Bidfood reveals first suppliers in SME acceleration scheme

Foodservice provider Bidfood has unveiled the initial group of suppliers selected through its Open Doors SME accelerator programme.

Aimed at small food and beverage suppliers, the Open Doors Programme identifies the most innovative businesses trying to establish themselves within the industry and raises awareness of their products.

Following a three-step development journey to nurture, champion and accelerate, the initiative has resulted in seven brands being officially listed with Bidfood, along with a selection of their products:

•             Bio&Me – A B-certified brand, Bio&Me has a range of on-the-go porridges created to support gut health. Bio&Me is also part of the ‘Buy Women Built’ community, which shines a light on brands built by women.

•             Boundless – Using activated ingredients, Boundless snacks support gut health and are free from the top 14 allergens. The brand is also a member of the ‘Buy Women Built’ community.

•             Flawsome! – Another B-certified brand, Flawsome! produces a variety of juices, sparkling fruit waters and health shots made from ‘wonky’ and surplus fruits.

•             Ninju – A kitchen table start-up, Ninju is a range of fruit and vegetable-based children’s drinks packaged in 100% recyclable cartons.

•             Oggs – Offering a vegan alternative to eggs, Oggs is the third B-certified brand out of the newly-listed suppliers and will soon be a part of the ‘Buy Women Built’ community. 

•             TeaJoy – Designed to serve the growing demand for bubble tea in the UK, TeaJoy’s products are a quick solution to making bubble tea using authentic Jasmine leaves from Taiwan. 

•             Tribe – High protein vegan flapjacks with a strong stance against modern slavery.

Bidfood UK sales and marketing director Tim Adams said: “We have made fantastic progress in the past six months, from having our first SME supplier conference in October, to hosting dozens of guidance sessions to prospective suppliers. Now, we have seven amazing and inspiring brands listed with us that can work across a variety of sectors.”

 Boundless founder Cathy Mosely added: “Open Doors has done exactly what its name promises; opening doors for small brands like Boundless to thrive under expert guidance, in order to reach levels of distribution otherwise impossible for a start-up.

“Through mentorship and unlocking marketing opportunities normally reserved for big corporations, our projected growth with Bidfood is exponential and we’re extremely excited for the next 12 months.”