Chicken wings sales reach all time high at Musgrave MarketPlace

Sales peak at all time high of 100,000 chicken wings per week, and an estimated over 5 million per year
Hot and spicy wings with garlic mayo dip is Ireland’s favourite chicken wing combo

Whether it’s buffalo, honey garlic or hot and spicy, Ireland is crazy for chicken wings according to new research from Musgrave MarketPlace.

Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to foodservice, retail and SME businesses is reporting that sales of chicken wings have risen to an all-time high of 100,000 per week, or a staggering 5 million per year, which equates to 510 tonnes of chicken wings!

Tell me what’s your flavour?

According to a survey of over 200 Musgrave MarketPlace customers, Ireland’s favourite chicken wing flavour is hot and spicy (44%) followed by barbecue (25%) and buffalo (19%).

When it comes to accompaniments, 60% of Musgrave MarketPlace customers serve their wings with garlic mayo. Other popular flavours which feature on menus across Ireland include blue cheese (44.04%) and ranch (11.93%).

Winging It

There is no sign of the demand for the delicious dish waning as 40% of respondents say that chicken wings are among the top five most popular dishes served in their establishment, with a further 15% stating it is the most popular item on their menu.

Musgrave MarketPlace can also reveal that when it comes to drumstick vs flat piece as the preferred part of the wing, the traditional drumstick is the firm favourite with 60% of the vote.

Despite the fried foods long history in Ireland, the popularity of chicken wings has grown substantially in recent times with over 81% of those surveyed having added wings to their menu in the last ten years.

Commenting on the research findings, Desi Derby, Marketing Director at Musgrave MarketPlace, said: “The chicken wing has come a long way from a butchers off-cut to one of the most popular items on most menus. Chicken wings are a very versatile product, and a great vehicle for flavour. Easily adaptable to fit most food trends from high protein to gluten free, it’s great to see our growth in sales to over 5 million wings per year”.

Musgrave MarketPlace are proud to be chicken wing supplier to Dublin chicken wing institution, Elephant and Castle. Since opening its world-famous Temple Bar restaurant in 1989, Elephant and Castle has become renowned as the home for wing lovers.

Speaking on the event, Ronan Gleeson, long standing team member at Elephant and Castle Templebar said: “We are delighted to celebrate National Chicken Wing Day again this year at Elephant and Castle. We are very proud of our flavoursome original basket of wings, perfected in 1989, which has become one of Dublin’s favourite dishes. We are looking forward to commemorating the day in our original Temple Bar restaurant as well as our new Monkstown and Rathmines branches”.

Musgrave MarketPlace also encouraged their customers to join in on the celebrations for National Chicken Wing Day by visiting their pop-up restaurant in their Ballymun branch. All proceeds from the event went to their charity partner, The Irish Society for Autism.

National Chicken Wing Day took place on the 29th July.

Supervalu and Centra retailers shortlisted for 15 prestigious Retail Industry Awards

Posted on 26th July 201930th September 2019 by hs783jdla | Awards Centra News Our brands Retail partners SuperValu

SuperValu and Centra stores from across Northern Ireland in the running for esteemed retail accolades

Retailers from SuperValu and Centra have been shortlisted in the 2019 Retail Industry Awards, highlighting the excellence on offer across both brands.

Widely regarded as ‘The Oscars’ of the grocery sector, the Retail Industry Awards reward excellence and outstanding achievement across a broad range of categories, recognising independent retailers alongside the large supermarket groups.

Commenting on the shortlist, Michael McCormack, Managing Director of SuperValu & Centra in Northern Ireland said:

“I would like to congratulate all those stores that have been shortlisted in these prestigious UK-wide awards. Excellence is second nature to our retailers, whether that’s the customer service they provide or the food and drink they serve. This shortlist is testament to the hard work that has been put in over the years by our teams both at a local and national level. We can now turn our attention to the awards night on September 17^th and look forward to bringing home some wins for our retailers.”

SuperValu and Centra have been shortlisted in the following categories for this year’s Retail Industry Awards:

Convenience Retailer of the Year – Regional – Centra NI
Digital Engagement Award – Bradley’s Centra, Maghera, County Londonderry
Drinks Retailer of the Year – Independent – Lusty’s Centra Larne, County Antrim
Food-to-go Retailer of the Year
- Independent – Lilley’s Centra, Dublin Road, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
- Multiple convenience – Musgrave NI
Forecourt Retailer of the Year
- Independent – Lilley’s Centra, Dublin Road, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
- Company-owned – Centra Church Street, Banbridge, County Down
Multiple Community Retailer of the Year – SuperValu
Post Office Retailer of the Year – SuperValu Omagh, County Tyrone
Store Manager of the Year
- Independent – Alistair Connor, McCool’s SuperValu, Ballymoney, County Antrim
- Independent – Martin McLaughlin, McCool’s SuperValu, Kells, County Antrim
Store Team of the Year – Lilley’s Centra, Dublin Road, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
Symbol/Fascia Group of the Year – Centra
Symbol/Fascia Group of the Year – SuperValu
Symbol Initiative of the Year – Live Well, Centra

Musgrave MarketPlace unveils €1.7m upgrade of Galway branch

Posted on 26th July 201930th September 2019 by hs783jdla | MarketPlace News Our brands

Pictured are Noel Keeley, Managing Director, Musgrave MarketPlace, Arthur Maguire, Musgrave MarketPlace customer, Síle Seoige, Event MC and Tony Nolan, General Manager, Musgrave MarketPlace.

Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to foodservice, retail and SMEs has officially unveiled its newly revamped Galway branch to customers. The €1.7 million upgrade of the Galway-based branch forms part of a €12.6m investment to date in the Musgrave MarketPlace brand over the last four years as it continues to redefine wholesale on the island of Ireland.

Síle Seoige was on hand as MC for the launch of the new Galway branch while guests enjoyed a tour of the upgraded Food Emporium as well as food and drink samples from Musgrave MarketPlace’s vast range of suppliers.

The newly revamped branch has been designed with the customer and environment in mind. As well as offering amazing value, great service and a broader product range, the newly revamped branch in Galway includes a new Food Theatre for product demonstrations, a bespoke butchery counter, a new coffee counter, as well as in-branch expert advice.

Speaking on the investment in Musgrave MarketPlace branches in 2019, Noel Keeley, Managing Director of Musgrave MarketPlace, said:

“Today marks another significant milestone in our brand journey. Our €1.7m investment in the Galway branch is the next step on this journey and forms part of our €12.6m investment in our branch network.

Upgrading our branches is a response to the changing needs of our customers, needs that were not present 10 years ago. Our Food Emporium format gives our customers a greater range across all products from world foods to bespoke meat cutting in branch and crockery and equipment. Additional services available to our customers include a team of Product Specialists, a Trends Expert, dedicated chef skills masterclasses and retailer workshops. Our brand essence; First for Service, First for Value and First for Choice, is at the core of everything we do, and we are focused on delivering our customers a first-class customer experience.”

Innovation and investment in convenience

Posted on 25th July 201930th September 2019 by hs783jdla | Blog Food Leadership Innovation

As consumer lifestyles get busier and more frantic, the demand for convenience without compromise continues to grow.

As a leader in retail convenience, Musgrave invests in staying ahead of these trends and creating food shopping and eating experiences that are both unique, exciting and quick. Our ambition is to re-define convenience and to offer healthy and nutritious grab-and-go food and drink for the modern shopper.

Centra is Ireland’s number one convenience brand, with nearly 500 stores across Ireland and Northern Ireland. In July two new stores were opened in Northern Ireland, with a total investment from Musgrave of almost £3 million (€3.34million), creating 50 new jobs for people in the local areas.

In Craigavon, Co Armagh more than £2.5 million (€2.8 million) has been invested in a new store with the Greene family, creating 30 new jobs. Meanwhile over £450K (€500K) in investment has been made in a new store in Limavady, Co Derry, with local entrepreneurs, the Wilson family.

Both stores bear the new-look Centra store design which has the modern shopper in mind, with a contemporary style, wide aisles and lower shelf heights designed to improve the shopping experience.

The stores also include Frank and Honest coffee – now the largest coffee brand on the island of Ireland – a hot and cold deli, and, to fit with the public’s more adventurous tastes, a Mex-a-go counter serving up delicious burritos and Mexican style street food.

Crucially the Centra stores include free WiFi so people can access the internet as they grab some food and drink, and in line with our sustainability strategy, the stores feature the latest energy-saving technology such as environmentally-friendly fridges, lighting and state-of-the-art kitchen equipment.

Our expertise in brand innovation coupled with our knowledge and passion for food is what drives our business forward, but the stores would not be successful without the dedicated local family businesses that run them.

Whilst these Centra stores deliver modern convenience, technology and ‘on-trend’ food offerings, our retail partners bring the magic dust that make these enjoyable places to visit and shop with human interaction and local knowledge.

Find out more about Building Better Brands

Find out more about our Partnerships

Musgrave MarketPlace invests €2.6 million to upgrade Galway and Derry branches

Posted on 15th July 20191st October 2019 by hs783jdla | Innovation MarketPlace News Our brands

Investment will transform each branch into a state-of-the-art Food Emporium and reduce their carbon footprint.

Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to foodservice, retail and SME businesses, announced that €2.6m has been invested in upgrading their Galway (€1.7m) and Derry (€0.9m) branches across the first six months of 2019.

The work to upgrade the Galway and Derry branches is the latest step in a €12.6m plan which Musgrave MarketPlace has undertaken to transform each branch into a state-of-the-art Food Emporium and improve their environmental performance, reducing their carbon footprint.

Investment in the Galway and Derry branches follows branch upgrades in Dublin’s Ballymun and Robinhood, Cork and Duncrue in Belfast.

The newly revamped branches in Galway (opening on 24th July), and Derry (opened on 20th June) have been designed with the customer and environment in mind. As well as offering amazing value, great service and a broader product range, the newly revamped branch in Galway includes a new Food Theatre for product demonstrations, a bespoke butchery counter, a new coffee counter, as well as in-branch expert advice.

All upgraded branches have been designed to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. It is estimated that Musgrave MarketPlace Galway will reduce its CO2 output by 82,000kg per annum, which is equivalent to the annual electricity required to run 50 homes.

As part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to eliminating food waste, Musgrave MarketPlace Galway have joined forces with social enterprise company FoodCloud. The partnership sees surplus food go to charity. So far in 2019, Musgrave MarketPlace Galway have donated over 2,000 meals to local Galway charities.

Speaking on the investment in Musgrave MarketPlace branches in 2019, Noel Keeley, Managing Director of Musgrave MarketPlace, said:

“Today marks another significant milestone in our brand journey. Our €2.6m investment in Galway and Derry is the next step on this journey and forms part of our €12.6m investment in our branch network.

Other new features at Musgrave MarketPlace Galway and Derry will include:

An upgraded ‘Click and Collect’ offering which allows customers to place orders online, hassle-free. Customers can park in the conveniently located Click & Collect parking spots at the store exit and, if they have paid online, have their order brought out to the car when they call the Click & Collect number. Alternatively, they can pick up some extra items in branch while their order is being brought to the till where they can then pay for all of their items.
Navigating the store has been made easier than ever thanks to a colour blocking system, which aligns with a map on your trolley.

If it’s steak – it’s got to be SuperValu!

Posted on 11th July 20192nd October 2019 by hs783jdla | Awards Food Leadership News Our brands SuperValu

SuperValu Wins Gold and Silver Awards At The World Steak Challenge

11^th July 2019 – SuperValu’s renowned steak range received more global accolades at this year’s World Steak Challenge held for the first time in Ireland, with SuperValu’s Signature Tastes Hereford Fillet Steak and Signature Tastes Hereford Ribeye Steak both scooping gold awards at the international competition. SuperValu’s Signature Tastes Hereford Striploin Steak also received a silver award.

The World Steak Challenge, hosts entries from 25 countries and approximately 31 different breeds all competing strongly for medals and overall winner titles. An international panel of renowned chefs, food writers and experts assessed entries and singled out the SuperValu steaks for their quality, taste and flavour.

SuperValu’s Irish reared Hereford beef is renowned for its natural marbling, which gives it a rich and unique taste, with steaks taken from prime young cattle, aged and matured to make them more tender and full of flavour. The Hereford cattle used for SuperValu’s Signature Tastes range are reared by Irish farmers.

Commenting on the awards, Ray Kelly, Marketing Director, SuperValu, said: “With quality at the core of everything we do, our mission is to give our customers the best in Irish food and these awards reflect the world class produce that we serve up to shoppers everyday. As the number one supporter of the Irish agrifood industry, all of our SuperValu beef is 100% Irish – born, bred and reared in Ireland. As a result, we can guarantee the quality and provenance of our beef and it is a great endorsement to see our commitment and quality of our Irish beef recognised on a global stage.”

SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and has 220 stores nationwide. Together with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500 colleagues, making it one of the State’s largest private sector employers. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy. SuperValu is currently running its #LoveMeat campaign to promote the best in Irish meat including these award winning steaks.

Acquisition heralds new era for prominent Co. Armagh store

Posted on 4th July 20192nd October 2019 by hs783jdla | News People and partnerships Retail partners SuperValu

Fruitfield Eurospar site in Co. Armagh acquired by SuperValu Retailers, Neville & Phillip Woods

Local SuperValu retailers, Neville and Philip Woods, have completed the acquisition of FruitField Eurospar, which will see the prominent Co. Armagh business rebrand to SuperValu. It will be business as usual for the 80+ colleagues as the Woods family embark on the next stage in the store’s development.

Ownership of the store on the Portadown Road in Richhill, Co. Armagh, will transfer from one leading local retail family to another. Over the next few months the store, formerly owned by the Reid family, will be transformed into a SuperValu store under the guidance of the Woods family, who also own SuperValu stores in Tandragee and Richhill and a Centra store on Dobbin Road in Portadown.

The Reids have owned FruitField for over 20 years and in 2014 redeveloped the site into the modern complex it is today. Under the new ownership, the contemporary 8000sq ft store will be further developed in the coming months. The new and improved store will benefit from an enhanced product range and store layout, including an expanded fresh fruit and vegetable offering, alongside an extended food-to-go section, Frank and Honest gourmet coffee and a free to use ATM.

Commenting on the announcement, Eric Reid, said: “We are proud to have developed the business over the last 20 years into a strong, community store and we’re pleased to pass the baton on to another leading family business, who, we have no doubt will build on these strong foundations, with their ambitious plans for the future.”

Philip Woods added: “We are excited to take on this site and to continue to build on the great service delivered by Eric and family. Over the coming months we will work to redevelop the store in line with the SuperValu identity. It will be business as usual for the staff and our local suppliers as we build on the retail credentials of FruitField.”

Nigel Maxwell, Sales Director for SuperValu NI said: “We are proud to support the Wood’s family with this ambitious acquisition and to see the SuperValu brand take on a flagship store in the Armagh area. As part of our ambition to lead on foodmarket convenience in Northern Ireland, we are actively seeking out opportunities for new stores for our SuperValu, Centra and Mace brands across Northern Ireland.”

Irish festival goers go green as demand for sustainable packaging rises

Posted on 3rd July 20192nd October 2019 by hs783jdla | Caring for our world MarketPlace News Sustainability

Half of Irish festival attendees more likely to purchase from a vendor who does not use single use plastic

Key findings

Almost half of Irish festival goers are more likely to purchase from a vendor who doesn’t use single use plastic
80% say purchasing from eco-friendly vendors is important to them
Over 3 in 4 struggle to stick to a healthy eating regime at a festival
3 in 4 spend up to €30 per day on festival food

With festival season about to kick off, Irish festival goers are becoming a lot more eco-conscious. That’s according to new research* carried out by Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading foodservice supplier.

The research into Irish festival habits reveals that 80% of people polled say it’s important for food vendors to offer compostable cups and cutlery, and half say they are more likely to purchase food and drink from vendors who don’t use single use plastic. So important is this, that 62% say they will seek out food and drink sellers who have a reputation for environmentalism at the next festival they attend.

Eco-friendly products sales surge

The move towards less plastic is also reflected in the growing demand for compostable products at Musgrave MarketPlace. Earlier this year, Musgrave MarketPlace reported that sales of eco-friendly products were up 198% in the first nine weeks of the year, with that figure rising to 228% by June 2019.

The biggest areas of product growth within the Musgrave MarketPlace eco-friendly range are sales in coffee cups and lids (up 210% in 2019) and takeaway containers (up 227% in 2019). Sales have also been on the rise for compostable straws with almost 3.3 million of these sold at Musgrave MarketPlace in the first half of 2019. Other eco-friendly products supplied by Musgrave MarketPlace include cutlery, bowls, plates, cutlery, and trays.

The healthy option?

Over 3 in 4 (78%) say they find it hard to stick to a healthy eating regime when attending a festival, so it’s no surprise that 81% say they would like to see healthier options available on-site.

Food is a huge part of what makes a festival according to 59% and 62% say that they often try a food for the first time when they are there.

Almost half (48%) say they purchase all their food from vendors at a festival while a more frugal 51% say they buy some items but also bring food along with them. Three quarters of those polled spend up to €30 per day on festival food while 1 in 4 spend more than €30 a day.

Commenting on the findings, Desi Derby, Marketing Director, Musgrave MarketPlace said:

“Our research shows that Irish consumers are becoming a lot more conscious of their plastic usage and are actively seeking out brands and companies who are trying to reduce single use plastic. This is not only good for the environment, but also good for businesses who opt for eco-friendly options, with festival goers more likely to purchase from these vendors.

At Musgrave MarketPlace we supply many of the largest music festivals in Ireland and we understand this shift in demand from consumers. That is why we have expanded our packaging ranges which will in turn help significantly reduce single use plastics at festivals in Ireland. This is a trend that’s not going away, and we look forward to working with food vendors around Ireland to help them become more sustainable.”

*Survey carried out among 201 festival attendees aged 18+

Month: July 2019

Chicken wings sales reach all time high at Musgrave MarketPlace

Supervalu and Centra retailers shortlisted for 15 prestigious Retail Industry Awards

Musgrave MarketPlace unveils €1.7m upgrade of Galway branch

Innovation and investment in convenience

Musgrave MarketPlace invests €2.6 million to upgrade Galway and Derry branches

If it’s steak – it’s got to be SuperValu!

Acquisition heralds new era for prominent Co. Armagh store

Irish festival goers go green as demand for sustainable packaging rises

What would you like to find?

Trending this month

Noel Keeley appointed as new Musgrave CEO

Addressing the sustainability challenge

Acquisition heralds new era for prominent Co. Armagh store