Attending an Innovation Supper:
What It’s Like (and Why You Should Go)
25th November 2025 - New Experience Number 28.
Attending an innovation supper is a really fun way to hear about entrepreneurs making exciting steps forward in business in your local area.
On a mission to try 52 new things in a year, I booked my ticket to attend one, and to discover what it was all about.
What Is An Innovation Supper?
If you’ve ever seen Dragon’s Den, (or Shark Tank), then it’s along similar lines.
New businesses pitch their ideas to an audience, in the hope that they will be chosen to win a monetary investment.
Anyone can buy a ticket to attend the innovation supper. Part of the price of the ticket goes towards the investment fund, so there’s no expectation that you have to put your hand in your pocket to offer up a lump sum on the night.
At the end of the event, the audience votes for who they want to receive the money, and the winner is announced.
And of course, as the name suggests, supper is provided too – and it was delicious!
What Is The Purpose Of An Innovation Supper?
Organised by York Business School and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, the event aims to support fledgling businesses with advice, encouragement, and funding. They aim to build a community that connects new entrepreneurs with more established ones.
It’s also about supporting development in York by nurturing a diverse network and helping businesses to begin, grow, and thrive in the city.
All in all, it’s a really positive thing.
The Investment - Attending An Innovation Supper
The investment the businesses were pitching for was £500, and was partly raised through the ticket price. A fantastic boost that can go a long way to helping them as they are starting out.
But I’d argue it’s not just about the money. I hadn’t heard of any of the businesses before the event. The innovation supper is a fantastic platform for the entrepreneurs to promote their work and raise awareness of what they are up to.
There’s also the opportunity to meet other like-minded people, to spark ideas and build connections, all of which can be invaluable when you’re starting out.
The Pitches
The businesses had just 10 minutes to pitch, explaining what they do, how they would use the investment and the difference it would make to them.
As attendees, we could then ask questions to expand on specific areas, seek clarity, and discover their future aspirations for the business.
All of the pitches were so good! I loved hearing the passion behind the products and the creative solutions they had come up with.
The Businesses
On the night I attended we heard from four very different businesses;
- Sealstop – who have created a device that means you can leave a hose to fill up a bucket and walk away without it overflowing. The simple but effective contraption stops the water from running when it reaches the desired level.
NinetyOne Jewellery – a mother and daughter business offering beautiful bespoke pieces of jewellery to help women feel unique, confident and expressive when they wear it.
Peoples Defence – a software company providing wearable tech that can capture images, offering an added sense of reassurance and protection.
Kasada – an interactive online platform turning urban exploration into gamification. It’s all about helping people to explore local areas, and turn interests and experiences into connections.
All four of them delivered such polished presentations and did a fantastic job of answering all of the questions that were thrown their way.
Networking - Attending An Innovation Supper
It wasn’t just the presenting businesses that we got to meet. The audience was made up of such a varied mix of people, many of them already running their own successful businesses in the city.
After the pitches we had the chance to mingle, and I met some fascinating people doing amazing things – from new heating solutions to science-based health innovations. I loved having even the briefest delve into worlds I had never heard about before.
The Vote
Amongst all of the chit chat, there was a very important task to be done.
We had to vote for the business that we thought deserved the investment money.
It was a private vote, done through the simple scan of a QR code on our phones. We just had to select which entrepreneur we thought was a worthy winner.
The Results
The results were announced towards the end of the evening.
It was a tense moment as they were all such worthy winners, but in the end, the audience had voted for Sealstop.
We could see this meant a lot to them as they delivered a thank you speech.
The Supper
The supper was a delicious spread, and there was plenty of it too.
Fresh salads and hearty pastries were accompanied by a selection of hot and cold drinks. We were very well catered for, and it was all included in the ticket price.
A Brilliant Event - Attending An Innovation Supper
I love hearing what people are up to, and scratching the surface of things that are going on in my home city. There are so many ideas, innovations, and creative projects happening around us. Yet we often don’t hear about things unless we actively seek them out.
Listening to enthusiastic people doing good things in York made me feel genuinely proud. From the conception of ideas to future aspirations, it was energising and inspiring – and all I really had to do was listen.
New Experiences Don’t Always Have To Be Active To Help Us Grow
Sometimes trying something new can just mean absorbing a situation, or putting yourself in an unfamiliar environment.
Through trying 52 new things a year since 2018, I’ve discovered that there’s a lot to be gained from stepping into new spaces. By listening to, and observing others, we can broaden our perspectives, appreciate different viewpoints, and spark some fantastically creative thoughts.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- I found the Innovation Supper on Event Brite.
- If you’re in York, you could keep an eye on the events page of the North And North Yorkshire Growth Hub Website
- If you’re not in York, take a look online to see if there are any business networks near you, and whether they are hosting anything similar. If not, why not suggest it?
Cost Of Experience
- Tickets to attend cost £10 per person.
Recommendations
- Go with an open mind. You never know what businesses you might hear from.
- Consider business cards. Or at least consider how you’re going to share your details if you meet anyone that you might want to connect with.
- Enjoy the event. Let me know how you get on if you give it a go.