Once upon a time, smaller Irish food producers had difficulty getting their product in front of a major buyer or on the shelves of supermarkets. Serious investment was needed to get production to a place where supermarkets would be comfortable stocking the product.
Things started changing six years ago when SuperValu launched their Food Academy programme, and has since led to other Irish supermarkets developing programmes aimed at small to medium-sized food producers.
Irish retailers are looking for a wide base of suppliers from whom they can source innovative products
Karen Tyner is a senior business manager with Bord Bia, who have acted as partner in many of these supermarket-led producer programmes. She says that demand for local product has been a driver of change in recent years.
“Irish retailers are looking for a wide base of suppliers from whom they can source innovative products,” she says. “In addition, Irish retailers have commitments to source from Irish suppliers.
“The retailer programmes often enable Irish supermarkets to meet with small companies at an earlier stage in their development.”
The programmes are all different in nature
Irish food producers may wonder which programme, if any, is the right one for their business. It’s important to research each retailer’s producer programme to learn which may be of most benefit.
Karen says that each programme offers something different, depending on the product and business plan.
“The programmes are all different in nature,” she says. “Choosing the right one depends on many factors. Think about who your target customer is and where do they shop? How many stores could you supply based on your current production? Have you an established distribution? Then, you should get in touch with Bord Bia for advice.”
Blake's Always natural Organic Kefir features in the SuperValu Food Academy programme.
Working closely with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office Network on their Food Academy programme SupperValu Food Academy manager Carmel Biggane says that their successes have a lot to do with how they’ve evolved over the years.
“We’ve had to make changes,” she says. “When we started we wouldn’t have recognised all the needs that were there. Over a number of years, we’ve brought more content into the programme.”
Established small- to medium-sized food businesses are welcome in the Food Academy, but being established is not necessary. If you have an idea for a great food product; The Food Academy will guide you through the product development process.
Food Academy modules are run within a four- to six-month period, with mentoring and personal time to work on product development in between.
“The training programme was developed to skill the food producer base with the necessary knowledge to make it onto the shelves of our supermarkets,” Carmel explains. “We’ve seen some fantastic products over the years.”
The Food Academy currently works with the likes of Natnoot – The Natural Nutrition Co, based in Co Donegal who specialise in wheatgrass juice products, Blake’s Always Organic Natural Kefir in Co Leitrim and KooKee gourmet cookie mixes of Co Louth.
They are currently accepting applications for their 2020 intake. For more information, find them online at supervalu.ie/real-people/food-academy-programme.
The goal of Lidl’s Kick Start programme, which began in 2017, was to provide support for small- to medium-sized food and drink businesses. They also wanted to help these businesses build their brand and strengthen their supply network.
Operated in conjunction with Bord Bia, those who are accepted into the Kick Start Programme have the opportunity to stock their product in Lidl supermarkets in Ireland and Northern Ireland as part of a limited edition “Best of Ireland” food promotion.
Angela Carney owns and operates Harvest Moon, which produces a line of natural hummus, pesto and tapenades. She entered into Lidl’s Kickstart programme in 2017, with great success.
“We began [with Kick Start] by supplying to Lidl twice a year with a limited supply of product,” she says. “The positive impact our involvement with Lidl has had on our business has been phenomenal. For a small business like ours, it has made a significant difference in terms of cashflow.”
Once accepted into Kick Start, food producers attend a series of comprehensive seminars, which are carried out by a panel of industry experts working with Lidl.
This year, Lidl will have invested approximately €850,000 in local suppliers through Kick Start, with 415 producer entries from across the country to date.
Seed Necessities, which specialises in high-quality seed and grain mixes, started the programme in 2017 and is now a full-time supplier. Owner Lynda Power says they are thrilled to continue to work with Lidl.
“We featured in every promotion to date, trialling different products, getting feedback at store level and sampling at the Lidl Barn at the National Ploughing Championships,” she says. “It has been an exciting journey and we are delighted that our customers will be able to pick up (our product) in all Lidl stores.”
Learn more about Lidl Kick Start on their website www.lidl.ie/kickstart.
The Winners of Grow With Aldi 2019.
In 2018, Aldi launched their Grow With Aldi programme. Their aim was to help up-and-coming artisan food and drink producers and offer them a chance to become a core range listing in their 140 stores throughout Ireland.
This year, Aldi will be investing over €500,000 into the programme, and the programme has delivered over €2m in sales for the participating food producers over the past two years.
Aldi Ireland group buying director John Curtin says the Grow With Aldi programme has changed their relationship with local suppliers for the better.
“Back in 2015, we launched Irish Buffalo Mozzarella with Johnny Lynch from Macroom, Co Cork. The product was a fantastic success and we wanted to see how we could repeat this with other suppliers,” he says. “There has always been a place for small producers at Aldi. However, it was not always clear to the supply base. The Grow programme formalises the process, providing [small suppliers] with the invaluable knowledge that a national retailer can offer.”
The programme offers small to medium Irish producers opportunities for growth through tailored mentoring sessions and workshops with the Aldi team and Bord Bia.
“We work alongside Bord Bia in providing mentoring workshops to educate suppliers on how Aldi operates,” John continues. “The products are then listed as part of a SpecialBuys launch during the summer. From the initial products listed, we then select up to five to be included in our core range, initially for 12 months.”
The deadline for the Grow With Aldi 2020 programme has passed, but interested parties can learn more about the application process and programme on their website www.aldi.ie/grow.
Once upon a time, smaller Irish food producers had difficulty getting their product in front of a major buyer or on the shelves of supermarkets. Serious investment was needed to get production to a place where supermarkets would be comfortable stocking the product.
Things started changing six years ago when SuperValu launched their Food Academy programme, and has since led to other Irish supermarkets developing programmes aimed at small to medium-sized food producers.
Irish retailers are looking for a wide base of suppliers from whom they can source innovative products
Karen Tyner is a senior business manager with Bord Bia, who have acted as partner in many of these supermarket-led producer programmes. She says that demand for local product has been a driver of change in recent years.
“Irish retailers are looking for a wide base of suppliers from whom they can source innovative products,” she says. “In addition, Irish retailers have commitments to source from Irish suppliers.
“The retailer programmes often enable Irish supermarkets to meet with small companies at an earlier stage in their development.”
The programmes are all different in nature
Irish food producers may wonder which programme, if any, is the right one for their business. It’s important to research each retailer’s producer programme to learn which may be of most benefit.
Karen says that each programme offers something different, depending on the product and business plan.
“The programmes are all different in nature,” she says. “Choosing the right one depends on many factors. Think about who your target customer is and where do they shop? How many stores could you supply based on your current production? Have you an established distribution? Then, you should get in touch with Bord Bia for advice.”
Blake's Always natural Organic Kefir features in the SuperValu Food Academy programme.
Working closely with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office Network on their Food Academy programme SupperValu Food Academy manager Carmel Biggane says that their successes have a lot to do with how they’ve evolved over the years.
“We’ve had to make changes,” she says. “When we started we wouldn’t have recognised all the needs that were there. Over a number of years, we’ve brought more content into the programme.”
Established small- to medium-sized food businesses are welcome in the Food Academy, but being established is not necessary. If you have an idea for a great food product; The Food Academy will guide you through the product development process.
Food Academy modules are run within a four- to six-month period, with mentoring and personal time to work on product development in between.
“The training programme was developed to skill the food producer base with the necessary knowledge to make it onto the shelves of our supermarkets,” Carmel explains. “We’ve seen some fantastic products over the years.”
The Food Academy currently works with the likes of Natnoot – The Natural Nutrition Co, based in Co Donegal who specialise in wheatgrass juice products, Blake’s Always Organic Natural Kefir in Co Leitrim and KooKee gourmet cookie mixes of Co Louth.
They are currently accepting applications for their 2020 intake. For more information, find them online at supervalu.ie/real-people/food-academy-programme.
The goal of Lidl’s Kick Start programme, which began in 2017, was to provide support for small- to medium-sized food and drink businesses. They also wanted to help these businesses build their brand and strengthen their supply network.
Operated in conjunction with Bord Bia, those who are accepted into the Kick Start Programme have the opportunity to stock their product in Lidl supermarkets in Ireland and Northern Ireland as part of a limited edition “Best of Ireland” food promotion.
Angela Carney owns and operates Harvest Moon, which produces a line of natural hummus, pesto and tapenades. She entered into Lidl’s Kickstart programme in 2017, with great success.
“We began [with Kick Start] by supplying to Lidl twice a year with a limited supply of product,” she says. “The positive impact our involvement with Lidl has had on our business has been phenomenal. For a small business like ours, it has made a significant difference in terms of cashflow.”
Once accepted into Kick Start, food producers attend a series of comprehensive seminars, which are carried out by a panel of industry experts working with Lidl.
This year, Lidl will have invested approximately €850,000 in local suppliers through Kick Start, with 415 producer entries from across the country to date.
Seed Necessities, which specialises in high-quality seed and grain mixes, started the programme in 2017 and is now a full-time supplier. Owner Lynda Power says they are thrilled to continue to work with Lidl.
“We featured in every promotion to date, trialling different products, getting feedback at store level and sampling at the Lidl Barn at the National Ploughing Championships,” she says. “It has been an exciting journey and we are delighted that our customers will be able to pick up (our product) in all Lidl stores.”
Learn more about Lidl Kick Start on their website www.lidl.ie/kickstart.
The Winners of Grow With Aldi 2019.
In 2018, Aldi launched their Grow With Aldi programme. Their aim was to help up-and-coming artisan food and drink producers and offer them a chance to become a core range listing in their 140 stores throughout Ireland.
This year, Aldi will be investing over €500,000 into the programme, and the programme has delivered over €2m in sales for the participating food producers over the past two years.
Aldi Ireland group buying director John Curtin says the Grow With Aldi programme has changed their relationship with local suppliers for the better.
“Back in 2015, we launched Irish Buffalo Mozzarella with Johnny Lynch from Macroom, Co Cork. The product was a fantastic success and we wanted to see how we could repeat this with other suppliers,” he says. “There has always been a place for small producers at Aldi. However, it was not always clear to the supply base. The Grow programme formalises the process, providing [small suppliers] with the invaluable knowledge that a national retailer can offer.”
The programme offers small to medium Irish producers opportunities for growth through tailored mentoring sessions and workshops with the Aldi team and Bord Bia.
“We work alongside Bord Bia in providing mentoring workshops to educate suppliers on how Aldi operates,” John continues. “The products are then listed as part of a SpecialBuys launch during the summer. From the initial products listed, we then select up to five to be included in our core range, initially for 12 months.”
The deadline for the Grow With Aldi 2020 programme has passed, but interested parties can learn more about the application process and programme on their website www.aldi.ie/grow.
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