When you think of joining a bulk food buying group, what is the first benefit that comes to mind?

For most hospitality venues, the immediate answer is cost-saving.

But what about suppliers and distributors? The benefits to them are often overlooked by assumptions of tighter margins, inflexible pricing, or loss of direct relationships. However, the upside can have a far greater positive impact.

Rather than managing inconsistent orders from multiple separate venues, suppliers within the My Local Foodie buying group gain access to consolidated, predictable purchasing patterns across a well-managed network. Together with their kitchen management software Costimator, also means centralised communication, better forecasting, operational efficiency, reduced admin, and stronger, long-term relationships with venues that value consistency and professionalism.

But this is a win-win. Whilst suppliers enjoy improved efficiency and margin predictability, venues also benefit from the value and trust this structure brings…

Across Australia, hospitality venues are being squeezed by rising costs, staffing shortages, and unstable supply chains. And while cost savings remain a core benefit, the most forward-thinking venues are focused not just on cutting costs, but on building more sustainable, future-ready operations. This means thinking beyond the price of an individual item. At My Local Foodie, we assess the total value of a supplier’s offer, not just the cost of one item at a point in time, as the cheaper price can be misleading if it’s offset by higher prices on others in the same category. Therefore, our goal is to look at the full basket of savings per category whilst ensuring the suppliers’ reliability, product range, quality and operations align with those needs of the venue they are servicing.

Being part of My Local Foodie’s food procurement group and having access to their end to end kitchen management software Costimator, also means joining a trusted community backed by data, expert support, and strategic partnerships. With hundreds of venues across Australia in their network, they have strong, transparent relationships with trusted suppliers nationwide offering clients access to competitive pricing on everything from core proteins and pantry lines to niche specialty items. During periods of volatility, from the egg and meat crises to the now, looming butter shortage, there’s also strength in numbers and data. My Local Foodie can see trends before they hit, help with clever menu engineering, tap into broader supply chains and facilitate a quick pivot to preserve profitability and quality.

So, joining My Local Foodie isn’t just a cost decision, it’s a strategic one. It’s about making informed data driven decisions and gaining visibility, stability, access and expert support. This, in turn, lends itself to long-term growth and success, so whether you’re a hospitality venue or a high-volume distributor, the power of the collective could be your biggest advantage in today’s unpredictable market.