Novel subscription platform connects disruptive bakery and snack brands with buyers

The Buyer’s Discovery Club is designed to help brands gain exposure, while giving buyers the advantage to find the next big in-store listing.

Each month, the Good Food Group curates a new box that champions the five best new finds from the hundreds reviewed, matching them with the ideal buyer for their category.

“We’re delighted to have launched the Buyer’s Discovery Club; it works on a subscription basis so that brands have the opportunity to put their products into the right buyers’ hands every month,”​ said Ross Carlin, MD of The Good Food Group, who’s track record includes working with the fast-growing brand Skinny Food Co, as well as the established MuscleFood, among others.

“Our team of well-connected experts works closely with buyers to understand exactly the type of products that consumers are calling out for – ensuring we pair the very best category buyers and brands together, allowing new and disruptive brands to be seen and heard.”​

Networking opportunity

The Club hosted its first virtual ‘Discovery Club Live’ in December, which gave brands the opportunity to pitch their product to prospective buyers during a 15-minute window and receive honest feedback from decision makers. Suppliers, in turn, had the chance to discover new ideas and build relationships.

Ross added, “Hosting our first live event was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved and we’re thrilled with the response we received. The format of the conference was a cross between Dragon’s Den and Speed Dating, with buyers seated at individual virtual tables and pitching directly to suppliers. ​

“The event opened up great networking opportunities for those who attended, and it created the perfect scenario for companies to pitch their products to decision-makers from some of the largest retail chains.”​

Shore seaweed chips​

A brand to benefit from the opportunity was Shore, an innovative Scottish startup that produces chips made from seaweed.

Shore is based in Wick, one of the UK’s most remote communities in the far North East of Scotland.

The snack manufacturer – which was launched in 2016 – signed up with The Good Food Group in August 2020 and used the Discovery Club Live event to impress buyers with its concept: Shore’s seaweed is hand picked, then washed and dried at low temperatures, meaning the unique plant-based chips are packed with minerals, antioxidants and good-for-your-gut fibre.

Shore’s range of seaweed chips and clusters are already available in Sainsbury’s throughout Scotland, as well as in Co-op Scotland and Co-op regional UK.

By using the Buyer’s Discovery Club subscription platform, Shore is getting its products in front of further key retailers. Any day now, its snacks will be launched into Holland and Barrett, and discussions with multiple other retailers are currently underway.

The Good Food Group has opened registration for another Buyer’s Discovery Club event to be held later this year.