BUSINESS
MEMBERSHIP
Whether you’re an early stage producers or an established manufacturer, Business Membership provides peace of mind.
WHAT WE OFFER
Business Membership provides early-stage producers with critical food safety and production management support while established manufacturers can make substantial savings through discounts on our commercial services.
Support Network
Your Business Membership will start with an initial welcome call with the Membership Team. By getting to know you and your business, the Membership Team will be able to start connecting you with our network. This will include signposting you to opportunities and other organisations that could be of value.
One-to-One Support
Skills Development
Workshops - Technical Team
Led by our Technical Team, our comprehensive programme of workshops covers key food safety and production management topics, including understanding HACCP, allergen management, labelling, health and safety and accreditation schemes. Members and their staff can either book to attend in person or join us online. All sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions, and many include downloadable tools to take away
Webinars - Associates Launching in 2024
This webinar programme provides an opportunity for our members to benefit from the specialist expertise of our endorsed Associates. All our Associates have experience working with early-stage food and drink businesses and understand the challenges that come with the territory. All topics are relevant to food and drink producers and include a wide range of subjects including aspects of business administration as well as production management.
Online Courses
We are delighted to have partnered with the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSAFD) to provide our Business
Members with access to an outstanding package of online training courses. Use this link to find out more.
Knowledge Bank
Our knowledge bank is an excellent source of reports and guides that provide information on a wide range of food safety, trading standards and other compliance information. All materials are published by leading UK food and drink authorities. The Membership Team is always happy to help our members make the most of these resources and find what they need.
Proof of Membership
Annual Business Membership certificate.
Food and Drink Forum Business Membership logo to use on your website, email footer and other marketing materials.
Discount on Commercial Services
Business Members enjoy a 15% discount on all Food and Drink Forum commercial services, including Technical Team services and the sessional hire of Food Works test kitchens and meeting rooms at all three sites.
Fortnightly drop in sessions
Our drop-in sessions provide the opportunity to get advice from our experienced Technical Team. You can either book to meet in person, at one of our three sites, or to arrange a call back. The drop-in sessions are an excellent opportunity to get specific advice on aspects of your product or approach to production.
Quick Query Email Support
During the early years of your business, knowing you can reach out to a food safety expert for advice, or a second opinion provides real peace of mind.
A WORD FROM OUR MEMBERS
Small Producers
Being Business Members of the Food and Drink Forum means that we have built a great relationship with both Richard and Jignesh from the Technical Team. They know us, our product and our business. This means that we can tap into their expertise relatively quickly and easily. We found that support invaluable when we were developing new products and wanted to get an expert second opinion on shelf-life and food safety.
Ben Brown Light, Founder
Coming from an experienced baking background of making fresh to order bakes, we wanted to develop a range of cake jars with a longer shelf life so we could look at commercial opportunities in the B2B sector.
Food Works, Innovation Centre, was an incredible place to work on this project. Zoe Plant’s knowledge and experience in the food tech sector gave me confidence in the product development process and a better understanding of the science behind it.
Being a Food and Drink Forum member enables us to access Food Works services at a preferential rate and we are looking forward to seeing what we can create in the future.
Jess Barnet, Founder
Cocojoy Snacks
The membership is brilliant! I recovered the fee on the first consultation with the Technical Team. It resulted in a completed nutritional information for my product and a five-star hygiene rating from the local EHO as a result of advice on the HACCP process. The Business Member workshops are also a ‘must attend’ due to the quality of information shared.
Elma Archirimbi, Founder
Established Manufacturers
Nutrition Works
We are a rapidly expanding small business exporting globally and therefore required the full BRCGS Issue 9 Global Standard from day one. Recruitment of a fully experience and qualified Technical Manager to implement and maintain the BRCGS Issue 9 standard was impossible.
Senior Technical Manager, Richard Wigley, from the Food and Drink Forum has provided Technical Management support to the business through two successful BRC Audits which has enabled us to meet all our objectives for growth. He also provides invaluable assistance with our staff welfare/health & safety and environmental sustainability plans.
James Harrington, MD
Technical Manager, Jignesh Parekh, from the Food and Drink Forum, has provided us with invaluable technical support throughout our journey from start-up to being a full capacity manufacturer of paneer for major retailers including ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s and Costco.
Jignesh is a highly valued extension of our team. Working as our Technical Manager, he handles all our customer and SALSA audits and EHO inspections.
Kamlesh Lakhani, Managing Director
We have been members of the Food and Drink Forum for many years and it is invaluable support for food and drink businesses.
In particular we like the guidance from Richard and Jignesh when it comes to Salsa accreditation. They will guide you through the standard required and ensure your paperwork is in order and that can take a lot of the stress out of it when you are so busy with running the business and day to day distractions.
Susan Vendone, MD
JOIN TODAY
Membership provides access to business critical food safety and quality management support from our experienced Technical Team.
Providing peace of mind for early stage food and drink producers and established manufacturers.
Need more information?
Contact the Membership Team on 01159 758810 or leave your details on our contact form and we will get back to you.