Food procurement organisation Foodbuy has extended its membership of Social Enterprise UK’s ground-breaking ‘Buy Social Corporate Challenge’ by three years.
Launched in 2016, the Challenge brings together corporate partners from a broad range of industries with a collective ambition to spend £1 billion with social enterprise suppliers.
Foodbuy became the first food and drink company to join the Buy Social Corporate Challenge in 2019 and has now reinforced its commitment for a minimum of three further years. Foodbuy has also had its work recognised on a global scale by winning the ‘Best Social Value Initiative’ at the 2020 CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards.
The organisation has also set its sights on achieving a £5 million spend target with UK social enterprises who are giving back to communities and tackling wider social issues. Since joining the Challenge in 2019, Foodbuy has spent more than £3.5 million with over 20 different social enterprise businesses, including Change Please – an award-winning social enterprise coffee company who are empowering the homeless by training them to be baristas. Thanks to its work with Change Please, Foodbuy and its clients have supported over 60 people out of homelessness.
Ian Murphy, Foodbuy managing director, says: “When we decide to buy social, we’re helping to build a better world. That’s why we’re proud to be supporting a number of different social enterprise businesses. We use our scale and leverage to embed real, tangible social impact across the supply chain and are well on the way to exceeding our £5 million spend target”.
Andy Daly, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Social Enterprise UK, adds: “In their first year on the Buy Social Corporate Challenge, Foodbuy achieved so much, showing that it really isn’t difficult to find high-quality social enterprise suppliers to serve the corporate market. It’s great to see that the ambition is there to take it to the next level, and we hope this also inspires other businesses to become part of the buy social movement.”
During the Covid-19 lockdown period, Foodbuy sent care packages to its employees with a host of different social enterprise goodies and treats to enjoy with their families. Products and brands inside the care packages included Miss Macaroon, Toast Ale, Nemi Tea, Karma Drinks, Divine Chocolate, Rubies in the Rubble and many more.
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