Grow with Aldi investment hits 3m; Tesco Ireland certified a Great Place to Work; Food and drink exports declined by 2% in 2020

Grow with Aldi investment hits €3m

ALDI has announced the return of its ‘Grow with Aldi’ supplier development programme for 2021, which will see it supporting Irish suppliers, offering them the chance to become a core range listing in all 145 Aldi Ireland stores. To date, over 500 Irish suppliers have entered the Grow with Aldi programme over the last three years, with Aldi’s investment hitting €3m. This year, the Grow with Aldi message is sustainability, and entrants are encouraged to demonstrate how their product/company is focusing on sustainability as a top priority. This year will also see non-food related Irish products have the chance to appear on Aldi’s shelves.

Pictured is Deborah Crowley from Funky Monkey Foods, one of the Grow with Aldi 2020 winners, along with John Curtin, Group Buying Director at Aldi Ireland.

Tony Pannu (front centre), store manager, Tesco Swords Airside, is pictured with his team celebrating that Tesco has been officially certified a Great Place to Work 2021 for the fourth consecutive year.

“The first three years of the programme were very successful for everyone involved, and Aldi forged new links with fantastic Irish suppliers from around the country,” revealed John Curtin, Aldi Ireland Group Buying Director. “During Covid-19, we were also in a position to help even more small Irish suppliers listing on our shelves as part of the Grow with Aldi programme, so we know that the quality of food and drink produced in Ireland is outstanding. This year, we are asking suppliers to include products that highlight their work on sustainable food and products, we are looking forward to sampling what is on offer, as well as trying out non-food related products as part of the programme for the first time.” Tara McCarthy, Bord Bia CEO, said: “Recent research by the Bord Bia Thinking House revealed that 39% of Irish consumers are buying local grocery brands more often and the Grow with Aldi programme plays an important role in showcasing the distinctive, innovative and delicious products small and medium Irish suppliers are working hard to create. The programme also supports participants as they develop essential business skills and capabilities through workshops and tailored mentoring, which is key to building a resilient and thriving indigenous food and drink sector for the years ahead.” Further details are available at

www.aldi.ie/grow.

Aldi also confirmed it is extending its temporary shorter payment terms initiative for small and medium Irish suppliers for the entirety of 2021, meaning that Aldi will continue to process payments for suppliers that transact up to €1m worth of business annually within five working days.

Tesco Ireland certified a Great Place to Work Food and drink exports declined by 2% in 2020

TESCO Ireland has been officially certified a Great Place to Work for the fourth consecutive year. The accolade was assessed and granted through Great Place to Work’s Trust Index employee survey, followed by a thorough Culture Audit demonstrating policies and practices. This year, Tesco was commended by GPTW for its Covid-19 response in prioritising the safety of colleagues and customers alike. Throughout the pandemic, Tesco continued to support colleagues with additional bonuses, enhanced colleague discounts, life assurance and earlier access to staff rewards for new colleagues. “We’re very proud to have retained the Great Place to Work standard for the fourth consecutive year,” said Kari Daniels, CEO, Tesco Ireland. “Our teams, like many others, have been tested like never before in the past year as the way we work has changed significantly. Our colleagues have completely risen to the challenge and worked hard to help and safely serve our shoppers a little better every day. This accreditation is a tribute to all our colleagues. We couldn’t be prouder.” THE value of exports of Irish food, drink and horticulture were held to a marginal 2% decline in 2020, valued at €13 billion (down from €13.2 billion in 2019), during a period of unprecedented change and challenge that saw the largest disruption to normal market operation, globally, since the end of World War II. The figures from the annual Bord Bia Export Performance and Prospects report 2020/2021 underline the dividend of a decade-long diversification strategy that has seen Ireland achieve a broad global base for its food and drink exports, which now reach in excess of 180 countries. Increases have been recorded in the value of Irish dairy, pigmeat and sheepmeat exports, along with very significant increases in the value of exports to Africa and the Middle East as new international markets come to the fore. Launching the report, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, TD, said that Ireland’s food and drink producers “found a new level of resilience that saw exports in 2020 of close to 2019 levels”. He vowed that this year, the Department and Bord Bia will “focus on supporting our primary producers and manufacturers as they trade through continued uncertainty to support jobs and communities throughout Ireland.” The Chief Executive of Bord Bia, Tara McCarthy, added: “Last year was a pivotal year of learning for us all and 2021 will be even more significant in terms of how we apply these learnings to rebuild and drive growth in new and emerging markets. The success of the industry’s transition to doing business virtually – from participation at online trade fairs to the development pioneering virtual trade missions – show that we can, and we will, rise to the challenge of doing business in new and inventive ways. This resourceful approach, coupled with the sector’s focus on geographic and customer diversification over the past decade has now paid dividends and is integral to safeguarding our exports.”

Industry News

BWG Foods launches new fresh ready meals brand

BWG Foods has announced the launch of a new range of high-quality fresh ready meals, Fresh Choice Kitchen, which is being rolled out across its network of over 1,000 Spar, Eurospar, Mace, Londis and XL stores nationwide. The launch of ‘Fresh Choice Kitchen’ follows a partnership with a number of Irish suppliers to bring a new range of quality but affordable fresh and chilled convenience products to the marketplace, with a focus on sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging. Suppliers include Galmere Foods, Galway; Swift Fine Foods, Monaghan; Prestige Foods, Kerry; and Aveo, based in Dublin. The range includes products in traditional chilled convenience categories such as ready meals but also includes new areas for BWG Foods’ private label range, such as chilled desserts and fresh pizzas. BWG Foods is projecting sales potential of approximately €1m annually for its new brand and has plans to grow the brand nationally through a series of targeted marketing campaigns.

SuperValu to produce light fittings made from CDs

SUPERVALU is to produce its light fittings for its network of 223 stores from recycled CDs using 3D Printing technology. As a result, its light fittings will have a 75% reduced carbon footprint for material supply & manufacturing, transport and end of life combined, due to the lightweight nature and reduced number of parts compared to a traditional luminaire, which translates to a 35% carbon emission saving when shipping. SuperValu has partnered with two Irish companies, Domus and Pro Light Design & Technology, to roll-out the recycled and 3D Printed Luminaires, with installations completed in 40 stores to date ahead of a larger roll-out to be completed this year. The roll-out forms part of a broader set of commitments as part of SuperValu’s sustainability plans, with SuperValu Managing Director Ian Allen explaining: “We are working hard to be more environmentally friendly, fundamentally rethinking everything we do from product packaging to how we design our stores.”

Fyffes Launches New Website

FYFFES has launched a new website, fyffes.com, which makes it easy for customers and other users to find the information they need about its products and responsible business practices. ”Consumers and other stakeholders told us that they want to know more about the provenance of our bananas, pineapples, melons and exotic range, the so-called ‘farm to table’ journey. They want to know more about how we care for our people who harvest and pack by hand so that our products arrive in perfect condition to the supermarket shelves,” said Caoimhe Buckley, Director of Corporate Affairs. ”We want to make it easier to access information about our sustainability efforts, our certifications, quality controls and standards. We also want to help people find a good banana bread recipe during the many global lockdowns we are all experiencing.”

GM Marketing celebrates 21st birthday

BELFAST- based, brand-building distributor, GM Marketing has launched a new website to mark its celebratory milestone of 21 years in business. Founded by Gerard McAdorey in 2000, GM Marketing has a varied portfolio spanning food, beverage, baby, household, and foodservice brands, with the addition of several own-label products on behalf of its customers. The brand portfolio includes well-known household names such as Fox’s Biscuits, Tilda, Nando’s, Filippo Berio, and the most recent addition to the portfolio, the Costa Coffee At Home range for the GB Wholesale & Convenience channel. “We’re now entering our 21st year stronger than ever – we have the right mix of people, experience, and expertise, with an exceptionally strong commercial team from various FMCG and retail backgrounds, which ensures we understand the markets, their customers and how to effectively build brands with purpose,” said Gerard. For more information, visit www.gmmarketing.co.uk.

Lidl launches designer face coverings for charity

LIDL Ireland has partnered exclusively with Dublin-based art and fashion studio Jill & Gill to launch brand new designer face coverings which will be available in all 168 Lidl stores across the country. €1 from the sale of each two-pack of the colourful new face coverings will go to Lidl’s charity partner Jigsaw, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health, which offers support, listening, and expert mental health advice to young people aged 12-25 across Ireland. “We’re delighted to launch our new Jill & Gill face coverings and to support our charity partner, Jigsaw, in this way,” noted Aoife Clarke, Head of Communications & Marketing at Lidl Ireland, pictured with Jill Deering and Gillian Henderson, owners of Jill & Gill.

Industry News

Smarties switches to recyclable paper packaging

NESTLÉ’S much-loved Smarties brand will shortly be using recyclable paper packaging for its confectionery products worldwide. This represents a transition of 90% of the Smarties range, as 10% was already packed in recyclable paper packaging. The roll-out of the new material, which will be complete in Ireland and the UK by April, makes Smarties the first global confectionery brand to move to paper packaging, removing approximately 250m plastic packs sold worldwide every year. The innovative new designs include sharing bags, multipacks and giant hexatubes made from coated paper, paper labels or carton board, all produced from sustainably sourced and recyclable material.

Kinetic and Coca-Cola encourage consumers to be ‘Open to Better’ in 2021

KINETIC has partnered with Coca-Cola to launch the new ‘Open to Better’ campaign, which features limited edition packs with 25 light-hearted resolutions to inspire people to be ‘Open to Better’. The new cans include phrases such as ‘I promise to listen more, just for you’, ‘I will never watch a series without you again’, and ‘I’m not the best at cooking but I’ll try’. Consumers also have the opportunity to personalise Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or Diet Coke cans at coke.ie/opentobetter in Republic of Ireland and at coke.ie/ opentobetter in Northern Ireland and make their own personal pledges. Working closely with MediaCom, the team has devised an OOH campaign featuring a series of these positive and light-hearted resolutions, strategically placed at locations with high levels of activity during the current movement restrictions, including digital Point of Sale located in essential retail outlets and residential areas.

Kellogg’s launches new snack bar range

KELLOGG’S is expanding its W.K Kellogg by Kids range with the launch of brand-new, healthy snack bars. As part of Kellogg’s drive to encourage families to make healthier choices, the W.K Kellogg by Kids range first launched in 2020 with W.K Kellogg by Kids Multigrain Shapes Cereal, the first mainstream children’s cereal to be made with tasty fruit and veg and the number one cereal NPD of 2020. Due to its popularity, Kellogg’s has expanded the range with W.K Kellogg by Kids Bars. Made with tasty fruit and veg, wholegrains, and a source of fibre, the bars come in two flavours: Orange & Carrot and Strawberry, Raspberry & Beetroot. They contain no added sugar, no artificial colours or flavours and are less than 100 calories per bar.

BWG Foods joins Origin Green

BWG Foods has become a verified member of the world’s first national sustainability programme, Origin Green. The business has worked very closely with Bord Bia’s Origin Green team to develop a sophisticated and comprehensive sustainability strategy that includes measurable targets around initiatives that will contribute positively to the environment, and also to the local communities in which BWG and its retailers operate. BWG Foods has focused its efforts on a range of initiatives to reduce their environmental impact, including transitioning to renewable energy sources, lowering carbon emissions, reducing waste output and adopting more sustainable sourcing methods within its supply chain.“Our commitment to sustainability is borne out of the desire to always do the right thing by our customers and our communities, by reducing our environmental footprint, contributing to healthier diets, and supporting local communities,” noted Simon Marriott, Chief Operating Officer, BWG Foods (pictured). “Becoming a member of the Origin Green community signifies our achievements to date and our strong focus on sustainability into the future.”

PepsiCo Ireland donates €35,000 to Pieta

PEPSICO Ireland has donated €35,000 to suicide prevention charity Pieta, which will help Pieta offer support to those in crisis all year round. PepsiCo Ireland’s donation is a personal one, with employees around the country nominating the charity partner they wished to help the most. The donation is made possible after an unexpected year saw PepsiCo pivot and adapt its strategy, with the help and support of Irish retailers. “It’s as a result of our strong relations with our retailers, that we are able to support our local communities and organisations, working together to support such an important cause,” noted PepsiCo General Manager, Adam Smart. “We’d like to extend a sincere thank you to every retailer that we worked with last year, who have helped to add a little more hope to 2021.” For more information or to donate, please visit www.pieta.ie.

Industry News

Lidl launches fundraising initiative for LGFA clubs

FOLLOWING the successful launch of its brand new campaign with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) recently, Lidl Ireland has announced a new fundraising initiative through its rewards app, Lidl Plus, to level the playing field for ladies Gaelic football players across the country. Since February 15, customers who register for its Lidl Plus app can sign up to the retailer’s fundraising initiative to raise much needed funds for their local club. Each time Lidl Plus registered users spend over €30 in-store and scan their app at the till, they will receive a stamp on their digital stamp card. Multiple stamps can be earned in each shop if a multiple of €30 is spent and once six stamps have been collected, users can submit their completed stamp card via the app and their stamps are then added to their chosen club’s total. Each club that achieves a minimum of 50 completed digital stamp cards is guaranteed a reward, starting from a set of Lidl sponsored jerseys up to €5,000 in cash funding for clubs that collect 500 or more completed stamp cards. “This latest initiative by Lidl is a great opportunity for our clubs across the country to raise some much needed funds to help build on the progress we’ve made and to continue to encourage participation and growth in the sport,” noted Carla Rowe (pictured), Dublin LGFA star and All-Ireland winner.

Irish Honey Liqueur wins gold

THE Wild Geese Irish Honey Liqueur has taken the top prize in the Liqueur category at the 2021 Concours International Top Spirit Awards. The Liqueur beat off a host of competition in a blind taste test, with the jury judging on criteria including nose, colour, taste and price. “To have been selected for this prize under the current challenging conditions, beating off bigger competitive brands, is a major achievement,” noted Andre Levy, Chairman of The Wild Geese producer, Protégé International. “The award reinforces the quality of our products, which have been recognised around the world by almost 70 prestigious international awards.”

Aldi launching click-and-collect service

ALDI has launched its first click-and-collect service for its customers throughout Ireland. Following a successful trial of the service in Dublin, Aldi is extending the service to customers through 15 of its stores across Ireland, while the service will be extended to further stores across the country in the near future. Aldi customers can choose from a full range of grocery items online, then drive to their local store where they can have their shopping brought to their cars by store colleagues contact-free, in line with social distancing rules. “Following the success of the initial trials of the service, we’re really excited to now be able to offer click-and-collect to Irish customers in this roll-out to selected stores,” said Niall O’Connor, Group Managing Director, Aldi Ireland (pictured). “We are continuously reviewing and looking at new ways we can enhance our customers’ experience with Aldi and this is another solution that we’re proud to provide.”

Tesco confirms longterm support for small suppliers

TESCO Ireland is extending its improved payment terms for small suppliers, until the end of February 2022. Since the emergence of the pandemic in March last year, Tesco announced that it would support small and local suppliers by temporarily changing its payment terms to have their invoices processed within five days, instead of the usual 14 days. While the impact of the pandemic continues to be felt, the extension of Tesco’s improved payment terms will mean small businesses will be supported further. “This is a huge help for a company like ours,” noted Keith Symes, Managing Director, Wicklow Rapeseed Oil (pictured), whose company has worked with Tesco for over five years. “Securing five-day payment terms until February of next year helps us improve cash-flow at a time when we need to provide what certainty we can to our four full-time and four part-time staff. We’re grateful to Tesco for their sensitivity to the small supplier and look forward to continuing to supply our award-winning products from our fourth-generation farm in Wicklow to family tables across the country.”

Lotto millionaire in The Belfry

WARREN Brennan, store manager at The Belfry Spar store in Citywest, and co-worker Sinead O’Leary celebrate after their store was confirmed as the winning location for a recent Lotto Plus 1 top prize win of €1m. “The staff in the store are absolutely buzzing, knowing that somebody who came into the store yesterday is now a millionaire,” said Warren. “It’s truly incredible! The store is situated in the heart of a large residential area here in Citywest so the likelihood is that one of the local residents is a brand new millionaire. Whoever they are, we wish them every bit of luck with their million euro win.” The same draw saw another lucky online Lotto player from Co. Dublin winning a cool €112,078 after matching five numbers and the bonus ball in the main Lotto draw, falling just one number shy of winning the entire jackpot worth €7.5m.