Ulster Grocer April 2017

N O. 1 M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E LO C A L G R O C E R Y S E C TO R

GROCER TM

Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

PROUD PLATINUM SPONSOR OF THE 2017 BALMORAL SHOW

Supporting local producers for over 50 years

#passionateaboutlocal

spar-ni.co.uk

APRIL 2017

ULSTER

We do more. Better.

As Northern Ireland’s top law firm, we lead the way.

Our extensive knowledge, experience and talent has once again been recognised by the Legal 500, naming us Regional Law Firm of the Year.

We are also top ranked by Chambers and Partners UK in more areas of expertise than any other law firm in Northern Ireland.

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N O. 1 M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E LO C A L G R O C E R Y S E C TO R

GROCER

APRIL 2017

ULSTER

TM

Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

Is Your Business Quids In?

Retail NI asks if sector is ready for the new £1 coin.

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ntroduced as UG went to press, the new dodecoganol pound coin, which is estimated to have cost the retail industry £22 million, came into force in a bid to rid the UK of some £45 million worth of fake pound coins.

Retailers, who will be instrumental in circulating

the new coin, need to ensure that staff are trained accordingly and, where applicable, all self-checkouts, trolleys and vending machines are amended or replaced to accept the coin.

The Automatic Vending Association says that the cost for preparing machines for the new coin

is around £100m and processes of integration have been in place since the announcement in 2014.

Training staff for the acceptance of the coin, which will phase out the traditional round coin by October 15, is a necessity for all retailers here and Glyn Roberts of Retail NI is urging store owners to ensure they are ready.

The Chief Executive said: “Approximately one in thirty £1 coins in circulation today is a counterfeit.

The new, highly secure coin will reduce the costs of counterfeits to retailers and the taxpayer. The wider economy will benefit from the reduced costs associated with a fall in the counterfeit rate, as well as from a currency in which there is widespread confidence.

“Retail NI would advise businesses to check what equipment they operate that accepts £1 coins. They should talk to the manufacturers or suppliers of their coin handling equipment to find out if they need adaptations to accept the new coin.

“Businesses should also train their staff who handle cash on the features of the new coin as well as considering any changes that they need to make to their cash handling processes by talking to their bank.

“The legal tender status of the round £1 coin will be withdrawn on 15th October 2017. From this date shops will no longer accept these coins, but you will still be able to take them to your bank.”

“Following the ending of legal tender status, the current round £1 coin can continue to be deposited into a customer’s account, either business or

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BIG INTERVIEW

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE CRISPS, NUTS AND SNACKS

Matthieu Seguin, GM Coca Cola

Lidl, Andersonstown

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50

Getting the bite right

IN THE HOTSEAT Marino Morelli

The hunt is over

Fresh packaging ideas daily

BRC PACKAGING CERTIFICATED

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FORWARD

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Volume 52, Number 4 April 2017

pril often marks the turn of a new leaf and in this issue it is clear that the retail sector is wecloming change. From the introduction of the new pound coin to launches, like Coca Cola’s new functional drinks (pg8), and the vibrant new SuperValu in Newry (pg12), there’s a definite wave of all things nouveau!

We have even uncovered the new kid on the block in the snacks division - popcorn - as Kantar reports on pg25.

Uncertainty may be at the forefront of business minds as Article 50 was triggered but there is one thing that is certain about April 2017 and that is times are changing.

Editor: Emma Deighan E: e.deighan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Contributors: Michele Shirlow, Donald McFetridge, Jason Winstanley, Chloe Ormiston Sales Manager: Mark Beckett E: m.beckett@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Senior Accounts Manager: Michelle Kearney E: m.kearney@independentmagazinesni.co.uk

Enjoy the read.

Emma Deighan

Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Irene Fitzsimmons Ulster Grocer c/o Independent News & Media Ltd, Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG Tel: 028 9026 4267 Web: www.ulstergrocer.com @ulstergrocer www.facebook.com/ulstergrocer Subscriptions: £27.50 per month

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personal, at most high street banks and the Post Office. Specific arrangements may vary,” he said.

The Mint claims that the new coin is the most secure in the world and includes a hologram as well as a secret in-built security feature that only machines can recognise.

The Royal Mint shipped out 1.5 billion new pound coins from its HQ in Wales to cash centres across the UK in preparation for the launch.

Retailers will now play the major role in getting the new pound out to the public as many of us receive the coins in change as we shop. Most retailers are net distributors of £1 coins, ordering in tens of millions every month.

“For customers, there will be a natural transition period where some vending systems may only be able to accept the existing pound coin, but the retail industry has plans in place to convert all machines to accept the new coin over what is termed the ‘dual-circulation period.’ In any case, it will take some time before we stop seeing old £1 coins with the Royal Mint estimating that the crossover point – when there are more new £1 coins in circulation than old – will take place in August,” said Andrew Crega, Policy Adviser for the British Retail Consortium.

For more information retailers should visit www.thenewpoundcoin.com.

Tayto Affiliate Acquires Freedom Refreshments in Multi-Million Pound Deal

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ontagu Group, an affiliate company of Co-Armagh headquartered Tayto Group (TGL), has purchased Leeds-based vending solutions company, Freedom Refreshments Limited, in a multimillion pound deal.

TGL, which is the parent company of Northern Ireland’s number one crisp and snack brand, Tayto, also has a portfolio that comprises key brands, Golden Wonder, Mr Porky, REAL Crisps and Jonathan Crisp.

The deal, which is the company’s first acquisition in the vending-solutions sector, includes Freedom Refreshment’s subsidiaries, LTT Vending, eXpresso PLUS and NIVO and offers TGL access to almost 7,000 vending machines across England.

Paul Allen, chief executive of the Montagu Group, said: “There are several synergies between Tayto Group and Freedom Refreshments and this acquisition will help us to bring our products to a wider audience. Freedom Refreshments turns over around £16million pa and is an established provider of hot and cold drinks and snacks across many sectors, including healthcare, workplace, education and retail.

“The acquisition of Freedom Refreshments is a key facet of our strategic development programme.

While we have a strong share of the vending market in Northern Ireland, we only had limited reach into GB and this deal will enable us to increase our presence significantly within this sector. The people at Freedom are experts at what they do, continually developing their brand and subsidiaries through both organic growth and acquisitions.”

Paul added: “A Tayto Group sister company, Montagu Group, has been established to operate and direct the vending arm of the Group’s business. The vending machines will carry Tayto Group products, where appropriate, but their contents will be driven by consumer demand and will also include an extensive range of hot and cold drinks as well as confectionery.

“Within the last 12 years, Tayto Group has grown exponentially, increasing turnover from £19 million a year to around £180 million. The new acquisitions will pave the way for further expedited growth.”

NEWS

Retail NI calls on NI Assembly to set up local Brexit committee

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etail NI has given its reaction to the triggering of Article 50 and called upon the ongoing talks on restoring devolution, to include the establishment of a NI Assembly Brexit Committee to scrutinise the Brexit process and to take evidence from key sectors of civic society.

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said:“Retail is Northern Ireland’s largest sector of the economy and our members on the border and many other areas have real concerns for the future post Brexit.

“Triggering Article 50 is the start of a huge process of economic, social and political change for Northern Ireland and it remains to be seen if this change will be positive for our local economy. Certainly leaving the Single Market and Customs Union is neither positive for our retail sector or local economy as a whole,” he continued.

“Northern Ireland’s retail sector needs a lot more certainty than just a vague aspiration about ‘no return to the borders of past’. The bottom line is that Brexit should not result in any barriers in trade and free movement across the border.

“It clearly is a major problem not having an Executive in place to argue our case in these vital Brexit negotiations. We urge all the political parties to redouble their efforts to secure agreement for a new administration.

“As part of these discussions the political parties should consider establishing an Assembly Brexit Committee to scrutinise the impact of the Brexit process on Northern Ireland and to take evidence from key sectors of Civic Society.”

Co.Tyrone Retail Park on the market for £9.25m A Co Tyrone retail park has gone on sale for offers over £9.25m.

BY JOHN MULGREW

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reat Northern Retail Park, on Tamlaght Road, Omagh, is home to a range of businesses, including Halfords, B&M Bargains and Harry Corry, and is fully let.

Commercial property agents CBRE are handling the sale.

The development, which was built in 2003, includes 72,520 sq ft of retail units alongside hardware store Homebase, which covers 30,000 sq ft.

It has five retail units that range between 10,500 sq ft and 30,200 sq ft.

A number of major retail parks have been sold off in the last year, including Junction One and The Outlet, which were bought by The Lotus Group in a deal worth £40m.

NEWS

NOISY NOEL: MAN ABOUT TOWN

In his first column with UG, Noel Allen discusses the importance of product knowledge among staff for extra profit.

Day-to-day spending hits four-year high

Up-selling in retail

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uring a visit to an amazing redeveloped NI store which had a complete overhaul and looked fantastic (great to see NI retail outlets up their game) I noticed a new product at the checkout.

This store already had great product offerings, great promotions and welldisplayed sections for consumer shopping needs. While I was waiting to pay, I noticed a new product sitting at the till that I hadn’t seen before. It was a health product and was a little more expensive than I would normally spend. Curiosity got the better of me; purchase or not to purchase, wise buys or poor choice. My head starts to spin.

Intrigued I began to ask the staff member at the till about the product and they said it was new.

I love new products but I hate wasting my money! When I asked if they knew what it tasted like and was it local? They didn’t know anything about it and ended the conversation and took my money.

I didn’t purchase the item and felt I wasn’t willing to spend the extra cash on it. What I was looking for was a little bit of inducement from the staff member to give the product credibility and I may have purchased it. A missed-up sale opportunity!

Here are my top three tips on supporting your staff to up-sell in store.

Brief your staff – Setting up a weekly brief and new product taster sampling is a great way to educate and build awareness of what’s going on in store.

Staff need to be social – Get your customers talking - people love talking about themselves. In my experience, the better the conversation, the longer a customer stays in the store, the more they tend to spend and the greater the chance they’ll become a repeat customer.

Encourage staff to promote special offers – Who in Northern Ireland doesn’t love a bargain! But sometimes we miss them as we are moving too fast. A friendly face pointing it out can help support the promotion.

#LIVETODAYNI

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ata from Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, shows that spending on day-to-day necessities hit 6.1 per cent, the highest growth since Barclaycard started reporting on consumer spending in 2012.

While shoppers spent more on the forecourt (petrol up 19.2 per cent) and in supermarkets (2 per cent), growth in discretionary categories continued to slow, falling to 3.5 per cent, its lowest increase in seven months. The decline was reflected in consumers paring back their expenditure on ‘nice-to-have’ goods, with department stores (-5.2 per cent) and electronics (-4.5 per cent) both seeing falls.

Spending on the ‘experience economy’ remained robust, however, suggesting that shoppers chose to forego physical goods in favour of leisure activities.

Entertainment spend recorded double-digit growth of 10.8 per cent, as consumers splashed out on theatre and concert tickets. The imminent arrival of Broadway hit Hamiltonand a highly anticipated ticket release for Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour helped to boost spending on cinema, event tickets and theatre to a record high of 23.3 per cent. Pubs and restaurants also continued their strong performances, up 13.3 and 11.4 per cent respectively.

The propensity to spend on social occasions shows that consumers are still willing to spend on treats, with more than a fifth (22 per cent) planning to increase their expenditure on holidays next month. This is partly supported by an uplift in those expressing confidence in their household finances, which climbed to 60 per cent in February, rising from 54 per cent the month before. Meanwhile, confidence in the UK economy remained broadly flat (37 per cent), up 1 per cent on both January 2017 and the same month in 2016.

Yet concerns around the wider economic picture are still evident, as four in ten (41 per

cent) consumers say that uncertainty around the imminent triggering of Article 50 is undermining their confidence in the UK economy. This was followed by fluctuations in the value of the pound increasing the price of goods, with 28 per cent saying this made them feel downbeat about the economy.

Concerns about inflation may also be leading to a record majority (69 per cent) of consumers saying they are now careful to seek out value for money when making purchasing decisions. The new phenomenon of ‘shrinkflation’ has taken hold as almost six in ten (62 per cent) shoppers have noticed that while prices haven’t changed for the grocery items that they buy, they get less value for money either because of smaller amounts or fewer pieces per pack.

It seems shoppers expect this trend to continue, with nearly three in ten (29 per cent) expecting to spend more on groceries in the next four weeks.

Over the coming months, half (52 per cent) of consumers say they expect to reduce their spending on entertainment and social occasions as a result of the need to spend more on essentials such as groceries and petrol.

Paul Lockstone, Managing Director at Barclaycard, said: “Consumer spending remained strong in February, but the picture isn’t wholly positive.

Rising prices were at least in part responsible for the highest growth in spend on essentials in nearly five years, with the phenomenon of ‘shrinkflation’, where people get less product for their money, also prompting consumers to row back on some areas of discretionary spending.

“Despite this, and continuing underlying concerns about the economy, we saw a small yet welcome uplift in the number of consumers confident in their household finances, which meant they continued spending on the ‘experience economy’, with entertainment and leisure particularly robust.”

TODAY I’M DRESSING MY WAY

ADVERTORIAL

Liquor Licence holders must get their house in order ahead of 2017 renewal deadline

SPORTS DRINK GETS NEW BOOST

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wners of all types of licensed premises must take action now if they don’t want to run out of time to renew their liquor licences ahead of the September 2017 deadline, a leading legal expert on liquor licensing warns.

Cathy Colton, partner at Carson McDowell, said most licence holders in Northern Ireland are aware that their licence is due for renewal in six months, but she is concerned that many have not yet started to put the necessary measures in place for a successful renewal.

Renewals occur once every five years and the deadline will impact every licensed premises in Northern Ireland, including pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs.

Ms Colton said: “Now is the time that licence holders should be getting ready for renewals by seeking advice on what the court requires at the renewal date. This is particularly important if any alterations, however minor, have been carried out on the premises since the last renewal in 2012.”

“Whatever type of venue you have, if you sell alcohol you need to ensure that your house is in order. Renewals are coming and our advice is, don’t rest on your laurels, get started on it now. The process can take up to four months with only a few court dates set aside to deal with these applications. With courts closing at the end of June we are recommending that anyone with alterations needs to seek approval prior to this date,” she added.

“Carson McDowell has a team of liquor licensing experts who can provide advice on this process.”

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hallenger brand Boost Drinks is updating its isotonic sport drinks offer, which is exclusively for independents, with striking new packaging, a new recipe and an additional flavour.

Already the number two sports drink brand in the Northern Ireland convenience channel* and enjoying the largest growth in the sports drink category*, this refresh of the Boost Sport look comes at a time when the brand is looking to gain a larger market share in Northern Ireland.

In addition to the new look is a new flavour. The new Citrus Boost Sport is a direct response to consumer tastes for a lighter, zingier flavour and will further strengthen the range for independents enabling them to compete with multiples.

The new Boost Sport look is more distinct and the bottle is now more ergonomically shaped, more in line with a sports product. In four flavour variant colourways, the new packaging will create a stand out range of products that the brand believes will prove very popular with consumers.

Boost Sport replaces the fluids lost by sweating in an intelligent way, whilst providing an essential carbohydrate boost, driving endurance levels further and reducing fatigue. Boost Sport rehydrates and gives customers the fuel to perform better for longer.

All four Boost Sport lines come in 500ml bottles, price marked at 50p.

Citrus joins Orange, Tropical Berry and Mixed Berry SKUs. Boost Sport is not the only product range in the Boost Drinks portfolio to have received new branding, as announced recently, all Boost Energy SKUs have also received a makeover.

Founder and managing director Simon Gray comments: “Investing in new product development is a key part of our Champion Of The Independents commitment, whereby we do not sell to or through supermarkets. Boost Sport has been performing especially well throughout last year and so it makes complete sense to build on the opportunity in this category.

“Boost’s core focus as Champion Of The Independents has always been to provide great tasting, competitively priced products that are not available in multiples. Having celebrated our 15th Anniversary in 2016, we felt the time was right to review our logo and packaging, bringing it right up to date and injecting more personality into the design.

“Very much an evolution of Boost’s brand identity, the new look provides improved differentiation on the shelves. The distinctly different, impactful new design is fresh, relevant and will resonate with the consumer, we believe, enabling retailers to further compete with multiples. The updated logo has a more contemporary feel, featuring a new font that reflects energy and movement.”

For more information on Boost visit www.boostdrinks.com/trade Follow Boost Drinks on Twitter @BoostDrinksNews *IRI Marketplace Data for Convenience NI 52 weeks units and £s sales to 26th February 2017

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Drinks with drive In his first ever media interview in Northern Ireland as General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, Matthieu Seguin discusses the brand’s innovative new functional products and getting the soft drinks category right in store. By Emma Deighan

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

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atthieu Seguin has been at the helm of Coca-Cola HBC here for one year. In that one year, he has been the driving force behind developing a new line of products that will take Coca-Cola HBC into a whole new category that is thriving in the drinks sector.

He joined the Coca-Cola System in December 2009 as Group International Customer Director and in May 2011, he was appointed Country Commercial Director for Coca-Cola HBC in Nigeria. In March last year, he and his family made their way to Ireland, which will be their home for the foreseeable future.

“I’m loving Northern Ireland,” said the chief in his first press interview here. “I’ve been doing a lot of travelling and we’ve been doing weekends away.

It’s a beautiful country and Coca-Cola has such a great heritage here so when you come to Northern Ireland and you see the plant and the number of people working on the lines, you realise how rooted the brand and business is in the local community.”

Indeed Coca-Cola’s NI story will take you back.

It started in Belfast in 1939, before moving on

“It was a team effort,” said Matthieu who hails from Normandy, France.

“I’m a firm believer of innovation and there is a huge trend in the industry for health and functional products and we recognized

an opportunity to do more in this area. My challenge was to enable the team to play in that field. Everyone worked together across the supply chain and came up with an impressive pipeline of products” he added.

The new Coca-Cola HBC lines include Vegified – a vegetable and fruit juice that contains 45 per cent nutrient reference value of six key vitamins in every one of its 300ml servings. There are four flavour combinations in the range; Beetroot and Strawberry, Pumpkin Ginger and Orange, Cucumber and Lime and Bell Pepper and Orange.

Meanwhile Relax and Revive (R&R)– part of the Deep RiverRock family - is a range that offers ‘hydration plus benefits’. Infused with minerals and herbal extracts there are four R&R choices; Magnesium or Zinc to revive and Mint and Lavender for relaxing.

Vegified retails at £1.45 while R&R is priced at £1.10 and both products will allow the soft drinks giant to take a cut of one of the fastest growing categories in grocery.

Health and functional drinks are valued at €9 million and have grown 42 per cent year on year in value and volume according to Nielsen – a growth area that Coca-Cola HBC wants a piece of.

“It’s an important evolution,” admitted Matthieu on the launches.

“This is all about answering to a need for different flavours and functional benefits, but I

to Lambeg and then in 2008 it settled in Lisburn where the facility employs over 450 staff to produce, distribute, market and sell a wide range of soft drinks.

The Coca-Cola Company’s portfolio includes international brands such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes. In addition, Coca-Cola HBC also manufacturers and markets local brands such as Deep RiverRock and Fruice and, now, Vegified and Deep RiverRock’s new Relax and Revive (R&R) line.

And while Matthieu won’t take all the credit for the new launches, which were envisioned and realised all in his first year of being here, his role, undoubtedly was key in kick-starting work in the field of functional drinks for Coca-Cola HBC in Ireland.

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

“We have been very active in reformulation and on the packaging of every single one of our products we have nutritional information clearly labelled – even on water. For us innovation is a way to drive the portfolio in the context of sugar tax.” am very confident about the uniqueness of the products.

“What we have created with Vegified is a very different taste profile. The good news is, with the four SKUs, everyone will have one they like.”

Vegified will be sold in symbol groups, independents and multiples, explained Matthieu, but it will also open the doors to new customers for Coca-Cola HBC. “It will allow us to be present in other more outlets where you don’t see much of our products; health stores and specialist cafes for example. It’s crafty, trendy and very different from our CocaCola products.

“These new Coca-Cola HBC products will also benefit from the company’s excellent distribution and sales network,” he explained.

New brand launches aren’t the only developments the Coca-Cola HBC GM has overseen in his one year at the Co. Antrim firm.

Working with The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-

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Cola Hellenic Bottling Company have also been part of reformulating many of the Coca-Cola’s portfolio of products. This is designed to help consumers manage their sugar intake and as a response to the impending sugar tax, which will be imposed on sugar-sweetened drinks this time next year.

“As a company we are committed to playing our part in helping to tackle obesity, however we don’t believe that sugar tax is the best way to do it,” expressed Matthieu.

“We have been very active in reformulation for over 40 years, which we know has the greatest impact on obesity. We also offer clear information about our products, and across our portfolio we are adopting colour-coded nutritional information to help our consumers make informed decisions.

“Furthermore, we are committed to innovation, and believe it is a way to drive the portfolio in the context of sugar tax,” he explained.

Research has shown that people are switching from regular full sugar drinks to no sugar alternatives. Defra’s Family Food Survey showed that between 2004 and 2014, purchases of regular soft drinks declined by 44 per cent, with the same volume made up by increases in no sugar drinks and water.

Further data from Kantar shows that the sugar from soft drinks bought in the shops for consumption at home has fallen by 14 per cent between 2012 and 2016 and with this in mind, Matthieu has some advice for retailers to capitalise on the changing mood in the category.

“I look at the feedback and soft drinks is still the most profitable category in store. It’s also the most fast-moving. To capitalise, retailers should look at availability and carry the right stock.

“What are the SKUs that need to be there? Is your shelf and cooler space dedicated to the right products? You don’t want a consumer seeking a product that is not there, out of stock or one that is not chilled,” he advised.

Matthieu also insists that retailers should get on board with promotional activity too; “Take advantage of any marketing activity that we do, such as our current launch support for Revive & Relax and Vegified, or Coca-Cola’s ‘Cook by Numbers’ campaign, which is live across stores.

“That’s all done to help sell more and sell better, and it allows your consumers to see that you’re on top of latest trends.

“With our new product innovations, we will also attract new people into the store and with creative shopper marketing, we will support incremental revenue growth for you.”

Vegified, for example, will be supported by a full marketing campaign to include OOH, digital, PR, experiential sampling and it will be supported by a full suite of impactful displays and equipment in store informed Matthieu.

Coca-Cola may be the world’s third biggest brand according to Interbrand, only tipped off the top spot, since the digital revolution took force so you’d be forgiven for thinking that CocaCola can afford to take a rest and, here in NI, consider the response to its new drinks on the block. Not the case.

“Many people might believe that Coca-Cola sells itself, but we do not take that for granted.

We continue to listen to consumers about what they want, and to anticipate new developments within the category.

“There are a lot of new trends out there and we want to keep raising the bar for ourselves. We need to address new consumer needs.

“We’ve a lot of respect for our competitors and they are not asleep right now so we need to be one step ahead,” added Matthieu.

So what’s in the pipeline? “There’s a lot more to come in Q2 including a massive innovation on Fanta.

“There will be a new design of the bottle and it is very different. We’re also going to reformulate some of our Fanta variants as part of the new launch.

ADVERTORIAL

Platinum sponsors Spar looking four-ward to extended Balmoral Show W

ith just six weeks to go until the 149th Balmoral Show gets underway, platinum sponsors SPAR are looking forward to returning to the biggest agri-event in Northern Ireland as a platinum sponsor for the 7th consecutive year.

Running from 10th -13th May, this year’s Show will provide a great mix of food, farming excellence and showmanship alongside a packed schedule of family entertainment and, in an exciting new development for 2017, will take place across four days.

With so many attractions and exhibitors coupled with the traditional mix of grassroots agricultural activity, it is a perfect fit for a family brand like SPAR who are ‘passionate about local’ to be involved with the Show and 2017 will see a significant increase in SPAR’s presence at Balmoral Park.

The SPAR arena has become the home of dedicated family fun at the Show and will again play host to a range of performers and entertainers throughout the four days. Included in the impressive line-up is the NI School of Falconry, dog training extraordinaire, Tim Crothers and

Britain’s Got Talent sensation, Bruce Airhead who are all set to dazzle crowds with their extraordinary displays. Those wishing to join in on the action can try their hand at circus tricks with one-on-one lessons led by experienced performers.

Show-goers are encouraged to visit the enjoylocal marquee where celebrity chef Paula McIntyre will be behind the barbecue for live cookery demonstrations, showcasing the brand’s extensive, local meat range and cooking up lots of creative ideas for tonight’s tea. Local suppliers will also be on hand offering some tasty, locally produced goodies. The younger visitors can enjoy lots of games and activities in the marquee, with an opportunity to learn something new! The fully functional SPAR store will also be returning where visitors and exhibitors can pick up all the essentials and enjoy some great value deals.

The Balmoral Show epitomises everything that is great about Northern Ireland’s flourishing agricultural sector and for the sixth year running, SPAR will also take time during the Show to honour its top local suppliers at its ‘Local Supplier’ awards ceremony. Championing the suppliers who

work hard all year to deliver the high quality, local products enjoyed by SPAR’s customers, enables the brand to not only shine a light on the excellent suppliers they work with but also reinforces SPAR’s commitment to supporting the local agrifood industry.

Looking ahead to Balmoral Show, Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at the Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland commented; “We are very excited to be returning to the Balmoral Show for our 7th year as a platinum sponsor and hope that the introduction of a fourth day means even more visitors can come and enjoy the wide of range of activities we have on offer both in the SPAR Arena and our enjoy local marquee.

“As a brand, we are passionate about all things local and so the Balmoral Show is the perfect platform for us to showcase our support for Northern Ireland’s agri sector. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our SPAR shop and activity area at Balmoral Park and to a successful four days exhibiting at the Show.”

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ADVERTORIAL PROFILE

£2M Investment and 50 new jobs boost for Newry State-of-the-art SuperValu store opens for business.

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new state-of-the-art SuperValu store has opened in Newry, Co. Down, as part of a £2M investment, creating 50 jobs for the local area.

The 5,500 sq ft store on the Dublin road is owned by experienced retailers, Michael and David Downey, and operated in partnership with Musgrave NI. The Downey brothers have operated SuperValu Hill Street, Newry, for 15 years but the family have been in retail for over 100 years and they are now hoping to bring their success to the new Dublin Road store.

The new store offers an extensive Deli and Butchery range, Food to Go, Hot Carvery Sandwiches, ATM and 60 parking spaces.

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There is also a new exciting gourmet coffee offer, ‘Frank and Honest’ a range of fresh and healthy foods including a gluten free range and salad bowls, making it easier for consumers to eat and live well.

Michael Downey commented: “With the help of Musgrave we have made a major investment into Newry with the opening of the Dublin Road store.”

“Since our recent opening we have already had a great response from customers and it has created a buzz in the local area. We’re aiming to service the whole community with our ‘one-stop’ shop and I’m looking forward to introducing them to our new and inspiring ranges in a modern shopping environment,” he added.

SuperValu Sales Director, Nigel Maxwell, said:

ADVERTORIAL PROFILE

“The Downey family are very experienced retailers and the opening of SuperValu Newry Dublin Road is a fantastic boost to the local area with a multimillion pound investment creating over 50 jobs.

“We look forward to welcoming Newry customers to the new state-of-the-art store and offering them the latest in foodmarket convenience on their doorstep,” he added.

SuperValu is part of Musgrave Northern Ireland (MNI) which comprises the retail and wholesale segments of Musgrave Group in Northern Ireland and supports 360 independent retailers through the SuperValu, Centra, Mace and DayToday brands and 2,800 wholesale customers through the MarketPlace brand across the province.

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Henderson Spec. Offers 12pp A4.qxp_Layout 1 03/04/2017 12:33 Page 2

NEWS Quality and Service key to the success of

Henderson Food Machinery

• Finally, we have sold five MPE Inline Tray Sealers to various customers around Northern and Southern Ireland.

Henderson Food Machinery, Irelands largest supplier of new and used food processing and packaging machinery, are flying the flag for many of their suppliers by offering quality machinery at superb prices.

Our range of equipment is extensive, from primary and secondary processing, through to packaging and end of line equipment.

This month Henderson Food Machinery will be sponsoring the NI Food Manufacturing Awards 2017 on the 28th of April in the Stormont Hotel and also exhibiting at the Balmoral Show in May. At present, we represent over 25 suppliers from all aspects of the processing and packaging industry and over the last few weeks we have: • Supplied a complete Deighton batter, breading and frying line to a government contract which we are very proud of.

• Sold two Apple Depositors to a major supplier to retail supermarkets.

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When we chose the suppliers to work with we looked at quality and service which would help Henderson Food Machinery going forward for years to come and would be a one stop shop for customers’ food processing and packaging machinery requirements.

In May, Henderson Food Machinery will be sponsoring the Best Brand Award at the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards at the Culloden Hotel. We have worked with the Ulster Grocer during the last two years on our sales and marketing and advertising and have found this has helped grow the Henderson Food Machinery brand and portfolio of suppliers.

You can view our all our stock at hendersonfoodmachinery. com, or call our sales team on 028 9099 4202.

We have amazing daily deals across our wide range of equipment.

Call or email us on sales@hendersonfoodmachinery.com For more information +44(0) 2890 994 202 – hendersonfoodmachinery.com

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Musgrave Matters

APRIL 2017

www.musgravegroup.com

SuperValu Teams up with Wellness Ambassador to launch New Health Range

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op Northern Ireland nutritional therapist and fitness professional Estelle Wallace is the new Wellness Ambassador for leading local foodmarket convenience retailer SuperValu.

SuperValu has launched a range of over 200 health and wellness products across its 36 stores in Northern Ireland. The partnership, announced on the run up to Mother’s Day, will see Ballymena native and busy mum Estelle help educate and inspire customers on healthy eating, cooking and exercise.

The range includes free from meals, benefit foods, supplements and sports nutrition with a diverse selection of products including kale, goji berries, quinoa, spirulina and chia seeds on offer in store.

Estelle will be using a number of these ingredients in the healthy recipes she will be creating for SuperValu and she will also be providing simple nutritional and exercise advice and tips to consumers, both in-store and online.

Mum of one Estelle who is currently manager of Pure Wellness Gym in Galgorm commented on her exciting new partnership with SuperValu: “It is fantastic that SuperValu is promoting such a wide range of healthy foods to help their customers create healthier families province-wide. I’m so excited to

be Wellness Ambassador for SuperValu and I am looking forward to bringing wellness into homes across Northern Ireland.

“As a busy mummy who juggles work, fitness classes and health clinics along with developing my very own cookbook, I hope my advice as a Wellness ambassador will help SuperValu’s customers balance life better, whilst eating healthily in the process,” she added.

Desi Derby, Head of Marketing, Musgrave NI, said: “SuperValu has a very strong brand vision for health this year as both our consumer research and sales demonstrate that our customers are looking for healthy, convenient inspiration when they visit our stores.

“We are delighted to welcome Estelle on board as our Wellness Ambassador and her principle of healthy balance and love of ‘real food’ embodies the SuperValu brand and supports our mission to help provide our customers with tips and advice to make simple, healthy lifestyle changes,” he added.

For further information on Estelle and her recipes and tips visit www.supervalu.co.uk or Like SuperValu NI’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ SuperValuNI/

Centra’s free 5K charity run returns with more locations

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entra has launched its popular series of charity family fun runs for the second year, adding two brand new events to the line-up and it all kicks off this month.

The Centra Run Together series is designed to feed the recent upsurge in ‘social runners’ across Northern Ireland, encouraging communities to get up and run together, whilst raising vital funds for Action Cancer.

Following the success of last year’s event the series will now include six 5k runs between now and October. Two runs will take place in Belfast and further races will be held in Derry/Londonderry, Antrim and new for 2017 - Fermanagh and Tyrone.

This year the events are completely free to enter but participants are encouraged to make a donation to Action Cancer in lieu of an entry fee. They are designed for a variety of participants from walkers, first time runners to those using the 5k course as training for a marathon.

Musgrave NI’s head of marketing, Desi Derby, said: “The Centra Run Together series is part of our Live Well initiative, which represents an investment of £1 million and is aimed at helping our customers

make healthier choices, addressing the serious health issues associated with today’s society.

“We had a great response to our initial Run Together series, with many families running their first 5k together, capturing a great community atmosphere. We’re looking forward to building on this success and raising even more money for Action Cancer.”

Centra has signed up two time Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist, Johnny Davis as an ambassador for Centra’s Live Well programme. Over the course of 2017, Johnny will provide hints and tips to aspiring runners, providing the motivation to get them on track before, during and after the Centra

Run Together events.

Commenting at the launch, event organiser, Johnny Davis said: “Running has proven to be very beneficial for helping people live healthy lifestyles.

“Run Together is a concept designed to let people run in pairs and we encourage all levels of runners to join in the fun - to pair up with their partner, son, daughter, a friend or neighbour and help raise money for Action Cancer.

“I am proud and excited to be an ambassador for Centra’s Live Well programme and I am looking forward to getting people across Northern Ireland healthy and active.”

Centra Run Together events will take place in six locations across Northern Ireland throughout 2017: • Queens Dub, Belfast – Sunday 23rd April, 10am • Quayside, Derry – Wednesday 14th June, 7pm • Parkanaur Forest, Co. Tyrone Saturday 18th June, 10am • Lakeland Forum, Enniskillen Sunday 20th August, 10am • Antrim Forum, Sunday 10th September, 10am • Ormeau Park, Belfast – Sunday 22nd October, 10am

MULTIPLES - NEWS

Three NI stores successful New-Look Costcutter store at prestigious national awards puts emphasis on food to go

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hree local SPAR stores have come home successful from a recent awards ceremony in London – the only NI retailers to do so.

The 2017 Convenience Retail Awards, took place in London recently where McBride’s SPAR, Enniskillen, SPAR Classic Service Station, Omagh and Mullan’s SPAR in Armagh all picked up accolades.

Mullan’s SPAR took home the top award – Convenience Retailer of the Year as well as Best Independent Convenience Store, while Classic Service Station won Best New Store and McBride’s took home the Best Chilled Food Retailer award.

Paddy Doody, Sales & Marketing Director at Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland commented; “It is clear from these awards that the convenience sector in Northern Ireland is leading the pack. Our SPAR stores here are continuously innovating to provide fresher food for their shoppers, investing in refurbishments to provide bigger stores for their customers, and bringing essential goods and services to the doorsteps of their communities.

“All at Henderson Group congratulate our retailers on their success in London, we are delighted they are representing Northern Ireland retail on a great national platform.”

Local shoppers exceed target for Tearfund one million meal pledge Paul Francis and Paddy Doody

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ostcutter Supermarkets Group has launched its third Costcutter pilot store as part of the rollout of its sector defining Shopper First programme.

Located in the (l-r): Manjula and Suenita Keshwara Lincolnshire village of Kirton, the 1,900 sq.ft store underwent a £150,000 transformation, and is run by long-standing Costcutter retailers, Manjula and her daughter Suenita Keshwara.

The transformation saw a new focus being placed on providing shoppers with a leading food to go offer with the introduction of a new dedicated 2.7m food-to-go section, featuring a full bean to cup Tchibo coffee machine; Rollover hotdogs; Slush Puppies; Country Choice hot foods, sweets and savouries; plus a range of meal deals.

In addition, store owners Manjula and Suenita have partnered with local food producers for their meat, fruit and vegetables, bread and flowers.

Shopper First, the company’s brand transformation initiative to drive retailer sales growth and give retailers access to detailed shopper profile information, brings together new brand and store design and follows the most in-depth study of shoppers in the company’s 30 year history.

Henderson Foodservice announced as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies

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enerous SPAR and EUROSPAR shoppers have smashed the target the retailer had set to raise for Tearfund, the Christian international aid and development agency.

From October to December 2016, £178,000 was raised, well beyond the target of £165,000 which could provide up to one million meals for families in Africa.

For three months, Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR and EUROSPAR franchises in Northern Ireland, donated 10p from the sale of enjoy local breakfast products and White Medium Pan, alongside all Kingsmill and Hovis sliced loaves.

The additional £13,000 was raised during a special collection throughout the stores and supermarkets on World Food Day, which took place on 16 October 2016.

enderson Foodservice has been named as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies awards programme. The company was Damien Barrett, Managing Director, Henderson presented with Gold Foodservice, receiving the Gold Status accreditation from the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Status at a special Programme. awards ceremony in Dublin recently, having demonstrated superior business performance for the fourth year running. Of the 127 noted companies, just 17 received the Gold Status accolade.

The awards event in Dublin’s Convention Centre marked the ninth year of the Deloitte Best Managed awards programme, in association with Barclay’s Bank Ireland and this year’s ceremony was attended by over 900 members of the business community across the island of Ireland.

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MULTIPLE NEWS

Health Committee calls for Government to tackle deep discounting in supermarkets T

he Government needs to take more robust action to tackle the impact of deep discounting and price promotions on the sales of unhealthy food and drink, says the Health Committee in its follow up report into childhood obesity.

Given the amount of food and drink that is purchased on discounts and promotions, the Committee is urging the Government to follow the evidence-based advice to create ‘a level playing field’.

It was Industry representatives themselves, when giving evidence to the Committee, who explained

that the current Government plans risk being undermined unless there is regulation. Retailers who act responsibly on discounting and promotions should not be put at a competitive disadvantage to those who do not.

The Government’s plan to tackle childhood obesity was published in August 2016. Although the Health Committee welcomes the measures the Government has announced on the sugary drinks levy, they are extremely disappointed that several key areas for action that could have made the strategy more effective have not been included.

Chair of the Health Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, said:“We are extremely disappointed that the Government has rejected a number of our recommendations. These omissions mean that the current plan misses important opportunities to tackle childhood obesity. Vague statements about seeing how the current plan turns out are inadequate to the seriousness and urgency of this major public health challenge. The Government must set clear goals for reducing overall levels of childhood obesity as well as goals for reducing the unacceptable and widening levels of inequality.”

Tesco reaches DPA with Serious Fraud Squad T

esco PLC announces that its subsidiary, Tesco Stores Limited, has in principle reached a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) regarding historic accounting practices. The proposed DPA was the subject of a preliminary court ruling recently, and the SFO and Tesco Stores Limited will now seek final judicial approval to the DPA from the court on 10 April 2017.

The DPA relates to false accounting by Tesco PLC’s subsidiary, Tesco Stores Limited, between February 2014 and September 2014. The DPA is a voluntary agreement under which Tesco Stores Limited will not be prosecuted provided the business fulfils certain requirements, including paying a financial penalty of £129m.

Tesco PLC also announces that it has agreed with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to a finding of market abuse in relation to the Tesco PLC trading statement announced on 29 August 2014. This statement overstated the expected profits of the Group at that time and arose from the same historic accounting practices. In making its finding, the FCA

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has expressly stated that it is not suggesting that the Tesco PLC Board of Directors knew, or could reasonably be expected to have known, that the information contained in that trading statement was false or misleading.

Tesco PLC has agreed with the FCA (under its statutory powers) to establish a compensation scheme which will compensate certain net purchasers of Tesco ordinary shares and listed bonds who purchased those securities for cash between 29 August 2014 and 19 September 2014 (inclusive). Each net purchaser of shares will be entitled to compensation of 24.5p per share purchased, plus interest at 1.25% per annum if the net purchaser is an institutional investor or 4% per annum if the net purchaser is a retail investor, in each case with such interest running from 19 September 2014 until approximately four months after the opening of the scheme.* The cost of the compensation payable is estimated by both Tesco and the FCA to be in the region of £85m excluding interest. Tesco has appointed KPMG to administer the compensation scheme, with oversight from the FCA.

MULTIPLES NEWS

Asda the first supermarket to improve vegan labelling – and put the Vegan Trademark on vodka A

sda has paved the way as the first UK supermarket to approach The Vegan Society with intention to improve the labelling of its vegan products – including vodka.

The giant has started putting the Vegan Trademark on 16 different items, some of which have already reached the supermarket shelves. More products will be released in the next few months.

Asda joins other high profile companies such as Alpro, Lush, Original Source and Ikea in taking the Trademark, which can now be seen on around 24,000 products spanning some 800 companies.

George Gill, Chief Executive of The Vegan Society, said: “We are very pleased that yet another major retailer has listened to its customers and decided to make the shopping experience easier for vegans and those shopping on their behalf.

“Asda’s move reflects the nation’s changing eating habits towards healthier and more compassionate choices, setting a great example for other

supermarkets, which has been reflected in the positive comments on social media in reaction to this news.

“Providing vegan options makes clear commercial sense for retailers, who can open up their market to a fast growing number of vegans worldwide. The Vegan Society works to assists businesses in labelling

Several supermarkets announce fuel price cuts of two pence per litre T

esco was first to confirm the move, followed by Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

It marked the second such price reduction by supermarkets in March meaning motorists would pay no more than £1.13 per litre for petrol and £1.15 for diesel at

Asda’s 301 filling stations at the time of print.

Industry experts say the lower wholesale price of fuel has been brought about by a continuing glut of crude oil partly caused by the United States increasing production from fracking.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams called on all retailers to lower prices.

He said : “We were at the point where motorists should have been starting to feel aggrieved that pump prices were higher than they ought to be.

“The last thing retailers need is for the public’s trust in their pricing policies to be undermined.

“We strongly urge other retailers, large and small, to follow suit and bring the price of petrol and diesel down around the country.”

AA spokesman Luke Bosdet said: “ Our main concern will be with prices in small market towns without a supermarket presence. They very often become the land that fair prices forgot.”

their products with the Vegan Trademark.”

Asda already had a wide range of own-brand free-from snacks that are suitable for vegans, as well as refrigerated and frozen goods, including a hidden gem in the form of a vegan-friendly lemon cheesecake.

Lizzy Massey, Vice President Asda Own Brand, said: “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and we know that they have different needs and demands from our products. That is why we have listened to feedback from our customers and are proud to put vegan labelling on our own brand products.”

While Asda is the first supermarket to use the Vegan Trademark, Sainsbury’s and The Co-op label the majority of their own-brand vegan products but the Vegan Trademark gives extra authenticity and assurance to vegan customers.

Will other supermarkets follow suit and release more products labelled with the Vegan Trademark?

an unrivalled portfolio of grocery & impulse brands

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Building Brands with Passion 19

My Life in the Grocery Trade Danielle Bates, Store Manager, Lidl Northern Ireland.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I am a Store Manager for Lidl Northern Ireland and I am currently based at Lidl’s Andersonstown Road store in Belfast.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Fourteen years ago, I decided to take some time out from studying and I applied for a job in a new supermarket opening in my then home town of Armagh. I took on a role of customer assistant (known as sales assistant then) and I never looked back! I was quickly promoted to anchor, then Deputy Store Manager and on to Store Manager.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? I work in a busy and challenging retail environment and my core responsibilities are people, products, and processes. Our customers

are at the heart of everything we do so I lead a team of 23 people, ensuring their training and development is of the highest standards to make sure our customers get the most from their shopping experience. As a discount retailer, process also forms part of our everyday life to ensure that we deliver the best possible price and highest quality products in the market to our customers.

Afternoons may consist of maintaining high shop floor standards, conducting training sessions with my team or developing areas of the store.

My customer assistants are multi-skilled and work in every area of the store and can do everything I do and vice versa. It’s not unusual to see me working on the tills along with my team and taking the opportunity to spend time with our customers.

WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP THIS POST? I’ve worked for Lidl since 2003 and have quickly progressed through the business. When I became Store Manager I received initial training from an experienced team member which was highly beneficial and since then I’ve worked in various locations in Northern Ireland. This has included opening our first city centre store on High Street in Belfast two years ago and now opening our second new design loft store on the Andersonstown Road in Belfast.

PROUDEST MOMENT I’m extremely proud of my own development, Lidl has given me the skills, training, and support to progress in my career. I’m proud that I’ve been able to then use that knowledge to train, support and develop others to reach their potential and go on to have successful careers.

BEST AND WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB. The best part of my job is the people I work with.

I work closely with my team and they are all highly dynamic and motivated. Lidl provide me with the tools to ensure every staff member fulfils their potential, which makes my job easier. There are some aspects of my job that are more challenging than others but there isn’t a part of my job that I dislike. The only thing I wish for sometimes is more hours in the day!

TYPICAL DAY In retail, there is no such thing as a typical day. We get fresh deliveries each morning so the first part of my day is working alongside my team to ensure all our fresh stock is ready and available for our first customers at 8am. After this I would then spend time placing stock orders for the following day, ensuring we have availability for our customers.

BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL RETAIL INDUSTRY It’s amazing to be part of Lidl’s contribution to local communities in which it operates by offering employment, supporting local charities and organisations through our Community Works programme and supporting local suppliers from across Northern Ireland.

UNWINDING FROM WORK I enjoy spending quality time with my husband, we go hiking in the Mourne Mountains quite regularly.

It’s nice to get some peace and quiet to wind down from work catching up with friends and I’m partial to glass or two of wine as well!

SOMETHING ABOUT MYSELF I’m an adrenalin junkie, I love rollercoasters, anything scary, and I’ve taken part in a skydive for fun!

For all current job opportunities available at Lidl Northern Ireland, visit jobs.lidl-ni.co.uk

FOOD NEWS

We must focus on UK’s £40bn food imports

BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

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recent report by Morrisons, one of Britain’s biggest food retailers, had some interesting points on the future of the production and processing industries and the potential for increased imports of cheaper food not produced to the same standards operating here, particularly in the postBrexit era.

The report comes down firmly in favour of measures to increase UK production and create a “more resilient system” by “stimulating, incentivising, protecting and growing our local production economy to provide more food, and more diverse food, to the nation”. I am not sure, however, how this fits with Government indications that current EU subsidy levels may not continue beyond 2020.

What Morrisons has to say, nevertheless, makes sense. The report says it’s a way to protect our farming economy and small-scale farming in particular. It protects our environment by “stimulating heterogeneity; it is more transparent (as people can identify visually and viscerally with where their food comes from); it creates a diversity of food; and it stimulates both small-scale and largescale innovation– such as to produce local cheeses, ice cream, yoghurts, salami, veg boxes – to supply farmers’ markets, restaurants and retail”.

I support the view that a more focused approach has the potential to increase the vibrancy of primary food production across the UK, delivering “a greater share of value to the farmer and creating a virtuous circle of improved productivity, sustainability and resilience”.

The opportunity for Northern Ireland from such an approach would to increase sales to Great Britain and to win a slice of the £40bn of food and drink that’s currently imported from abroad. And remember the likelihood is that any trade deals negotiated by the UK Government with nations beyond the EU post-Brexit could lead to an even greater influx of food and drink from abroad.

There’s manifestly a need to safeguard our existing position and seek to expand it in markets that are easier and cheaper for small and medium sized companies, in particular, to access.

We need to take a long and hard look at what makes up the £40 billion currently imported to see where there are opportunities for Northern Ireland.

Replacing some of the imports could, in turn, lead to export opportunities, and the UK sells £18 billion abroad, leaving a substantial trade deficit.

UK farmers, in fact supply, just over 50 per cent of our food, mostly meat and dairy.

While we can never expect to be self-sufficient in food and drink, there’s clearly much more that can – and should be- done to strengthen our primary production and processing industries. There’s an important role for retailers within this approach

in terms of buying even more local products than they currently do and especially in stepping up their relationships with the local suppliers to pinpoint new product opportunities.

Surveys have also found that shoppers preferred – even if more expensive - to buy local food - but needed to be signposted clearly to it.

Morrisons is also backing up its focus on local food by seeking a further 200 suppliers, mostly smaller businesses, close to individual stores within its extensive network. It was fantastic to see one of our most active members, Mash Direct, winning a national listing with Morrisons last month. In line with suggestions that we should seek to use our

fertile soil to grow more and different crops it was also encouraging to see another recent member, Wasabi Crop in Waringstown, launching Ireland’s first high-value wasabi herbs. Indeed, our greatest imports are vegetables – an amazing £9.1 billion!

Yet we export £1 billion.

Charcuterie is a growing trend, and there are other exciting projects in the pipeline in the dairy sector.

As Morrisons suggests, we need to encourage and support any innovation which the industry here can bring forward to grasp the openings presented

by Brexit, particularly in accessible markets such as Great Britain.

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FOOD & DRINK

Boost introduces Pomberri Blast

Neills Flour celebrates 150 years in the baking T

here was certainly no shortage of flour on hand as local celebrity cook Jenny Bristow baked a massive cake to celebrate the 150th birthday of one of Northern Ireland’s best loved brands.

Back in 1867 James Neill founded his very own flour mill in Belfast, three years before the completion of Belfast Castle and 39 years before the nearby Belfast City Hall was built.

150 years later Neill’s Flour still operates from its original College Place North location and is performing stronger than ever, having contributed significantly to the Northern Ireland economy over the past century and a half.

A lot has changed since 1867 but the company ethos remains the same, according to Neill’s General Manager Barry Kelly.

“There aren’t many companies in Northern Ireland that are still in existence after 150 years and operating from their original premises,” said Barry Kelly, “so we are extremely proud to be celebrating this truly significant milestone in the history of Neill’s Flour.

“When James Neill started the business in 1867, his aim was to produce the best quality flour possible for his customers and that remains

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omberri Blast is the latest sugar free SKU from Boost Drinks, available as a limited edition line from early this month, with a particular focus on the festivals market and delivering great cash profit margins.

Pomberri Blast features a blend of pomegranate and blueberry flavours, in a 250ml can pricemarked at 49p. It will be supported by point of sale material and a dedicated consumer marketing campaign called Boostival17 - which will run across radio, digital and social media channels, with the chance to win festival tickets, survival kits and other branded products.

Boost is expecting a high demand for Pomberri Blast. Sugar free energy drink sales are growing at 47% year on year - and blueberry and pomegranate as flavours are out-performing the market.

Founder and managing director Simon Gray comments: “Investing in new product development is a key part of our Champion Of The Independents commitment, whereby we do not sell to or through supermarkets. Pomberri Blast is the latest in a series of limited edition SKUs created exclusively for the independent channel.”

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Jenny Bristow is joined Karl McCrum, Sales and Marketing Manager at Neill’s Flour, to celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary.

our aim today. However optimistic James may have been in those days, I’m sure he would be proud to see that the company has stood the test of time and grown from strength to strength over such a long period of time.”

In the early 1960s, Neill’s Flour became part of Allied Mills, owned by Associated British Foods Plc. The company mills all types of flour including Self Raising, Golden Fleece Plain, Self Raising Soda Bread Flour, Fine and Coarse Wholemeal flour.

Food NI on five-year New Guinness available plan to promote NI exclusively at SuperValu and produce Centra NI stores

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five-year plan to promote Northern Ireland food and drink to the region’s consumers as well as those in Britain and further afield has been launched by promotional and marketing body Food NI. The new strategy ‘Taste the Greatness’ is based on a vision of “a thriving local market that is the seedbed for the food and drink stories of tomorrow”. Food NI, which represents over 400 food and drink companies across Northern Ireland, aims to showcase Northern Ireland’s great food and drink stories on “a world-class platform to create standout and credibility within a far beyond our borders”.

Food NI’s mission statement is “to tell these stories and create a name for ourselves nationally and internationally that underpins and supports all the excellence that is emerging from these shores”.

The organisation plans to promote local food at major events in Britain.

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uperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland are stocking up on a brand-new brew from the makers of Guinness.

The latest beer from the Open Gate Brewery is Guinness Irish Wheat Beer - ‘a clean, crisp wheat beer with a zesty citrus’.

The innovative new brew was created by a German brewer at St James’s Gate who was on a mission to create the best wheat beer outside her native home.

Brewed with wheat completely grown in Ireland and fermented with Guinness yeast, ‘this wheat beer has rich and vibrant gold colours bursting through a cloudy, unfiltered haze with subtle clove and spiciness and locally sourced Irish wheat’ says the producers.

ADVERTORIAL

Moy Park Secures Deal for Snacking Range in NI

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reland’s number one poultry brand, Moy Park has secured a contract with Neil McMullan (NML) to distribute its new Moy Park branded, ready-toeat snacking range, ‘Good to Go’ to the Northern Irish convenience market.

Nisa, Costcutter and Russell’s Shop 4 You stores will stock the four-strong range of Moy Park’s innovative, high protein range, which includes two Moy Park ‘Good to Go’ chicken breast fillet chunks – each with a dip, BBQ and sweet chilli, and two flavoured chicken breast fillet chunk options – flame grilled and barbecue.

Aisling Graham, Interim Brand Marketing Manager said: “We are delighted to secure listings across the

“We are delighted to secure listings across the Northern Ireland convenience sector for the range - following its launch at the beginning of 2017.”

Northern Ireland convenience sector for the range - following its launch at the beginning of 2017. From our research we have seen consumer priorities for 2017 are focused on convenience and health, which has translated into the snacking market. The range is individually portioned, and uses 100% chicken breast – making it a healthy snacking option throughout the day.”

For more information on products and distribution please contact Moy Park on 028 38 352 233 The Moy Park ‘Good to Go’ range is available from April in Nisa, Costcutter and Russell’s Shop 4 You stores across NI 23

JASON WINSTANLEY COLUMN

Consumer Insight and Market Update 2017: Waste Not, Want Not…

BY JASON WINSTANLEY, MOY PARK SENIOR INSIGHT AND RESEARCH MANAGER

“Currently, most consumers waste food.

Recent Moy Park research has found that more than four in five consumers regularly throw away perfectly good food, with 15% doing so more than once a week.”

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t has become a truism in the food industry that healthy eating is strongly correlated towards a healthy economy – the more affluent people feel, the healthier they eat. But what about something which works the other way round and grows in importance as the economy declines? As rising inflation starts to put pressure on household budgets, a net 22% of consumers expect to have less disposable income in 12 months’ time1. Which sort of consumer behaviour might this sort of change in circumstances drive?

One area which may well see an increase in focus is awareness of food waste amongst consumers. This is already a high priority for both government and retailers; according to WRAP, in 2015 alone, £1.3 billion worth of edible food, equating to 7.3 million tonnes, was thrown away in the UK2. These kinds of horrendous figures have led to retailers re-evaluating their supply chains, partnering with charities and social media organisations, and even setting up telephone 24

hotlines. A decrease in disposable income, however, could see the focus turn to the consumer and drive much greater awareness of household food waste.

Currently, most consumers waste food. Recent Moy Park research3 has found that more than four in five consumers regularly throw away perfectly good food, with 15% doing so more than once a week. Of those who are wasting food, three quarters say that they are concerned about it, with a quarter very concerned. And the root cause of their concern? In a word - money. 53% of those questioned who were concerned about their food waste said that the single biggest issue for them was the waste of money involved, far greater than the numbers who feel guilty or are worried about causing issues for local authorities in terms of waste disposal. Bread is the most commonly wasted category, with a third of consumers citing it as the food they waste the most. Vegetables (26%) and fruit (14%) are the other big culprits, although perhaps it should come as no surprise that only 1%

of consumers say that their most wasted category is cakes and other sweet bakery items!

Food waste certainly seems to be an area which strikes a chord with consumers, and where they will applaud efforts to tackle it; 87% of those surveyed said that the introduction by several supermarkets recently of “wonky” or “ugly” vegetables was a great idea. It’s also an area where people can make a social contribution; although only a sixth of consumers say that they currently contribute excess food to food banks, 57% said they would consider doing so in the future, and only a quarter said that it is not something that they would consider.

So, if food and other prices do rise, as most analysts believe will be the case, we can expect to see a much greater focus on the contents of the fridge from many consumers, and more socially beneficial ways of disposing of waste which does arise. Just don’t expect cakes to be involved!

Sources: 1 –YouGov HEAT survey, February 2017; 2 - WRAP, 2015 wastage data; 3 - Moy Park research, March 2017

CRISPS, SNACKS AND NUTS

Crisps, Snacks and Nuts

BY KANTAR WORLDPANEL

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ales in the Take-Home Crisps, Snacks and Nuts market in Northern Ireland increased by ÂŁ1.26m in the latest 52 weeks giving us a market now worth ÂŁ80.3m, which is 2.6% of the Total Grocery Market. 99.6% of NI households buy the category with shoppers buying it 48 times per year on average.

Shoppers buying the category more often this year has been a key contributing factor to growth.

At the same time shoppers are buying the category at a lower price than last year as prices decreased by -1.4% year on year. Out of the main sectors within the category, popcorn has experienced the biggest percentage increase this year as value sales see an uplift of 23.7%. This has been driven by more shoppers buying it and going on more trips to buy it. Other sectors such as snacks multipacks and crisps have seen good growth within nuts only seeing slight decline of -0.2% as less shoppers buy into the sector.

For retailers, Asda and Lidl have increased their share of Total Take Home Snacks and Nuts in the latest 52 weeks as they grew value sales by 2.6% and 10.9% respectively. Asda did this through nuts and popcorn while Lidl saw growth come from all

sectors, particularly snacks multipacks and nuts.

Tesco still has the largest market share in Take Home Crisps, Snacks & Nuts, despite seeing value sales decline in both nuts and popcorn, with 35.7% share in the 52 weeks up to the 26th of February 2017.

Looking at the shoppers behind the performance of Take Home Crips, Snacks & Nuts families with older children have added the most value into the market as they increase spend on the category. This has been driven by more frequent shopping to the sector for this demographic amongst the crisps and popcorn sectors.

Kantar Worldpanel monitors the grocery retailer take-home purchasing habits of 650 demographically representative Northern Ireland households.

Ross Lincoln Client Manager +353 1 480 8941 2nd Floor, Millbank House, Arkle Road Sandyford Industrial Estate I Dublin 18 www.kantarworldpanel.ie

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ADVERTORIAL

Tasty new products for Tayto - Northern Ireland’s number one crisp brand Innovation has long been the secret to Tayto’s success with new crisps and snacks continually being tested and trialled at Tayto Castle. With a strong focus on new product development, the locally-owned company ensures that it stays ahead of the trend when it comes to new products, flavours and combinations.

R

ecent market activity has seen the Co Armagh crisp and snack manufacturer introduce new flavours, bring back old favourites, penetrate fresh markets and turn limited edition packs into permanent fixtures.

Elly Hunter, Tayto marketing director, explains: “We are always innovating and looking at new flavour combinations and opportunities to enhance our ranges. Our recent launches, which

PICKLED ONION HIGH FIVES MAKE A COMEBACK Popular in the 1980s, Tayto has revived a muchloved consumer favourite, Pickled Onion High Fives. Available in impulse packs, 5-packs and 6-packs. The snacks are baked not fried, making them a popular choice for families.

TAYTO POPCORN Light and airy Tayto Popcorn was recently launched in Cinema Sweet, Salted and Sweet & Salted varieties.

These traditional flavours sit alongside a fourth innovative pack Tayto Cheese & Onion flavour, which has the familiar muchloved Cheese & Onion taste but with a totally different crunch experience. All packs have an RRP of £1.39.

are part of our traction building strategy, have helped us to further solidify Tayto’s position as Northern Ireland’s number one crisp brand.

“Diversification is also important to the company as it allows us to target new markets.

We have recently successfully integrated an entirely new product, Tayto Popcorn, into our portfolio, which has direct synergies through flavour combinations and packaging with our

CURRY CHIP FLAVOUR SHARING BAGS HIT THE SHELVES Curry Chip flavour was originally launched as one of the winning People’s Choice limited edition packs last year, after being voted by the public to be produced, alongside Ulster Fry and Vegetable Roll.

The spicy, flavoursome Curry Chip variety proved a hit with consumers and became Tayto’s second most popular flavour after Cheese and Onion. Tayto are making Curry Chip flavour a permanent addition to the range with the launch of 100g and 150g sharing bags with RRPs of £1 and £1.50 respectively.

BIGGER BIKERS PACK LAUNCHES Big value sharing bags of the popular Tayto snack, Bikers, have also just launched with an RRP of £1. The corn-based snack is baked not fried and offer consumers a spicy kick with each mouthful.

core Tayto range. We launched the product six months ago and, since then, have gained a 25% share of the popcorn market in the convenience sector.

“We have other new products and flavours that we will be announcing over the coming months for the convenience and multiple sectors and we hope that consumers will continue to support and enjoy our evolving Tayto range.”

BURGER BITES LAUNCHED Just launched are sharing packs of Tayto’s newest snack creation, Burger Bites.

With an RRP of £1 for a 90g bag, the tasty, light, savoury snacks are aimed at families and those seeking a meaty, fullflavoured taste experience.

MINI MR TS Since their launch in mid2016, ‘Mini Mr Ts’ in the shape of Mr Tayto’s famous grinning face and trademark hat, have continued to gain traction in the family snack market.

Available in Original (ready salted) and Cheese & Onion flavours, each pack has less than 100 calories per pack and is low in sugar.

Six pack multi-packs of Mini Mr Ts have an RRP of £1.59.

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Tayto Po

Tayto Popcorn Ulster Grocer.indd 2

29/03/2017 12:51

ADVERTORIAL

Dig For Gold promotion offers up £10k to five shoppers K

P Snacks is offering five shoppers the chance to win £10,000 by finding one of a quintet of gold crisps in packs of McCoy’s.

Rolling out now, the Dig for Gold promotion runs across grab bags in six flavours – Flame Grilled Steak; Salt and Vinegar; Cheddar and Onion;

Mexican Chilli; Sizzling King Prawn; Thai Sweet Chick – and six-bag multipacks in Classic and Mighty Meaty.

The £1.4m campaign will be supported by activity including another iteration of the brand’s When Flavour Calls TV ad. The latest spot sees an

McCoy’s Chip Shop Range M

cCoy’s has announced the launch of McCoy’s Chips: crinkle cut chips, available in three flavours: Salt and Vinegar, Curry and Sea Salted.

KP Snacks sales director for convenience, wholesale, discounters and foodservice, Matt Collins, said: “Consumers are making over 27 million visits to chip shops every month, so it was important we recognised this trend and continued to innovate and deliver snacking products and flavours that consumers crave.

“McCoy’s Chips presents a unique offering that consumers simply can’t find elsewhere, and at an appealing £1 price point, we are giving independent retailers a strong point of difference with a proven track record of success.

“McCoy’s will be one to watch in 2017 as we continue our momentum with another jam-packed year of exciting promotions and campaigns.”

The range is available to convenience and impulse retailers this month in 2 x 70gm £1 price-marked packs, 3 x 125gm Sharing and 3 x 6pk Multi Pack formats.

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office worker named Thomas being showered in golden treasure, with help from a tyrannosaurus rex that shoots lasers from its eyes.

To support the wholesale channel, McCoy’s has created a ‘standout’ depot display to ‘create some theatre’.

nd

2017: THE YEAR OF THE SNACK

Embrace the snacking revolution

Adult Cheese Snacks are set to explode in value!

Join the revolution inside.

IN SNACKING,

CHEESE IS 2ND ONLY TO CONFECTIONERY

Cheeses:

How many blocks give YOU the same value as Snacks?

21/02/2017 16:02

£

what’s it worth? uk Snacking Category already worth £28.1 bn Kantar 2016

$67,000,000

US Adult Cheese Snacking grown in 1 year to $67m, led by a single brand: Sargento 150% premium vs natural

1 in 3 snackers looking for A healthier choice

Cheese offers dairy goodness, protein and calcium Mintel 2016

New Nutritional Business Report 2016

the future’s bright. the future’s DAIrY snacking.

Snacking in Ireland & UK Report Bord Bia, 2014

KerryFoods_Newspaper Presenter_NI_V2.indd 3-4

second only to COnFECTIOnErY

cheese snacking #1 growth in opportunity for dairy New Nutrition Business Report 2016

Gram for gram, you’d have to sell

3 times as much branded block Cheese to make the same revenue as our snacks

Incremental to Category (Plus 1 Purchase) +130% premium versus block Nielsen Average Revenue Jan 2017

+536%

nI Adult Cheese Snacking now £409,000 predicted to be £2.6m* ni Kids’ Snacking now £4.7m +9.3% YOY**

*Kerry Category Management 2016 **Nielsen MAT 2017

read on to learn how kerry foods is leading the way in the exciting new world of dairy snacking…

21/02/2017 16:02

ADVERTORIAL

Hunky Dorys

Hunky Dorys, Ireland’s number one crinkle crisp brand, continues to grow year on year with 19.4% value share and 17% volume share of the crisps market. (Source Nielsen Markettrack, Value & Volume MAT J/F 2017). Hunky Dorys is a truly satisfying chunky alternative to a standard crisp.

The sharing pack trend continues to grow and Hunky Dorys offer four core flavours in the portfolio: Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, Buffalo and Sour Cream & Onion.

From the 1st of April until 15th of May, Hunky Dorys is giving you the chance to enjoy a movie with the purchase of every Hunky Dorys sharing bag. Simply purchase any 150g promotional bag, log on to www.hunkydorysmovies.ie to stream a movie.

See packs for details!

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WATCH THE

BEST MOVIES WITH HUNKY DORYS This promotion is valid from April 1st until May 15th 2017.

Purchase any 150g Movie Night promotional pack of Hunky Dorys.

Log on to www.hunkydorysmovies.ie to stream your movie.

ADVERTORIAL

Vegified – the new juice on the block

T

he new tasty and affordable vegetable & fruit juice drink range that offers a healthy boost on-the-go A great way to get your greens into you, or for that matter pinks, oranges and reds as well!

We all know that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables contributes to good overall health - and Vegified wants to make it easier to get that veggie, fruity goodness on the go!

The new delicious, nutritious and affordable vegetable and fruit drink from Vegified is fortified with vitamins – making a healthy boost easier in a busy lifestyle.

With four exciting flavours, the new great tasting Vegified range includes Beetroot & Strawberry; Pumpkin Ginger & Orange; Cucumber & Lime and Bell Pepper & Orange. All varieties contain 30% vegetable and fruit juice, are fortified with vitamins and contain 60 calories or less per 300ml bottle.

34

It’s a great way to get your greens into you, or for that matter pinks, oranges and reds as well!

Each bottle of goodness contains six vitamins: Vitamin C, Niacin, B6, B1, Biotin and B12. These essential vitamins are vital to support a healthy immune system, healthy joints, teeth, bones, hair and skin! They contribute to, and support, a good metabolism, while reducing tiredness and fatigue.* Vegified’s Marketing Manager Shane Mc Quaid said, “I am so excited to launch Vegified, our new vegetable and juice drink range fortified with vitamins. The evolution of this great tasting range has been a labour of love and I am confident that we have crafted something completely unique for the Irish market, that meets the changing needs of the health conscious Irish consumer and also tastes and looks amazing!

“With Vegified, we will speak to those busy health-seekers who want convenient and affordable good-for you products that fit into their busy

lifestyles. With every bottle of Vegified jam-packed with vitamins, we’re confident that it will appeal to those wanting to integrate a healthier boost into their diet.”

The brand’s rustic yet vibrant packaging will jump off shelf, and the product’s ingredients, vitamins and calories will be clearly displayed on bottle, along with colour-coded nutritional labelling.

Vegified will be available in 300ml packs, with an affordable RSP of €1.89/ £1.45.

The delicious range will launch in-store 27th March 2017, supported by full marketing campaign to include OOH, digital, PR, experiential sampling and will be supported by a full suite of impactful displays & equipment in-store. *Vegified contains 45% Nutrient Reference Value of 6 key Vitamins per 300ml serving. Vegified should be consumed as part of a varied, balanced diet & healthy lifestyle.

Vegified Advert A4 NI Final.pdf

1

16/03/2017

NEW

15:22

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT JUICE DRINK

FO RTI FI ED WITH VITAMINS

OR

LES

S

Maximise your profits with Vegified, targeting the booming ‘Health & Wellness’ trend.

Vegified is a NEW Vegetable & Fruit Juice Drink range in 4 delicious flavours: Beetroot & Strawberry, Bell Pepper & Orange, Cucumber & Lime and Pumpkin, Ginger & Orange.

Each 300ml bottle contains 6 Key Vitamins & Only 60 calories or less.

For more information please contact - (NI) Coca-Cola Hellenic Northern Ireland limited, Knockmore Hill, 12 Lissue Road, Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT28 2SZ. Tel: 028 9262 0520.

Vegified is a registered trademark of Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland Limited.

ADVERTORIAL

Deep RiverRock launches Revive and Relax, a new hydration plus benefits range Revive with Magnesium or Zinc, Relax with Lavender or Mint - it all starts with hydration

R

evive and Relax (R&R) is a new water range offering hydration plus benefits from the home of Deep RiverRock.

Achieving a record year for sales in 2016, Deep RiverRock has been on a journey of growth and innovation since its introduction to the island of Ireland market in 1994. Offering an expanding favoured water range, Deep RiverRock recently

Zinc and Relax with Lavender or Mint.

The new range supports consumers to achieve balance with a ‘Revive’ offering to help them keep going or stay ahead or a ‘Relax’ offering to help them ‘stay in the mood’ or ‘simply relax’, and it all starts with hydration, thanks to Deep RiverRock’s quality Irish water sourced from the Glens of Antrim.

“Our growing water range Deep RiverRock plays a vital role in that commitment.

We continue to offer great refreshment for our consumers, while responding to the health and wellness trends with even more products that offer hydration plus benefits.” moved all variants to sugar free with no calories.

An increasing range of pack sizes is also available to consumers to aid greater hydration.

Now the popular water brand is launching a new Revive and Relax range, infused with minerals and herbal extracts to help direct the body where it wants to go. With four new products on offer, Deep RiverRock can help to Revive with Magnesium or 36

Under the ‘Think Straight, HYDRATE’ platform, Deep RiverRock Revive Magnesium, will encourage consumers to ‘start with hydration – and keep going’, enhanced with additional magnesium, to refresh, revive and reduce fatigue*.

Deep RiverRock Revive Zinc, urges consumers to ‘start with hydration – and stay ahead’ and is enhanced with additional zinc to revive your

body while contributing to normal cognitive function*.

Encouraging relaxation, Deep RiverRock Relax Mint is infused with mint extract for a soothing experience. It will help consumers to ‘start with hydration – and stay in the mood’.

Finally, Deep RiverRock Relax Lavender is infused with lavender extract, associated with relaxation. It encourages those in need to ‘start with hydration - and take it easy’.

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland General Manager, Matthieu Seguin said, “Our business is committed to innovation and reformulation to offer a greater choice of products, in a range of pack sizes, to suit all diets and lifestyles.

“Our growing water range Deep RiverRock plays a vital role in that commitment. We continue to offer great refreshment for our consumers, while responding to the health and wellness trends with even more products that offer hydration plus benefits.

“By continuing to innovate, we are making hydration more interesting, and we are proud to launch the latest range from Deep RiverRock that helps our consumers to ‘Revive and Relax’ with the benefits of magnesium, zinc, lavender and mint.”

Deep RiverRock Marketing Manager Oonagh Gildea also said, “We are truly excited to expand the Deep RiverRock family with our new Revive and Relax range. With a 42% growth in ‘health and functional’ products and continued water growth, Deep RiverRock, with its strong brand equity, is now ready to respond with a new affordable water with additional benefits.

“Aimed at health seekers, aged 25 – 44, the launch of Revive and Relax will be supported by a significant social and digital campaign, extensive sampling at Deep RiverRock’s rugby and running sponsorship platforms, PR support, in addition to a full range of point-of-sale for store.”

With a strong link to parent brand, Deep RiverRock’s Revive and Relax range will pop on shelf with striking red and purple hues in the familiar Deep RiverRock bottle shape. The benefits of each variant will be stated front of pack with the ‘R&R lozenge’ coupled with clear messaging.

The recommended retail price is ROI €1.40 | NI £1.10. *Revive Magnesium and Revive Zinc each contains 15% of nutrient value added

DRR R&R Advert A4.pdf

1

15/03/2017

21:55

Q&A

Retailer Focus Donna Mullan owns Mullan’s SPAR in Armagh with her husband Stephen. The store recently won Convenience Retailer of the Year at the 2017 Convenience Retail Awards, and here they tell us about their business, why they strive to put only the best local products on their shelves, and what is in store for the future. the support from a well-established business that is able to offer retail services support ensuring we have the most shopper friendly layout of our store, plus our business development manager is our one-toone adviser in driving sales and margins. We also benefit from extended support in the form of I.T and marketing, and the wholesale and foodservice choice we have means we can expand our goods and service offering to our shoppers.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS Mullan’s SPAR is an independent convenience store situated on the Monaghan Road in Armagh. We provide fresh, every day essentials, as well as our own brand of soups, stews, pizzas, salad goods and ready meals which are made fresh each day on site in our extensive Hot food and Deli operation.

HAS YOUR SHOP EXPANDED, BEEN REFURBISHED OR HAVE YOU INTRODUCED ANY NEW LINES IN RECENT YEARS? Thanks to the fact that we can order from Henderson’s Foodservice business means we can offer a range of food-to-go in the store, which we have implemented in the store in recent years. We have also complemented our fresh range with our own range of meal options, from soups and stews to ready meals. We have made coffee an important part of our business by introducing Barista Bar

WHEN DID YOU BECOME A RETAIL PARTNER OF THE HENDERSON GROUP? We began our partnership with Henderson Group in 2005, 12 years ago.

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THE HENDERSON GROUP? Hendersons has over 100 years of retail experience and the many different facets of the business allows us to grow in ways to meet the demand of our shoppers. Their fresh offering is second to none, which means that we can be the best option for those in our community who need to pick something fresh and healthy up last minute for tonight’s tea. We know that the team there dedicate their sourcing to the island of Ireland, meaning 75% of our produce will come from just down the road.

brand coffee to the store, this has seen sales more than double in twelve months and still growing.

We also allocated space to a dedicated ice cream area within the store, and it has been designed to feel like an ice cream parlour and sells whipped ice cream as well as locally hand made Gelato ice cream.

WHAT ADVANTAGES HAS THE PARTNERSHIP BROUGHT? There are many advantages to our partnership with the Henderson Group, but the top would be having

HOW HAS TRADE BEEN THIS YEAR? We have worked very hard to continue to meet the shoppers’ demand this year. It is an increasingly competitive sector, and convenience has become

38

a reliable alternative to supermarkets for smaller communities. We need to ensure value, provenance and freshness are at the top of our food priority list, and as we expand, we continue to focus on customer service and interaction, and our exceptional standards and points of difference from the other stores in the area. This has ensured continued double digit growth. We were recently rewarded for this at the Convenience Retail Awards where we took the top accolade, Convenience Retailer of the Year 2017, as well as Best Independent Convenience Store.

ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR ISSUES CURRENTLY FACING THE RETAIL SECTOR? Obviously the biggest unknown at the moment is how the UK leaving the European Union is going to affect trade in Northern Ireland. We’re lucky that, thanks to our and Henderson Group’s focus on provenance, the rising cost of imports may not affect us greatly. However, Brexit is still a huge question mark, nobody really knows how it is going to play out or what is going to happen in Northern Ireland in particular. We just have to be as prepared as possible, and thankfully we have our business development and retail partners at Henderson Group who will advise us on going forward. We will as always adapt swiftly to our customers constantly developing demands.

HAVE YOU ANY FUTURE PLANS FOR THE SHOP? We are of course delighted with the performance of the business this year, however our commitment to continue to re-invest in our business will see the opening of larger production kitchens on site. This will allow us to expand our range of own-brand meal solutions and the larger kitchens will also have the capacity to service our second store in Markethill, which will open in April, as well as future stores.

Our commitment to staff training is a neverending process, and with the help of Henderson Group’s Academy we constantly offer training to our team which in turn enables us to offer the best in customer service.

ADVERTORIAL

Kelkin – the healthy food pioneers K

elkin Ltd. has been providing wholesome, delicious foods in Ireland for almost 40 years.

The husband and wife team, Ken Kinsella and Liz Kelly, decided back in 1976 that it was their mission to make healthy foods easily accessible to Irish families.

And so Kel-Kin was born, named after themselves.

Kelkin’s mission is to make the healthy choice the easy choice and it is proud of its commitment to producing healthier food options to enable families to lead fuller lives.

Good food in moderation, a balanced diet and exercise is a mantra Kelkin lives by and a lifestyle in which its range of wholesome and delicious foods foods fit perfectly.

Mueslis and granolas, popcorn and rice and corn cakes alongside juices, and a large range of free-from products make up Kelkin’s nutritious product portfolio.

It is the latter products and Kelkin’s recognition of a changing and more health-focussed consumer that has made it one of the healthy food pioneers in the supermarket aisles for over ten years.

Today Kelkin is working tirelessly with Irish retailers to make shopping this section of the supermarket an easier, more pleasurable and informative experience for consumers.

For further info contact Valeo Foods NI, Joanne Beattie, Marketing Manager, 028 9267 3316.

Mr Freeze delicious frozen treats

P

eople of all ages recognise the Mr Freeze brand, probably because we have been around for years and years.

Mr Freeze has been around since 1966 and more than 45 years on we are still the most recognisable freezepop brand in Europe.

What could be more refreshing than an ice-cold Jubbly? These hand freeze-at-home

ice lollies are made from real fruit juice and natural mineral water – each one has less than 20 calories!

Stock up this summer on our Amazing wholesale and retail Freeze offering – Ice pops and Jubbly ice lollys. For further info contact Valeo Foods NI, Joanne Beattie, Marketing Manager, 028 9267 3316.

1 Pop the bo x 2 Wai t until into freezer ... frozen 3 ...an ... d then

enjoy.

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APPOINTMENTS

Senior Retail Analyst joins Morelli’s

M

orelli’s Ice Cream appoints Clive Black as Non-Executive Chairman.

Morelli’s Ice Cream, Northern Ireland’s leading ice cream brand, has announced the appointment of retail analyst, Clive Black, as the company’s new

Non-Executive Chairman.

Clive is one of the UK’s top consumer analysts, rated number one for retail in the 2014 Thomson Extel survey and holds a PhD from Queen’s University with an award-winning thesis on the Northern Ireland food industry. He has held senior research and advisory positions throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe, including the role of external advisor to the Food Standards Agency from 2011 to 2013. Currently, he is Head of Research at Shore Capital.

Commenting on the announcement Arnaldo Morelli, who heads up the family-owned business said: “This was an easy appointment to make.

Clive’s experience is unrivalled in the retail industry here and we look forward to learning from his vast and varied knowledge as our business continues to expand across the island of Ireland.”

Clive Black added: “Morelli’s is the leading name in local ice cream and I’m confident that together, we can achieve and exceed our business goals over the next five years.”

Aidan Cotter to chair ABP Food/Fane Valley Joint Venture

A

BP Food Group and Northern Ireland’s Fane Valley Group have appointed Aidan Cotter as chairman of the board of the Slaney Foods/ Irish Country Meats joint venture.

The joint venture is a 50:50 partnership between ABP Food Group and Fane Valley Group and includes the Slaney Foods international beef business and the sheep meat specialist, Irish Country Meats (ICM).

Mr Cotter is a former chief executive of Bord Bia (Irish Food Board) from 2004 until his retirement in January this year.

Mr Cotter served as chief executive of Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, from 2004 until January, 2017, having brought to the position a wealth of knowledge and experience in food marketing. Mr. Cotter previously served in Bord Bia as director of operations, and earlier gained extensive experience in the marketplace as the organisation’s European director, based in its London office, and prior to that in Dusseldorf.

Mr. Cotter holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management in the UK and has Master’s Degree in Economic Science and Agricultural Economics from University College Dublin (UCD). In September 2013, he was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from UCD. ABP Food Group is one of Europe’s leading privately owned agribusiness companies.

Fane Valley Group, headquartered at Moira in Northern Ireland, is a progressive and successful agrifood business with interests in red meats, feed compounding, agricultural supplies, porridge oats and breakfast cereals, animal by-products and fat processing, operating as a market leader across Europe.

The co-operative was formed in 1903 and is farmer owned and farmer controlled.

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Moy Park Appoint Darrell May

M

oy Park has appointed Darrell May as Head of Sales.

With almost 20 years’ experience in the FMCG industry, Darrell joins from Permier Foods where he was Head of the Convenience Channel.

IT NEWS

YOUTUBE loses another big brand advertiser O

ne of Ireland’s biggest advertising agencies has confirmed that it has begun a boycott of YouTube advertising on behalf of some of Ireland’s largest brands.

Core Media, which represents Heineken, AIB and the Irish National Lottery among others, is pulling all campaigns over concerns that ads are appearing within videos that include extremist content.

“Until we are confident that a solution to the brand safety challenge is in place, Core Media is pausing all ad campaigns on YouTube and GDN,” said Alan Cox, chief executive of Core Media.

The move comes after another ad agency, Havas Media Ireland, said that it was consulting with clients such as Hyundai, Emirates and the FAI over whether or not to suspend ad campaigns on YouTube and Google.

Companies such as Marks & Spencer, McDonald’s and Tesco have already withdrawn advertising in the UK because of their ads being placed within extremist YouTube videos.

Amazon opens first grocery pick-up stores in US V

alued at $800 billion, the US grocery market, where most shopping occurrs offline, has created a gap in the market for online retail giant Amazon which opened its first grocery pickup locations at two Seattle sites, allowing shoppers to order items online for pickup at designated times at an Amazon facility.

The new AmazonFresh Pickup service is the latest move by the Seattle company into brick-and-mortar retailing, but there’s a catch; for now, despite the high-profile locations in Seattle’s Sodo and Ballard neighborhoods, it’s available only to Amazon employees as part of an internal beta. Once it launches publicly, however, Amazon says the service will be available to Amazon Prime members at no extra charge.

The UK’s No.1 plain water brand*

Stock up now! *IRI, Total coverage, Value Sales, 52 w/e 05/11/16.

6737 Evian half page ad _Valeo.indd 1

08/12/2016 10:43 41

TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL

Wine is one of the most pleasurable products to shop for states new report

S

hopping for wine is now ranked as one of the most pleasurable retail experiences. Red wine is the second most popular item to shop for, out of all supermarket products, with champagne and sparkling wine coming fifth and white wine seventh.

The comprehensive 2016 Shopper Intelligence grocery report which monitored consumer shopping habits and tastes of shoppers across all the major supermarkets, found that wine ranked

highly as both an enjoyable item to shop for and a product that gives consumers a high level of purchase satisfaction. Red wine was seen as the most enjoyable purchase (after deli counter cheese). The research was carried out on shoppers shopping in-store at the major supermarkets.

Red wine is a predominantly planned category of purchase with 77% of shoppers who purchase red wine stating that they had planned to buy prior to shopping. Only 19% of these 77% of shoppers

had a particular brand of red wine in mind prior to purchase with 16% of these actually buying the intended brand, signalling a conversion rate of 85% prior to purchase.

Red wine buyers prioritise value, quality, choices and offers and this is a category where shoppers feel it is important to spend time looking and exploring the options and are also willing to spend more for a better or different product.

Promotions and in-store offers are also important to red wine shoppers, as many as 24% specifically planned to buy red wine that was on promotion/ offer.

Chris Adkins, Director, Shopper Intelligence said: “Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy.” - the wise words of Alexander Fleming have clearly filtered down to UK shoppers with wine ranking highly in the “pleasurable retail experiences” category. It is clear from the above data that strong signage and promotional communications are needed, whilst there is also still huge potential for category growth by providing shoppers the opportunity to trade-up through a ‘good, better, best’ principle.

“No longer confined to speciality shops, supermarkets have arguably democratised the wine buying process; taking it from an elitist activity to a more egalitarian process. The opportunity and growth potential for supermarkets is undeniable if they continue to invest in making the wine aisle an enjoyable place for shoppers to linger.”

Are you prepared for Tobacco legislation enforcement?

A

s the deadline for TPD2 approaches on May 20, JTI is urging retailers to prepare their stock for the market conditions that will follow.

The UK tobacco market is worth £15bn as tobacco continues to be the biggest FMCG category and the no.1 contributor to store turnover according to JTI, which launched its ‘Your Guide Through Change’ (YGTC) communication initiative last year to assist retailers through the process.

“Stock management and communication is essential to a successful transition. By following advice from JTI reps, old stock should be sold through in time for the retailers to be compliant.

In a plain packaging environment it is vitally important to have well organised stock as packs will be more difficult to find,” said Jeremy Blackburn, JTI Head of Communications.

JTI explained that it is hard to predict what

42

effect the changes may have, “but what we do know is that those retailers who prepare will be best equipped to deal with the changes,” advised Jeremy.

Increased price awareness as new legislation follows through is also anticipated.

“In a post-TPD2 market, smokers are likely to become more price aware as the tobacco market starts to adapt to the loss of price marking and smaller pack sizes. At this early stage, evidence suggests that adult smokers and small store retailers are already shopping around and looking at switching channels and suppliers for better value making it essential that retailers remain competitive.

“It is therefore JTI’s recommendation to sell tobacco products at the RRP or below (retailers are of course free to sell JTI products at whatever price they choose) in order to retain the sales and footfall of existing customers and continue to

maximise sales of tobacco Illegal trade,” added Jeremy.

Since the start of 2014 JTI has removed the gantry from 28 retailers found to have been selling illegal tobacco and in 2016 JTI saw a total of 247 prosecutions and 125 seizures relating to the illegal tobacco market.

Moving on to the subject of e-cigarettes JTI, which holds an 18 per cent share of the UK independent and symbol e-cig market and an 11 per cent share of the overall UK e-cigarette market, says the sales value of e-cigs was worth £175 million with independents, symbol, gas and convenience stores key channels with a 50 per cent share.

According to the latest insight, the three most popular vaping flavours are fruit (26.6%) followed by menthol (22.8%) and then tobacco (23.9%) – another section in the gantry that retailers should focus on.

AGRI-NEWS

UFU to ditch the sandwiches and celebrate local food at Balmoral Show

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he countdown is on to Balmoral Show, which for the Ulster Farmers Union is an opportunity to meet its members. Change is in the air, with the move to a four-day show, and president, Barclay Bell, says the UFU will also be making some changes to the food it offers members. Out go sandwiches, and in comes a celebration of innovation and quality in the industry. “Our members work hard to produce high quality food and we want to use our stand at Balmoral Show to showcase this,” said Mr Bell.

The Union has appointed a new caterer and will be offering a menu tailored to the time of the day, throughout the event.

“We don’t always get the opportunity to be recognised for our hard work and the world class food we produce. Balmoral Show is the perfect opportunity to do this. We have worked closely with the caterers to design a menu that champions each sector of agriculture,” said Mr Bell.

This is a shift of approach from years of sandwiches, but the UFU says it wants members to see this as a positive – and as a way to capitalise on the many successes of the local food industry. “As

Rush solution without pollution!

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I Water, in conjunction with the Water Catchment Partnership, are launching a free weed wiping project in the Armagh area between May and September 2017 and 2018. This pilot scheme is aimed at land managers tackling rush weeds in the catchment area of Seagahan Reservoir near Markethill.

Roy Taylor, Catchment Manager, NI Water, explained the project:“At present, extra treatment is required at Seagahan Water Treatment Works as a result of the water quality in the Seagahan Dam. Monitoring of water in the dam has shown high levels of grassland pesticides such as MCPA, which could be from agricultural activity.

“Final drinking water is always at a high standard and meets all the required water quality standards, but there is a major increase in cost for the extra treatment required to deal with these chemicals.

“This innovative pilot scheme, the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, will provide an alternative way of tackling rush weeds without using harmful pesticides. The method we will use is ‘weed-wiping’ to kill the rushes. The project, which is completely free of charge, will have a Farm Liaison Officer working with farmers and land managers to manage the weed wiping and promote better advice on handling, applying and disposing of grassland sprays, guidance on mechanical control of rushes and improving land condition to addressing the underlying causes of infestations.”

UFU Deputy President Ivor Ferguson added; “The Ulster Farmers Union fully support NI Water on the delivery of the ‘Rush solution without pollution’ initiative. This Free Trial which is being offered in the Seagahan Catchment Area in County Armagh aims to provide farmers and landowners with the necessary tools to tackle rush weeds. The UFU would encourage local farmers to show their support by signing up to the project and avail of this free weed wiping service. It is hoped that the success of this initiative will continue to build on the successful work of NI Water and the Water Catchment Partnership to date and that farmers can continue to adopt best practice protocols when it comes to weed control.”

The scheme will operate in the Seagahan catchment area in Co Armagh. Only fields within this area are eligible for the free weed-wiping service. The closing date for applications is 30 April 2017.

Queries can be emailed to weedwiping@niwater.com Further details and application forms will also be available on www.niwater.com/watercatchment

farmers, we know what farm families like. Above all we look forward, as we do every year, to meeting our members and there will be plenty to talk about – from the weather to Brexit,” said the UFU president.

Farmers advised not to miss out on BVD Scheme

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lster Farmers’ Union, deputy president, Victor Chestnutt is encouraging livestock farmers to make sure they get into the BVD Incentive Scheme, which targets the removal of BVD infected animals.

Funding for the scheme is limited, but DAERA is offering financial support for the early removal of BVD-positive calves. “This support is expected to be available up to the end of September, but to date, uptake has been modest,” said Mr Chestnutt. “For some time the UFU has been pressing for measures to encourage farmers to remove persistently infected (PI) animals quickly, This is about eliminating BVD from Northern Ireland, and with this financial incentive in place, those reluctant to cull PI animals have no reason to retain them.”

The UFU says anyone that has a BVDpositive calf should use the scheme to help with the drive to secure national BVD free status.

This will bring benefits for the entire livestock industry. “Our members wanted to see the funding from the EU Exceptional Adjustment aid scheme used to support animal health measures. They wanted to see programmes that deliver lasting benefits. DAERA responded with a scheme to facilitate the removal of BVD positive calves and we now want to see a greater and more enthusiastic uptake by farmers,” said Mr Chestnutt.

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ADVERTORIAL

Looks Change, Great Taste Doesn’t This is an exciting time for Denny with the continued rollout of the new brand logo and pack design.

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he new look celebrates the authentic heritage of this iconic brand, started by Henry Denny back in 1820, while the new logo includes a reference to founder Henry and also a nod to his three sons, Abraham, Thomas and Edward.

The fresh new design already features on Denny All Natural Ingredients Ham, the only ham in the market to be cured using only natural ingredients.

DENNY SAUSAGES AND BACON Right from the brand’s beginning in 1820, Denny has been at the forefront of delivering products that consumers love. He developed new and innovative ways of curing bacon. In addition to our Traditional Bacon, our range now includes Maple Cured, Hickory Smoked and Streaky Bacon which see Denny Bacon lead other brands with a 16% share in Northern Ireland. (Source Nielsen 52wks value share of bacon market 25th February 2017).

Denny Sausages also hold the number one brand position in the Northern Ireland market with a 32% share. (Source Nielsen 52wks value share of the sausage market 25th February 2017).

As well as its famous original sausages Denny has created a gluten free and half fat variety; Denny Half Fat and Gluten Free.

Such is the success of the brand and its product portfolio consumers in Northern Ireland voted Denny sausages the Nation’s Most Loved Sausages (based on independent research by Millward Brown among a representative sample

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of 306 adults in Northern Ireland, September 2016).

Henry would be proud to think that nearly 200 years later, the delicious sizzle and smell of Denny bacon and sausages are continuing to delight.

DENNY ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS HAM Denny believes that nature provides the best ingredients and so it only uses natural ingredients to cure its Deli Style ham - sea salt, rosemary and celery. It is the only Northern Ireland brand that can claim to do so.

Denny continues to hold the number one brand position in Sliced Cooked Meats with 17% share.

(Source Nielsen 52wks value share of the Sliced Cooked Meats market 25th February 2017).

THE FUTURE Keeping in the spirt of Henry Denny,looking forward continues to be as important as minding the past. Denny ensures it keeps ahead of consumer trends and the new Denny Fresh Pack is just one example of this.

October 2016 saw the launch of the Denny Fresh pack, three individual pockets with two fresh slices of its famous All Natural Ingredients ham in each.

It is delighting shoppers and customers who are seeking convenience and freshness as well as ham with only natural ingredients.

The extensive product range, brand redesign and support, and packaging innovations will ensure that Denny stays in number one spot in Northern Ireland.

ADVERTORIAL

NI Sausage Market – Category Analysis and Trends

famous for. Christmas is also a time, he continued, when consumers make sure Denny is in the fridge at home as they will stick with the true and tried.

While the market continues to be dominated by brands which account for 80%, Private Label has seen 4.3% value growth coming mainly from the standard sector however private label continues to revolve mainly around premium offerings.

Other brands in the market however are not seeing the same levels of growth with some showing sharp declines.

Household Penetration 100.0% 91.9%

92.6%

MAT 2016

MAT 2017

90.0%

80.0%

70.0%

60.0%

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

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ith household penetration sitting at 92%, most people in Northern Ireland love eating sausages and with volume growing at 2.5% we’re eating more of them.

With category value growth coming in at 1.5% it means consumers are paying slightly less for them than what they did last year as the market remains heavily promoted with £1 and half price deals common particularly among tertiary brands as they try to promote their way to sustainability.

However as raw material costs continue to

strengthen these deals are likely to become the exception rather than the norm which should result in value coming back into the category, which is good news for retailers.

As the largest brand in the category at 32% value share, Denny continues to grow ahead of the market with growth of +5.1%.

Tim Gault from Kerry Foods, puts the Denny brand strength down to the fact that Kerry continue to invest in the brand in terms not only of packaging but also in building the bond the consumers have with the brand through TV advertising and in store theatre that the brand is

“With category value growth coming in at 1.5% it means consumers are paying slightly less for sausages than what they did last year as the market remains heavily promoted with £1 and half price deals, common particularly among tertiary brands as they try to promote their way to sustainability.”

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the nation’s sausages

*

LOoKS CHANGE,

GREAT TASTE DOESN’T!

*Based on independent research by Millward Brown among a representative sample of 306 adults in Northern Ireland, September 2016.

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28/03/2017 10:46

ADVERTORIAL

Quorn accelerating demand for healthier, meat-free options

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ecord numbers of consumers looking to cut down their meat intake are turning to healthier option Quorn, the UK’s best-selling chilled and frozen meat free brand.*1 “The UK’s meat free category is now valued at over £270 million and is bought by almost nine and a half million shoppers*2, most of whom are nonvegetarians looking for great-tasting, nutritionally healthy, sustainable products such as Quorn,” says Julian Cooke, Head of UK Category Management at Quorn.

“With the Quorn brand accounting for more than half of all meat free sales in both chilled and frozen, and growing at 13%*3, the brand is really well placed to help retailers meet demand from the all-time-high number of households now buying meat free.”

In addition to increasing brand awareness amongst meat eaters, attracting people looking to reduce how much meat they’re eating, Quorn is also aiming to increase consumption amongst current meat-free consumers.

“We’re the biggest media-spending brand across all frozen and chilled sectors and we’re maintaining that high level of brand investment this year,” adds Cooke.

“By highlighting just how easy it is to make greattasting dishes with Quorn, and offering consumers healthier and more sustainable options, we’ll be attracting new shoppers and encouraging brand loyalists to make even more of their favourite meals with Quorn.“ Quorn is also very well placed to enable retailers to meet fast-growing shopper demand for gluten free products, with its 21-strong gluten free range including best-selling chilled and frozen lines such as mince, burgers and sausages.

“The breadth and versatility of the Quorn range enables retailers to use it as a beacon brand across the store, merchandising it in high traffic flow areas such as ready meals, on-the-go snacking and meal ingredients,” adds Cooke.

“And the really good news for c-stores who stock Quorn is that meat free shoppers spend three times as much in-store as non-meat free shoppers, making a massive difference to the basket spend*4.

Sources: *1 and *2 IRI 52 w/e 25/2/17 * 3 IRI 12 w/e 25/2/17. * 4 Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e May 22nd, 2016

Top selling brand in chilled side dishes in Northern Ireland (as well as the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and UAE).

Now selling more than one dish every second.

All products 100% gluten free.

Marketing Support of Billboards, Six Sheets, and over 40,000 followers on social media.

Six Generations of County Down Farming.

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SHELFLIFE

PAGE TITLE

To see your product featured in Shelf Life, contact Mark at m.beckett@independentmagazinesni.co.uk or Tel: 028 9026 4267

The original homemade relish C

elebrating its 25th year in business Ballymaloe Foods has been through an exciting journey since beginning in 1990. It’s a proud Irish-owned family business run by Yasmin Hyde, daughter of Myrtle and Ivan Allen of Ballymaloe House. Its range is crafted by using traditional methods and the best quality ingredients, resulting in delicious tasting products.

Ballymaloe Original Relish dates back to when Myrtle Allen, in her own kitchen, created a condiment from an excess supply of tomatoes.

The result is a rich, delicious and versatile relish.

It is excellent with beef burgers, French fries, cold meats, cheese, sausage rolls and salads. It is also wonderful in sandwiches or served with light meals, picnics or barbecues!

For further info contact Valeo Foods NI, Joanne Beattie, Marketing Manager, 028 9267 3316.

Daring flavours from The Saucy Minx A

three-strong range of ‘free-from’ original sauces has been launched by The Saucy Minx in Northern Ireland. The small company, which is based in Portadown, county Armagh, has developed authentic sauces which are free from gluten, allergens, added sugars, additives and preservatives and are already on sale in Northern Ireland.

The artisan products are also the result of her most recent experience of running ‘Street Dog’s’, a successful street food operation at shows and other public events across Northern Ireland.

The initial range of three sauces, available in 220g jars at £3.50, are: Mojo Rojo, which is made from red peppers, smoked paprika, garlic and oil; Mojo Verde from coriander, green peppers, garlic and olive oil; and Chimichurri, her version of the traditional Argentinian sauce that she produces from fresh coriander, parsley, chilli and garlic.

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The Capsule Collection O

ver the last few years, more coffee-loving homes in Northern Ireland have moved towards capsule machines, the customer demand for easily accessible, affordable and great tasting coffee pods has been met!

Compatible with all Nespresso® home machines*, Robert Roberts’ coffee capsules are available in three different intensities – 7, 9 and 10.

Classico - Intensity 7 coffee capsules make the perfect morning coffee.

100% Arabica, the coffee is smooth, sweet and soft with a well-balanced acidity.

Mezzo - Intensity 9 capsules deliver a medium bodied coffee with a smooth profile and finish. This nutty coffee with unsweetened chocolate notes is a great choice for an afternoon boost.

Intenso - Intensity 10 capsules intense dark roasted in the southern Italian style, it makes a great espresso and also works well with milk; it is perfect for lovers of strong coffee.

Robert Roberts has worked hard to ensure quality and consistency in each and every coffee pod. Importantly, the range of capsules will offer choice to customers with compatible machines and they’re available across Northern Ireland, making ‘at home’ quality, fresh coffee drinking more accessible. For further info contact Valeo Foods NI, Joanne Beattie, Marketing Manager, 028 9267 3316.

We are one of Ireland’s leading Specialist Field Marketing agencies providing a face and voice for our clients brands at the point of purchase.

Sales Outsourcing, Merchandising, Auditing, Technical Services Unit 2, 1 Edgewater Road, Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast, BT3 9JQ info@contractpeople.com www.contractpeople.com Tel: +44 28 9077 0999

IN THE HOTSEAT

In the Hot Seat Marino Morelli, Logistics Manager and Product Development for Morelli’s, discusses a typical day in the world of ice-cream and unreliable Northern Irish weather...

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? My biggest gripe, and I don’t think I’m alone in saying this, is the Northern Ireland weather.

In our business, especially, business can be very unpredictable and the weather is a huge factor. The past few summers haven’t been great, so fingers crossed, we are due a good one this year!

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? Music is a real passion of mine. I would love to have the patience to learn an instrument, specifically the guitar. I would also have liked to learn to speak Italian properly. I get by, but I’m nowhere near fluent.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS / AMBITIONS? I would love to see the family business continue to grow from strength to strength. I would like for us to explore different export markets. The friendships we have developed in the ice cream industry are invaluable to us. There’s always someone’s experience to draw from and plenty to offer friendly help and advice. It’s nice to have that camaraderie within the industry.

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? I admire Richard Branson. From starting a student magazine to building up Virgin records, he has over 400 companies. The man has simply done good!

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: Apart from a brief stint in the Royal Navy, I have worked in the family business for over 30 years. I live in Portrush and have four kids, Natalia, Elena, Dario and Carlo and one grandchild, Noah, with another one on the way. I have recently taken over the role of product development after our father Guido passed away last year. Big shoes to fill, but I find this role really rewarding!

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? Due to the nature of our business, no two days are the same. Working as a family means that you often go where you are needed and so the role varies. My day typically begins with getting the vans loaded and ready for their deliveries. I work out the driver routes and move stock from different storage locations. I then spend some time in the office either working on new ideas, or helping within the various departments of the business.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? I would have to say the highlight was when our Double Cream Vanilla ice cream won Champion of Champions (the highest accolade in the industry) in London, 2012. It was a very special moment and I felt proud because our father Guido put so much time and effort in to perfecting our recipe. This, and all our awards have helped to increase and grow the business.

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WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I enjoy working with our suppliers. We have some great friends in the ice cream industry. I really enjoy this time of year because representatives from the different Italian flavour houses who we work with come over and we experiment with new flavours for the season. I also sit on the Ice Cream Alliance board of directors representing Northern Ireland. We have quarterly board meetings and I really enjoy meeting up with my fellow directors to discuss everything ice cream!

WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? The most difficult task for me is coming up with new flavours and ideas. Sometimes what we like, may not be so commercially viable. We have enlisted the help of the University of Ulster’s Consumer Studies department in the past few years who have helped us a great deal with this task.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? As a teenager, my first job was helping my grandfather in the Sundae Garden in Portstewart.

I used to stand on a crate and fill the minerals.

My grandfather (Nonno) always said, ‘look after your customers, don’t let them down and they will return time after time’. I greatly admired his work ethic and that always stuck with me.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? My favourite place is San Andrea. It’s the village our family originates from in Italy. It’s about 90km South of Rome. It’s a special place, authentically Italian, rural and picturesque. It’s the perfect place to wind down after a busy summer season. The good weather and the glorious food are a bonus.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? Well, it has to be ice cream! Pasta, however, is a close second. My favourite flavour of ice cream is Pistachio. At the recent Ice cream expo in Harrogate, I was a judge in the Pistachio ice cream category, so I was in total heaven. Pasta has always been a big part of our lives. I cook pasta every Sunday for my kids.

Sunday is always a family day where we catch up and spent some time together.

HOW DO YOU RELAX? I really enjoy spending time with my family. We all get on well, and enjoy a bit of craic outside work. I enjoy going to music gigs and I like to keep abreast of what’s happening in the local music scene. I’m very lucky to live in such a beautiful place, the North Coast can’t be beaten for its scenery and there’s no shortage of beauty spots for me to enjoy a lovely long walk. I’d be lost without Spotify, I listen to a lot of music. I enjoy discovering new bands and I also compile the odd pub quiz. I have my own decks, so I do also do a little bit of DJing in my spare time.

driving sales together

Kerry Foods’ insight and shopper-inspired innovations, together with your expertise and experience, will drive trial and penetration for Adult Cheese Snacking in your Store.

insight! innovations!

Everybody wins!

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standout for your store

The revolution doesn’t stop with our new tastes. Kerry Foods’ new ‘flexible fixture’ POS is unique and makes our Adult Cheese Snacking a destination for snackers in your Store, front or back. A dedicated fresh snacking fixture like this will help drive incremental sales.

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See US At the Balomoral Show

eIKON CeNtre STaND EK128

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