IFST members: log in via MyIFST, to view the webinar recording below.
Organised by Food Innovation (Product & Packaging) Special Interest Group
There has been a significant rise in recent years, in food entrepreneurs, small businesses and larger organisations wanting to outsource their manufacturing. Developing a great relationship, based on clear communication and trust is the foundation for success. This webinar will cover the perspective of both the customer and the manufacturer. It will identify opportunities to bridge each other’s needs and give you practical tools to create successful partnerships. This event is part of the Food Innovation Toolkit Series by the Food Innovation Special Interest Group.
What participants will learn about:
Understand the concerns of the people you are supplying
What are the key questions to ask your customer
How to speak the same language and communicate effectively
How to select the right customer-partner for your business
Target audience: Members and non-members, third party manufacturers that look to work with promising new businesses and small businesses that look to third parties to bring their product to market.
Chair: Valia Christidou, Lecturer in New Product Development, London South Bank University
Valia is a lecturer in New Product Development at London South Bank University and an Innovation Consultant to the Food Industry. She is also the vice chair of IFST’s Publication Committee and the Communications lead of IFST Food Innovation SIG.
Speakers
Ruth Dolby Director at Food Science Fusion and Co-Founder How Many Beans?
Ruth Dolby, FIFST, has over 35 years of developing food from farm to fork. Ruth works with SMEs, large manufacturers, multinationals, major retailers, wholesalers and diversifying farmers. She is a founding director at Food Science Fusion and How Many Beans? and Associate of Nutrition at University of Nottingham. Her passion is in practical knowledge transfer and building effective cross-disciplinary ways of working for the food industry.
Ian Meadows Co-Founder How Many Beans? Expert in Commercial, Finance and Supply Chain
Ian Meadows, FCMA, has run some of UK’s top food brands as well as co founded his own nationally distributed brand working with co manufacturers. He understands the challenges of building a business from scratch and growing it with the support of 3rd parties. Ian has guided many businesses in their search for a suitable production partner.
Alice Jones, Senior Food Innovation Advisor, The Food Innovation Centre, University of Nottingham
Alice is Senior Food Innovation Advisor at the Food Innovation Centre (FIC) at University of Nottingham, a commercial arm of the University that supports businesses to innovate through the application of food science and technology. Prior to joining the FIC in 2016, she had 12 years experience in a number of Food Technical and R&D positions in the food manufacturing industry; the vast majority being SME food and drink businesses . Many of these businesses outsourced manufacturing or packing, so Alice has practical experience from the ‘frontline’- selecting, building relationships with and walking the lines late at night (!), with third party manufacturers