Connect & Inspire
Caterforce Conference 2022
The Caterforce conference is held every two years at the prestigious hotel, Celtic Manor, in south Wales. The eight members of the buying group come together to connect with a wide range of suppliers from across the country. The conference gives everyone the chance to catch up with friends, new and old, to learn about the future direction of the buying group and its members.
This year’s conference was held on Wednesday 16th November.
There were several themes covered in the conference agenda:
1. Sustainability and regionality
2. Growth, investment and business agility
3. Marketing – how has buyer behaviour changed recently? How positive are business owners currently feeling? What influences their buying behaviour?
4. What do the Caterforce members need from suppliers to be able to continue to grow and support local customers?
There were several speakers from Caterforce members and third party consultants covering all the topics. Videos showcased the eight members’s successes, investments and relationships between community groups and customers.
We would like to express our greatest respect and thanks to Lynsey Buckle of Carlisle Youth Zone, John Cooke, Head Chef of Haweswater Hotel and James Hill of the Lounge on the Green and Oka for agreeing to be part of our conference videos!
Lynsey explained how without the help of businesses such as Pioneer it would be difficult for charities such as Carlisle Youth Zone to keep their doors open to parts of our community which need their resources and help on a daily basis.
James praised the service and products he receives on a daily basis to help in the success and smooth running of both his restaurants. He has bought from us for over 16 years and we have built up a fantastic relationship and rapport with both James and his staff over the years. He enjoys using many of our own brand products and is always on the look out for regional products too.
When we interviewed John at the Haweswater Hotel, unfortunately it was on a day when the weather was against us! This hotel is in the most beautiful setting and their first-class restaurant benefits from John and his team’s innovation. He enjoys a positive relationship with us and finds our online ordering system easy, useful and informative to use. He finds the up-to-date information and stock levels help him be responsive and find the best quality products to help him maintain his excellent menus.
Keynote Speaker – Ben Fogle
The highlight of the conference was the keynote speaker, Ben Fogle. Adventurer, explorer and outdoor hero, Ben gave us a fascinating insight into his life and the challenges he has faced.
We were all amazed by his account of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in a simple rowing boat with James Cracknell. He had no experience of rowing previously and in fact, initially inserted the oars on the boat the wrong way around! After six hours of solo rowing and gaining bleeding hands, Ben found they had only travelled four miles … they only had 2,546 miles left to go.
They finally landed in Antigua after rowing continuously for 49 days, 19 hours, 8 minutes. No mean feat by any means! The guy was a true inspiration to us all on the day.
The fascinating and insightful event was then followed by a black tie dinner event and supplier awards.
After missing out on social events, conferences and formal supplier meetings for many months, it was once again great to see familiar faces and make contact with those we have missed.