Bord Bia is holding various events across the globe this week, as the world celebrates St Patrick’s Day and all things Irish.

The events and promotions are “aimed at consumers, retailers, trade and foodservice operators”.

In the UK, which is Ireland’s largest export market, 100 retail stores have Irish food promotions and are giving products such as Irish beef, Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese, Irish pork sausages, Cully & Sully and Irish drinks prime positioning.

On Sunday, in London’s Trafalgar Square, Bord Bia held an Irish food market, which was attended by over 80,000 people “sampling dishes ranging from slow-cooked Irish beef stew to Irish farmhouse cheeses”.

Promoting quality produce

Ireland’s food and drink industry has a large global reach and exports to 175 countries, including Dubai and Spain, where in-store promotions have been running in the major retail chains during the lead up to St Patrick’s Day.

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter said St Patrick’s Day celebrations offer an “invaluable opportunity to highlight the quality and sustainability credentials of our produce”.

“Events and promotional campaigns allow us to engage with new and existing customers to tell the story of Origin Green, our industry and its producers, on a scale unmatched by the national day of any other country.”

An Tánaiste Joan Burton will be in Italy for a meeting at Metro’s headquarters in San Donato Milanese, along with Bord Bia. Metro supplies over 140,000 restaurants, bars and canteens and is a key buyer for Irish produce.

Exports of Irish produce reached €10.8bn for the first time last year.

In markets further afield, Bord Bia will have online promotions of Irish seafood in China, while, in Moscow, the food board will host a trade reception for 90 buyers and distributors.

Bord Bia added that “although import sanctions are in place, it continues to maintain and develop relationships with key buyers in this market”.

It will also host events in Munich, Paris and Stockholm.

On Tuesday, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny presented Barack Obama with a hamper of Irish food and drink in the White House as part of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.