The promotional campaign will specifically target over eight million German consumers and introduce Irish beef’s sustainability credentials to them for the first time. Irish beef is performing strongly in the German market, with exports rising to 23,000t last year; a doubling in volume since 2012.
Bord Bia estimates that this figure can reach 30,000t by 2018. This market is particularly significant, as it focuses on higher-value steak and round cuts and Irish grass-based steer beef sells at a premium to domestic German beef. The new Bord Bia campaign aims to support this positive market development and build consumer demand to drive further growth. Research commissioned by Bord Bia last year confirmed a keen interest among German consumers around the topics of food sustainability and animal welfare, and that Ireland is already viewed as a green and natural food-producing nation.
This year, promotions will begin in over 2,000 retail stores and over 100 steakhouse restaurants. In addition, Bord Bia will organise for trade journalists to visit Ireland to gain a first-hand understanding of Irish beef. The five-year communications campaign will encompass retail outlets, restaurants, advertising, social media and various trade and consumer events.
Dutch buyers get a taste for Irish beef
Last week, Bord Bia hosted a major promotional event in the Netherlands, which was attended by over 30 of the leading Dutch customers for Irish beef and their suppliers. The business dinner took place in the town of Zaandam, and was prepared by Michelin star chef Gerrit Greveling, a member of Bord Bia’s Chefs’ Irish Beef Club.
As part of his itinerary around St Patrick’s Day, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle, TD, supported Bord Bia and Irish exporters in meeting with key Dutch retailers, Jumbo and Albert Heijn, along with the Hilton Food Group and premium wholesaler Sligro.
The Netherlands is the third-largest market for Irish beef. Last year, exports of Irish beef there increased by 9% to approximately 45,000t, valued at €200m.
Intensive promotion by Bord Bia certainly contributed to this strong performance, and consumer awareness of Irish beef is the highest of any import supplier.
The market is strategically important on account of its demand for large volumes of forequarter cuts.
Irish beef takes centre stage for St Patrick’s Day promotions
The annual celebration of St Patrick’s Day represents an invaluable opportunity for Bord Bia to highlight the quality and sustainability credentials of Irish food to a global audience. Last week, over 100 promotional activities and events were coordinated by Bord Bia’s network of international offices, aimed at consumers, retailers and foodservice operators.
From Michelin-star chefs to some of the biggest retailers in Europe, the business of Irish beef was at the forefront.
Nearly 130,000 people enjoyed a taste of Irish beef at the respective St Patrick’s Day parades in London and Munich. In the UK, Ireland’s largest export market, Bord Bia launched a comprehensive digital campaign for Irish beef encompassing recipes and advertising across high-profile outlets including BBC Good Food. Reaching some three million people, Bord Bia partnered with Great British Chefs, the UK’s fastest-growing food website, which saw Britain’s leading chefs using Irish beef. Bord Bia also hosted important customers including Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer at the annual St Patrick’s Festival Ball.
Bord Bia engaged a number of France’s leading retailers to amplify its St Patrick’s Day activity, with Irish beef promotions across some 140 Monoprix stores, along with Carrefour and Metro, Europe’s largest cash and carry. The second largest retailer in Belgium, Delhaize, carried out promotion of Irish beef in 500 of its stores. A media programme was set in motion across both France and Belgium targeting food writers, trade media and prominent chefs. Bord Bia reached nearly half of the Belgian population with well-known chefs interviewed and prime-time cooking slots dedicated to Irish produce.
Meanwhile, in southern Europe, Bord Bia ran Irish beef promotions with Spain’s second biggest retail chain, El Corte Inglés and with Carrefour in Italy.
Bord Bia targets Japanese buyers at FOODEX
Late last year, Bord Bia secured EU funding towards a €3.75m promotional campaign for European beef and lamb across Asia.
For the next three years, the programme will have an annual budget of €1.25m, including 80% support from the EU. It will seek to communicate the unique selling points of EU beef and lamb to Asian customers and media outlets.
In recent weeks, Bord Bia exhibited at FOODEX trade show in Tokyo, Japan under the new campaign. This was the first of five major meat trade shows across the Asia region that Bord Bia will participate in over the course of 2017. The underlying objective is to build awareness of the high standards of food safety, quality assurance and traceability associated with beef and lamb from the European Union.
With its population of 127 million relatively-affluent inhabitants in an area just four times the size of Ireland; Japan is of growing importance for Irish beef exports. The market is just 40% self-sufficient in beef, and also imported 68,000 tonnes of beef offals in 2016.
Ireland regained market access to Japan in late 2013, and exports of Irish beef and offal there increased four-fold to €7m last year.
Origin Green photo competition: #ItStartsHere
Congratulations to Michael Sinnott from Co Wexford who was the winner for February in Bord Bia’s Origin Green photography competition. Michael’s winning photo was taken at sunrise of one of the pedigree Texel ewes in his Knockbrandon Flock.
This competition is being run in conjunction with Macra na Feirme, to help raise awareness of the natural beauty and sustainable practices on Irish farms. Each month throughout 2017, the winning entry will receive a €200 gift voucher. An overall winner will be selected at the end of the year for a €1,000 prize.
Competition entries can be made instantly on Twitter using the tag and hashtags:
@MacraNaFeirme #OriginGreen #ItStartsHere
Alternatively, photos can be emailed to jcoffey@macra.ie, with the subject line ‘‘Photo competition, Origin Green It Starts Here’’.
The rules of the competition can be found on: www.macra.ie/origingreen
The promotional campaign will specifically target over eight million German consumers and introduce Irish beef’s sustainability credentials to them for the first time. Irish beef is performing strongly in the German market, with exports rising to 23,000t last year; a doubling in volume since 2012.
Bord Bia estimates that this figure can reach 30,000t by 2018. This market is particularly significant, as it focuses on higher-value steak and round cuts and Irish grass-based steer beef sells at a premium to domestic German beef. The new Bord Bia campaign aims to support this positive market development and build consumer demand to drive further growth. Research commissioned by Bord Bia last year confirmed a keen interest among German consumers around the topics of food sustainability and animal welfare, and that Ireland is already viewed as a green and natural food-producing nation.
This year, promotions will begin in over 2,000 retail stores and over 100 steakhouse restaurants. In addition, Bord Bia will organise for trade journalists to visit Ireland to gain a first-hand understanding of Irish beef. The five-year communications campaign will encompass retail outlets, restaurants, advertising, social media and various trade and consumer events.
Dutch buyers get a taste for Irish beef
Last week, Bord Bia hosted a major promotional event in the Netherlands, which was attended by over 30 of the leading Dutch customers for Irish beef and their suppliers. The business dinner took place in the town of Zaandam, and was prepared by Michelin star chef Gerrit Greveling, a member of Bord Bia’s Chefs’ Irish Beef Club.
As part of his itinerary around St Patrick’s Day, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle, TD, supported Bord Bia and Irish exporters in meeting with key Dutch retailers, Jumbo and Albert Heijn, along with the Hilton Food Group and premium wholesaler Sligro.
The Netherlands is the third-largest market for Irish beef. Last year, exports of Irish beef there increased by 9% to approximately 45,000t, valued at €200m.
Intensive promotion by Bord Bia certainly contributed to this strong performance, and consumer awareness of Irish beef is the highest of any import supplier.
The market is strategically important on account of its demand for large volumes of forequarter cuts.
Irish beef takes centre stage for St Patrick’s Day promotions
The annual celebration of St Patrick’s Day represents an invaluable opportunity for Bord Bia to highlight the quality and sustainability credentials of Irish food to a global audience. Last week, over 100 promotional activities and events were coordinated by Bord Bia’s network of international offices, aimed at consumers, retailers and foodservice operators.
From Michelin-star chefs to some of the biggest retailers in Europe, the business of Irish beef was at the forefront.
Nearly 130,000 people enjoyed a taste of Irish beef at the respective St Patrick’s Day parades in London and Munich. In the UK, Ireland’s largest export market, Bord Bia launched a comprehensive digital campaign for Irish beef encompassing recipes and advertising across high-profile outlets including BBC Good Food. Reaching some three million people, Bord Bia partnered with Great British Chefs, the UK’s fastest-growing food website, which saw Britain’s leading chefs using Irish beef. Bord Bia also hosted important customers including Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer at the annual St Patrick’s Festival Ball.
Bord Bia engaged a number of France’s leading retailers to amplify its St Patrick’s Day activity, with Irish beef promotions across some 140 Monoprix stores, along with Carrefour and Metro, Europe’s largest cash and carry. The second largest retailer in Belgium, Delhaize, carried out promotion of Irish beef in 500 of its stores. A media programme was set in motion across both France and Belgium targeting food writers, trade media and prominent chefs. Bord Bia reached nearly half of the Belgian population with well-known chefs interviewed and prime-time cooking slots dedicated to Irish produce.
Meanwhile, in southern Europe, Bord Bia ran Irish beef promotions with Spain’s second biggest retail chain, El Corte Inglés and with Carrefour in Italy.
Bord Bia targets Japanese buyers at FOODEX
Late last year, Bord Bia secured EU funding towards a €3.75m promotional campaign for European beef and lamb across Asia.
For the next three years, the programme will have an annual budget of €1.25m, including 80% support from the EU. It will seek to communicate the unique selling points of EU beef and lamb to Asian customers and media outlets.
In recent weeks, Bord Bia exhibited at FOODEX trade show in Tokyo, Japan under the new campaign. This was the first of five major meat trade shows across the Asia region that Bord Bia will participate in over the course of 2017. The underlying objective is to build awareness of the high standards of food safety, quality assurance and traceability associated with beef and lamb from the European Union.
With its population of 127 million relatively-affluent inhabitants in an area just four times the size of Ireland; Japan is of growing importance for Irish beef exports. The market is just 40% self-sufficient in beef, and also imported 68,000 tonnes of beef offals in 2016.
Ireland regained market access to Japan in late 2013, and exports of Irish beef and offal there increased four-fold to €7m last year.
Origin Green photo competition: #ItStartsHere
Congratulations to Michael Sinnott from Co Wexford who was the winner for February in Bord Bia’s Origin Green photography competition. Michael’s winning photo was taken at sunrise of one of the pedigree Texel ewes in his Knockbrandon Flock.
This competition is being run in conjunction with Macra na Feirme, to help raise awareness of the natural beauty and sustainable practices on Irish farms. Each month throughout 2017, the winning entry will receive a €200 gift voucher. An overall winner will be selected at the end of the year for a €1,000 prize.
Competition entries can be made instantly on Twitter using the tag and hashtags:
@MacraNaFeirme #OriginGreen #ItStartsHere
Alternatively, photos can be emailed to jcoffey@macra.ie, with the subject line ‘‘Photo competition, Origin Green It Starts Here’’.
The rules of the competition can be found on: www.macra.ie/origingreen
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