A free seminar is being hosted by Partners In Purchasing.

The seminar, entitled, 'The Crunch: Cutting Costs or Corporate Responsibility', will take place at 4pm on Thursday 9th October at Deutsche Bank, Winchester Street, London, to discuss the issue of balancing the budget and sustainability, for organisations offering catering services.

The intention of the seminar is to provide a forum for debate and discussions on critical topics of our day, both to inform and to receive information which leads to real solutions from operators and experts in their field. Amongst the topics on the agenda will be ethical sourcing, fair trade and local farming. Following this, there will be an opportunity to network and meet local suppliers.

The debate, chaired by David Clarke, CEO of Best Western Hotels, will involve panellists of various backgrounds, including Peter Davis, Political Editor of Ethical Corporation, who writes widely on the social and political issues underlying the corporate responsibility agenda.

In his role as chair of David Cameron's working group on responsible business, he wrote, 'A light but effective touch'. Peter will report on highlights of the research undertaken for Partners In Purchasing Ltd and continue his monitoring of CR in the supply chain at the seminar. He has more than 15 years experience in the field of CR and has worked all over the world with organisations such as NATO, Shell, BSkyB and Diageo.

Another panellist, forager Miles Irving, teaches foraging skills and has written a book entitled, 'The Forager Handbook'. He is a supplier of wild ingredients to restaurants on a weekly basis and contends that a widespread revival of foraging is a key element in the return to seasonal and local food.

As the premier procurement company in the UK, Partners In Purchasing has been managing and controlling purchasing in catering since 1997 and select appropriate suppliers and products for their clients. PIP's aim is to add value to their clients through innovation in products; to assist in the adoption of more relevant work practices, in order to enhance their customers' offers as opposed to cutting costs. This seminar is highly relevant to PIP's perspective of the choices they wish to offer their customers.

If you are interested in attending on the evening, please RSVP as soon as possible in order to secure your place, to Anthony Adams, by emailing [email protected]. The seminar will run from 4pm until 8pm and includes a networking session and an opportunity to meet local suppliers. Refreshments will also be provided.