviewed on TV), Hugh Dennis (one of my favourite comedians), Nick Faldo (one of my childhood sporting heroes) & Noel Gallagher from Oasis

What is your desert island disc?

Easy! “The Joshua Tree” by U2 – the first album I ever bought, on cassette in 1987. I saved up for weeks and ran the whole way home to play it. I eventually wore it out!

What is your favourite film?

Love Actually – brilliantly made and a great cast. Brings laughs and tears in equal measure!

What is the one thing you couldn’t manage without?

My i-phone! A vital tool with so many uses – most of which I haven’t worked out yet!

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Rural Normandy, France. We go there as a family every year, beautiful scenery, always nice weather, amazing people, nice relaxed way of life… love it!

How do you relax?

I love walking with the family and our dog, Penny, is always ready for a short trek. We are lucky in Lancashire to have so many beautiful walks all around us!

What is the best piece of advice you have been given in life?

Always tell the truth, even if it gets you in trouble.

And what is the best piece of advice you have been given in business?

Give the customer what they want!

What do you think is the best thing about working in the food sector?

Seeing a product on the shelves after months of work to get it there in the right format, at the right price to our target market is extremely rewarding!

And what is the worst thing about working in the food sector?

Sometimes it can take a lot longer than expected to get things over the line,which can be frustrating

And finally, what is your favourite Dewlay cheese?

That’s a bit like askingwhich is my favourite child!I must admit to being very fond of one of our most recent additions to the Dewlay cheese family “Nicky Nook” Blue cheese – named after the beauty spot near Scorton. The cheese has a beautifully mild mellow, yet indulgent flavour profile, and what a memorable name!

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Recent events have brought back into sharp focus the question of confidence in the UK’s food supply chain. With c30% of our imports sourced from the EU (DEFRA, Oct. 2018), recent debate surrounding alternative deals with US manufacturers that operate to different quality standards is one recent source of uncertainty.

Whilst confidence is going to be a challenge, consumer demands and attention to detail regarding the source and content of food continue to increase. For instance, it is estimated as many as 20% of the UK population experience some form of food hypersensitivity (BDA, May 2018). Customers need more and more information from their food providers, clearly communicated.

Issues in the food & drink sector like this mean we will still be looking closely at where our food comes from and what’s on our forks for the foreseeable future.

This places a huge responsibility on everyone within the industry. From certainty over the content claims of the supply chain, to hygiene controls, to labelling. Current consumer awareness and scrutiny means a business cannot afford to get it wrong. Recent high profile examples of the very worst consequences from simple labelling errors should serve as reminder to us all.

Due diligence is crucial: a supplier that invests in employee education programmes and operating its own food defence strategies may be better equipped to combat food fraud and minimise product errors.

Even the most developed food standards systems have scope for errors though. With an increasingly demanding and connected customer base, managing reputation and cost in the event that something does go wrong is vital. Businesses can take practical steps though:

• Regularly review your own Product Recall Insurance policy, and ensure your suppliers have their own
• Develop, document and test your crisis management plan

• Monitor, investigate and respond to customer complaints, particularly on social media where criticism can escalate quickly
• Understand your supply chain up and down: make sure you can trace the source of problems and can communicate and resolve issues quickly
• Your insurer should be notified in case there may be a claim.

To find out more talk to us at NFU Mutual Preston agency on 01772 735798.

Agent of the National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited.

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As a UK-based company, have you incurred development costs?

If so, did you spend it on any of the following:

PAYE Staff?

External contractors on a daily rate?

Subcontractors who took on the project?

Materials used in the R and D activity?

If the answer is yes, then you may be eligible for an R&D Tax Credit!

Recent Case Study

A bakery business was unaware of their eligibility. Our team of Tax Experts had a brief conversation with the company directors and immediately identified areas of their existing business where relevant R&D activities were being carried out. These included improving recipes and cooking methods.

We were able to claim the R&D Tax Credit for the previous two years (even though the company was making a loss on its trading activities). A £52,000 cash refund was received from HMRC for the company within 28 days of our technical report and calculations being submitted.

llyas Patel and his team are specialists in optimising research and development tax credit claims. We have a 100% claim success rate and operate on a success fee basis only.

For a free consultation to determine the size of your claim, please call Ilyas for an assessment or visit our website for an online calculator to show you the size of your R&D claim.

www.taxexpert.co.uk

Contact us today on 01772 788200

Ilyas Patel is an entrepreneurial tax advisor with an expert knowledge of ground-breaking tax saving tools. He and his team have helped many businesses in the food and drink sector, and are the R&D Tax Credits Partner for North West Food & Drink Means Business.

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By Simon Jackson, Director, Moonjuice Creative

A wise person who Google tells me was Lao Tzu, once said “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”. That first step maybe the biggest and hardest step the aspiring entrepreneur will ever take.

A start-up business will have to take many ‘first steps’ on their journey and each one will present new challenges, problems to conquer and often enormous leaps of faith. We’ve shared this journey with many clients both large and small and know exactly how it feels to be out of your comfort zone seeking help and some practical knowledge.

Luckily there are many groups, hubs and resources where like-minded people are offering help and advice to the wary brand trailblazer. FDMB is once such collection of companies and individuals, which is why Moonjuice were proud to be a appointed as their creative strategic partner.

We’ve found our extensive experience across different market sectors has helped many independent food producers see their dream become a reality and it is truly an inspiring and emotional process to be a part of. Our personal approach means you deal direct with the designers to receive an outstanding service and build a long-lasting relationship.

We endeavour to immerse ourselves in your brand, striving to know you and your market. We understand your needs and establish a communication hierarchy that ensures all key messages are presented in a clear, concise order. As your journey continues we ensure consistency of brand and message across all platforms:

• Packaging design and print management
• Websites and social media content
• Promotional literature
• New product development
• Point of sale

Complete transparency and clear communication at every stage of the creative process is critical and gives reassurance that every penny of an investment will be well spent. That’s why we created a stand-alone website aimed specifically aimed at start-ups and step-ups, where they can see a breakdown of each stage of our process along with the associated costs. The site includes how to get started, case studies and an online briefing document that allows us get to know you and your project.

Above all we feel that building your brand from the ground up with Moonjuice should be both enjoyable and rewarding and we’re proud to share your journey – even if it lasts a thousand miles.

Visit www.start-ups.design and www.moonjuicecreative.com for more information and to start a conversation.

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Icertech was established in 2005, offering cost effective chilled packaging solutions to food retailers and manufacturers. The solutions are designed for customers to get their perishable items from A to B, within a 24-72 hour time frame. Our product range includes smart and sturdy insulated boxes and our food safe chill gel packs. These components have been designed to be used together for optimum reliability and performance, offering you cost effective, high quality solutions to meet all of your temperature controlled packaging needs.

Ultimately the primary purpose of our packaging is ensuring that temperature sensitive products arrive at their destination in perfect condition, chilled, and well protected. But we believe that packaging is capable of more than that!

Packaging can act as an excellent tool for businesses to communicate and strengthen their brand. We can supply bespoke versions of many of our bestselling packaging products, so you can create a unique and branded solution that not only does the job, but works as an invaluable marketing tool.

For a custom printed box, there is a minimum commitment of 300 boxes. You can find examples of previous work, as well as viewing the ordering process on our website.

As we have experienced following our own rebrand in 2016, putting effort and thought into your packaging will help your customers feel good about their decision to buy from you, encourage them to recommend your company to others and position your business as professional and one who pays attention to detail.

We’d love to work with you to develop your own bespoke packaging, and we are happy to answer any questions you might have.

Please get in touch on 01978 661247, or contact sales@icertech.co.uk

www.icertech.co.uk

Icertech are the Chilled Packaging Partner for FDMB North West and North Wales

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FDMB Live is quite simply THE event in the North of England for food and drink start ups and seriously ambitious food and drink entrepreneurs

‘Informative, educational and inspiring!’

Taking place on Friday 27th September, at the fantastic J36 Conference Centre in Cumbria, FDMB Live will build on the spring 2019 event, with a relaxed and informative day of workshops, guest speakers, trade exhibitors and networking.

New for the Autumn event is the ‘Bidfood drop in zone’ and an exciting programme of workshops, seminars and panel discussions.

If you are a start up food and drink producer or a food and drink business looking to scale up, grow, develop and thrive, then FDMB Live is ideal for you.

The morning sessions will be a mix of guest speakers and panel discussions, along with networking and a fantastic trade suppliers exhibition.

The afternoon continues with workshops designed to increase your knowledge base on a variety of important, need to know topics.

What they said about FDMB Live in March

‘Inspirational talks, great range of exhibitors to support food businesses, fantastic opportunities for networking and catching up with fellow food businesses’ – Delegate, Bakes and Balls

Was a truly inspirational event’ – Delegate, Jeffrey’s Tonics

‘The FDMB Live event was the first time we felt connected to organisations within the food industry. It’s been foggy up to now, but now we can see clearly! We are feeling so inspired’ – Delegate, Our Paula’s

‘I’ve had the best day at FDMB Live. So many inspirational business stories shared, and so many lovely people met’ – Delegate, Ridiculously Rich by Alana

‘Thrilled to be part of a very fantastic event. Very relaxed. Think we are all part of something really special here. It’s got success written all over it’ – Delegate, Cuzena

‘Not only did we meet people we want to do business with, we made friends. Very important to us because sometimes it can be a bit lonely and you feel like you’re the only business going through tough times’ – Delegate, Willow Cottage Kitchen

If you supply products and services to food and drink businesses and are interested in exhibition space at FDMB Live, please contact Paul Caunce on 07501 216651

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