SuperValu celebrates 10-year milestone of Food Academy

SuperValu is celebrating 10 years of the Food Academy programme, with €230m of Food Academy products sold in SuperValu stores over the last decade Food Academy producers are continuing to perform strongly, supporting 1,500 jobs through the programme which offers considerable benefits to both local communities and the national economy.

The Food Academy programme is a tailored business development programme for early to mid-stage producers, supported by SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office. More than 1,000 local food producers have completed the Food Academy programme since its inception, with over 300 Food Academy producers regularly stocked in SuperValu stores across the country, 52 weeks of the year The initiative provides training in food safety, market research, branding, marketing, finance, sustainability, and business development through a range of dedicated workshops. Food Academy producers also have the opportunity to feature their products on SuperValu shelves nationwide, giving them real, tangible opportunities for growth in the market.

This milestone anniversary comes as new research by Bord Bia and B&A reveal that 90% of consumers choose to buy locally produced food, with more than two in three (68%) buying this category at least weekly.*

This year, 23 new Food Academy entrants are launching a wide variety of products including naturally leavened sourdough bread, low sugar fruit jam, organic microgreens and eggs, as well as products utilising spent

Kerrygold celebrates 60 years of turning meals into memories

grain to make protein snacks, and used coffee grinds to create a tanremoving soap

*Source: Behaviour and Attitudes Research – Food Academy Pulse, March 2023. National representative sample of 1,014 individuals, age 16+)

New security system will make work safer for retail staff

A new security solution to make public-facing workers feel safer has been launched by Netwatch, the leading proactive video monitoring company headquartered in Carlow.

While traditional systems, such as a panic button, trigger an alarm when an incident occurs or a traditional CCTV system can capture the incident for future analysis, the new Netwatch solution goes further As was demonstrated to Garda Crime Prevention Officers on a recent visit to the Netwatch headquarters, the Netwatch Staff Safety Solution allows an intervention specialist to observe an incident in real time and intervene when staff are facing intimidation or physical risk, and at the same time alerting gardaí.

A recent survey from the retail group RGDATA found that 95% of retailers have been victims of crime over the last 12 months. 25% said that they had been subjected to violent burglaries and robberies in their shops.

Kerrygold, Ireland’s first billion-euro food brand, is marking six decades of success with a new creative campaign to celebrate the brand’s rich history of bringing people together

The campaign was launched across Dublin International Airport earlier this month, at key arrivals and departures locations such as passport control, the Skybridge, and arrival doors. Showcasing spectacular imagery of mouth-watering Kerrygold-inspired meals, the campaign aims to capture the hearts and minds of consumers, including domestic and international travellers, who have been a part of the brand’s 60-year success story

The campaign will also be brought to life online and in-store across POS, supported by a sampling roadshow across a range of retail locations such as SuperValu, Dunnes Stores and M&S in Dundrum, Blanchardstown, Swords, Liffey Valley, and Heuston Station.

Róisín Hennerty managing director Ornua Foods Global said: “Kerrygold’s success is testament to the generations of Irish dairy farming families who produce world-class milk as well as Ornua’s member co-operatives and teams, who over the last 60 years, have proudly brought the taste of Kerrygold to the world. It is fitting that we can mark this significant milestone for our world-famous brand here at home where the journey began.”

Kerrygold is Germany’s most popular dairy brand with almost two-thirds of German households purchasing Kerrygold products in the year; while in the US, Kerrygold butter experienced continued volume sales growth, where it holds the number two position in the category

Colin Hayes, Netwatch managing director for Ireland and UK, says: “A safe outcome for all involved is key for Netwatch. Our team has over 20 years’ experience managing high risk situations and knows how to handle them safely Staff can activate the Netwatch Staff Safety Solution as soon as they feel threatened and be confident that someone is instantly available to help manage the situation safely This is particularly valuable and comforting for situations where just one staff member is on duty such as an evening or latenight opening situation such as a petrol station or chemist.” ■

The Netwatch Staff Safety Solution allows an intervention specialist to observe an incident in real time and intervene when staff are facing intimidation or physical risk; at the same time alerting gardaí