SuperValu celebrates talented up and coming food producers with Taste of Local campaign

Five products to hit the shelves across all stores as part of wider commitment to growing Irish food industry

Five small Irish food producers have been selected for national distribution in over 150 SuperValu stores from October 13th, as part of the retailer’s innovative Taste of Local initiative.

Taste of Local is just one part of SuperValu’s long-standing commitments to Irish food and drink producers. Stocked in store 52 weeks of the year, the range is made up of Food Academy participants and hyperlocal products.

The five companies chosen as Guest Stars for nationwide distribution this year are:

  • Thanks Plants, Co. Dublin
  • Le Paysan, Co. Wicklow
  • Roll It Pastry, Co. Meath
  • Irish Hedgerow, Co. Tipperary
  • My Apricot Kitchen, Co. Dublin

The Guest Star food and drink producers each bring something unique to the industry. They were chosen for nationwide distribution based on their success in the Food Academy programme. In recent years, there has been a huge emphasis on supporting Irish, with a study from SuperValu earlier this year revealing the vast majority (89%) of Irish people believe buying local products can help the environment.

Commenting on the nationwide launch of the five Guest Stars’ products, Carmel Biggane, Food Academy Manager, SuperValu, said:

“Supporting local Irish producers is at the heart of SuperValu’s ethos. We have Taste of Local products in all our stores, year-round and we are really excited for the five Guest Stars’ producers to go nationwide from October 13th.

The journey to get themselves on the shelves has been one of hard work and passion by the business owners. The growth they have demonstrated during the Food Academy programme has been inspiring and we at SuperValu are thrilled to be a part of their stories of growth and success.”

Food Academy is a unique food business development programme between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices. The programme provides invaluable guidance to small producers on supply chain, marketing, costing and other essential business knowledge and is exclusively for Irish producers.

The Food Academy programme supports 1,500 jobs in local communities nationwide with a survey of Food Academy members finding that 98% of participants feel that Food Academy has been “very beneficial” to developing their business, and 85% of participants expect to employ new staff over the next 12 months.

With over 300 Food Academy producers currently in SuperValu stores nationwide, SuperValu’s independent retail model means retailers can provide Food Academy members a gateway to one or a small group of stores, allowing them to manage demand as operations grow.

For more information on Food Academy visit https://SuperValu.ie/real-people/food-academy-programme.

This year’s five Taste of Local Guest Star Hero Products are available at over 150 SuperValu stores nationwide from October 13th until November 2nd.

Musgrave announces acquisition of Italicatessen

Musgrave has today announced the acquisition of Italicatessen for an undisclosed sum, subject to approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Italicatessen is a leading importer and distributor of premium quality, authentic Italian food and wines directly from Italy. Based in Wicklow, Italicatessen, employing 75 people, was founded in 2002 as a small family run business and has since grown to service over 900 customers. Over the past 20 years Italicatessen has established relationships with the best producers in Italy. Italicatessen also distributes in the UK, based in Brentford, Italicatessen UK employs 12 people. Musgrave foodservice, wholesale and retail customers will have direct access to a wide range of excellent artisan Italian food and wine products from pasta, preserves, cheese, olive oil to fine wines.

The acquisition is part of Musgrave’s wider strategy to grow a world class food and beverage business with particular focus on foodservice and wholesale. Italicatessen will enable Musgrave to meet growing consumer demand for authentic, high-quality fresh and ambient products imported directly from their country of origin.

Commenting on the deal, Noel Keeley, CEO, Musgrave, said: “The acquisition of Italicatessen is an excellent strategic fit for our business which enhances our market-leading foodservice and retail offer. Whether it’s Italian, French, Spanish or Mexican food, consumers now expect the quality and taste to match the experience they have when eating in these countries. Italicatessen brings that authenticity to customers looking for locally sourced Italian products.

We look forward to working with the Italicatessen team and customers who will benefit from the support of Musgrave in terms of supply chain infrastructure and access to an increased product range. This deal represents another important development as part of our strategic commitment to Growing Good Business by creating a sustainable, profitable business that benefits our shareholders, our people, partners and local communities while expanding our position as Ireland’s leading food retail, wholesale and foodservice company.”

Also commenting on the acquisition, Christian Reolon, MD Italicatessen, said: “This is a positive milestone and great opportunity for our company. Musgrave is a family business and Ireland’s leading food retail, wholesale and foodservice company. Musgrave will open access to the largest wholesale and foodservice distribution network in Ireland. This will enable us to grow, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of our business. The acquisition happens at a great time for us given the momentum of the business. It will facilitate greater focus, support and investment in developing the business and our people and building on all that we have achieved in recent years.”

Italicatessen will continue to operate as a standalone business with the existing management team and staff working within the broader Musgrave wholesale business.

Musgrave Investment in Portglenone Reaches £1.2 million

Leading convenience retailer SuperValu officially launched its rejuvenated Portglenone store on Friday, 7th October, following an investment of £720,000, supporting 36 jobs in the local area. This brings the total invested in the town by Musgrave NI, which owns the SuperValu and Centra brands, to £1.2 million following the refurbishment of its Centra store earlier this year.

To mark the occasion, locals were invited locals to visit the store to enjoy a cookery demonstration from celebrity home cook Suzie Lee, balloon modelling, face painting, and to sample some of SuperValu’s SimpliDish range of locally produced meal solutions. There was also a spin the wheel competition with a range of prizes to be won.

Caroline Rowan, Head of Retail Operations for Musgrave NI added:

“At Musgrave, we are delighted to be continuing our investment in Portglenone. This is just the second SuperValu in Northern Ireland to unveil our new format, which has been designed with the local community in mind, ensuring they have the best products and offers on their doorstep, alongside a modern and spacious shopping environment.”

The major investment has allowed for new and exciting additions in store including an expanded food-to-go offering with a new hot and cold deli counter, an enhanced bakery, the introduction of the Happy Pear plant-based range of products, and a new selection of healthy meals.

Coffee lovers can enjoy a hot drink-to-go from the Frank and Honest Coffee dock with 100% compostable coffee cups, plastic free coffee capsules and Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans. Customers can also benefit from the brand’s digital loyalty app which offers a free coffee after earning ten digital stamps.

The store boasts an improved, new look off-licence with an increased premium range of beers, wines, and spirits while shoppers can also benefit from self-service tills.

Commenting on the revamp, store manager Brian O’Neill said: “The whole team and I are really excited to welcome customers, existing and new, to our amazing, rejuvenated store in the heart of Portglenone. We hope shoppers will enjoy all of the new and exciting concepts and the great value and service on offer, and we are always on hand to help our customers have the best shopping experience possible.

“With the cost-of-living continuing to rise, it’s clear that keeping household costs down is front of mind for our customers. As part of SuperValu’s commitment to value, our shoppers will benefit from over 200 special offers on big brands every week and over 400 cheaper own brand products. And with more than 500 of our branded products price-checked against Tesco, we are committed to delivering the best value for our customers across our entire range.”

Musgrave is working to achieve its net zero ambition by 2040 and the group are firmly committed to being more sustainable, Caroline Rowan explains.

“As part of Musgrave NI’s company-owned portfolio, we have significantly invested in new energy saving technology. The store is powered using green electricity and features new digital screens, energy efficient LED lighting, a top-grade energy efficient refrigeration system and electronic shelf edge labels, making the store as efficient and green as possible.

“Musgrave NI also supports local, spending more than £160m on local food and drink annually. We work with more than 3,000 local farmers, partner with over 150 local suppliers and stock over 3,500 local products across our stores.”

SuperValu Portglenone is open from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 1pm to 6pm on Sundays.

SuperValu and Centra producers celebrate another year of success at the Blas na hÉireann Awards

Producers for SuperValu and Centra enjoyed huge success at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards Ceremony, held in Dingle on Friday 30th September.

SuperValu:

SuperValu producers celebrate another year of success with 119 wins at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards

  • SuperValu Irish Beef Dry Aged Striploin from Kepak wins Best New Product 2022
  • SuperValu producers win 32 gold, 37 silver and 38 bronze awards across Own Brand and Food Academy
  • Taste of Local producers also won five Chef’s Larder awards, five best in county awards and the Rogha na Gaeltachta award
  • Large number of wins a reflection of SuperValu’s long-term investment in supporting Irish producers
  • Other Gold award winners include: SuperValu Crème Fraiche, SuperValu Natural Kefir (NPD) and SuperValu Chicken With Garam Masala Soup.

Food Academy:

  • SuperValu’s Food Academy food and drink producers picked up a total of 73 awards, made up of 19 gold, 19 silver and 24 bronze as well as five Chef’s Larder’s, five best in county and the Rogha na Gaeltachta award.
  • These wins included gold and best in county for Clare Jam’s new product Doolin Mustard while newcomer Zingibeer, run by father and daughter Kevin and Rachel Byrne, won gold for their Ginger Beer. Zingibeer is made from all natural ingredients including lemon zest and champagne yeast which make the ginger beer sophisticated, zingy and refreshing.
  • New producers who started with Food Academy in May this year won 13 awards. This is an endorsement of the quality and innovation of Food Academy’s emerging food and drink brands, which form a major part of SuperValu’s support of indigenous food producers.

Centra:

  • Centra’s 22 winners were made up of 6 gold Awards, 9 Silver Awards and 7 Bronze Awards.  The awards were won across the Centra, Inspired by Centra, Happy Pear and Moo’d brands. Centra was the biggest winner in the Convenience Market.
  • Centra producers won 6 Inspired by Centra Awards which include 4 Gold Awards for the following products: Inspired by Centra Angus Sirloin steak with peppercorn butter, Inspired by Centra Salmon Sensation, Inspired by Centra Lamb Tagine, Inspired by Centra Mexican style sweet potato and bean salad (NPD).
  • Centra’s other Gold winners were our multi award winning Centra Crème Fraiche and Centra Chicken with Garam Masala Soup (prepack & self-serve).
  • The Happy Pear also won Blas na hÉireann Awards

Now in its 15th year, the Blas Na hÉireann awards is the biggest annual competition for quality Irish produce across the island of Ireland with thousands of products entered hoping to win Gold, Silver or Bronze Awards across 100 food and drink categories. Achieving such levels of quality remains a priority for SuperValu and Centra and they are proud to be recognised for delivering the best taste and quality products for its customers.

Supervalu & Centra launch life-saving mammogram campaign

Leading food convenience retailers SuperValu and Centra, are launching a new initiative to support their long-term charity partner Action Cancer, by encouraging shoppers to help sponsor a mammogram.

Each SuperValu and Centra store is aiming to raise at least £120, which is how much it costs Action Cancer to provide one free mammogram to women in Northern Ireland. Last year, the service provided 1,950 breast screenings to women aged 40-49 and over 70 years – outside of NHS screening age.

From Monday 10th to Friday 14th October, staff at SuperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland will be armed with buckets collecting donations to raise funds for this life-saving service. Customers will also be able to donate at the tills using cash or card.

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing for SuperValu and Centra, said,

“We have a long-standing partnership with Action Cancer and our amazing retailers, colleagues and customers have raised £3.5m to date to keep the Big Bus on the road. We’re proud to launch this new initiative and would encourage our customers to support this worthwhile cause in our stores and help save the life of a mum, granny, daughter, aunt, wife or friend.

“Our marketing campaign features 16 local women who have benefited from Action Cancer breast screening service, a testament to the importance of this vital service and the need for continued fundraising.”

Corporate Fundraising Manager for Action Cancer, Lucy McCusker, added:

“We’re delighted to continue our partnership with SuperValu and Centra with the launch of this new initiative. Our breast screening service detects approximately six cancers in every 1,000 women screened, and with the support of our partners SuperValu and Centra, we can continue to provide these life-saving screenings. Each mammogram, while free to the client, costs Action Cancer £120, so every penny raised could help save the life of a woman close to you.”

Bridie Treanor from Roslea in County Fermanagh, and a mum to six children and granny to four grandchildren, attended Action Cancer’s Big Bus for a breast screening when it visited SuperValu Newtownbutler in 2019. As Bridie was outside the age bracket for NHS screening, it was this appointment that detected her cancer. Bridie underwent successful surgery and treatment and is now cancer free.

Speaking today, Bridie said:

“I am so thankful to Action Cancer’s Big Bus for saving my life and I can look forward to celebrating future birthdays and watching my family grow up. I never would have travelled all the way up to Belfast to attend a routine screening so I’m grateful that women like me

can access this vital service in their own communities. Please support this wonderful charity in whatever way you can.”

SuperValu & Centra NI Secure Prestigious Wins at Retail Industry Awards in London

SuperValu and Centra Retailers Honoured Among the Best in UK

SuperValu and Centra were honoured this week at the 2022 Retail Industry Awards with three stores taking home top titles and a further five being highly commended.

McGleenan’s Centra in Keady was awarded the sought-after Independent Retailer of the Year title (in the over 6,000sq ft group) while Lusty’s Centra in Larne won the coveted Drinks Retailer of the Year award.

Peter Wilson from Wilson’s SuperValu in Portadown was crowned Newcomer of the Year.

Commenting on the awards, Musgrave NI Retail Sales Director Paddy Murney said:

“I would like to congratulate our retail partners the McGleenan family, Raymond and Richard Lusty, and Peter Wilson who along with their teams competed against some of the best stores in the UK, to achieve these awards. Their commitment and dedication to serving their local communities with the best in modern convenience retailing is unwavering and these awards are testament to that.

“Our SuperValu and Centra stores operate in the heart of communities across Northern Ireland, and we are committed to offering our customers value, choice and high-quality convenience. I am delighted these stores have been recognised for the service they provide. I would also like to congratulate all our stores which were highly commended at the awards.”

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.

Musgrave announces new partnership with leading eCommerce platform in Singapore

Musgrave is pleased to announce a significant new supply partnership with RedMart Singapore, the online supermarket arm of leading eCommerce platform, Lazada Singapore, and part of the well-known Lazada Group.

The agreement was facilitated by Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland and follows a trade mission to South East Asia with Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue showcasing Ireland’s vision for a food systems approach to the sustainable development of the sector, Food Vision 2030.

The partnership will eventually see Musgrave supply over 400 products from its award-winning SuperValu Own Brand range and other much-loved Irish brands to Singapore’s leading online grocery platform.

The new agreement represents a meaningful expansion of Musgrave’s presence in the region and will see Musgrave products made available to customers across Singapore initially while opening up new markets in Southeast Asia to Irish producers and suppliers.

The announcement is part of Musgrave’s international export strategy to introduce the very best of Irish food to a global market. The RedMart deal follows a major investment by Musgrave in its new Irish food export fulfilment centre in Ballymun, Co. Dublin, which has recently received approval from the Department of Agriculture.

Commenting on the announcement, Liam Hyland, Director of Export and International Trade at Musgrave, said: “Musgrave is delighted to announce this new partnership with RedMart Singapore. The deal will see over 400 SuperValu own brand products, many of which recently won the renowned Great Taste awards, and other well-known Irish brands made available to customers across Singapore while opening one of the world’s fastest growing markets to Irish producers and suppliers.

This new partnership is a superb opportunity for Musgrave to continue our international expansion. We are very thankful to our partners in Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia for their assistance in facilitating this agreement. We look forward to bringing premium quality, Irish products, across fresh, chilled and non-perishable categories, to consumers in Singapore as part of this important first step into the Southeast Asian market.”

Michael Murphy, Bord Bia Interim CEO, commented: “We’ve already had huge success on this leg of the trade mission – launching Irish beef and lamb into retail in Singapore and we now welcome the news that Musgrave has a significant listing with this leading online grocery platform. Bord Bia is delighted to have helped facilitate this new listing for Musgrave, which gives Singapore consumers access to a huge range of fresh quality Irish food from a single consolidation point. We believe this opportunity will help to unlock further commercial opportunities for Irish food and drink companies in South East Asia.”

£25,000 worth of vouchers to be won in Musgrave NI’s ‘Shop For Free’ competition this autumn

Musgrave Northern Ireland has launched its ‘Shop for Free’ campaign which will see the company give away more than £25,000 worth of vouchers in a daily draw across its SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores for customers to get their shop for free.

As shoppers continue to deal with the increased cost of living, Musgrave NI is giving back to communities with three lucky winners chosen across each brand every day between 5th September to 16th October.

Across SuperValu stores, there will be three prizes of £100 vouchers per day to be won, and in Centra and Mace stores shoppers will have the chance to win one of three £50 vouchers per day. Shoppers will be invited to scan a QR code in store and fill in their details online to enter the prize draw.

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing for Musgrave NI said,

“This latest initiative is in addition to our 3-point plan to support shoppers at this difficult time. We’re investing £5.6m on over 300 special offers every week across SuperValu, Centra and Mace, including many everyday essentials. We’ve over 700 own brand products across SuperValu and Centra, up to 33% cheaper than the better-known brands. And, in SuperValu, with more than 500 of our branded products price-checked against Tesco, we are committed to delivering the best value for our customers across our entire range.

“Customers across the region are feeling the squeeze on their household finances from the increased cost of living, so we wanted to give back to the communities in which we operate. We’ve committed over £25,000, offering shoppers the chance to win up to £100 towards their weekly shop to top up on essentials and to treat themselves when times are tough. With three prizes to be won per brand per day, a total of 378 customers across Northern Ireland will benefit from the competition.”

The “shop for free” competition, which is sponsored by Lucozade, Mi Wadi and Walkers, will run for 6 weeks from 5th September to 16th October with nine winners chosen at random each day across the three brands.

Full terms and conditions can be found on the SuperValu, Centra and Mace websites.

Musgrave partners with UCC to support allergen education and research

  • New funding will provide grants to students on the new Allergy and Clinical Immunology Postgraduate Programme at UCC
  • Sponsorship will also fund essential studies into anaphylaxis management

Musgrave, Ireland’s leading food retailer, wholesaler and foodservice company, has collaborated with University College Cork (UCC) to advance allergy education and research.

In keeping with Musgrave’s long-standing history of innovation and commitment to supporting communities, this partnership will advance critical research from UCC’s INFANT Centre into anaphylaxis management, which is the management of severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, in care settings. It will also support the launch of a new online postgraduate programme in Allergy and Clinical Immunology within the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, UCC.

Ray Bowe, Head of Food Safety and Quality at Musgrave, said: “At Musgrave, we feed one in three people across Ireland every day. We ensure that the food we supply is of the highest quality and safe for those who enjoy it, and this means the continuous management of allergens is a key cornerstone across our supply chains to the end consumer. Food allergens are a significant health risk to vulnerable consumers, with the rate of allergen sufferers increasing in the developed world over the past 30 years. As a result, we were happy to have the opportunity to support this allergy education and research at UCC and CUH. We are keen to see these advancements in how allergies are managed and treated going forward.”

The new Allergy and Clinical Immunology programme at UCC is the first in Ireland that can be undertaken fully online. Aimed at healthcare professionals across a range of disciplines, this programme will provide the essential training needed to prevent, diagnose, and treat allergic and immunological diseases such as asthma, hay fever and food allergies. The support of Musgrave will see a number of grants made available for students on this programme.

Speaking about the partnership, Professor Geraldine Boylan, Professor of Neonatal Physiology and Director of the INFANT Research Centre said: “The College of Medicine and Health and the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork is very grateful for the support our research received from industry through corporate philanthropy from Musgrave. This partnership enables us to bring together academic and clinical researchers to address knowledge gaps. Improved treatment outcomes via translational research for patients will be the rewards for this effort.”

In addition to the programme, Musgrave has also committed to supporting essential research into anaphylaxis management. Speaking about the importance of this research, Dr Juan Trujillo, lead investigator at the INFANT Research Centre and Paediatric Allergist at Cork University Hospital said: “We are investigating how allergies are managed by caregivers and how adrenaline auto-injectors, like the EpiPen, are being used in care settings. Our researchers are driving the change in allergy treatments.”

 

Photo caption: Ray Bowe, Head of Food Safety and Quality at Musgrave with, Dr Juan Trujillo, lead investigator at the INFANT Research Centre and Paediatric Allergist at Cork University Hospital and Prof Geraldine Boylan, Professor of Neonatal Physiology and Director of the INFANT Research Centre

Musgrave invests over £3m in SuperValu stores of the future

Musgrave Northern Ireland has announced today that the business has invested £3.2million in the rejuvenation of four SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland.

The first of the four company-owned stores launched on Friday (12 August) in Portstewart to great fanfare with local celebrity home cook, Suzie Lee, and Dave and Steve Flynn from The Happy Pear in attendance.

Creating six additional jobs in the local area, Musgrave invested £1.1million in the store which boasts a new hot and cold deli counter, a Moo’d Ice Cream bar and expanded in-store bakery. The revitalised store also now has a one-of-a-kind off-licence stocking premium wine, beer and spirits as well as a dedicated ‘Zero Zone’ with a wide range of alcohol-free drinks options.

Currently undergoing a £600,000 transformation, the Dairy Farm store in Dunmurry will be the next revitalised store to re-launch, closely followed in September by Portglenone, which is receiving a £720,000 makeover and Omagh, which will launch later in the year following an investment of £730,000.

Aligning with Musgrave NI’s sustainability commitments, the stores, which are part of the Group’s company-owned portfolio, are powered using green electricity and feature digital screens, energy efficient LED lighting and top-grade energy efficient refrigeration systems as Musgrave works to achieve its net zero ambition by 2040. In addition, the introduction of electronic shelf edge labels to the stores will save a combined total of 28,000 sheets of paper per year.

Caroline Rowan, Head of Retail Operations at Musgrave Northern Ireland said:

“Our rejuvenated SuperValu stores are truly stores of the future. In addition to the £2.7million sustainability fund Musgrave NI has committed to empower SuperValu and Centra retailers become net zero by 2040, we have also invested £850,000 in energy saving materials across these four rejuvenated SuperValu stores, making them as efficient and green as possible.”

With increasing consumer focus on shopping local and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, customers can expect an extended range of fresh, local produce in each of the new stores at great prices. Working with more than 3,000 local farmers and in partnership with over 150 local suppliers, Musgrave NI is committed to supporting the local supplier network across all it’s stores, buying £160m worth of local food and drink annually.

Caroline added,

“Offering our customers value for money with a choice of local, own label and big brand products is a priority for Musgrave. Built with the community at their heart, each SuperValu store will offer the same great value to customers with offers on over 200 big brands every week and over 400 cheaper own brand products, up to 33% cheaper than the better-known brands. And with more than 500 of our branded products price-checked against Tesco, we aim to deliver the best value for our customers across our entire range.”

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