Food Academy gives small food producers a big chance

What began as a collaboration between SuperValu, Bord Bia, 31 Local Enterprise Offices and hundreds of small food producers, has seen the first ‘class’ of food producers graduate from the Food Academy Start programme.

Local producers from Waterford City and County; Gino’s Ice-cream, Ponticelli Coffee, The Early Bird Egg Company, Edelicious and Sea of Vitality took part in the tailored retail programme and this week saw their products displayed on the shelves of Caulfield’s SuperValu in Waterford.

Thomas Caulfield of Caulfield’s SuperValu Group, welcomed the new producers to the aisles of the Morgan Street store, commenting that “There is a rich tapestry of tastes and flavours on offer from the five companies, from coffee roasted exclusively in Waterford and bread made from seaweed to fresh flavoursome ice-cream, home-made sauces and accompaniments and organic, farm-fresh, free-range eggs.”

He added, “We are delighted to offer these new businesses the opportunity to showcase their products in our store and to introduce these new, exciting, indigenous ranges to our customers.  The producers in question are in start-up or early start phases and the products they are bringing to market are the embodiment of all that is good about Irish foodstuffs and we are proud to support them on this journey. ”

In September 2013, ‘Food Academy Start’ was launched in order to help develop Ireland’s artisan food industry, to deliver a consistent level of food marketing knowledge created for new and early-stage food business owners and to provide small food business with a solid foundation to progress to shelves of retailers.  The five Waterford producers participated in a series of workshops and one-to-one mentoring followed by a process of focus group testing and brand development. 

Ciaran Cullen of Local Enterprise Office Waterford which implemented and funded the programme was pleased to be involved with the initiative.  “SuperValu and Bord Bia developed a challenging yet rewarding programme for the participants.  The five Waterford businesses have unique food products which they worked hard on developing and deserve to reach a wide customer base on the shelves of SuperValu, as their product will be available in local SuperValu stores for a period of twelve weeks.”

“The food culture in Waterford has shifted perceptively in the last few years.  While consumers look for value, they still want, where and when possible, to support local producers because of their assured quality and traceability.  Here in Waterford we are lucky to have a dedicated group of food producers who are making great strides in putting Waterford on the Irish food map.”

The five local food producers will be trialed throughout the rest of the Waterford SuperValu stores and will be on the shelves of Garvey’s SuperValu Dungarvan, Quish’s SuperValu Tramore and Kelliher’s SuperValu Cappoquin from September 2^nd.

If you have a business idea, find out about what assistance is available to you from your Local Enterprise Office at 32, The Mall in Waterford City or the Civic Offices in Dungarvan. Alternatively you can email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie .  

Love Irish Food Lunch; Enterprising lunch to celebrate local food producers

As part of the Harvest Festival in September Waterford City Enterprise Board has organised a lunch on Friday September 13^th in the dining room of Dooley’s Hotel to celebrate the vast array of local food producers.

This lunch is a celebration of food in Waterford and the South East. With the assistance of the Love Irish Food Initiative diners will enjoy the best food Waterford and the South East has to offer.

The key note speakers at the lunch will be Waterford man Michael Kelly, founder of GIY and Waterford restaurant owner Cormac Cronin, proprietor of Bodega, John’s Street in Waterford.

Bertie Rogers, Chairman of Waterford City Enterprise Board commented on the importance of the event, “The food industry is now a vital component in the revival of the Irish economy and Waterford is fortunate to have such a proliferation of quality food producers. But these businesses require assistance and promotion. That is why this lunch is vital, to celebrate what we have, but also to inspire others to create the next generation of food businesses. That is where the Enterprise Boards can and do help.”

This lunch coincides with the start of a new Waterford City Enterprise Board food programme. ‘Take your food business to supermarket shelf’ is an eight month programme devised by Waterford City Enterprise Board. This programme running from July 2103 to February 2014 is designed for food producers in Waterford City and includes Bord Bia approved workshops and market testing.

Kieran Rumley, Executive Director of Love Irish Food Limited, “We are delighted to be asked to participate in this lunch, the food industry has always been very strong in the southeast and our membership from the area continues to grow”.

Tickets (just €15) for this lunch can be purchased from Waterford City Enterprise Board by calling to its office at New Street in the city or from the reception at Dooley’s Hotel.

Waterford City Enterprise Board offers support services for start-up and existing SME’s in Waterford city. If you have a new business idea or are running a business that requires assistance you can contact the Enterprise Board by phoning Celia on 051-852883 or visit www.waterfordceb.com.