The landscape for local B.C. food is growing, and with it, new opportunities for local food and beverage products in B.C.’s institutions. 

Pitch & Plate provides processors with a direct opportunity to access the institutional food service market channel, specifically post-secondary institutions and healthcare facilities, while also giving B.C. institutions the opportunity to pioneer new and innovative local products. This market channel typically takes years to navigate and create relationships in, however Pitch & Plate creates that opportunity for connection in one afternoon!

Pitch & Plate is designed and delivered for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Feed BC by B.C. food industry educators Good to Grow, in collaboration with Feed BC public sector institution partners.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Good to Grow is set to deliver two new Pitch & Plate events:

1) October 27, 2022 – An online event to highlight products from B.C.’s North, Cariboo, Thompson Okanagan and Kootenay regions ready to sell to post-secondary or healthcare institutions. Buyers from across B.C. are invited to attend. Applications Closed. Event completed.

2) February 9, 2023 – A hybrid in-person / online event in the Lower Mainland to highlight products from around the province ready to sell to B.C. post-secondary and healthcare institutions. Applications Closed

PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT FEATURES OF INTEREST

For each event, Good to Grow worked closely with Advisory Groups made up of representatives from post-secondary institutions and healthcare authorities to inform us of the types of products and product features they are looking for as well as their procurement requirements.

We welcome all interested businesses to apply. Please note preference will be given to those that meet the identified products and/or product features below as well as the event selection criteria outlined in the Application Form.

The products and product features of interest are:

  • Applies to All Products:
    • Indigenous-Owned / -Operated Businesses
    • Products in packaging that can be fully recycled or composted
  • Products and Product Features:
    • Proteins
      • Chicken (diced, breast, low sodium, halal)
      • Seafood (salmon, tuna, white fish, canned, breaded & cooked, frozen, frozen diced)
      • Deli Meats
    • Traditional Indigenous Foods Ingredients
      • Proteins (bison, buffalo, jerky, smoked duck breast, pulled duck, candied salmon, ocean cod, wild meats)
      • Herbs, rices, vegetables, seasonings, berries
    • Bakery / Deserts / Confectionary
      • Gluten-free, plant-based, low-sugar, par-baked, frozen slabs/trays, individually pre-packaged, mixes, doughs
      • Muffin batters, tortillas, cookies, cakes, pies
    • Dairy
      • Yogurt (pureed fruit and lower sugar for Health, single serving)
      • Cheese (portioned sliced, shredded, swiss, cheddar, variety of standard cheeses)
    • Eggs
      • Liquid eggs for scramble, ready-to-eat hard boil, quiches, egg bakes
    • Soups
      • fresh with ability to freeze, bulk and individual bags
    • Beverages
      • non “soda pop” drinks; non-alcoholic
    • Produce
      • canned fruit, fresh fruit cups or bulk fresh fruit cocktail with low sugar for Health, frozen vegetables
    • Herbs / Spices
      • dried, must be processed in B.C. not just repacked (interest for February 9, 2023 event)
    • Ready-to-Eat products
    • Grab-n-Go and Snack items

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

  1. Apply for one or both events (same Application Form) by the application deadline. Please keep in mind you can only participate in one event.
  2. Applicants will be shortlisted based on each event’s selection criteria. Approximately 10-15 businesses will be selected for each event.
  3. Applications will be evaluated Good to Grow, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food with input from B.C. post-secondary institutions and health authority representatives.
  4. Good to Grow will reach out to the final list for confirmation of their participation.

PARTICIPANT PREPARATION

To help prepare the participants for the Pitch events, Good to Grow will deliver several mandatory educational training sessions for each event:

  • Workshop: An online workshop to review the institutional food service market channel and its requirements, sales materials, preparing your pitch, and Pitch day logistics
  • One-on-One Coaching Sessions: Each participant will have two online one-on-one sessions with Good to Grow to review their sales materials and practice their pitch

Pitch Event

You will be pitching either in- person or online to a panel of post-secondary institutions, healthcare authorities, service, providers, and broadline distributors as follows:
● 5 minutes to present your business and products (samples to prepared live in on-site kitchen and/or shipped beforehand)
● 5 minutes to answer questions