The future of food is local.
What is Pitch & Plate?
Pitch & Plate is a new and unique event 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.
The event gives local food and beverage processors the opportunity to pitch their products to B.C. post secondary institutions, hospitals and healthcare authorities, broadline distributors, and service providers who are interested in pioneering new and innovative local products in their institutions. It provides processors with the opportunity to access and learn about the institutional food service market channel.
Good to Grow has delivered five successful Pitch & Plate events highlighting 60 B.C. brands:
February 2023: A hybrid event at Simon Fraser University featuring 12 brands from around the province: Big Mountain Foods, “Gratitude Seafood (St. Jean’s Cannery & Smokehouse), The Plant Based Workshop (The Workshop Vegetarian Café), Sunrise Soya Foods, Tamaly Shop, Rossdown Farms & Natural Foods, Grandpa J’s Seasoning Inc, Kula Foods, Chiwis, Bonus Bakery, Wise Bites, Plantastic Food.
October 2022: An online event featuring 11 brands from B.C.’s North, Cariboo, Thompson Okanagan and Kootenay regions. Brands included Protein Powered, Rad Jamz / Rad Relish, Happy Gut Pro, Smithereens Mushrooms, UMAMI Crave the Fifth, North Pacific Kelp Wild Foods, MotherLove Ferments, Enercheez®, Farming Karma Fruit Company, Melissa’s Klassy Kitchen, Viva Cacao
March 2022: A hybrid event at Camosun College in Victoria featuring 9 brands from Vancouver Island. We had the pleasure of having Honourable Lana Popham the former Minister of Agriculture and Food attend and give opening remarks. Brands included Arbutus Farms Kitchen, Bake My Day Gluten-free Bakeries, Hornby Organic, Island Farms Poultry (Rossdown Farms and Natural Foods), Natural Pastures Cheese Company, Rawmbas Foods, Sutra Foods, Samosa Box, Walcan Seafood
November 2021: An online event featuring 14 B.C. brands from around the province: Alkeme Foods, Angkor Harvest, Bangin’ Bannock, Barakah Eats, EMKAO Foods, Komo Comfort Foods, Kindred Cultures, Morgan’s Harbour (Hibiscus Foods), Peqish Food Company, Tayybeh Foods, Yoggu!, The Very Good Food Co., River Select Fisheries Cooperative, Yumasoy
January 2021: An online event featuring 14 B.C. brands from around the province: Goodly Foods Society, Hardbite Chips (Naturally Homegrown Foods), Hoochy ‘Booch Kombucha, Lita’s Mexican Foods, Naked Snacks, One Arrow, Panela Lemon, Plant Veda Foods, Soul Bite Food, Sriracha Revolver Hot Sauce, Tempea Natural Foods, TMRW Foods, Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt
Attendees have included:
University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Capilano College, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Douglas College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Thompson Rivers University, Camosun College, University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, Vancouver Island University, University of the Fraser Valley, Selkirk College, University of Northern BC, Island Health, Fraser Health, Northern Health, Dana Hospitality, Sysco, Gordon Food Service, and Compass Group Canada.
