As we head towards the end of 2025, I’ve found myself doing a lot of reflecting – and feeling hugely proud of what the Tastebuds Collective community has achieved this year. It’s been busy, energising, occasionally challenging, and ultimately incredibly rewarding.
A bigger, bolder year for events
One of the highlights of 2025 was delivering our third Nourish Conference, which continues to grow in ambition and impact. This year we added something completely new: the Tastebuds Market, launched alongside the conference in April. Bringing together producers, innovators and buyers in a more informal, market-style setting created a real buzz and gave our members another valuable route to showcase their products, test ideas and make meaningful connections.
We also had a moment that genuinely stopped us in our tracks – winning Partnership of the Year at the UEA Innovation and Impact Awards. Recognition like this means a huge amount, not just to our team, but to the partners, businesses and institutions we work with every day. It reinforced that the collaborative model we champion really does work.
I want to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, partners and venues for being supportive, accommodating of our mad ideas, without you we wouldn’t have been able to organise 24 events, bringing together over 460 attendees.
Celebrating collaboration, properly
This year also saw us host our first ever Food and Drink Collaboration Awards, and what a night it was. With 80 people in the room, sold-out sponsors, incredible food and a packed evening of networking and celebration, it felt like a real milestone moment for Tastebuds. Celebrating collaboration as an achievement in its own right is something we care deeply about – and judging by the atmosphere on the night, the industry does too.
On the collaboration front more broadly, we celebrated 15 winning projects in July, but that only tells part of the story. Throughout 2025 we’ve once again helped generate hundreds of connections across the food and drink industry, and we never get tired of seeing those introductions turn into products, partnerships, research projects and long-term relationships.
We can’t wait to see the new products launched through local collaborations reach shelves across the country, and we fully intend to be there every step of the way to help you achieve those goals!
Supporting growth – locally and nationally
Beyond Norfolk and Suffolk, 2025 was also a year where many of our brands took confident steps onto the national stage. Our attendance at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair in London was a real success, helping members gain exposure, secure new listings and build momentum beyond the region. Watching and helping local businesses scale up and go national is why we do what we do.
Connecting talent with industry
Students and skills development continue to be a vital part of our work. This year alone, we’ve helped connect over 100 students with food and drink businesses, supporting projects ranging from market insight and data analysis through to branding and commercial strategy.
We were also proud to help deliver the fourth successive year of the UEA’s international team’s partnership with Deakin University in Melbourne and UEA Norwich Business School, welcoming 20 Australian students who worked directly with Norfolk and Suffolk businesses once again. Seeing this international collaboration continue to thrive year after year is a brilliant example of what’s possible when academia and industry genuinely collaborate.
We’ve also launched the third iteration of our Branding collaboration project with Norwich University of the Arts, with more businesses and students than ever before. We started this collaboration by being the guinea pigs, rebranding and renaming ourselves into Tastebuds Collective, working with Norwich Uni, and from 3 businesses “graduating” through our collaboration project in year two, we have eight businesses pitching to students this year, with more students than ever engaged and eager to work with our members.
Becoming a start-up ourselves
Alongside delivering for our now 250 members and the wider food and drink sector, 2025 marked a major internal milestone for Tastebuds. In August, we officially became a fully fledged start-up, with the team moving across to be employed directly by Tastebuds Collective.
It was a big step – financially, operationally and emotionally – but an important one. It really matters to us that our experience mirrors that of our members. Navigating payroll, cashflow and the realities of start-up financing isn’t theoretical for us; it’s lived experience.
That position gives us a unique perspective. Between us, we understand how academia works, how businesses operate, and how the public sector thinks. Sitting at that interface – the so-called triple helix – is where Tastebuds does its best work, and we’re proud to do it in our own, award‑winning way.
Looking ahead to 2026
So yes, I’m incredibly proud of 2025. But I’m also excited about what’s coming next.
In 2026 we’re planning:
- A bigger than ever Nourish Conference
- Two trade shows
- Exploring opportunities to go international again
- And the second year of our Collaboration Awards next summer
- More exclusive collaborations with amazing partners
- More of the same innovative, nurturing and brilliant community events
To our members, partners, sponsors and supporters – thank you for being part of the journey. Here’s to another year of bold ideas, meaningful collaboration and backing the brilliant food and drink industry we’re lucky to work with every day.
2025 wouldn’t have been possible without the incredibly hard work, genius, dedication and patience of Charlotte. You’re only ever as good as the team you surround yourself with, and Charlotte is an incredible asset we’re lucky to have, not just for Tastebuds, but the wider food and drink community.
Alongside Charlotte, Martin was there providing calm, serenity and enthusiasm in equal measures, keeping us grounded and aware of the correct figures on spreadsheets. I’m incredibly proud but not at all surprised of their development as fine people and core members of the industry. In 2026, we welcome Joe to the team to take us to new heights - we can’t wait.
If you’re not yet part of the Tastebuds journey, why not get in touch with us to see how you can get involved.
Bring on 2026.
