One-of-a-kind food and drink innovation centre, The Food WorksSW in Weston-super-Mare is set to host a programme of events open to all UK food and drink businesses, funded through The West of England Food and Drink Support Initiative.
Simon Gregory, Director of The Food WorksSW said, “Our events cover a wide range of topics to support business growth. From focussed sessions on branding, PR, compliance, finance and photography to our annual Discovery Day, businesses are invited to join us to learn from industry experts.”
Through the scheme, subsidised tickets will be available to start-up, micro, small and medium-sized food and drink manufacturers based in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Businesses outside the funding area will also be able to purchase tickets to attend.
The West of England Food and Drink Support Initiative (FDSI) is a fully funded programme designed to help food and drink producers, manufacturers, hospitality and food service businesses start, grow and thrive. Delivered by The Food WorksSW, the scheme provides access to expert technical and business support, themed workshops and practical guidance to help businesses become retail-ready. Eligible businesses can apply at www.foodworks-sw.co.uk/westofengland, while those outside the funded area can access support through The Food WorksSW’s commercial technical programme and hire its product development kitchens at affordable rates.
Funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council, the programme supports businesses across a wide range of areas including food safety and HACCP plans, certification advice such as SALSA, shelf-life testing, nutritional and labelling information, recipe development and product scale-up. Support also includes access to The Food WorksSW’ development kitchens, with up to two days’ kitchen hire and hands-on product development guidance from The Food WorksSW team.
Upcoming events include:
Financing the Future of Food and Drink
Wednesday 11th February, 10:00-13:00, The Food WorksSW
This event brings together Bishop Fleming and FW Capital to provide clear, practical guidance on R&D tax credits and funding options to support business growth.
Grow with Confidence: SALSA, Shelf Life & Claims for Food Producers
Wednesday 11th March, 10:00-15:00, The Engine Shed, Bristol
Led by The Food WorksSW’ Technical Manager Beth Winters and SALSA certification manager Sarah Hall, this full or part-day programme will help businesses strengthen food safety knowledge, understand certification pathways, and make confident, compliant decisions.
Stand Out With Personality: Branding for Food & Drink Founders
Thursday 19th March, 10:00-13:00, The Food WorksSW
A high-energy workshop delivered by branding experts Tidy and designed for early-stage food and drink founders looking to build distinctive brands in a competitive market.
Discovery Day
Thursday 5th March, 9:30-14:30, The Food WorksSW
This event will give food and drink businesses the chance to explore Food FoodSW’s facilities and learn about its in-house expertise, from product testing and development to technical support and scaling up for growth. Throughout the day, attendees will also hear from a range of guest speakers from brands Salcombe Distilling Co., Firebrand Brewing Co., Majic Protein, Trewithen Dairy and Ehrmann UK, as well as The Society of Dairy Technology.
Cut Through The Noise: Leveraging the Media, Influencers, Branding & AI for PR Success
Tuesday 24th March, 10:00-13:30, The Food WorksSW
Designed to help brands cut through an increasingly crowded market, this expert-led workshop brings together insights on PR, AI and design. Sessions will include how strategic PR helps to build trusted food and drink brands with RAW Food & Drink PR, how AI is reshaping marketing and outreach in 2026 with digital creative agency Fanatic, and the topic of “less space, more logo” with creative studio Meor Design.
Photography and Videography Workshop
Tuesday 21st April or Thursday 11th June, 9:30-15:30, The Food WorksSW
Business owners and content creators are invited to join Becky Craven for this practical, hands-on workshop designed to build confidence and skills to capture high quality photos and videos with a smartphone.
Attendees will have the opportunity to network with like-minded businesses and take an optional tour of The Food WorksSW’ facilities after each event. To explore the events programme or book a place, visit www.foodworks-sw.co.uk.
For more information on The Food WorksSW visit foodworks-sw.co.uk, or follow @foodworks_sw on Instagram, Facebook and X.
