Foodbuy Pitch Social
In November 2022, Foodbuy UK&I held their Pitch Social – Powered by Foodbuy event, the first of a series of social procurement events aimed at growing the network of regional suppliers who are doing the right thing for people and the planet.

Pitch Social was developed to provide purpose-led SMEs (Small-Medium Enterprises) with the opportunity to develop strong partnerships with large foodservice organisations, and together, further their positive social and environmental impact.
Matt and Roger at Pitch Social at the Oval cricket ground
Following the event, Foodbuy facilitated a series of 5 mentoring sessions between Jubilee Events, an SME supplier who attended the Pitch Social event, and PKL Group, a leader in the events industry with 35+ years of industry experience.
Jubilee Events
Jubilee Events is a social enterprise on a mission to provide ethical employment opportunities for people with major barriers to work. Jubilee Events was launched in January 2022 by Grace Enterprises, a Nottingham-based charity which aims to see lives transformed through supportive employment. Jubilee Events specialises in prestige marquee hire for weddings, corporate events, and garden parties, adding social impact to the event space.

PKL
PKL Group, leaders in temporary kitchens and catering equipment for hire, have been supporting an array of businesses such as schools, hospitals, contract caterers, event organisers, and many more for over 35 years. As a global business, PKL recognise the responsibility to undertake business activities in a socially, environmentally, and morally responsible manner, and were delighted when back in February 2023, Foodbuy approached PKL to become a social enterprise partner for Jubilee Events through a mentorship programme.

The Mentoring Sessions

In May 2023, Jubilee Events visited PKL’s headquarters, where they discussed Jubilee’s vision and goals to determine how PKL could support them in achieving these objectives through their monthly mentorship program. Five mentoring sessions were arranged, bringing together key stakeholders from PKL and Jubilee Events. These sessions covered topics such as how Jubilee can better optimise their website, with a focus on SEO and page performance, utilising Google Ads, and how to analyse customer data, social media and email marketing strategies, sales tactics and negotiation training, and business strategy focusing on setting goals for the upcoming financial year.
Roger Doxat-Pratt, the Operations Director at Jubilee Events, commented on the positive impact of the partnership:
“The mentoring sessions have been invaluable for us at Jubilee Events. As a start-up social enterprise, having access to the expertise and experience of a market leader like PKL has really helped our development. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the future as we grow the business and increase our social impact.”
Karen Rumsey, PKL’s Chief Operating Officer, commented:
"We're thrilled to have been a part of Foodbuy’s Pitch Social initiative, enabling us to support Jubilee Events through our series of mentoring sessions. These 5 sessions have allowed us to share our industry expertise and help them navigate their business to be positioned in the best possible way for growth. We are really excited to see how Jubilee Events grows over the coming months and the positive social impact they have enabling more individuals facing employment barriers to access meaningful job opportunities. We are excited to continue this partnership into the future."
Harinder Singh, Head of Sustainability and Compliance, added:
“At Foodbuy, we’re passionate about using our procurement spend and influence to support a diverse breadth of socially conscious businesses, through initiatives such as our Pitch Social – Powered by Foodbuy event series. We’re delighted to have facilitated this series of mentoring sessions between PKL and Jubilee Events, which highlights the great potential that collaboration across our entire value chain has in furthering our collective social and environmental goals.”
If you'd like to chat about hosting your own socially responsible and sustainable event contact Roger@jubileeevents.co.uk or give us a ring on: 0115 698 0260