Celebrating charity partnership milestone with 450 water wells opened
29 June 2026
We hosted our third Pitch Social – Powered by Foodbuy Group event, continuing our commitment to supporting socially conscious suppliers and driving greater diversity across our supply chain.
Recently, held at Kents Hill Park Conference and Training Centre in Milton Keynes, the event welcomed more than 100 attendees, bringing together Foodbuy Group stakeholders, clients and 18 socially conscious suppliers. The event provided social enterprises, minority-owned suppliers and other small and medium-sized businesses with a unique opportunity to connect directly with key decision-makers and showcase their products and services to one of the UK's largest foodservice procurement networks.
To date, we have spent over £25 million with social enterprises, continuing to strengthen our commitment to inclusive and responsible procurement.
At the event, suppliers presented their businesses directly to our teams and clients, showcasing innovative products and services while bringing to life the stories, missions and social impact behind their brands. The pitches gave stakeholders an opportunity to discover emerging suppliers that are helping to address social and environmental challenges through their business models, with the aim of meeting evolving client and sector needs across foodservice and hospitality.
Christophe Noel, Hospitality Development Manager at Barchester Healthcare (a Foodbuy Group client), said: “I was impressed with all the suppliers I met on the day. Their social values were exceptional, and it was clear that sustainability, inclusion and community engagement are embedded within their organisations. It was apparent that their passion for delivering meaningful benefits beyond the core product offering was particularly noteworthy.”
Selected suppliers will be invited to join our supply chain. Suppliers will also be offered access to a three-to-six-month mentorship programme with our stakeholders, providing structured support and insights across commercial, sustainability and operational areas. This opportunity is available to all Pitch Social suppliers, regardless of outcome in the selection process.
Successful participants from previous Pitch Social events have included The Uncommon, an English winemaker known for pioneering sustainable formats in award-winning sparkling wine production; Page & Bloom, offering handcrafted paper flowers made from recycled paper; The Glasshouse, which provides horticultural training and employment for female ex-offenders; One Water, supporting sustainable clean water and sanitation services in impoverished regions; and Tap Social, a craft brewery that employs prisoners and prison leavers.
Nilay Mukherjee, Sustainability Executive at Foodbuy Group, commented: “For me, the real value of Pitch Social is the unique space it creates to connect directly with socially conscious businesses. Getting to sit down with these founders, hear the inspiring stories behind their brands, and explore how we can bring their impactful solutions into our supply chains is how we drive real, sustainable change.”
To find out more about Pitch Social and Foodbuy Group’s other sustainability initiatives, visit: https://www.foodbuy.co.uk/sustainability/pitch-social-powered-by-foodbuy-group-2026/
