About The Food & Drink Forum

The Food & Drink Forum works with a range of organisations throughout the East Midlands to provide support, training, advice, information, and development opportunities to firms in the food and drink sector. A member-led organisation established in 1998, our ultimate aim is to stimulate and support the sustainable development of the industry across the region.

The Forum is run by a team of dedicated food industry professionals - with a wealth of experience between them – who have first hand knowledge of a wide range of business issues, including logistics, business development, sales and marketing. It has a Board of industry owner/managers who assist with strategic planning and governance of the organisation.

Membership is open to firms throughout the food supply chain, from primary producers to retailers and distributors, but the majority of our members are small and medium-sized processors and manufacturers. The Forum is able to provide relevant skills and knowledge to all companies – whatever size or stage of development they may be at.

Our network of private and public partners is a key to the unique service that we offer, and has allowed us to devise a range of initiatives and schemes to support the food and drink sector in the East Midlands. The Forum delivers many funded projects, has close links with public bodies which allows a two-way flow of information on important industry issues, and brings specialist services to its members via its links with private partners, such as retail information and industry-specific research.

The Food & Drink Forum acts as a wide umbrella to a range of different groups and projects.

Our activities concentrate broadly on helping food and drink firms in three core areas…….

•    Sales & Marketing
•    Learning & Skills 
•    Innovation & Technology