TWO regular Delegates, The Corner Dairy in Doubleview and Novotel Perth, have shared what keeps bringing them back. Both say the same thing in different ways: WA produce is some of the best they’ve sourced, and Meet the Buyer™ is where they go to find it.

At Novotel Perth, sourcing local isn’t a box to tick, it’s built into how the kitchen operates. The team builds menus around what’s genuinely available, rather than forcing a fixed list of dishes onto suppliers. That means working closely with producers, staying close to what’s in season, what’s scarce, and what’s ready to be trialled. When stock shifts, the team pivots with it, treating supply changes as an opportunity rather than a problem. Meet the Buyer™ gives them direct access to growers and producers through face-to-face conversations that are hard to replicate elsewhere.

For The Corner Dairy, the value goes further. The team brings kitchen staff along, not just buyers, because they’re the ones who become the real champions of products back in the workplace. Staff meet the growers and producers behind the ingredients they use every day, building a stronger connection and ownership. That connection, the team says, helps keep staff engaged and invested in what they do.

Between the two venues, a clear pattern emerges. Neither treats Meet the Buyer™ as a one-off sourcing trip. Both return to build ongoing relationships with the people behind the produce and involve more than just the buying team in the process.