What BFBi does

BFBi is the Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers Association, founded in 1907 and headquartered in Wolverhampton, UK. It is an international trade association that represents the entire brewing, food and beverage industry value chain, covering activities "from seed to sales." Its members span ingredient suppliers, process equipment manufacturers, packaging providers, logistics operators, and brand owners — including named members such as Britvic, Simpsons Malt, Arkell's, Life Health Foods, Cara Technology, HRS Heat Exchangers, Smurfit Kappa, Toyota Material Handling, Anton Paar, and HEUFT.

The organisation delivers a defined bundle of member services built around six core pillars: a searchable member directory, a business advisory helpline operated under partnership with Croner, networking through regional meetings and the BevExpo exhibition, training programmes (NCCSIM Level 2 plus bespoke courses) accredited via BIIAB/CSCS, the Feed Assurance Scheme aligned with NFU, Assured Food Standards and MLC, and an industry news and intelligence function (1,295+ member news posts across 147 archive pages at time of review). Its "core partners" — Croner (HR/regulatory advisory) and Campden BRI (research and training) — provide embedded service delivery rather than acting as resellers.

BFBi's revenue model is a classic trade-association construct: annual membership subscriptions form the base, supplemented by BevExpo exhibition revenue, fees from training and accreditation programmes, and directory/advertising income. The organisation reports itself as serving a worldwide member base, with member news coverage drawn from the UK, Europe and the US. With 1-10 employees, it is a lean operation that relies on its core-partner network to deliver most specialist services rather than building them in-house.

Name

BFBi

Legal name

BFBi (Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers Association)

Website

https://bfbi.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BFBi is a 118-year-old UK-based international trade association representing the entire brewing, food and beverage supply chain. It serves suppliers, equipment makers and brand owners through membership subscriptions, the BevExpo exhibition, training, accreditation and a member directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wolverhampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees providing access to directory listings, business advisory helpline, networking events, industry news, and discounted BevExpo sponsorship. Members receive free entry into the annual directory with enhanced listing options and display advertising.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from BevExpo exhibition stand sales, sponsorship opportunities, and event registration fees. The association offers highly discounted space and networking participation at BevExpo, which hosts the oldest international brewing & cider awards.
3. Training and Accreditation: Revenue from BFBi's training programmes including the Level 2 Technical Certificate in Drinks Dispense (NCCSIM), Cellar Familiarisation Course, and Feed Assurance Scheme. Courses are delivered at venues across the country and on a bespoke basis.
4. Directory and Advertising: Free directory listing with optional paid upgrades including enhanced entries and display advertising placements in the BFBi Annual Directory.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

BFBi is an international trade association representing the entire value chain of suppliers to the brewing, food and beverage industry worldwide. Its core offerings include membership subscriptions providing directory listings, a free Croners business advisory helpline, weekly industry news, networking events, discounted BevExpo stand space and sponsorship, plus training and accreditation programmes (NCCSIM Level 2 Technical Certificate in Drinks Dispense and the BFBi Feed Assurance Scheme for small breweries and distilleries).

Product overview

BFBi (Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers Association) is the only international trade association representing the entire value chain supplying the food & drink industry worldwide. BFBi is not a product company but a membership organization offering member services including: a directory listing service, business advisory helpline (via Croners), social and professional events, industry news updates, and discounted sponsorship opportunities at industry events. Additionally, BFBi offers two training and accreditation programmes: the Level 2 Technical Certificate in Drinks Dispense (NCCSIM) recognised by CSCS, and the BFBi Feed Assurance Scheme for small breweries and distilleries. The association operates as a platform connecting suppliers in the brewing, food and beverage sector, facilitating networking, education, and industry support from seed to sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Level 2 Technical Certificate in Drinks Dispense (NCCSIM) Nationally accredited certificate designed for drinks dispense technicians covering gas pressure systems, properties of beer, dispense equipment, and codes of practice. BIIAB accredited and recognised by CSCS for cellar service engineers.
• Cellar Familiarisation Course One-day training covering dispense systems for brand managers, including installing additional equipment, product changes, and basic quality checks. Delivered at venues across the UK and on a bespoke basis.
• BFBi Feed Assurance Scheme Accreditation scheme to assist small breweries and distilleries in protecting animal and human health whilst satisfying feed safety requirements for co-products. Recognised by Assured Food Standards, Meat & Livestock Commission and NFU as equivalent to FEMAS for producers up to 200,000 hl annually.
• BFBi Annual Directory Annual member directory providing free listings with optional paid enhanced entries and display advertising, distributed to give suppliers visibility across the brewing, food and beverage industry.
• Business Advisory Helpline (Croners) Free helpline for BFBi members to Croners Business Advisory providing advice on employment law, PAYE, corporate law, and health and safety matters.
• BevExpo Annual Exhibition BFBi's flagship annual trade exhibition offering discounted stand space and sponsorship opportunities, hosting the oldest international brewing and cider awards. Provides networking and showcasing opportunities for supplier members.
• Weekly Industry Updates (Your Voice Newsletter) Weekly newsletter distributed to members covering worldwide industry news, legislative updates, business advisory information, and BFBi event listings in the UK and overseas.

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SEFE EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEFE Energy is a preferred energy partner for BFBi, providing energy procurement content, market insights, and contract options (fixed and flexible) for food and beverage members. SEFE contributes weekly energy market reports and articles on the 2026 energy landscape published through BFBi's industry news channels.
• Cara TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCara Technology launched Nexus by Cara Technology through BFBi industry news channels. Nexus is an e-learning platform for sensory analysis and brewing quality control, providing structured courses for QC professionals across food and beverage sectors.
• Toyota Material Handling UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToyota Material Handling UK partnered with Life Health Foods (BFBi member) to supply a comprehensive material handling fleet including lithium-ion powered pallet trucks, counterbalance trucks, I_Site fleet management system, and Aisle Masters for their Peterborough site operations.
• Life Health FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife Health Foods is the UK's leading cereal manufacturer producing Lizi's Granola, Nutri-Brex and Up&Go. Acquired in 2023 by Sanitarium, operating at Peterborough and Wellingborough sites. A BFBi member that partnered with Toyota Material Handling UK for MHE fleet renewal.
• Crisp Malt (Field Forward)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrisp Malt launched Field Forward, the largest sustainable agriculture initiative in the UK malting industry, targeting soil health, water usage, biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions across ~200 farms in their ABC Grower Group. The scheme is verified by SAI Platform's Regenerating Together Programme.
• Campden BRIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampden BRI provides research, innovation, and training services to BFBi members, including allergen management training, product optimisation guidance, canned beverage challenge testing, and supply chain resilience eBooks. Campden BRI conducts periodic industry surveys for BFBi.
• Smurfit KappaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmurfit Kappa provides eCommerce packaging solutions, insulated packaging, and brand packaging services featured in BFBi industry news for members including Dalston's Soda Company and Borough Broth. Smurfit Kappa also publishes an annual Insights Report shared through BFBi.
• Construction Clean ServicesminorOthersConstruction Clean Services provides bioremediation, fogging and sanitising services to food and drink manufacturers across 34 UK sites. Services include bioremediation platforms for fats, oils, and greases in grease traps. A new BFBi member featured in the Welcome to New Members category.
• LemonTop CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLemonTop Creative is BFBi's website developer (Registered in England and Wales, Company No. 11760186 | LemonTop) and a brand design agency specialising in drinks branding. They designed Drop Bear Beers' Cut Lagers range and the BFBi website.
• Croner Business AdvisorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCroner Business Advisory provides a free of charge helpline to BFBi members for help on employment law, PAYE, corporate law, and health & safety — a core membership benefit.
• Campden BRI Hungary (GLOPACK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampden BRI Hungary contributes to the GLOPACK (Granting society with LOw environmental impact innovative PACKaging) project on food packaging with no environmental footprint, developing biodegradable trays and RFID freshness tags. Research shared through BFBi member bulletins.
• Assured Food Standards / NFU / Meat & Livestock CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFBi Feed Assurance Scheme is recognised by Assured Food Standards, Meat & Livestock Commission, and NFU — bodies that support the scheme as equivalent to FEMAS for small breweries and distilleries producing up to 200,000 hl annually.
• BIIAB / CSCScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFBi's NCCSIM Level 2 Technical Certificate in Drinks Dispense is BIIAB accredited. Successful candidates receive CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) accreditation and identification card with CSCS holofoil — a core professional credential for cellar service engineers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UK Hospitality: UK trade body for the hospitality sector (pubs, bars, hotels, restaurants), offering policy, training and events — a broader incumbent that overlaps with BFBi's on-trade operator membership segment.
• British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA): The leading UK trade body for brewers and pubs, offering lobbying, statistics, training and events. A larger, more established incumbent with overlapping industry representation compared with BFBi's brewing supply-chain remit.
• Food and Drink Federation (FDF): UK trade association representing food and drink manufacturers with policy, sustainability and export support services. A broader incumbent that overlaps with BFBi's 'seed-to-sales' supply-chain positioning.
• Confederation of British Industry (CBI): The UK's largest cross-industry business membership organisation providing lobbying, advisory services and events — a broad incumbent showing the scale BFBi could potentially grow into, though across all sectors.

Direct peers

• Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA): UK trade association representing independent breweries, with membership services, training, lobbying and regional events — directly comparable to BFBi's brewing-focused membership, accreditation and advocacy model.
• Campden BRI: Research and training organisation serving the food and beverage industry, providing accredited courses and technical publications — directly comparable to BFBi's training and industry-news content model (and an existing content partner).
• Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD): International professional body for brewing and distilling with accredited qualifications, training and technical publications — directly comparable to BFBi's NCCSIM accreditation and brewing-sector training programmes.
• Brewing Industry Guide: UK directory and information resource serving the brewing supply chain — directly comparable to BFBi's annual directory and member-listing service as a brewing supplier reference platform.

Regional players

• Brewers of Europe: European brewing trade body representing national brewers' associations at EU level. Comparable to BFBi as a brewing-industry association but operating at a continental remit, illustrating the international peer set BFBi claims to address.

Others

• Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS): Professional membership body offering accredited qualifications, training and networking for supply-chain professionals — thematically comparable as a membership-led accreditation and networking organisation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bfbi1907
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW9CIi7NaNv3Cdbt_g0bOyg
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearebeverage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bfbi
• Instagraminstagram.com/bfbi_1907

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BFBi