Flour & Bean is an independent, multi-site artisan bakery and coffee house with six retail outlets across Norfolk, selling hand crafted speciality breads, cakes and savouries using local suppliers and locally sourced ingredients.

During lockdown, the owners of Flour & Bean pitched and won a contract at Norwich Airport. This business expansion included taking over the management of an airside bar, restaurant and coffee shop, plus a landside deli and coffee shop, all of which were previously operated by The Restaurant Group.

Flour & Bean have been Regency members for over three years, and due to our strong relationship and successful partnership, they reached out to their Regency Procurement Manager for support in setting up their new venture.

The Regency team assisted Flour & Bean in sourcing and selecting all alcohol and drinks products, introducing various new suppliers and brand owners to create the full wine, draught and packaged drinks offering.

When it came to the menu development, due to the limited dwell-time of an airport traveller, there was a requirement for all dishes to have a 15 minute ‘order to table’ delivery time. There was also a strong emphasis placed on price, with Flour & Bean owners committed to offering their customers good value for money as opposed to the usual inflated airport prices.

The menu development process involved development days with selected suppliers and their development chefs and culminated in a final menu cook-off on-site when the menu was finalised.

With passenger numbers below the usual levels, the menus were engineered to offer a streamlined offering initially, with the ability to expand the menus as footfall increases.

Regency Purchasing Group is passionate about supporting independent and family-owned businesses, and the team we’re thrilled to play a part in Flour & Beans successful business expansion.

Procurement Manager – Louisa Noble

“The support from Regency Purchasing Group has been invaluable and allowed us to confidently launch our new airport outlets despite having never operated a bar or restaurant before. Not only did we receive expert advice on the most suitable products, suppliers and pricing, but we gained invaluable operational insights that have contributed to the successful openings.”

David Laingchild, Owner.