It was announced last week that Bord Bia and Compass Group Ireland will be launching a new programme that looks to help small and medium-sized Irish companies get their product ranges listed in the foodservice market. It will include 18 Irish food and drink companies. This is the first time Bord Bia has partnered with a foodservice industry to deliver a programme with workshops and mentoring.

Compass Group Ireland is Ireland’s leading food and support services company, works with many well-known sites including the Aviva Stadium and Google’s headquarters in Dublin, serving 100,000 meals a day. The companies involved in this programme produce products that range from sugar-free chocolate ice cream to protein yoghurts, seed mixes, award-winning sushi and gluten-free mini-cakes. The total out-of-home or foodservice market in Ireland was valued at €6.13bn in 2014. Of this, workplace catering accounts for an annual consumer spend of almost €300m.