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Aimed at small food and beverage suppliers, the Open Doors Programme identifies ‘innovative’ businesses trying to establish themselves within the industry and raises awareness of their products so they can make their mark in wholesale.

Tim Adams, sales and marketing director at Bidfood UK, 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.

“Working with Andrew Allen has allowed us to tailor the Open Doors Programme to suit small food and beverage businesses, who are still facing some tough market challenges, and making their presence known in wholesale.

“It coincides perfectly with Bidfood’s vision to be a positive force for change and we will continue to be the voice for underrepresented founder groups with incredible brand stories, as well as suppliers who offer excellence in carbon reduction and social value. We can’t wait for the next six months and what this will bring for more small businesses.”

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

• Bio&Me: has a range of handy on-the-go porridges created to support gut health
• Boundless: support gut health and are free from the top 14 allergens
• Flawsome!: produces a variety of juices, sparkling fruit waters and health shots made from wonky and surplus fruits
• Ninju: range of fruit and vegetable-based children’s drinks packaged in 100% recyclable cartons
• OGGS: offering a vegan alternative to eggs
• TeaJoy: easy solution to making bubble tea using authentic Jasmine leaves from Taiwan
• TRIBE: high protein vegan flapjacks with a strong stance against modern slavery