Chris Jewitt, CEO and founder of Food and Drink North East, has been appointed the Food, Drink and Hospitality expert in residence for BIPC North East, offering up to 12 hours of fully funded, one-to-one support to eligible SMEs across the North East through the Citylife Business Support Grant.
The Citylife Business Support Grant supports local businesses to grow and adapt to the challenging conditions that many are currently facing. The support is aimed at helping businesses successfully tackle these new challenges, increasing business resilience, creating and safeguarding jobs.
Business & IP Centre North East provides this grant to businesses to fully fund support, provided by our Experts in Residence Citylife Experts, such as Chris Jewitt, helping them to grow and implement new models of delivery, equipping them to compete in our challenging economic climate and plan for their future. Eligible SMEs (Small or Medium-sized Enterprises) can access up to twelve hours of free support from BIPC North East Experts.
“As someone who’s spent over 25 years immersed in the food, drink, and hospitality industries, I’m passionate about helping businesses grow with purpose, resilience, and impact,” says Chris. “That’s why I’m proud to be supporting the Citylife Business Support Grant as an Expert in Residence, offering up to 12 hours of fully funded, one-to-one support to eligible SMEs across the North East.”
Throughout Chris’s career he has worked across the supply chain – from grassroots producers to national advocacy.
At Traidcraft, Chris championed ethical sourcing and supply chain innovation. As the Food and Drink Specialist for the Department for Business and Trade, and Head of Food and Drink at Santander UK Corporate & Commercial, he supported North East and UK-based food and drink businesses with international sales and export readiness.
At Food and Drink North East and We Are Local Heroes, Chris continues to help local producers, hospitality leaders, and food brands thrive through purpose-led strategies, storytelling and deep industry insight.
If you’re based in Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, Gateshead, or Sunderland, Chris can support you with:
🔗 Building ethical, resilient and short supply chains
📈 Developing markets across wholesale, retail, and export
💪 Strengthening your brand through storytelling and experience
Th Citylife Business Support Grant is fully funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by Business & IP Centre North East, offering practical advice at no cost to the business and fully tailored to its goals.
To find out more about the Citylife Business Support Grant, please visit: www.bipcnortheast.co.uk/citylife-business-support.
To book an appointment directly with Chris Jewitt, please click here.
