Small food producers go nationwide

Pictured at today’s announcement of the SuperValu Food Academy Start and Advance programme 2015 are The Happy Pear, Cool Bean Company and Nobo ice cream.

Small producers who have been participating in and have completed the SuperValu Food Academy Start and Advance programmes are now being rolled out to 221 SuperValu stores nationwide.

The programme, which is a joint initiative between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office Network, was established in 2014 to support small food companies in Ireland.

Over the last 12 months, Ireland’s leading retailer has been working with hundreds of small food producers around the country, through the Food Academy programme, to have had their products trialled in their local SuperValu stores.

Now 155 food start-ups will see their products grow sustainably across 221 SuperValu stores. A huge variety of innovative products feature in this range from nettle syrup to dairy free ice cream, free from breads, breakfast combo puddings to authentic spices and even a ‘healthy’ chocolate.

Commenting on the announcement, Eamon Howell, trading director for SuperValu said: “We are delighted that 155 small food producers who have graduated from our Food Academy programme are now listed across our full store network. This is a real endorsement to the Food Academy initiative which allows us to bring community based food start- ups to market and provides them with the potential to grow their businesses even further, providing employment for themselves, members of their community and for some – family. It is great to nurture the energy and passion of these entrepreneurial producers and harness this into producing a range of products that we, as the number one Irish retailer, are proud to stock on our shelves.”