A Forge buying day · By application

50 qualified buyers. 30 brands. One day where orders happen.

Not a trade show. A curated buying day where founder-run brands meet the people who actually place the orders — face to face, in one room.

Apply now Read the FAQs
Buyers in the room have come from
WaitroseOcadoCN FoodsISS
What it is

A buying day engineered so the meetings actually land.

we do the matching, so you do the selling.

Trade shows put you in a hall and wish you luck. Meet the Buyer does the opposite. We qualify every buyer and review every brand, so the whole room is worth your morning.

You spend the day in front of people who can place an order, and leave with conversations that go somewhere — not a tote bag of business cards.

The opportunity

One good listing can change your year. This is a day built to win them.

Thirty brands. Fifty buyers. One room. The shortest path between a founder-run brand and a shelf that matters.

Event details

The shape of the day.

01
The buyers
50 qualified

Vetted retail and foodservice buyers actively looking to list.

02
The brands
30 brands

Founder-run, by application, ready to supply at scale.

03
The format
One day

One room, face to face with buyers. Not a noisy hall.

04
The place
A Georgian house

A private house in Norfolk, lunch and the room included.

The venue

A Georgian house, not a conference centre.

We hold the day in a private Georgian house in Norfolk. Good rooms, good light and a long lunch — the kind of setting that makes a buyer glad they made the drive.

the room does some of the work for you.

The investment
£395

per brand, for the whole day.

Your place for the day, lunch and the venue, included. Buyers attend as our guests. Apply by application — we hold thirty seats only.

Apply now
How to apply

Five steps into the room.

01

Apply

Tell us about your brand, your range and where you already sell. It takes a few minutes.

02

We review

We read every application and look at whether the day is a fit for where you are.

03

Eligibility call

A short retail-ready call to talk through your range, your capacity and your ambition.

04

We select

We confirm the brands joining the day and send you everything you need to prepare.

05

Meet the buyer

Spend the day in one room with the people who place the orders, face to face.

FAQs

The questions we get asked.

Who are the buyers?

Qualified retail and foodservice buyers with live listing budgets — names like Waitrose and Ocado among them. We vet every buyer before they walk in.

How does the day work?

Qualified buyers and selected brands spend the day together in one room. You meet buyers face to face — no giant hall, no working the floor hoping to be noticed.

What does it cost?

It is £395 per brand for the day, including your meetings, lunch and the venue. Buyers attend as our guests.

Where is it held?

A private Georgian house in Norfolk. Full travel and timing details go out to confirmed brands once applications close.

Do I have to be a Forge member?

No. Meet the Buyer is open by application to any founder-run brand ready to supply, members and non-members alike. Members get first call on seats.

What if I am not ready to supply at scale?

This is still the right room for you if that is your ambition. National buying decisions typically take 12 to 18 months to complete; regional buyers are much faster. We will talk it through with you on your retail-ready eligibility call.