The SuperValu Award for Excellence in Food Microbiology has been presented to Jayne Mullally at a ceremony in University College Cork (UCC). The award, which is now in its third year, is an acknowledgement by SuperValu of the vital contribution UCC makes to primary food research. Jayne Mullally finished top of her class in the Masters of Food Microbiology course. As part of her award Jayne will be given €2,000, which will allow her to continue her research into bacteriophage isolation from food pathogens, including Campylobacter, which is currently the primary cause of food poisoning in Ireland.

Ray Bowe, Head of Food Safety & Quality at SuperValu said, “The importance of food microbiology in product safety is a cornerstone in the provision of safe food to all of our customers. In presenting this Award for the third year, we recognise the key role played by University College Cork in developing the skills and expertise of future food industry leaders and are delighted to continue to be associated with this effort. We congratulate Jayne and wish both her and her class every success as they continue their studies in Food Microbiology.”

Professor Gerald Fitzgerald, Head of the School of Microbiology and Director of the Food Microbiology Programme said, “The Masters in Food Microbiology is a significant part of the School’s academic offering and 50% of those taking the class are students from foreign countries including China, India, Saudi Arabia and various EU countries. We are delighted that SuperValu, with their unwavering commitment to food quality and Irish producers, have chosen to collaborate with us on this award. Industry-academic collaborations are so important and add to the high quality training our graduates receive.”

Massive overhaul of one of Ireland’s largest food and retail wholesalers

Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to retail, foodservice and SME businesses today announced a €2.2 million upgrade of its Ballymun store, located off St. Margaret’s Road. This significant investment forms part of Musgrave MarketPlace’s ongoing commitment to deliver a first class customer service experience and an unrivalled product offering to its customers.

The upgrade of its Ballymum store will result in a 20% increase in the size of the cash and carry area as well as a range of new speciality areas and state-of-the art technology to offer retail and foodservice customers a best in class visitor experience.

The revamped 75,000 square foot store which employs 65 staff will officially open in October of this year. As part of the upgrade, three new roles will be created at the branch to ensure customers receive expert information and advice from trusted advisors. These roles will be created within the areas of fresh food, liquor and equipment.

Musgrave MarketPlace Ballymun will feature a range of new and innovative key areas to assist foodservice and retail customers to access the information and products they need to drive their business forward. These include:

• Specialist meat, cheese, fish and fruit and vegetables counters with experts on hand to advise on the latest culinary trends
• A state-of-the-art culinary theatre to showcase the Musgrave MarketPlace offerings for customers. Tailored classes will be hosted in this area aimed at creating menu solutions for customers with a full time expert chef.
• Hundreds of new products will also be available in the upgraded store as well as online access to the full Musgrave MarketPlace range. These have been selected based on extensive international and local trends research commissioned by Musgrave MarketPlace to ensure customers are provided with the most up to date range.

Noel Keeley, Managing Director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners said; “We are delighted to unveil the design concepts for our new Ballymun store. The business of food and drink is constantly evolving and it’s important that we continue to innovate and respond to our customers’ needs. This significant investment will allow us to deliver the cash and carry of the future. As well as providing our customers with the products they want, we will also be able to add value through our experts on hand in-store.”

“A huge amount of planning and research has gone into this development to ensure that we deliver unrivalled quality and value to our customers. The refurbishment is testament to our brand promise of ‘first for value, first for choice and first for service.”

The revamped Musgrave MarketPlace Ballymun will officially open in October 2016 but will operate as normal throughout the upgrade.

The upgrade is part of an ongoing commitment by the brand to deliver refurbishments across all branches nationwide.