SuperValu, the leading Irish grocery retailer, today announced the launch of an exclusive range of Irish Wagyu beef. SuperValu’s Wagyu beef is 100% Irish born and bred, reared on a farm in Co. Wexford by Bord Bia Quality Assured farmer, Karl Strehlow. Originating in Japan and more recently bred in Australia, Wagyu beef is characterised by its intense marbling which leads to an extremely tender and juicy meat with a unique and distinctive flavour.
All SuperValu Irish Wagyu beef is under 30 months, with steak cuts matured for a minimum of 21 days. In recent years Wagyu has become a beef breed famous for its consistent high quality, featuring on the menus of some of the best restaurants in the world.
Commenting on the announcement, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu, said, “At SuperValu, we pride ourselves on a commitment to fresh food leadership and pushing the boundaries in terms of locally-sourced quality produce. We are excited to partner with Karl Strehlow in Wexford to bring a 100% Irish version of this globally acclaimed delicacy to consumers.”
“As the number one supporter of the Irish agri-food industry, we sell more fresh meat than any other retailer in the country and all our SuperValu fresh beef, lamb, pork, bacon and chicken is 100% Irish – born, bred and reared. Our sourcing policy, complemented by our ambitious food innovation agenda and expert in-store butchers, provides our customers with a quality meat offer they know they can trust, and continues to set us apart.”
A limited selection of Wagyu beef steaks, including fillet, rib eye and striploin, are available in SuperValu stores in Ballincollig, Skibbereen, Clonakilty and Wexford now. A wider range of Irish Wagyu beef burgers are available from selected SuperValu stores nationwide. The exclusive range will be available until July 2017.
Karl Strehlow, cattle farmer from Murrintown, Co. Wexford and supplier of SuperValu Irish Wagyu beef, added, “I am proud to partner with SuperValu and Kepak to bring premium Irish Wagyu beef to SuperValu customers, a project which has taken careful planning over two years and which marks the latest milestone in my 10 year relationship with SuperValu. Our cattle are a mix of Heifers and Steers and between 50% to 100% Wagyu. These cattle have a unique history and are specially bred under conditions that produces beef of unrivalled quality.”
SuperValu sources from over 2,200 Irish suppliers – more than any other grocery retailer in the Irish market – equating to an annual economic contribution of €2.19 billion. SuperValu continues to command the grocery market in terms of meat quality, with more instore expert butchers than any other retailer, offering an unrivalled shopping experience for consumers.
About SuperValu
SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and has 219 stores nationwide. Together with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500 colleagues, making it one of the State’s largest private sector employers. 75% of everything on SuperValu’s shelves is sourced in Ireland. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.
