Melbourne’s North Food Group

Melbourne’s North Food Group is an active and dynamic industry cluster that represents over 400 food, beverage and fibre businesses across Melbourne’s north.

Managed and operated by NORTH Link, MNFG offers its partners:

  • free strategic business reviews
  • heavily discounted access to trade shows and international buyer visits
  • specialist information sessions on industry trends
  • workshops to build business capability
  • group buying opportunities and much more.

The group was set up in response to the Food and Beverage Growth Plan: Melbourne’s North. This report identified the opportunity to develop a food and beverage hub that will help grow the sector by an extra 7000 jobs and increase the turnover from $2.6 billion to $5 billion over 10 years.

The mission of MNFG is to drive productivity, competitiveness and opportunities – and to build business capability – across this important industry. Advocacy is key to its role and it provides a single contact point between partners and all levels of government, experts and education to maximise opportunities.

Consultation and networking are central to MNFG activities, and its goal is always to ensure the best outcome for MNFG partners and the local industry sector it serves.

Visit the Melbourne’s North Food Group website here.

MNFG has strong support from its founding partners:

Nillumbik logo small

Strategic business reviews

MNFG offers free strategic business reviews to partner organisations.

These reviews give an outsider view of the business (including revenue and profit analysis) and an easy to adopt implementation plan.

The business can then decide whether or not to accept the recommendations.

Suppliers of this service often charge more than $2500 but it is offered to MNFG partners free of charge.

MNFG also facilitates Operational and Financial Business Reviews for a discounted price.

This type of review gives in-depth insight on business performance, incorporating financial matrices.

It includes a review of the last two years and current management accounts, a business review plan, a presentation to the company and follow up visits to assist with implementation of recommendations.

Access to trade shows and international buyer visits

MNFG continues to have a presence at national and international trade shows including Fine Foods Melbourne and Gulfood, where many MNFG partners achieved sales and made valuable connections with thousands of potential buyers.

Partners have also benefited from a range of seminars and workshops. A highlight was the China Opportunities Seminar Series co-hosted by La Trobe University, where experts gave MNFG partners comprehensive advice on the best way to enter the Chinese market.

Read more about that here.

Workshops and seminars

NORTH Link and MNFG regularly hold events focusing on different aspects of the industry and business in general.

These events build business capability in key areas such as employment and exporting, and are often held as morning sessions to suit business hours. Attendees have direct access to experts in different fields who can answer questions and provide real case studies to illustrate their points.

Find upcoming food and beverage based events here.

Group buying

Of frequent concern to many businesses are costs such as energy, ingredients, packaging and manufacturing supplies, so MNFG facilitates group buying information sessions to give partners the knowledge they need to save money on these essential commodities.

For more information: 

Eddy Boscariol

Follow Melbourne’s North Food Group