The BIG Buyers Brunch: A Taste of East Staffordshire - Food, Drink & The Visitor Economy
25th March 2026 09:00 to 12:00 Burton Rugby Football Club Free
Join FinditinStokeandStaffs and the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub for a BIG Buyers Brunch Special, bringing together the best of Staffordshire’s producers and food and drink manufacturers.
Connect with hospitality, leisure and retail buyers - plus key customers from some of the region’s largest buying organisations, for a focused morning of insight, connections and opportunity.
This interactive event is designed to strengthen East Staffordshire’s supply chains and champion sustainable local procurement - connecting ambitious local suppliers with major regional buyers.
Discover the Destination Staffordshire strategy, gain practical insight into public sector procurement and buyer expectations and hear from organisations including the Pentagon Group on collaboration and new product development. A short programme of presentations is followed by expo-style networking and a relaxed brunch, giving you plenty of time to build valuable connections.
Connecting Producers to Possibility
What’s in Store?
Insights from regional leaders:
- A welcome from FinditinStokeandStaffs and an introduction to the area and event partners, including the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub
- Burton upon Trent Council: A look at the region’s growth, regeneration and investment plans - including past, present and future developments.
- Discover your local business support, from the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub, presented by Rachel Wood (Growth Hub Manager) who will explain what support is available to SMEs and how it can be accessed.
- Staffordshire's Visitor Economy - a forward-looking perspective on what’s next for the sector, the value of collaboration between food, drink, hospitality and the visitor economy, and the supply chain opportunities that follow.
Direct from the buyers:
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Avtar (Avi) Sandhu, Senior Buyer, The Pentagon Food Group - Learn about Pentagon’s expansion plans, including a new manufacturing facility, how local businesses can connect as suppliers, and how their new product development function (working with Unico Food Group) can open doors for unique local products. - Liz Salter, Head of Procurement, University of Staffordshire - A clear, helpful overview of public sector procurement and framework agreements - and what SMEs can do to be “tender-ready” and well-positioned for success.
Is this event for you?
This event is for buyers and producers, including field-to-fork suppliers and local food and drink manufacturers, who want to build supply chain relationships, explore opportunities linked to regional growth, gain practical procurement guidance, connect with business support partners and showcase their products and services in a relaxed networking setting.
Please book a FREE place below using the online booking system.
Please note: FREE places to this event are for LOCAL businesses with a Stoke or Staffordshire postcode only. Businesses from outside the region are very welcome to join us, but tickets will cost £20.00 + Vat.
An event brought to you by FinditinStoke&Staffs with event sponsor Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub
Burton Rugby Football Club, Battlestead Croft, Branston Rd, Tatenhill, Burton-on-Trent, East Staffordshire, DE13 9FF
Event Speakers
Liz Salter
Head of Procurement at University of Staffordshire
Liz Salter is Head of Procurement at the University of Staffordshire, who are a major local employer dedicated to working with the local supply chain; through their multiple divisions - from their on-campus hospitality and catering, to their nursery and forest school, and their business facilities and Student Union. Liz will share with attendees her experience in public sector procurement and framework agreements and what SMEs need to consider and prepare to best position themselves for successful tendering.