The value of the Irish foodservice market will be almost half of what it was in 2019, according to Bord Bia’s 2020 Market Insights Report at €4.5bn, down over €4bn on last year.

This follows eight years of successive growth and is caused by the disruption to the sector caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing disruption to the hospitality sector. Similarly the lockdown and huge increase in working from home has led to a collapse in demand in the lunchtime food to go trade that serviced many offices.

The report’s findings will be presented at Bord Bia’s Virtual Foodservice Seminar in the RDS, Dublin on Wednesday.