Seventeen Irish food and drink companies today joined the third annual Bord Bia/Tesco Supplier Development Programme which provides participants with tailored support and guidance to assist them secure, grow and maintain a listing with Tesco stores in Ireland and overseas.
Since launching in 2012, a total of 33 companies have completed the programme and during this period, these companies recorded €16m worth of sales to Tesco stores. Over a quarter of this revenue was generated in the UK highlighting the export opportunities realised through the programme.
Speaking at the launch of the 2014 programme today the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD said: “I would like to congratulate Tesco and Bord Bia on the success of this important initiative which has played a significant role in the growth and expansion of many indigenous food and drink businesses. I am delighted to see the level of product innovation in the programme. It is encouraging to see the retail industry actively working with the agri-food sector to ensure that more Irish products reach shelves both in the domestic and overseas markets.”
Aidan Cotter, chief executive, Bord Bia commented “The Bord Bia and Tesco Retail Programme is a comprehensive and practical programme, including workshops and mentoring, as well as access to Tesco’s consumer insights, all designed to help Irish food and drink businesses grow to the next level, whether locally, nationally or internationally. Today’s event confirms the growing role Irish food and drink producers can play in the overall positioning of one of the world’s leading retailers.”
Over 11,000 Irish farm families supply their produce to Tesco and each year over €706 million worth of exports of Irish food products are exported to Tesco worldwide.
Phil J. Clarke, CEO, Tesco said: “Tesco is proud to partner with Bord Bia to support the development of local Irish businesses. We are delighted that through this programme local companies will have the opportunity to use Tesco’s scale to grow their business and learn from Tesco’s in-depth retail experience. Supporting local businesses is important for Tesco as our customers want first-class, Irish-made produce at affordable prices. Tesco is the largest purchaser of Irish food and drink in the world and one of the main export destinations for Irish food worldwide. Through this programme we are able to further extend our support for the Irish agri-food sector.”
The programme runs over a seven-month period and incorporates local, national and export levels to support companies at varying stages in their development. The 2014 companies are:
· Export – Chia Bia; Green Saffron; Connacht Gold; Rye River Brewing Co/McGargles; Yeats Country Foods
· National – Broderick’s; Blue Haven; Carlow Brewing Company (O’Hara’s); Paganini; Kinsale Gourmet; O’Hanlon Herbs; Waldron Meats
· Local – Boutique Bake; Improper Butter; Matt’s Dream Pizza; Harvest Moon; Johnnie Cupcakes
In addition to the workshops, participants in this year’s programme will attend receive bespoke mentoring and access to relevant consumer data and consumer insights as well as gain an understanding of Tesco’s processes and procedures. Clear objectives and targets are set for each company to help them achieve key opportunities identified for their business with Tesco.