Scandinavian students enjoy an enterprising visit to Waterford City

From March 24^th to 27^th 40 Norwegian and Swedish students and 5 teachers visited Waterford City on the invitation of Ciaran Cullen CEO (Acting), Waterford City Enterprise board. The students are studying a 3-year entrepreneurship program, this is the student’s 3^rd and last year and the Irish visit is the highlight of their year.

A full itinerary was planned for the group including visits to Waterford City enterprises, WIT, historical venues such as the Medieval Museum and on Tuesday March 25^th they attended a private morning seminar. Held at the Garden Room in the Medieval Museum, the seminar included talks by Eamonn McEneaney, Director of Waterford Treasures, Ciaran Cullen CEO (Acting) Waterford City Enterprise Board and the Norwegian Ambassador to Ireland, Roald Næss on Irish/Norwegian trade relations over the 1,100 years that Waterford has been a city.

This is the fifth year Waterford City Enterprise Board has hosted a Norwegian student group. Ciaran Cullen emphasised the importance of the visit, “We have spent a number of years developing friendships with Norway and hosting student groups. This is the second year Swedish students have also travelled."

"The total numbers have doubled in size in the past three years, which I believe is a testament to the success of the relationship. Our approach to enterprise development is a good example to the students and their enterprise teachers, and we have much to learn from them also” Mr. Cullen added.

The group took particular interest and learned much from visiting some of the Enterprise Board’s clients. These included a trip to the Kite Studios, Spraoi and Emerald Crystal where they learned how local enterprises start, grow and competed on a national and international stage. The most fun had to be the visit to WIT and TSSG were they partook in a ‘start your own business’ Pizza game, discovering the pitfalls and various stages of business growth.

Norwegian teacher, Anne Karin Sveinall described the importance of the visit, “I am delighted we have made this study visit a permanent fixture for our 3^rd grade entrepreneurship class. Ireland is in many ways similar to Norway, it is a small country with about 5 million inhabitants. Our students need to learn that Norway is a small country on the edge of Europe, and we depend heavily of the rest of Europe and the world. Many Norwegians seem to think that we will get along fine on our own because of the oil; this is definitely not the case. Not many have been to Ireland before, so this will open their eyes to what Ireland has to offer.”

The group returned home on Thursday March 27^th, tired from a full schedule but having learned much about Ireland and Waterford City’s entrepreneurial challenges and skills.

De la Salle College succeeds at the Waterford City Student Enterprise Awards

Deputy Mayor of Waterford Cllr. Tom Cunningham recently presented the Waterford City Enterprise Board perpetual student enterprise trophy to Cathal Daly for his business, Upright Cycles.
   
The winning entry saw the from De la Salle College pupil founda business where he made hardwood cycle stands for bicycles.  The stand with clipless pedals holds the bicycle by the pedal so it does not touch the frame or rims of the bicycle. 

Cathal will now go on to represent Waterford City at the National Finals in Croke Park on April 2^nd.  

Mr. Bertie Rogers, Chair of Waterford City Enterprise Board, praised the teachers, judges and students for all their effort.  He said, “This programme is designed to prepare students for a possible future in Enterprise. As two thirds of students today will be self-employed at some stage in their lives, it is particularly relevant.  Given the quality of entries today the future looks bright for Enterprise in Waterford City”.

The Waterford City Student Enterprise Awards involves over 350 Waterford transition year students every year. It is part of a national competition.  Each year almost 15,000 students from all over Ireland get to find out what it’s really like to be their own boss and run their own business by taking part in the Student Enterprise Awards Programme.

Mr. Ciaran Cullen, Waterford City Enterprise Board CEO (Acting), praised the winning group itself.  “Whether it is student enterprise or SMEs, good ideas always shine. organisation and determination are very important but a good idea will always stand out and Cathal certainly had the idea, the organisation and the determination. We are delighted with this year’s city winner and are optimistic for the National Finals next month.” 

   

Other Waterford Student Enterprise winners included; 

2nd place: Pet Protects by Eimear Buggy, Aisling Fitzgerald, Laura Maher, Heather Doyle of Abbey Community College

3rd place: Banter Bars by Matthew Kelly, Lilly Rose Fitzmaurice and John Jephson of Newtown Secondary School.

Best Display: The Cake Shop by Sophie Lee of Newtown Secondary School

Best innovation: At Your Finger Tips by Sarah Hickey, Niamh Casey and Rebecca Mulhall of Mercy Convent Secondary School

Students’ Choice Award also went to Cathal Daly of De la Salle College

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 logging on to www.waterfordceb.com.

Inner City Community Youth Projects group wins Padraig O Griofa Youth Enterprise award

"Just Hanging Key Chains" from the Inner City Community Youth Projects was awarded the ‘Padraig O Griofa Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award from Waterford City Enterprise Board.

Now in its second year, Waterford Youth Bank and Waterford City Enterprise Board collaborated to establish a unique relationship aimed at encouraging young entrepreneurs. YOUTHBANK Enterprise Grants provide community groups with the necessary training to develop an enterprising idea, the skills to sell it and funds to run it.  Waterford City Enterprise Board grants were available to all youth groups within Waterford city with successful applications, the evaluation of these applications was undertaken by their peers. 

 

The programme included weekly workshops delivered by local business people giving practical training on subjects such as promoting your idea, finding your market and getting through the Youth Bank interview process.

Successful applicants were then paired with a business mentor who met with the groups offering support and advice.  The groups with products were offered the opportunity of a pop-up shop to sell their goods in last year’s Waterford city Winterval Festival. 

Padraig O Griofa was a well regarded businessman in Waterford and chaired the Waterford City Enterprise Board’s evaluation committee since its inception. He passed in March of 2012 and, wishing to remember his contribution to the business community and Waterford City Enterprise Board in particular, the Board established the ‘Padraig O Griofa Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award. This award was judged from the various Youth Bank groups, and on the criteria of enterprise skills, planning, administration and enthusiasm. 

A number of groups stood out, but the ‘Just Hanging Key Chains’ group were named as overall winners. Darren Kenneally and Michelle Brophy received the perpetual Padraig O’Griofa trophy designed by Sean Egan Art Glass and cinema vouchers compliments of Odeon cinema Waterford.

Ciaran Cullen CEO (Acting) Waterford City Enterprise Board said, “The effort and work that both Youth Bank and these community groups put into their enterprise projects is inspiring.  It was a pleasure to be in a position to invest in a project where the stakeholders are investing so much themselves.” 

The awards took place on February 5th at the Tower Hotel where in excess of 70 attended, including Mayor of Waterford Cllr. John Cummins who spoke about the necessity to encourage entrepreneurship. Mayor Cummins added, “All participants learned a great deal about entrepreneurship, showing a great willingness to plan and turn their concept into a reality.  I want to commend all who took part and pay tribute to all the stakeholders, particularly Waterford City Enterprise board, who was lucky enough to have Padraig O’Griofa on their team for so long. These awards are a fitting way to remember such a well regarded businessman.” 

For further details on Youth Bank’s activities you can find them on www.youthbank.org . 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 check out what they have to offer first on www.waterfordceb.com.

Local produce to take centre stage at Winterval Enterprise Food Fair

Some of the local produce that will be available from the Waterford Festive Food Fair

 (Photo: Peter Grogan)

Local produce will be showcased throughout Winterval, in a joint initiative by Waterford City Enterprise Board and Ardkeen Quality Food Store.

The Waterford Festive Food Fair, located on Michael Street, will open this Friday, December 13^th to Sunday December 15^th and the following weekend from Thursday, December 19^th to Sunday December 22^nd.

The premise of the initiative is to highlight the abundance of locally produced quality foods and to support the local producers that continue to put Waterford on the national food landscape.

Mr. Ciaran Cullen, Chief Executive of Waterford City Enterprise Board was delighted to support this venture.  He said, “Waterford has a vast array of locally produced food of the highest calibre.   Producers such as Ponticelli Coffee, Edelicious, Joy By Bishop’s Palace Café, Dessert First and M & D Bakery, to name but a few, bring a uniqueness of product to the customer.  They all share a passion to produce and deliver to the public food of the highest standards.”

Mr. Cullen added, “Many of the local food producers that will be exhibiting over the course of Winterval at the Festive Food Fair have been closely involved with the Enterprising Food Network since it began over two years ago.  The objective of this network is to assist food producers in the areas of branding, packaging and route to market, so showcasing them at Ireland’s biggest Christmas festival, Winterval, is a great accomplishment and a real testament to their commitment and to the quality of their food.”

Mr. Colin Jephson of Ardkeen Quality Food Store added, “The philosophy of Ardkeen Quality Food Store has long been to support the local producer and it’s great to be involved with Waterford City Enterprise Board.  This project gives many of our suppliers, such as Jay Bee’s, Eunice Power and Deise Honey the opportunity to promote themselves in the heart of the city during the busy festive period.”

The Waterford Festive Food Fair will be open 12pm to 8pm on December 13^th 14^th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st and from 12pm to 6pm on December 15^th and 22^nd.

For more information about the Waterford Festive Food Fair or the Enterprising Food Network talk to Waterford City Enterprise Board on 051 852883 or www.waterfordceb.com.

Enterprising students get ready for Winterval

A Waterford City student Pop Up shop opens on Michael Street for two weekends only this Friday November 29^th.

Since the start of September, 400 transition year students from Waterford City and seven Youth Bank community groups have been busy setting up small businesses and creating products to sell during Winterval. Everything from designer crafted cakes to natural wooden Christmas candles, pet tag key rings to Christmas cards and cupcakes to jewellery will be showcased at the shop.


The students have been assisted by their teachers and Waterford City Enterprise Board mentors, with interviews and tips on Beat 102 103 and an inspiring talk from entrepreneur Sean Gallagher.

This array of products will be sold from 19 Michael Street, next to the Tea Assembly. This village is part of Waterford’s Christmas Festival, Winterval, which runs from November 29^th.   For the first two weekends these unique seasonal items created by the students and teenagers of Waterford City will be on sale, offering the perfect Christmas gifts for friends and family. 

Ciaran Cullen, CEO of Waterford City Enterprise Board commented on the importance of the event, “The Enterprise Board continually tries to improve and evolve its services, this is epitomised by this year’s efforts. We learned from last year’s experience and thought the Michael Street venue might be more productive and profitable for the students. It is so important for Waterford City students to learn how to interact with customers and sell their products in a live retail environment.”

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 check out what they have to offer first on www.waterfordceb.com.

Enterprise Board keeps it in the Family

‘Keeping it in the family’ was a half day series of workshops and lectures organised by Waterford City Enterprise Board on the topic of succession planning for family businesses in Waterford City.

The morning opened with Bertie Rogers, Chairman of Waterford City Enterprise Board, welcoming the group and emphasising the importance of succession planning in modern Ireland. The rest of the morning included individual psychometric testing, a talk on ‘Change Management’ by Conor Morris of Evolve Training and Insights from Louis Grubb of Cashel Blue Cheese, a successful family business, on how they executed the transition process from generation to generation.

The range of businesses which attended the event was extremely diverse, from retail to manufacturing, child care to export, auto industry to food production which made for interesting debate during the workshops.

Tony Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald’s Menswear found the event motivating, “I have attended events like this before but none like this. The personality testing was an inspired idea and the intimacy of the group made the morning very productive.”

The event also featured the legal & financial implications of succession with talks from Clare Ryan of Peter O’Connor Solictors and Ann Grant from Ernst & Young.

Finally Ciaran Cullen CEO of Waterford City Enterprise Board explained how the Board can help those who wish to start the succession process via training and funding.

Mr. Cullen was pleased with the event and the feedback from its participants, “This is the first succession event we have organised in years and we are delighted with the change in format. As this topic is highly personal we decided to make it an intimate workshop style event. The feedback from the clients has been very positive. It is part of a five year process where we will assist the participants with funds, training and mentoring where required.”

Irish Handmade Glass to make international TV debut

Waterford’s Irish Handmade Glass Company will debut on one of the world’s largest shopping channels on St. Patricks’ Day, 2014.

The company, founded by four former Waterford Crystal craftsmen caught the attention of QVC when exhibiting at Showcase, Ireland’s Creative Expo.  Showcase has, for over 35 years, actively promoted unique, Irish, design-led products in fashion, crafts, gifts and home accessories.

According to Tony Hayes, a Master Glass Blower, The Irish Handmade Glass Company was one of only three Irish companies chosen by QVC.  “For our work to have been noticed and chosen by the QVC shopping channel is fantastic for us.  They were looking for something authentically Irish, creative, inspired and crafted by hand.”

“Having looked very closely at our portfolio QVC ordered our Lovebird pairs.  The birds are approximately 3 inches long and are inset with wildflower.  The wildflower takes its inspiration from Irish flora and each of the seven colours represents a different flower, such as the yellow of the buttercup, the violet of the bluebell and the green of the fern.”

“It’s wonderful for a company like ours to be exposed on such a global platform.  QVC is available to over 290 million homes around the world so it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for The Irish Handmade Glass Company to export worldwide.”

The founders of The Irish Handmade Glass Company are Danny Murphy, Tony Hayes, Derek Smith and Richard Rowe.  They established the company in the Kite Design Studios in the Viking Triangle and have almost 150 years cumulative experience in glass blowing and cutting.

Producing 100% mouth blown and hand cut coloured crystal in the Kite Design Studios in Henrietta Street the Irish Handmade Glass Company has quickly become one of Ireland’s leading glass manufacturers.

 Ciaran Cullen, Chief Executive, Waterford City Enterprise Board, which has supported Irish Handmade Glass since the beginning through funding and mentoring added, “This is a wonderful accomplishment for Tony, Danny, Richard and Derek.  They were chosen from over 350 exhibitors at the RDS Showcase exhibition last January and as a result will get an audience with the world’s leading retailer.”

“When the company was established in 2009 the aim of these highly-skilled glass cutters and blowers was to preserve a proud tradition indigenous to Waterford.  Not only have they done that, but now they will also bring this tradition to a multi-million audience worldwide.”

To see more from the Irish Handmade Glass Company go to www.theirishhandmadeglasscompany.com or call the Kite Design Studios on 051 858914.

Bakers use their loaf and prove they have what it takes to succeed!

M and D Bakery, the well known third generation family bakery was announced as the overall winner of the Waterford City Enterprise Awards and will go on to represent Waterford at the National Enterprise Awards which take place in Dublin Castle in November.

Founded by brothers Dermot and Michael Walsh, the bakery supplies a selection of baked “morning goods” to the households, shops, restaurants and hotels of Waterford.  However, M and D Bakery is probably best known for its production of a truly local delicacy, the blaa.

M and D Bakery has been a constant on the baking landscape in Waterford for almost thirty years and produces over 8,000 blaas a day.  More recently M and D Bakery spearheaded the drive, along with three local blaa bakers, to have the blaa safeguarded with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).  With PGI status the once humble Waterford blaa can anticipate a standing equal to that of Stilton Cheese or the Cornish Pasty.

Speaking of the enterprise award, Dermot Walsh said, “We are delighted and honoured to be acknowledged by Waterford City Enterprise Board.  When we started the business almost thirty years ago, our focus was to bring good quality bread products to the city and environs.”

“However, as demand for the blaa grew, particularly outside of Waterford we needed to innovate and invest in ways to make it “travel” friendly.  The blaa is simply made from flour, water, yeast and salt with no preservatives or artificial additives, thus it has a very short shelf life.”

“With assistance from Waterford City Enterprise Board we invested in a freezer room which allows us to blast freeze the blaas so we can supply them to the rest of the country, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and now France.”

“Even though it was the French Huguenots who introduced the blaa to Waterford in the 1690’s, we’re sending it back there in 2013!”

Organised by the County and City Enterprise Boards, the National Enterprise Awards recognise outstanding micro enterprises in Ireland.  Ciaran Cullen, CEO, Waterford City Enterprise Board is delighted to support M and D Bakery in their pursuit of new export markets.

 

“Dermot and Michael have shown that there are great opportunities for growth if you explore further afield.  The blaa, which was practically unknown outside of Waterford, can now be found in food stores, forecourts and restaurants across Dublin, Belfast, Britain and even as far as Paris.”

“The Walsh brothers are passionate about what they produce and they produce it well.  With accolades such as the 2010/11 Good Food Producer award, a Euro Toques Taste Award and Gold at the 2012 Blas na hEireann Awards, they will represent Waterford with pride at next months National Enterprise Awards.”

If you want to find out more about M and D Bakery visit www.manddbakery.ie or call 051 378080.  Alternatively if you have a business idea and want to find out more about capital financing, mentoring or start up assistance talk to Waterford City Enterprise Board on 051 852883 or www.waterfordceb.com.

Sean Gallagher inspires Waterford Transition Year students

As part of the National Student Enterprise Awards Waterford City Enterprise Board brought entrepreneur Sean Gallagher to the Tower Hotel to speak to over 300 transition year students on the topic of enterprise and starting your own business. 

Ciaran Cullen, CEO of Waterford City Enterprise Board was delighted with the event, “ Sean gave an inspiring talk for over an hour. It was obvious that the students took much from it by the amount of questions they asked at the end”.

Waterford’s Kite Design Studio celebrates two enterprising years!

The Kite Design Studio, a pilot project spearheaded by Waterford City Council and Waterford City Enterprise Board is, this month, celebrating two enterprising years in business in the heart of Waterford’s Viking Triangle.

Situated in a state of the art facility in Henrietta Street this unique design collective houses some of Waterford’s most talented designers and artists including glass blowers, crystal engraver, a goldsmith and several start up design enterprises.

The project initiated by Waterford City Manager, Michael Walsh and former Chief Executive of Waterford City Enterprise Board Bill Rafter, back in 2009, took almost two years to complete and was formulated to develop the Viking Triangle as a key tourism area in the city and to showcase Waterford’s long crystal making tradition.

Today the Kite Design Studio is home to a host of craft and design micro enterprises including Sean Egan Artglass.  Sean Egan, a Master Engraver with over 40 years experience, has built up a global reputation as a talented and creative craftsman, whose work has been presented to celebrities and presidents.

 In the world of show biz, Sean was commissioned to create a piece honouring the Monty Python member Graham Chapman who died in 1989.  In addition to this, one of the most renowned crystal pieces remembering those who perished on September, 11^th, 2001 was crafted by Sean and presented to then US Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney.

In 2013, Sean had the great honour of designing and crafting the stunning crystal piece, entitled the “Gathering Bowl”, which was presented to US President Barack Obama by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD following the traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Sharing floor space with Sean is The Irish Handmade Glass Company, which rose from the ashes of the closure of the Waterford Crystal plant in 2009.  The founders Danny Murphy, Tony Hayes, Derek Smith and Richard Rowe established the company in order to preserve Waterford’s proud glassmaking tradition and have almost 150 years cumulative experience in glass blowing and cutting.

Producing 100% mouth blown and hand cut coloured crystal the Irish Handmade Glass Company has quickly become one of Ireland’s leading crystal manufacturers.

One of the newest tenants at the Kite Design Studio is Button and Co.  The company, established by Waterford goldsmith Elaine Sarah Comerford, creates unique and innovative jewellery collections.

No stranger to accolades, in 2009, Elaine Sarah was a contestant on RTE’s Dragons’ Den and was backed by then Dragon, Niall O’ Farrell.  She was on the judge’s panel for the Young Entrepreneur Awards in Kerry, guest speaker at Dublin’s Rotary Club as part of their International Women’s Day Celebrations and Button and Co. has won several industry awards including Best Product and Editor’s Choice at the London International Jewellery Show.

Most recently Waterford City Enterprise Board and Waterford Adult Education Centre (WAEC) launched “First Flight”, an enterprise programme which assists small craft start-ups.  First Flight is working with a group of craft and fashion design students, providing them with workspace, mentoring assistance and practical business advice. 

The three businesses currently undertaking the First Flight Programme are Andrew Phelan of Crea Jewellery Design, Lucia Domoradova of Lutsia Fashions and Lenka Jindrichova of Blossom Jewellery Design.

According to Mr. Ciaran Cullen, CEO, Waterford City Enterprise Board, the Kite Design Studio project has had two great years assisting start – up craft enterprises.  “The premise of the Kite Design Studio is simply to encourage, harness, and showcase the high calibre of creative talent in Waterford.”

“We are delighted that the businesses within the Kite Studio have flourished and as we see them more and more in an international platform it acts as a reminder of the phenomenal artistic talent in Waterford.”

“Over the last two years some of the start-ups which were housed at the Studio have moved on to bigger premises.  We are delighted to have worked from the outset with such talent on their path to success; Bonzie Crotty, a vintage inspired designer, Stradbally Jewellery, which produces quality handmade silver jewellery and fine art printer Anne McDonnell Murphy.”
 From jewellery makers to glass engravers and silversmiths to fashion designers, the Kite Design Studio is an enviable and ambitious design centre that showcases the imagination and talent that Waterford proudly possesses.

The design studio is open to the public six days a week and visitors have the unique opportunity to experience in-house designers working on their

designs in situ.

For more information about the Kite Design Studio call along to the Henrietta Street premises, call 051 858914, or check out Kite Design Studio on Facebook.

Crystal Craftsman remembers 9/11

Sean Egan, of Sean Egan Artglass, a former master engraver with almost 40 years experience created one of the most renowned crystal pieces remembering those who perished on September, 11^th, 2001.  His 9/11 Twin Towers commemorative engraved sculpture was presented to former US Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney in 2011.

 

The piece, ‘Miracle on Stairwell B’ is a visual representation of one of the few ‘good news’ stories that came from the tragic events thirteen years ago this week.

9/11 has had a deep impact on Sean.  “9/11 means so much to me.  I have met a lot of people who were there that day and have listened to their stories, so sad, tragic and some like the story of Stairwell B, so miraculous.”

A group of NY Fire Department officers were some of the first respondents to the north tower, the first tower to be hit on 9/11. They were on their way up when they first heard and realised that the second tower had been hit and was collapsing. Chief Officer Jay Jonas instinctively knew that it would not be long before their tower also collapsed and made the decision to exit the tower.

On the way down Stairwell B they found a woman, Josephine Harris with a police officer. He has to decide to risk his and his men’s lives by trying to help them or to leave and save themselves. Despite Josephine’s protests they elected to carry them out but this slowed them down significantly. When they reached the fourth floor, the building began to collapse, so Jay Jonas radioed in their position. 

The rescue team, even though they knew the position of the fire officers, could not locate Stairwell B. Eventually one of the fire officers, Mickey Kross regained consciousness, looked up and saw daylight. He reached up his hand through the rubble and heard the words “We’ve found someone”.

It is this moment in time that Sean Egan recreated, where the hands of Mickey Kross and the search team member are just about to touch.

 Sean said, “My skill is to capture moments in time in glass and this is exactly what I did with the 9/11 commemorative sculpture.  I hope my piece goes some way in paying respects to those who died that day.”

“As we draw close to the anniversary each year I always think of the bravery and courage of the rescue teams, front line officers, emergency response units and the many ordinary men and women who did all they possibly could to help those in the Towers.”

Sean added, “I actually made my first 9/11 piece in 2006 for the fifth anniversary of September 11^th and then made two larger pieces which are in New York and Waterford Crystal showrooms respectively.  The “Miracle on Stairwell B” is currently housed in the US Embassy in Dublin.”

Sean’s connections with the US were further cemented this year as he had the great honour of designing and crafting the stunning piece, entitled the “Gathering Bowl”, which was presented to President Barack Obama by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD following the traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Mr. Ciaran Cullen, CEO, Waterford City Enterprise Board, which supports the Kite Design Studio in the Viking Triangle, where Sean Egan Artglass is housed praised Sean’s creative flair and empathy.  “Sean is a true artist who can replicate the most significant moments that have impacted on us all.  Miracle on Stairwell B was a momentous piece as it embodied the hope and optimism that came from the rubble of the Twin Towers.”

For further information about Sean Egan Art Glass and further details about his many exciting projects visit www.seaneganartglass.com

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.