Three small, Scottish producers of healthier, out of home food and drink, are set to see their businesses grow thanks to a listing with one of the UK’s leading
foodservice providers,
Bidfood Scotland. The three companies selected by Bidfood Scotland include two producers of locally sourced and healthy snacks and a non-alcoholic, low sugar drinks producer. As a result, these suppliers will now have access to Bidfood’s extensive network and 5,000 trade customers around the country including pubs, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, education establishments and more. Their listing provides the producers with the opportunity to work closely with Bidfood’s Supplier Development Manager, to help grow their businesses, increase production, create new products and attain their healthy living accreditations. They were selected after a call out by Bidfood Scotland for producers making healthy and delicious
wholesale foods and drink as part of the
‘Grabbing Goodness on the Go’ campaign, which aims to put an increased emphasis on healthy, out of home convenience options within the Scottish food and drink market. The campaign coincides with the
Scottish Government’s consultation on improving the out of home food environment. The three winners are:
- Growers Garden, a sustainable broccoli crisp brand that uses the 'ugly' broccoli ends which would normally be discarded as food waste
- SHORE, the Scottish seaweed company making delicious, flavoured seaweed puffs from locally grown Scottish seaweed
- The Start-Up Drinks Lab, makers of lower sugar/lower calorie vegan, fine craft sodas
Bidfood Scotland’s Supplier Development Manager, Katie Sillars, said: “It’s not easy to start a food and drink business; the competition is fierce in the UK. Currently, manufacturing of snacking products and drinks in Scotland is expensive and many Scottish producers have to opt for production facilities in England and internationally. However, having access to our network will give Scottish suppliers a real boost and could allow them to increase production, bringing that part of their business back to Scotland and supporting local jobs and the Scottish economy.” Alan Wallace, Commercial Manager at Growers Garden, said: “As a start-up crisp producer with a small but passionate team, it is very difficult for us to access every restaurant, deli, farm shop, garden centre, hospital and university. Bidfood Scotland is very well established and not only offers the support that small producers like us require, but also has the infrastructure to cover the length and breadth of Scotland on a daily or weekly basis.” Pete Zorgenlos, Senior Brand Manager at SHORE, said: “Being able to partner with Bidfood Scotland is a massive step for us as a business and opens up a whole new host of opportunities. Establishing a new Scottish brand has taken a lot of hard work and tenacity, and we are proud to say we have an amazing product, packed full of nutrients and health benefits. Having Bidfood as a partner will open up even more doors for us in new sectors and deliver exciting opportunities with the trade.” Craig Strachan, Co-Founder of The Start-Up Drinks Lab, said: “The opportunity to work with the foodservice provider will open up so many new doors for our products and we’re confident that this will be a massive step in the growth of our brand awareness and reach. It allows us to supply new clients, especially those further afield, knowing that Bidfood can fulfil the orders. This should in turn significantly increase our turnover, allowing us to reinvest to aid future growth within the industry.”
