Bankuet

What Bankuet does

Bankuet is a UK-based digital food donation platform founded in 2019 by Robin Ferris after he volunteered at a London food bank. The company operates a two-sided platform connecting individual and corporate donors with a network of 295 UK food banks (as of 2025), converting monetary donations into bulk-purchased supplies that match food banks' stated weekly needs, thereby eliminating the waste and shortages endemic to traditional physical food donation. Food banks submit requests through a dedicated web app (foodbank.bankuet.co.uk), Bankuet procures the specified items at scale from trusted suppliers, and delivers them to the food bank. Donors contribute through the public website via one-off or monthly donations to specific food banks or to a general fund.

The platform is built on a standard web architecture integrating Stripe, PayPal, GoCardless, Apple Pay, and Google Pay for payment processing, Mapbox for the interactive food bank locator, and Mailchimp for email outreach. The donor-facing site and the separate food bank portal are the two primary product surfaces, with supporting features including a personalized donor portal, fundraising campaign tools, and a planned Gift Aid collection feature for 2026. Bankuet has invested in product iteration, including a redesigned food bank web app launched in July 2024 for the company's 5th anniversary.

Bankuet's business model is a transaction-fee take rate: the platform charges a 7.5% deduction from donations to cover operating costs, with food banks using the platform free of charge. Direct donations to support platform operations also represent a revenue stream. GTM is hybrid — product-led self-serve donations via the website, sales-led outreach to onboard new food banks (which receive a matched £250 for first donations raised), and event-driven campaigns leveraging founder Ferris's music industry network (James Bay, The Last Dinner Party, Travis). The company is registered as Bankuet Limited in England and Wales, operates with a lean team of 1-10 (primarily volunteers and contractors), and has not disclosed any external funding rounds.

Name

Bankuet

Legal name

Bankuet Limited

Website

https://bankuet.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bankuet is a UK digital donation platform connecting individual donors with 295 food banks by converting monetary gifts into bulk-purchased, food bank-requested supplies, charging a 7.5% platform fee while offering the platform free to food banks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank Donation Platform

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAA

Food Assistance & Food Banks

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Food bank donations
• Donation platform
• Zero-waste logistics
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Bulk food supply

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donation platform commission: Bankuet takes 7.5% of donations to cover platform operating costs. Food banks use the platform for free.
2. Platform support donations: Users can make direct donations to support Bankuet's platform development, technology improvements, team growth, and operations.
3. Gift Aid collection (planned 2026): Bankuet plans to launch Gift Aid collection to increase donation value for food banks through HMRC reclaim.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bankuet operates a digital donation platform that connects UK donors directly with food banks, converting monetary donations into bulk-purchased food and household supplies that food banks specifically request. Donors make one-off or monthly contributions via the website, and Bankuet uses bulk purchasing power to deliver exactly what each of its 295 partner food banks needs, eliminating surplus waste. The company retains a 7.5% platform fee on donations to cover operating costs while food banks use the service free of charge.

Product overview

Bankuet operates as a unified digital donation platform connecting UK donors with food banks in need. The core offering consists of the Bankuet Donation Platform (public-facing website for making donations), the Bankuet Food Bank Web App (separate portal for food bank partners to request supplies), and Fundraising Campaigns tools. These products work together: donors use the main platform to give money, which flows to the food bank web app where partners submit their shopping lists, and Bankuet bulk-purchases and delivers exactly what is needed. Supporting features include a donor portal for tracking giving history, an interactive food bank map for location-based donations, and Gift Aid collection for UK tax benefits. The platform operates on a zero-waste model where 100% of donations go to supplies, with Bankuet taking 7.5% to cover operational costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bankuet Donation Platform Digital donation platform enabling UK donors to make one-off or monthly monetary donations to specific food banks or to Bankuet's general fund. Donations are converted via bulk purchasing into exactly the supplies partner food banks request.
• Bankuet Food Bank Web App Dedicated web application for food bank partners to submit weekly shopping lists, request specific supplies, and manage donation tracking and inventory. Free for food banks to use.
• Bankuet Fundraising Campaigns Tools for individuals, musicians, bands, corporates, and community organisations to create and run fundraising campaigns supporting food banks through Bankuet. Includes campaign setup, social media assets, email templates, and live fundraising tracking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every £1 donated delivers more than £1 worth of supplies through bulk buying
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TraviscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Scottish band Travis partnered with Bankuet for the 'EAT THE BEAT' campaign during their 'Raze The Bar' UK tour. Fans could donate through Bankuet at venues or online. Raised £21,053. Fran Healy, lead singer, publicly supported the campaign.
• The Last Dinner PartycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2024British guitar band's 'Ribbons for Provisions' campaign became Bankuet's highest-ever fundraising campaign. Raised £58,138 across 22 sold-out shows (£29,069 from fans, matched by band). Q Prime Management, Advanced Tour Management, Sarah Boorman, and Island Records supported the partnership.
• James BaycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 November 2023Three-time GRAMMY Award-nominated singer partnered with Bankuet for a fundraising concert at London's Lafayette venue. All profits went directly to UK food banks via Bankuet's platform. Amazon Music sponsored the event. Raised £22,000.
• Strong RootsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, Bankuet launched the UK's first frozen veggie food bank with Strong Roots, expanding food bank offerings to include frozen vegetables.
• TrussellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrussell is a major food bank network. Bankuet's model complements traditional physical donation points. Lynda Battarbee, Director of Network Operations at Trussell, has publicly endorsed Bankuet's digital-first approach.
• Feeding BritainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndrew Forsley OBE, National Director at Feeding Britain, has praised Bankuet's model for getting essential food and supplies to right places at right time, reducing inefficiency and supporting communities.
• The FisheriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted a fundraising dinner in support of Bankuet. Raised £2,874 for food bank supplies. Steve Watkins, Co-founder, expressed pride in supporting Bankuet's mission.
• Hampstead KitchenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivate dining company ran 'Hampstead Kitchen Feasts For Bankuet' campaign. For every dining experience delivered, a contribution was made to Bankuet. Raised £950.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• City Harvest London: London-based food redistribution charity collecting surplus food and delivering to charities. Operates in the same UK food-rescue value chain but with a surplus-food (rather than donation-funded) sourcing model.
• FoodCycle: UK charity that combines surplus food with volunteers to cook community meals. Addresses similar food-insecurity beneficiaries through a different (volunteer-cooked meal) delivery mechanism.

Broad incumbents

• The Trussell Trust: UK's largest food bank network operating 1,400+ food banks. Not a digital platform, but Bankuet's strategic partner and the dominant incumbent in the same beneficiary base, making it the most important ecosystem comparator.
• Feeding Britain: UK charity coordinating anti-hunger work across local authorities and partner organisations. Comparable as a national-level food-poverty organisation and existing Bankuet endorser/partner.

Direct peers

• Too Good To Go: Pan-European marketplace app selling surplus restaurant and retailer food at discounted prices to consumers. Adjacent in food-waste reduction but commercially oriented; competes for the same donor/supplier attention in the UK.
• FareShare: UK's largest food redistribution charity, redirecting surplus food from suppliers to charities and community groups. Operates in the same food-bank-to-supplier value chain as Bankuet and is referenced in Bankuet's broader ecosystem.
• Olio: UK-based sharing app that redistributes surplus food between households, businesses, and local volunteers. Closely comparable as a digital platform tackling food waste in the UK, with overlapping donor/beneficiary audiences and similar mobile/web donation mechanics.
• FoodCloud: Irish-founded tech platform connecting retailers' surplus food with charities. Comparable to Bankuet as a digital intermediary matching supply to recipient need, though with a surplus-food (vs. donation-funded) origin.

Others

• GoodSAM (Good Smartphone Activated Medics) / GoodGym / similar donation-platform adjacents: JustGiving and similar online fundraising platforms enable charitable giving to UK causes. Not a food-bank competitor but a peer for donor-side digital fundraising mechanics that could overlap with Bankuet's donation flow.

Emerging players

• Karma: UK food-waste app enabling restaurants to sell surplus meals to consumers. Adjacent food-waste marketplace with overlapping merchant relationships but consumer-pays (vs. donation-funded) model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bankuetuk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bankuetuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/bankuetuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bankuet
• Instagraminstagram.com/bankuet
• TikToktiktok.com/@bankuet

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Bankuet