Grocery & Retail Ireland Magazine, Winter 2022

BUCKLEY’S GROUP

Made up of three SuperValu stores and a Centra outlet.

BREFFNI

MUSHROOMS

A family-run mushroom harvesting, packing and distribution company.

APPLEGREEN

LUSK NORTH

Michael Feeney is the Forecourt Manager of the Year (Large) Award winner.

TIRLÁN

Has a strong presence in the north-east.

SUPERVALU SWORDS PAVILIONS

A 30,000 sq. ft. store which employs 150 people.

MCCARREN MEATS

Delivers a full range of pork and bacon from its Cavan base.

DONOHOE GROUP

Grown to become one of the largest employers in the region.

COOKSTOWN –KARRO FOOD GROUP

One of the island’s premier pork processors.

ALDI

IRELAND

Award-winning ALDI Ireland leads the way in sustainability.

GARVEY’S SUPERVALU CORBALLY

Celebrating 20 years in business.

GOLDCIRCLE MUSHROOMS

A leading grower and marketer of fresh mushrooms for the UK and Ireland.

Four Star Pizza partners with Ireland’s BWG Foodservice in multimillion euro supply deal

Four Star Pizza has partnered with BWG Foodservice, one of Ireland’s leading suppliers to the foodservice sector, in a multimillion euro deal over the next five years for the exclusive supply of all food ingredients to the expansive Irish-owned pizza group.

The new contract, will see BWG Foodservice, which is part of leading Irish wholesale and retail group BWG Foods, deliver an end-to-end supply solution across all categories spanning fresh food, ambient grocery, chilled and frozen products, packaging and other catering supplies.

Four Star Pizza currently operates 56 stores on the island of Ireland but only recently announced plans to increase that number to more than 100 over the next three years.

A key criterion of the contract award was BWG’s ability to supply premium, island of Ireland sourced produce across Four Star Pizza’s nationwide network and be a singlesource solution for their needs. As part of the partnership, BWG Foodservice will provide enhanced, value-added services to Four Star Pizza through the provision of category management resources, operations support and fresh-food advisory services.

Commenting on the contract win, Ricky O’Brien, BWG Foodservice Director said, “This contract with Four Star Pizza represents a very significant and unique addition to our business and we are delighted to have been selected as the company’s exclusive supplier.

“Our ability to deliver cost competitiveness through our consolidated supply network, our proven partnership model, our commitment to understanding our customer’s needs and our ability to deliver workable solutions were all key factors in securing this deal. Being at the forefront of foodservice distribution in Ireland, we believe we are the perfect partner to support Four Star Pizza’s future growth ambitions.”

Colin Hughes, CEO, Four Star Pizza added, “We have big ambitions and a strategy in place to continue growing our successful network of outlets across the island of Ireland, with a target of 45 new stores by 2025. We needed a partner that could match our ambitions and support us on every step of our journey. Securing local supply chain continuity amid the current challenges faced by the sector was a key aspect of the contract award and we are confident BWG Foodservice will help us deliver this.”

Bord Bia invests one million euro in beef promotions to support the industry

BORD Bia has announced a €1,000,000 investment in beef marketing across key UK and EU markets this autumn to support the sector faced with increasingly difficult trading conditions.

Bord Bia’s autumn promotional activities this year will specifically spotlight Irish quality assured steak in the UK, Germany, Italy and Belgium, with stewing cuts being the hero product in the Netherlands. Additional funding has been allocated to the campaign to deliver a suite of both trade and consumer advertising. Highlights include 110 prominent billboard advertisements across cities in the North-Rhine Westphalia region of Germany; 315 digital billboards near major retail parks in Belgium, and in Italy in addition to 185 billboards, 127 trams and buses across Milan, Rome and Bologna will feature quality assured Irish steak advertisements throughout October and November. In the UK, Bord Bia is promoting Irish steaks with key

retail partners, including an organic Irish beef promotion with a leading online retailer.

Announcing the investment at the SIAL Paris trade show for the food sector, Bord Bia Interim CEO Michael Murphy said: “Bord Bia is investing almost one million euro in beef promotions across Europe and the UK this autumn in a concerted effort to meet the rising challenges of the market place and the cost of living crisis, which will impact consumer spending. During the summer, Bord Bia made the decision to enhance its regular autumn promotions in Europe to coincide with the peak in cattle slaughter in Ireland. We are conscious of the challenges faced by farmers and we believe this suite of promotional activities across key European countries and the UK will enhance sales of Irish beef steaks across markets.”

Tesco and McCann Orchards partnership brings Irish apples and pears to the table

TESCO Ireland has announced a new and novel ‘modern orchard’ partnership which sees previously international varieties of apples and pears, grown and sourced in the first ‘modern orchard’ in Ireland.

In a new two-year deal, worth €2.5m, Tesco has partnered with established orchard growers, the McCann family from county Armagh, and will be its anchor customer for the innovative new 130-acre Tullyallen ‘modern orchard’, based in the Boyne Valley near the Louth-Meath border.

Over 100,000 trees have been planted and novel new fruit growing techniques deployed to cultivate popular modern varieties of apples and pears – including gala and golden delicious apples, conference and QTee pears. This is the first ‘modern orchard’ to grow these varieties commercially in Ireland, having previously been imported.

The ‘modern orchard’ initiative provides Tesco customers with home-grown varieties of their most favoured apple and pear varieties for the first time, throughout the autumn and winter months, in line with the Northern hemisphere season. Tullyallen Orchard is unique in that it comprises c1,300 trees per acre compared to a traditional orchard in Ireland with just 200-350 trees per acre. Each tree is planted being supported

by wooden posts and a 3-tier wire system in order to safely carry the fruit load when in full crop during the growing season. In line with the worlds ever changing climate, McCann Orchard has installed a drip feed irrigation system throughout the ‘modern orchard’ to ensure water supply to the trees throughout the season and when in strong demand during the summer months of growth.

3.5 million home grown apples and pears will make their way onto Tesco shelves over the coming weeks and months, with production expected to triple to c. 11 million by the end of 2024. Insight from McCann Orchards suggests that when the Orchard reaches full production, it will mean a projected reduction of 110 HGV road journeys or 135,000 miles annually coming from mainland Europe, eliminating 197,000kgs of C02 annually.

Oliver McCann, MD, McCann Orchard added: “We are delighted to extend our 25-year long partnership with Tesco Ireland and with such an exciting commitment of support to our ‘modern orchard’. The strength of our relationship with Tesco has helped us move this project forward and give us the confidence to invest in new and innovative ways to grow and harvest our produce. We’re looking forward to delivering these tasty apples and pears to Tesco customers.”

GROCERY & RETAIL NEWS

ALDI signs new €10m deal with Irish artisan pizza makers

ALDI Ireland has agreed a new deal with Dublin-based pizza suppliers Sorrento Pizza, worth €10 million over the next four years.

The deal will see the company continue to supply all of ALDI’s 153 Irish stores with its sourdough and stonebaked pizza bases, which are produced in Ireland by Master Baker Giorgio Lisi using a family recipe that stretches back five generations.

The delicious pizza bases already have two famous fans – former Irish international footballer Ray Houghton and former Italian international Toto Schillaci, who helped ALDI launch the new contract with Sorrento Pizza.

The existing Sorrento Brand, which is ranked as the Number 1 pizza product in the Irish market by Kantar, will switch to Carlos Own Label and will be exclusively available in ALDI’s network of 153 – and growing – stores by the end of this week. The company is also introducing a new product to the market later in 2022: a four-pack of mini stonebaked pizza bases – in addition to the twin pack currently available.

The news follows ALDI’s announcement last month of

new contracts with Broderick’s and Cookie Dó, worth a combined €8.5 million.

Announcing the new contract, John Curtin, ALDI Ireland Group Buying Director, said: “Sorrento Pizza has been a popular addition to our range since 2020, with their high-quality, family-made pizza base products. We are delighted to invest €10m to further extend this very successful partnership, which will mean that the new Carlos brand will exclusively be available at ALDI stores in Ireland. At ALDI, we are committed to supporting our Irish producers so that our customers can enjoy the very best products Ireland has to offer and that our producers can continue to grow their business.”

Commenting on the announcement, Stephen Carr, co-owner at Sorrento Pizza, said: “We’re delighted to sign this new €10 million deal with ALDI, which will mean ALDI customers can continue to enjoy our fantastic Sourdough and Stonebaked pizza bases. The new Carlos brand, exclusive to ALDI stores, will continue to showcase the best of Italian and Irish hand-stretched bases made using a recipe that has been in Master Baker Giorgio Lisi’s family for five generations and made right here in Ireland.”

GROCERY & RETAIL NEWS

Winners of Grow with ALDI 2022 unveiled

AND then there were five! ALDI is proud to announce that five Irish artisan food producers have been awarded contracts with the retailer as part of this year’s Grow with ALDI programme.

The winners span the length, and breadth of the country, and include a wide array of products, from healthy snacks to delicious condiments. Ambitious, creative, and tenacious, the producers behind these tasty products each possess a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit that makes them the perfect fit for ALDI.

The Grow with ALDI 2022 winners are:

Cully’s Bakery from Co. Cavan – The Iced Cherry Log created by Brían Cully is based off a traditional recipe passed down for generations and retails at €2.99.

The Sibly Food Co. from Co. Cork – Handmade Energy Balls from entrepreneur Matthew Collins are not to be missed and are available in two flavours retailing at €4.49.

Hanley’s Puddings from Co. Cork – This innovative Pudding Roulade is a combination of white and black pudding is available at the price of €2.19.

Vale & Acre from Co. Tipperary – Delicious back at home Sausage Rolls made using fresh Irish whole pork retail at €2.99.

Builín Blasta Co. Galway – Condiment lovers will revel over the Smoked Onion Mayo from popular Gaeltacht café for just €3.79.

The Grow with ALDI supplier mentorship scheme, in conjunction with Bord Bia backs Irish ventures and drives innovation. The programme highlights ALDI’s commitment to supporting Irish producers and sourcing quality Irish food products and making them available for consumers

nationwide at great value price points.

This year, Grow with ALDI entrants were asked to submit brave and bold proposals that would set them apart from the pack. Successful finalists underwent a rigorous and competitive judging process and with almost 200 independent suppliers applying to participate in the programme, the competition was fierce.

In May, ALDI backed the ventures of 24 finalists putting their products on sale for a two-week period and today announced the five winners at The National and World Ploughing Championships 2022.

Each of the five winners will enjoy new contracts with the retailer. Two entrepreneurs, namely Brían Cully of Cully’s Bakery, Co. Cavan and Matthew Collins founder of The Sibly Food, Co. Cork, have been awarded core contracts. This means that their products will become part of ALDI’s awardwinning core range.

Three further seasonal contracts have been awarded to winners Fiona O’Dwyer of Vale & Acre Co. Tipperary, Anthony Considine of Hanley’s Puddings Co. Cork and Heather Connolly of Builín Blasta Café Co. Galway. Each of the five winning products are available in 152 ALDI stores nationwide now.

Local community retail brand XL celebrates 25th birthday

ONE of Ireland’s fastest growing retail brands, XL, celebrated its 25th birthday at its annual Retailing Standards awards night at the Hodson Bay Hotel in Co Westmeath recently. Hosted by BWG Foods, owners and operators of the XL Retail brand in Ireland, the prestigious awards ceremony recognised XL stores that demonstrated outstanding industry excellence following a comprehensive programme of inspections and audits carried out by Ireland’s leading Retail Audit company, SMA Retail Specialists. In total, 18 Retailing Standard awards were presented to XL retailers, including

the coveted Store of the Year Award, which was won by Enda Scully’s, XL Daingean, Co. Offaly.

The celebrations on the night also paid tribute to how XL retailers have been providing an invaluable service to their communities and customers for a quarter of a century and how the brand continues to grow and evolve.

Commenting on the celebrations, Paul Bealin, Cash & Carry Sales Director, BWG Foods said, “XL retailers have been proudly serving their communities and customers for 25 years and it was wonderful to be in a position to celebrate

that achievement together for the first time since the advent of the Covid-19 Pandemic. I want to congratulate all XL retailers on their achievements, with a special word for Enda and all in Scully’s XL Daingean on their continuing to set the benchmark for the XL brand and marketplace overall. Here’s to another 25 years of outstanding retail service.”

BUCKLEY’S SUPERVALU IS AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

SuperValu stores across Ireland are committed to local employment and supporting local suppliers and community groups. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the midlands where the Buckley name is synonymous with the iconic Irish retail brand.

The Buckley’s SuperValu and Centra Group is made up of three SuperValu stores in Mullingar, Moate and Birr, and a Centra outlet in Mullingar’s Millmount Shopping Centre. The Group is fronted by husband-and-wife Jimmy and Ann Buckley along with their daughter Lisa, who is Human Resources Director and is married to Eoin Kennedy, who is Group Operations Manager.

The Mullingar SuperValu is managed by Gary Curran. Caroline Cashen is store manager in Moate and Rory Cronin manages Birr. From humble beginnings over 70 years ago, the Group has grown to employ 200 people and is renowned for its superior customer service and quality fresh produce.

The Buckley’s are one of Mullingar’s oldest and most respected families. When Jimmy’s late parents Matt and Elizabeth (‘Ma’ as she was affectionately known) opened a small grocery store in 1949 next door to where Shaw’s Department Store is now located, they could never have foreseen the growth the family business would experience in the intervening years.

In 1997, Buckley’s moved into what is their flagship store on Austin Friars Street, which is built on the site of an Augustine Friary that dates back to the 12th century. The move coincided with Buckley’s coming under the SuperValu banner. This impressive 18,000 sq ft premises, which incorporates a Post Office, is arguably Mullingar’s busiest

Buckley’s SuperValu and Centra Group’s mission is to provide customers with the best quality and prices as well as an enjoyable shopping experience

Fresh

retail grocery outlet, with hundreds of customers filing through its doors every day of the week. As well as providing the usual supermarket services, including online shopping, deli and meat counters and off licence, it is a National Lottery agent and offers an ATM service to its customers.

Under the same roof, you’ll find a pharmacy, two doctors’ practices, a dental practice, a podiatrist clinic and a Hidden Hearing clinic, making it a one-stop-shop for all your health and shopping needs! Two more doctors’ practices will shortly take up residence in the Mullingar SuperValu.

In 2003, the Buckley family extended their interests to Moate and Birr. Moate is the smallest of the three stores with a floor space of 6,000 sq ft, while Birr extends to over 10,000 sq ft.

In 2005, Buckley’s opened a new Centra store in Mullingar. Formerly O’Driscoll’s, Buckley’s Centra forms the centrepiece of a busy shopping centre which also includes a filling station, butcher shop, hairdressing salon and tyre repair shop.

“We revamped our Centra store in 2017 and also added 1,000 sq. ft in floor space. A full refurbishment of our SuperValu store in Mullingar was also carried out a few years ago,” Eoin Kennedy explains.

Buckley’s SuperValu and Centra Group prides itself on its fresh produce, exceptional service and commitment to local jobs. Its mission is to provide customers with the best quality and prices as well as an enjoyable shopping experience.

All of Buckley’s fresh meat, fruit and vegetables are locally sourced and can be traced back to the farm where they were produced. Unlike many other big supermarket chains which operate in this country, SuperValu and Centra are Irish-owned and enjoy a wonderful relationship with their customers. At Buckley’s, they are on first-name terms with many of their customers.

As a proud long-standing sponsor of the GAA Football AllIreland Championship, SuperValu is committed to inspiring the next generation of GAA stars. Through this sponsorship, SuperValu and the GAA bring together in true partnership two of the country’s most community-focused organisations. Buckley’s SuperValu and the GAA share common values through focusing their approach on relationships, honesty, hard work, achievement and community identity.

“SuperValu and its local retailers across the country are supporting the GAA from grassroots to senior inter-county level,” Eoin proudly explains.

“Here in Westmeath, we have sponsored county underage leagues and championships as well as the ladies football

bakery at Buckley’s

team in The Downs where my own two kids are part of the nursery. We’ve also sponsored the ladies football championships and have presented thousands of O’Neills training kits and footballs to clubs in our vicinity through SuperValu’s ‘Kits for Kids’ initiative.

“We see our sponsorship as a way of giving something back to the GAA community who have supported us down through the years. Many of our staff are involved in the GAA, so the links are very strong, as they are with many other community-based groups. Furthermore, we are an agent for GAA match tickets thanks to SuperValu and Centra’s sponsorship of the respective All-Ireland Football and Hurling Championships.”

The Covid-19 pandemic brought out the best in the Buckley’s team who went to great lengths to look after the

While sales were up during the pandemic, the sector had four or five difficult years before that and is coming under severe pressure again. The energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, the new living wage, staff shortages, Brexit and rising inflation means we have a perfect storm on our hands

All of Buckley’s fresh meat, fruit and vegetables are locally sourced and can be traced back to the farm where they were produced

The flower gallery

Best Wishes to St. Loman’s GAA in the Leinster Club Football Final

Best Wishes to St. Loman’s GAA in the Leinster Club Football Final

Best Wishes to St. Loman’s GAA in the Leinster Club Football Final

Best Wishes to St. Loman’s GAA in the Leinster Club Football Final

Lorcan Kilmurray

Lorcan Kilmurray

Lorcan Kilmurray

Plumbing & Heating Contractor

Plumbing & Heating Contractor

Plumbing & Heating Contractor

Lorcan Kilmurray Plumbing & Heating Contractor

Specialists in OIL SOLID FUEL SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY HEATING SYSTEMS

Specialists in OIL SOLID FUEL SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY HEATING SYSTEMS

Specialists in OIL SOLID FUEL SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY HEATING SYSTEMS

Specialists in OIL SOLID FUEL SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY HEATING SYSTEMS

CONTACT: LORCAN KILMURRAY

CONTACT: LORCAN KILMURRAY

CONTACT: LORCAN KILMURRAY

Glascorn, Ballinea, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Tel: 044-9355921  Mob 086-8159131

CONTACT: LORCAN KILMURRAY Glascorn, Ballinea, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Tel: 044-9355921  Mob 086-8159131

Glascorn, Ballinea, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Tel: 044-9355921  Mob 086-8159131

Glascorn, Ballinea, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.

Email lorcankilmurray@gmail.com

Tel: 044-9355921  Mob 086-8159131

Email lorcankilmurray@gmail.com

Email lorcankilmurray@gmail.com

Email lorcankilmurray@gmail.com

shopping needs of the most vulnerable and elderly in their community. Priority shopping hours were introduced for this cohort, as were free home deliveries at the height of the pandemic. A number of measures were also put in place to protect staff and customers, including social distancing, sanitiser stations, contactless payments of up to €50, plexiglass at checkouts and the wearing of face masks.

“We did a good job in ensuring everyone stayed safe and in managing our stock. We were among the first in Ireland to introduce signage and a one-way system for shoppers entering and exiting our stores.”

There are many more challenges to come for the retail sector according to the affable Operations Manager who is determined to meet them head on.

“While sales were up during the pandemic, the sector had four or five difficult years before that and is coming under

severe pressure again.

The energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, the new living wage, staff shortages, Brexit and rising inflation means we have a perfect storm on our hands. We have a few tough years ahead of us, but that won’t stop us from doing what we do best which is offering our customers high-quality, local produce at great prices along with an unrivalled shopping experience.”

BUCKLEY’S SUPERVALU MULLINGAR

Austin Friars Street, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, N91 WPX9.

Telephone: 044 934 2420

Facebook: /buckleysmullingar

Committed to supporting local suppliers and community groups

BREFFNI MUSHROOMS’ FOCUS IS ON QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Fully focused on the consistent, efficient and sustainable production of high-quality produce, Breffni Mushrooms is an exceptional, family-run mushroom harvesting, packing and distribution company headquartered in County Cavan. We spoke to director John Kiernan and his nephew Barry Kiernan to find out more about a wonderful family tradition dating back more than four decades.

Nestling in the heart of mushroom country, Breffni Mushrooms is one of Ireland’s premier mushroom production, packing and distribution enterprises. Fronted by brothers and founders Pat, Thomas, Eugene and John Kiernan and with the second generation of the family also very much involved, the genesis of the company dates back almost 20 years, although the Kiernans have been growing mushrooms since the early 1980s.

Specialising in supplying high-quality mushrooms to the Irish and UK markets, Breffni Mushrooms is the packing, marketing and distribution arm of the Kiernan family’s mushroom-growing business, which currently comprises three mushroom farms.

The state-of-the-art, ultra-efficient and increasinglysustainable packhouse is located adjacent to the original Sheelin Mushrooms farm in Kilnaleck (incorporated as a limited company in 1993), while the Kiernans also own and

A quality check from Mannix and Barry Kiernan in the tunnel

oversee Kildorough Mushrooms in Ballyjamesduff and a third farm in Stirling, Scotland, which they took over in 2010.

Having started out from humble beginnings – initially producing 2,500kg of mushrooms per week in Kilnaleck – Breffni Mushrooms today produces a staggering 150,000kg per week between all three farms, generating direct employment for a team of more than 200, the main customers for its delicious range of nutritious closed cup, large flat, chestnut, Portobello, and button mushrooms being Dunnes Stores in Ireland and Lidl and Aldi in the UK, with a sizeable percentage of produce going into the export market.

“We’d be one of the main suppliers to Dunnes Stores and we enjoy a very good relationship with them. They are an excellent customer to have,” says Barry, one of six members of the second generation of Kiernans taking on the mantle

at Breffni Mushrooms. “We run a self-sufficient operation, producing high-quality mushrooms all year around, constantly tapping into new efficiencies and finding more sustainable methods of production, packing and distributing.”

Massive ongoing investment ensures that the company remains up to date with all the latest technology, processes and sustainability practices. To this end, Breffni Mushrooms have recently installed solar PV panels at their modern packhouse in Kilnaleck.

Barry takes the story up: “We have been proactively making significant improvements to our operations for many years – it’s great to be taking another step on our sustainability journey and using home-grown electricity at our packing facility, contributing to the generation of renewable energy. All of the power generated by the

Vitali and Vadim at the packing facility

Breffni Mushrooms is an exceptional, family-run mushroom harvesting, packing and distribution company

Chestnut mushroom crop

100kWp installation will be used onsite, helping to reduce site reliance on the grid, whilst also mitigating our exposure to the volatile energy market.

“Meanwhile, our 25-tunnel mushroom farm at Kildorough, Ballyjamesduff is heated through our biomass boiler. Biomass technology takes a renewable source of fuel and, through combustion, converts that into a usable form of clean energy. It has been of extreme benefit to the farm and has dramatically reduced our reliance on fossil fuels.”

The biomass boiler not only generates heat for the mushroom tunnels but also produces steam for the sterilisation of the houses once a crop is finished.

“In addition, we are always on the look-out for more sustainable packaging solutions, using recycled materials

and also ensuring that our own packaging is 100% recyclable. Sustainability is a massive consideration now and we take it very seriously. Things have changed a lot in the market and we find that customers demand this now and we are very happy to go down that road and play our part in helping the environment whilst becoming more efficient at the same time.”

While producing and supplying to market high-quality mushrooms in as sustainable and cost-effective a way as possible is Breffni Mushroom’s main priority, mushroom production remains hugely labour-intensive and the fact that this outstanding business also provides local employment to more than 200 people, including ten immediate family members, is no small bonus.

Breffni Mushrooms today produce a staggering 150,000kg per week between all three farms

Growing Maneger Mannix Kiernan filling compost

John admits that generating so much employment in the local community is a source of great pride and pays tribute to the dependability and loyalty of the team: “They are an invaluable part of our business. We have looked after our people so the turnover of staff has been well below average for the sector. At Breffni Mushrooms, we believe that if you look after people, they in turn will look after the business.

“We have invested a lot in our staff over the past 20 years and that is really paying dividends for us now. They are all great people and without them we wouldn’t have anything.”

While terrific strides have been made in improving efficiencies and sustainability, many difficulties caused by outside factors have presented themselves in recent years, from Brexit and Covid to the latest global crisis of

soaring energy costs – a huge worry as energy constitutes a massive overhead in mushroom production:

“The price of electricity has become a big problem,” John laments. “Our annual electricity bill has already trebled, which is a serious additional cost. But we are talking to our customers weekly and have good relationships with them.”

Barry continues: “The last few years have taught us many lessons in how to run the business more efficiently and cutting out unnecessary costs. We were knocked on the head by Brexit, then Covid and now the energy crisis.

“We adapted and came through Covid very well. By the nature of our business, we rely on good ventilation and we have a high turnover of air in our growing rooms, while the packhouse was sufficiently spaced out and ventilated to allow work to continue. We did introduce split shifts but overall we weren’t impacted upon too badly. We took the proper precautions and made sure we were safe during that time and thankfully, with the cooperation of our staff, we got through it safely.”

Long-time members of Commercial Mushroom Producers (CMP), Breffni Mushrooms’ aim is in the coming years is to continue to grow and develop the business, whilst making their processes more sustainable and lowering their carbon footprint. “Going forward, we will continue to try to make the business more efficient,” Barry confirms. “For example, we have a number of projects in the pipeline for 2023 which will make us more sustainable.”

In the short-to-medium-term future, will the goal be growth or consolidation? “A bit of both,” John concludes. “These are difficult times in food production and in retail but we have to embrace the challenges and keep moving with the times. Continuing strong relationships with our customers is paramount, not least through consistently producing quality mushrooms. Alongside that, we will always strive to grow the business and to become more sustainable.”

BREFFNI MUSHROOMS

Kilnaleck, County Cavan.

Tel: 049 4336824 | Mobile: 087 2566027

Email: info@breffnimushrooms.com

Web: breffnimushrooms.com

Sustainability is a massive consideration now and we take it very seriously. Things have changed a lot in the market and we find that customers demand this now and we are very happy to go down that road and play our part in helping the environment whilst becoming more efficient at the same time

Fully focused on the consistent, efficient and sustainable production of high-quality produce

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Breffni Mushrooms

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Breffni Mushrooms

Agricultural, Irrigation & Industrial Plumbing

Crosserlough, Co. Cavan

Office: 00353 49 855 3375 Mobile: 086 243 9339 www.colwellbrothers.com

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Breffni Mushrooms

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Breffni Mushrooms ELECTRICAL Ltd

DOMESTIC & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES

Granard, Road, Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan

Telephone: 049 8553641

Email: sales@bjdelectrical.ie www.bjdelectrical.ie

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Breffni Mushrooms

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Breffni Mushrooms

Commercial Mushroom Producers Co-Operative Society Ltd., Units 7 & 8, Newgrove Industrial Estate, Ballinode Road, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan

Phone: + 353 47 38733 | Fax: +353 47 84832

Email: info@mushrooms.ie

CATERING FOR ALL YOUR AGRI CONTRACTING NEEDS

Toghernaross, Kilcogy, Co. Cavan

Telephone: 087 619 4908

Email: padhraignannery@gmail.com

CUSTOMER IS KING AT APPLEGREEN

Fuel, food and retail customers are provided with exceptional value and service in convenient, comfortable surroundings at Applegreen Lusk M1 North, which had the distinction of being Ireland’s first motorway service station when it opened in 2010 and is also the busiest. We dropped in and had a word with award-winning manager Michael Feeney to find out more.

Aconvenient and high-quality motorists’ pit stop off the vital infrastructural artery that is the M1 motorway northbound, leaving the city, Applegreen Lusk North is certainly one of Ireland’s busiest and fastest-moving retail settings. Open 24/7, this service station has something for every traveller and the quality of customer service provided is exceptional.

This was duly recognised when popular store manager Michael Feeney – who has 30 years’ experience in retail management working in high volume locations – collected the prestigious Forecourt Manager of the Year (Large) Award at the 2022 Grocery Management Awards, which were held in a packed Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire on Wednesday night, July 6th.

Michael has been a key part of the Applegreen team for 23 years and he agrees that this latest award represents a worthy endorsement of the investment of time and energy made by all team members at Applegreen Lusk North every day to ensure the best possible customer experience.

“It’s really nice to get this recognition,” states the humble recipient, who has been managing the iconic service station since it opened twelve years ago. “I was nominated before, but this was my first time to take the award home. It’s a real honour to get it. I really appreciate the fact that the company put me forward for consideration and winning the award on the night was a welcome bonus.”

Michael has enjoyed an illustrious career with Applegreen, a homegrown Irish success story which began from humble

beginnings in 1992, opening their first service station in Ballyfermot, West Dublin. Today, the business – still fronted by founders Bob Etchingham and Joe Barrett - is operating 620 forecourt sites and employing approximately 15,000 people across Ireland, the UK and America.

Up to 90 valued personnel are employed at Applegreen Lusk North during the peak of the summer season and it is fair to say that the place is a true hive of activity. Michael is quick to attribute the enduring success of this outlet to his trusty team:

“In retail, it’s all about the team,” he continues. “This is a vital stop along the motorway and we would see ourselves as a food and convenience company rather than a fuel company.

“We have a huge team here and they are all skilled and customer-focussed people. We have five food outlets, for example, as well as a very busy retail and convenience area, where the traveller can pick up toys and gifts. We were very lucky in that we didn’t lose any of our team during Covid. The key members all stuck with us and they are all wonderful people.”

Offering fuel for both the vehicle and the traveller, the service station is almost like a small compact town square on the side of the motorway, with petrol, diesel and electric vehicle charging stations all available alongside a plethora of other service including an ATM, gift shop, Lavazza coffee, Burger King, Freshii, The Bakewell, Chopstix Noodle Bar, a grocery store, children’s play area, outdoor dining area, showers and toilets, a car wash and much, much more

Applegreen Lusk North is one of Ireland’s busiest and fastest-moving retail settings

APPLEGREEN LUSK NORTH

“I really appreciate that the company put me forward for consideration and winning the award on the night was a welcome bonus”

besides.

“We are a one-stop shop providing anything the traveller could want in a comfortable, convenient and friendly environment. While a lot of our customers are transient, we do have local business, too, from the Balbriggan and Swords areas. Ultimately, it’s all about providing a service,” says the 2022 Forecourt Manager of the Year.

“As a company, Applegreen cares about choice and service. We have 250 parking spaces and the outdoor dining area was very popular this summer, when thankfully we were blessed with good weather. We put the pods out and our customers really enjoyed that experience.

“People can stay for as long or as briefly as they want.

They can get their fuel and pop into the shop and be gone in ten minutes or a family can stop off for 90 minutes and get their food and take as long as they like. We cater for everybody.”

In an increasingly competitive market, the role of the store manager is key to a store’s success. The National Grocery Management Awards recognise individual management excellence in the sector. Crucially, these awards are not just based on sales figures but how well retailers adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the retail industry.

With 350 guests in attendance. 23 awards – independentlyjudged - were presented at the 2022 awards night in July, honouring the best in the many departments that make up

Michael Feeney (right) accepts the prestigious Forecourt Manager of the Year (Large) Award at the 2022 Grocery Management Awards

local convenience stores and supermarkets. It’s poignant that Michael Feeney was honoured this year as he manages what is in fact Ireland’s first motorway service station.

“There were six service stations opened around the same time in 2010 – two in Lusk, two in Castlebellingham and two on the Enfield- Galway route – but we were the first of those to actually open for business,” he reflects proudly.

The price of fuel has been in the news throughout 2022 and Michael says Applegreen do everything in their power to provide their customers with the best value and the best service. “We don’t have any control over the price, which is dictated by external factors, but the group is always monitoring the situation and we are a match for any other forecourt in the area. It’s certainly a big cost these days but we try to make up for that by offering a variety of other products and services at affordable prices.”

Applegreen Lusk North has been a resounding success story since its inception and the future prospects for this award-winning service station are particularly encouraging. “Hopefully, as a nation, we won’t ever go back to days like we had during Covid,” says Michael. “For the future, my priorities would be people retention and to grow the business further.

Best

“The food area employs a lot of skilled and trained personnel, including managers and supervisors, and we want to offer these individuals a good career path and make sure there are opportunities here for them. I’m focussed on retention of our skilled staff and providing a career for them. That’s something I am fully committed to. I want to keep this workforce here and continue to keep our standards high across every aspect of the business.

“Age-wise, we employ everybody from 16-year-olds up to older staff members and they are all important to us. They provide our customers with great service around the clock. We give them management courses and we have everything in place here to make sure they can enjoy a career in retail going forward.”

Award-winning service is a given at Applegreen Lusk North

CREAM OF THE CROP

Glanbia – which recently changed its name to Tirlán – has a strong presence in the north-east where it has operations in Drogheda, Co. Louth and Virginia, Co. Cavan.

The origins of the company’s milk processing plant on the Dublin Road in Drogheda go back to 1957 when it was founded by Noel Ryan and initially traded as Drogheda Dundalk Dairies (DDD). It quickly grew into one of the largestprivately owned dairies in Ireland and was the first dairy to be awarded the Q Mark.

Avonmore Co-op purchased the plant in 1986 and Glanbia was formed 11 years later when Avonmore merged with Waterford Co-op. Glanbia Drogheda produces around 82 million litres of liquid milk annually. Managed by local man Eamonn McGuigan, the plant produces fresh, light, skimmed and flavoured milks for the Avonmore and

Premier brands. Many of Glanbia’s specialised or fortified range of milks such as Slimline, Lactose Free Milk and Heart Active Milk are processed to exacting standards in this location.

The Virginia site on the Cavan Road also has a long heritage in milk processing dating back to 1966. Opened in December 2014, Virginia’s milk protein facility is designed specifically to meet the exacting technical standards of the clinical and lifestyle nutrition market. Through Virginia, Glanbia’s farmers supply high-quality cream that is a core ingredient for the alcohol beverage sector. It also produces a range of enriched milk powders. In addition, Glanbia Virginia produces and exports fat-filled milk powder to a number of regions, including West Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

At the unveiling of Tirlán are brand ambassador Tadhg Furlong with John Murphy (Chairman), Nicola O’Connell (Head of Commercial) and Jim Bergin (CEO)

Both plants are large employers which provide a significant boost to the local economy. They also support hauliers, cleaners, security personnel and, of course, the dairy farmers who supply the ‘white gold’. Glanbia is a generous sponsor of local and sporting community groups and organisations as well.

Glanbia plc is a global nutrition group dedicated to delivering better nutrition for every step of life’s journey. Headquartered in Kilkenny, the group employs over 6,000 people across 32 countries, and sells and distributes products in over 130 countries. Its major production facilities are located in Ireland, the US, the UK, Germany and China.

Glanbia has two global growth platforms in Glanbia Performance Nutrition and Glanbia Nutritionals. It also has a number of key strategic joint-ventures, including the recently-established Glanbia Ireland JointVenture. Given the company’s origins in the co-operative movement, farmer-suppliers retain a significant interest in the business. Glanbia Co-operative Society Ltd remains the largest shareholder in Glanbia plc and retains the right to nominate a number of non-executive directors to the board of the company in line with their mutual Relationship Agreement.

Glanbia’s headquarters lie close to its roots in Co. Kilkenny in the rolling pastureland of south-east Ireland. Its production site, where its No. 1 milk brand Avonmore was created, has

solutions-driven Innovation Centre in Ballyragget. Overall, Glanbia Ireland has nine high-spec food processing facilities, two animal nutrition mills and 52 agri branches in Ireland. Its presence is felt near and far, with teams working in offices in the UK and throughout Europe, the USA (Chicago), Dubai, UAE and China (Shanghai).

Outside of Drogheda, Virginia and Ballyragget, the group’s other locations in Ireland are Ballitore, Co. Kildare, Belview, Co. Kilkenny, Clonroche, Co. Wexford, Kilkenny (Kilkenny Food Company), Lough Egish, Co. Monaghan, Portlaoise (oats milling facility and distribution hub), Wexford (Wexford

Through Virginia, Tirlán’s farmers supply high-quality cream that is a core ingredient for the alcohol beverage sector

Creamery) and Fonthill, Dublin (distribution hub).

At the core of the business is respect, safety, sustainability, trust and quality without compromise. These guiding principles have helped ensure that as Ireland’s leading dairy processor, Glanbia has formed lasting relationships with some of the world’s biggest brands. From farm to fork, Glanbia has instilled leading supply chain traceability to ensure only the best quality products and ingredients are enjoyed by consumers.

Over time, the brand has helped to redefine modern dairy and delivered its awarding-winning Avonmore brand.

Through its innovative high-spec processing facilities, Glanbia processes its milk pool of almost three billion litres into a range of tailored solutions and ingredients for the global marketplace.

As the biggest buyer and user of Irish grains, Glanbia’s state-of-the-art milling facility has unrivalled traceability when it comes to gluten-free oats.

It was announced on August 31 last that Glanbia Ireland and Glanbia Co-operative Society Ltd is to rebrand to Tirlán, distinguishing it from Glanbia plc. Glanbia continues to evolve as a focused, purpose-led global nutrition company, having completed the sale of its 40% holding in Glanbia Ireland to Glanbia Co-operative Society Ltd earlier this year.

Guided by its clear purpose, with an unrivalled portfolio of consumer brands in sports and lifestyle nutrition, and an innovative nutritional ingredients business spanning dairy and non-dairy solutions, Glanbia will continue to create better tasting, smarter, more sustainable products and ingredients for consumers and customers globally.

TIRLÁN DROGHEDA

Dublin Road, Wheaton Hall, Drogheda, Co. Louth, A92 RX26

TIRLÁN VIRGINIA

Cavan Road, Burrenrea, Virginia, Co. Cavan. Web: www.tirlan.com

Grocery & Retail Ireland

Tirlán’s Drogheda plant produces around 82 million litres of liquid milk annually

Dedicated to delivering better nutrition for every step of life’s journey

Tirlán is a world-class food and nutrition business

Tirlán has helped to redefine modern dairy and delivered its awarding-winning Avonmore brand

Lewis Mitchell, Ger Joyce and Teresa Byrne of SuperValu Swords Pavilions, where teamwork is everything

EXCITING TIMES AT SUPERVALU SWORDS PAVILIONS

Operated by Musgrave Operating Partners Ireland since its takeover of Superquinn in 2011, SuperValu Swords Pavilions is a 30,000 sq. ft. store which employs 150 people, including store manager Ger Joyce who was recently named Large Supermarket Manager of the Year at the 2022 National Grocery Management Awards.

Behind every good manager is a great team and this is especially true of SuperValu Swords Pavilions where teamwork is everything.

“I’m very lucky to have a great crew around me,” Ger says.

“We have a fantastic team of duty managers and team leaders. Our assistant manager Lewis Mitchell and HR manager Teresa Byrne are top-class. We all pull together to make things happen. Everyone has great vision for the store. They take great pride in it and want it to be the best it can possibly be.

“Winning the award was a great honour for me personally, but it wouldn’t have happened without the support of the entire team. It made all those hard days and nights during Covid worth it. It’s great to follow in the footsteps of some of the previous winners. It’s very gratifying.”

In an increasingly competitive market, the role of the store manager has become key to a store’s success. Winning a National Grocery Management Award means more than just the recognition of your peers in the business. It’s also a valuable marketing accolade which can be used to profile your individual store, the retail name over your door and your

corporate CV.

This year’s Awards returned to The Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire on July 6 last after a two-year absence and were attended by over 300 guests. The Awards are Ireland’s premier scheme for recognising and honouring management excellence, and to win one is a high point in the career of many of Ireland’s best performing managers from across a variety of categories and at various levels of career progression.

A native of Clane, Co. Kildare, Ger began his retail management career in Superquinn, Naas in 1999. Since then, he has garnered a wealth of experience and has managed SuperValu Swords Pavilions since April 2019.

The Large Supermarket Manager of the Year accolade comes at an exciting time for the Swords store which is currently undergoing a full revamp that is expected to be completed this side of Christmas.

The revamped store will incorporate the Donnybrook Fair and The Happy Pear brands. Donnybrook Fair will be bringing the very best in fresh food and gourmet ingredients, chef-created meals, bakery treats, deli savouries and salads along with a wide range of premium cooking sauces and snacks to the store.

The Happy Pear is renowned for its vegetarian cuisine and delicious plant-based products.

The new-look SuperValu Swords Pavilions will also feature a Moo’d handcrafted Irish ice-cream stall as well as a new seating area, in-store production kitchen, deli and hot pizza bar. All of this will compliment the store’s existing range of everyday staple goods along with top-quality fresh foods. The store prides itself on its fresh produce, exceptional service and commitment to local jobs. Its mission is to provide

customers with the best quality and prices as well as an enjoyable shopping experience.

All fresh meat, fruit and vegetables are locally sourced and can be traced back to the farm where they were produced. Unlike many other big supermarket chains which operate in this country, SuperValu is Irish-owned and enjoys a wonderful relationship with its customers. At SuperValu Swords Pavilions, staff are on first-name terms with many of their customers.

“Our customers are both local and transient because of our location in the Pavilions Shopping Centre. We’re anchor tenants alongside about 100 other retail shops and restaurants, an 11-screen cinema and 2,000 car parking spaces. The Pavilions is a big attraction for people from across North Co. Dublin and parts of Meath and Louth also,” Ger explains.

“We cater for everyone, from those who grab-and-go to

Grocery & Retail Ireland

The revamped store will incorporate the Donnybrook Fair and The Happy Pear brands

The store prides itself on its fresh produce, exceptional service and commitment to local jobs

The pandemic brought out the best in our staff, despite the huge challenges it presented. Everyone stepped up to the mark to serve the community and showed tremendous resilience. It took our team spirit to another level

Best Wishes to Ger Joyce - SuperValu Swords Paviliions

Dan Ryan Truck Rental is a contract leasing and rental business offering smart transport solutions to commercial vehicle operators.

Dan Ryan Truck Rental is a contract leasing and rental business offering smart transport solutions to commercial vehicle operators.

We take the stress out of vehicle management enabling you concentrate on your business while we look after the vehicles.

We take the stress out of vehicle management enabling you concentrate on your business while we look after the vehicles.

Dan Ryan Lease Program

Designed for Your Business

Dan Ryan Lease Program

Designed for Your Business

> Quality Trucks & Vans including Mercedes -Benz & DAF

> Quality Trucks & Vans including Mercedes -Benz & DAF Dry Goods or Refrigerated

> A Fixed Monthly Rate for the Contract Term

> Maintenance, Servicing and Tyres Included

> Dry Goods or Refrigerated > A Fixed Monthly Rate for the Contract Term > Maintenance, Servicing and Tyres Included > Fleet Management & full RSA Compliance

>

foodies and wine experts. We have craft bakers and butchers. You name it, we have it.”

Online shopping and ‘click and collect’ have become a key part of the operation since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. SuperValu Swords Pavilions now has eight vans providing home deliveries seven days a week throughout the locality.

“Our home delivery service became essential during the pandemic. It has grown from there,” the affable store manager continues.

“The pandemic brought out the best in our staff, despite the huge challenges it presented. Everyone stepped up to the mark to serve the community and showed tremendous resilience. It took our team spirit to another level.

“I keep saying that our core is our staff. Customers trust them. They were greeted with a smile and a friendly, authentic experience during the pandemic, and that has always been the case.”

As proud long-standing sponsors of the GAA Football All-Ireland Championships, SuperValu is committed to inspiring the next generation of GAA stars. Through this sponsorship, SuperValu and the GAA bring together in true partnership two of the country’s most communityfocused organisations. SuperValu Swords Pavilions and the GAA share common values through focusing their approach on relationships, honesty, hard work, achievement and community identity.

“We support our local GAA clubs Fingallians and St Colmcille’s, and worked hand-in-hand with them during the pandemic when the ‘Club Together’ initiative was in operation. This was a coming together of SuperValu and GAA club members to assist the elderly who were dependent on the goodwill of others for their food shopping needs.

“SuperValu also sponsors the National Tidy Towns competition and we are proud to support Swords Tidy Towns, which is chaired by Ken Duffy. We have also worked closely with local schoolchildren as part of SuperValu’s ‘Save the Bees’ campaign. We try to support local community groups as much as we can.”

SuperValu is celebrating 21 years in the Pavilions Shopping Centre, having started life as a Superquinn outlet on the Main Street, Swords in the early 1980s. Here’s to the next 21 years!

Proud long-standing sponsors of the GAA Football All-Ireland Championships

SuperValu Swords Pavilions is a 30,000 sq.ft store which employs 150 people

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Ger Joyce - SuperValu Swords Pavilions

BRINGING HOME THE BACON SINCE 1860

McCarren Meats (McCarren & Company) delivers a full range of pork and bacon from carcasses to full meat products from its site in Cavan. Established in 1860 by John McCarren, it is Ireland’s oldest traditional pig and bacon curing business and the only fully integrated pork processing site in the country that can slaughter, cut, debone, cure, slice and pack (bulk and consumer packs).

In 2013, Kepak bought a majority shareholding in McCarren’s. Having been in the meat industry for five generations, the McCarren family remained as minority shareholders. Since the acquisition, its staff has grown from 200 to 310 and the number of pigs processed daily has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000.

About half of its meat is sourced within 40km of the processing plant which was built in Cavan town for ease of access to the railway system that existed at the time. The original business focused on the sale of live animals to the UK for slaughter in a factory in Leeds. All of the farms which supply McCarren Meats are audited to Bord Bia standards, with full traceability to each farm. The site slaughters 12% of

the Republic of Ireland kill.

Approximately 30% of the McCarren Meats output is further processed within the Kepak Group, with the balance going to key customer partners. The site is approved for all the major retailers and is an integral supply partner to foodservice operators in Ireland.

Kepak has invested heavily in the business, including investment to modernise and increase throughput capacities. Since 1966 when it started out as a family-run butcher shop on Dublin’s Francis Street, Kepak has evolved into an international, multi-faceted food innovator which generates employment for more than 3,000 people across 30 different countries. The company also supports over 20,000 farms and

Kepak have a majority shareholding in McCarren’s

farming families through fair trade, knowledge transfer and sustainability initiatives.

With its headquarters in Clonee, Co. Meath, Kepak has a turnover in excess of €1.5 billion and has nine processing facilities dotted throughout Ireland and the UK. The company also has a sales presence in all major EU and international markets as well as an operations office in South America. Kepak’s core business is primary processing of beef, accounting for 16% of the national kill. It also accounts for 20% of the national lamb kill.

In addition, the company has a range of meat protein (beef, lamb, pork and chicken) added-value businesses ranging from raw burgers to cooked convenience snacks. The investment in McCarren’s and other added-value businesses adds further value along the supply chain, delivering partner customers and consumers alike on-trend convenience products which are the fastest-growing category of meat sales.

The welfare of animals in their care is paramount to McCarren Meats. To this end, there are two dedicated animal welfare officers on-site. In addition to domestic sales, McCarren’s key export markets are the UK, Asia and Australasia.

The company contributes in excess of €35 million annually to the local economy with livestock purchases, wages and support services.

“We’re located on a 14-acre site, seven acres of which is under forestry,” McCarren Meats General Manager Peadar Harten explains.

“Since the Kepak acquisition, which was their first venture

into the pig meat sector, we have continued to play a key role in sustaining the local economy. We have increased our staff and output, and have grown our customer-base. We have added a lot of retailers and secondary processors to our list of clients. Every aspect of the plant has been overhauled and updated.

“About 50% of our suppliers are from the Cavan and Monaghan area, with the other 50% being from the rest of the country. We have 25 regular pig farmers who supply us with their produce.”

He continues: “There’s a great tradition here and our ambition is to keep growing and expanding the business, with

McCarren Meats Outlet in Cavan

They regularly contribute to local charities, clubs and events, and donate meat to St Vincent De Paul every Christmas too. When people come in looking for sponsorship, they are never turned away and the ethos at Kepak and McCarren’s is to try to spread it around a bit and look out for local people

obvious benefits to the extended community. One of the great things about Kepak is how they support the local community through various donations and sponsorships.

“They regularly contribute to local charities, clubs and events, and donate meat to St Vincent De Paul every Christmas too. When people come in looking for sponsorship, they are never turned away and the ethos at Kepak and McCarren’s is to try to spread it around a bit and look out for local people.”

Rising feed prices caused by the war in Ukraine and other input costs have pushed pig production costs to all-time high. This has put many pig farmers under pressure and has led to some exiting the market.

“The price of grain is the big issue facing the sector at the moment. It has sky-rocketed, meaning many farmers are producing at a loss. Energy costs have also gone up significantly. It’s a very turbulent time for everyone involved in food processing,” says Peadar, who grew up on a pig farm in Killydoon, Co. Cavan and worked in Kepak’s beef and lamb processing facility in Watergrasshill, Co. Cork before returning to his native Breffni County in 2015 to take up his current role.

Despite the current global crisis, McCarren Meats continues to go from strength to strength. They would like to take this opportunity to thank their suppliers and customers for their continued support, and their staff for their hard work, dedication and skill.

McCARREN MEATS

Farnham Road, Drumavanagh, Cavan.

Telephone: 049 433 1500

Web: www.mccarrenmeats.com

Grocery & Retail Ireland

A visit from Ministers Heather Humphries and Michael Creed

Representatives from the Dept. of Agriculture along with representatives of the Malaysian Government

A FAMILY TRADITION

The Donohoe family has a long history of retailing in Cavan and the surrounding counties of Leitrim and Fermanagh. Nowadays, Darren Donohoe fronts the successful family business which incorporates Donohoes SuperValu Ballyconnell, Donohoes SuperValu Ballinamore and Donohoes Centra, Belturbet.

From humble beginnings, the Donohoe Group has grown to become one of the largest employers in the region and has earned a reputation for outstanding customer service and quality fresh produce. The family has been involved in retail since the 19th century when Darren’s great, great grandparents opened a shop in Milltown near Belturbet. Years later, Darren’s grandparents John and Phyllis, relocated the business to Killesher in Co. Fermanagh. In 1994, the family returned to their Cavan roots when Darren’s parents Padraig and Mary opened what is now Donohoes Centra in Belturbet. Originally an independent store, it then became Vivo before taking on the Centra

franchise. In 2001, Padraig and Mary purchased a second store in Ballyconnell which initially traded as a Costcutter before changing to Centra and finally to SuperValu.

Five years later, Donohoes SuperValu in Ballinamore was opened. Between the three stores, 180 people are employed, while many more are employed indirectly.

“We have always been in the retail business. It’s in our blood,” smiles Darren, who took the reins from his parents six years ago.

“It’s a family tradition going back well over 100 years. We’ve come a long way since opening the Belturbet store. When we purchased the second store in Ballyconnell, it was only 1,000 sq. ft. It was revamped into a Centra and

Located on Erne Hill, Belturbet, Donohoes Centra stocks the full complement of daily grocery needs

is now 10,000 sq. ft. SuperValu. The Ballinamore store was purchased as a SuperValu in 2006 and we have since doubled the floor space from 5,000 sq. ft. to 10,000 sq. ft.”

Centra and SuperValu are part of the Musgrave Group who are Ireland’s largest grocery and food distributor with hundreds of independently-owned stores nationwide. The two brands are well-established landmarks across Irish communities, and the Donohoe Group is proud to fly the flag for both in Belturbet, Ballyconnell and Ballinamore.

As well as supporting local jobs and industry, the Group offers shoppers a wide range of fresh and convenient products at exceptional prices. Located on Erne Hill, Belturbet, Donohoes Centra stocks the full complement of daily grocery needs and features a large deli, hot food and bakery section in addition to an adjoining filling station. Fresh hot foods, coffees, meats, salads and bakery produce are available throughout the day and there is also an ATM in store.

Similarly, Donohoes SuperValu in Realta Shopping Centre, Ballyconnell and Main Street, Ballinamore are synonymous with offering the complete range of everyday staple goods along with top-quality fresh foods. The Ballyconnell store also has an adjoining filling station and in-store ATM. Donohoes Ballinamore encompasses a Post Office and also features a fresh bakery, a fully-stocked deli, an all-day hot

food counter, a large fruit and veg section, a tea and coffee station, an off licence and in-store ATM. Each of the stores are National Lottery agents.

The three stores are continually undergoing improvements to ensure customers have the best possible shopping experience. Ballinamore was significantly modernised in 2018, Ballyconnell was upgraded in 2016, while Belturbet received a facelift two years prior to that.

The Donohoe Group was quick to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable in the community following the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020. They started an initiative with local GAA clubs and later joined Musgrave’s nationwide ‘Club Together’ campaign, which saw SuperValu, Centra and the GAA come together to assist the elderly who are dependent on the goodwill of others for their food shopping needs.

“There was a great buy-in from the local GAA clubs whose club members rallied to the cause,” Darren recalls.

“While our turnover increased during the pandemic due to the travel restrictions which were in place, it was an extremely stressful and challenging time for everyone. We provided a free home delivery service for the elderly. We were also available to help out with pharmacy and fuel collection and deliveries. We didn’t want to see anyone stuck.”

As proud long-standing sponsors of the GAA Football and

Donohoes SuperValu in Realta Shopping Centre, Ballyconnell

Hurling All-Ireland Championships, SuperValu and Centra are committed to inspiring the next generation of GAA stars. Through this sponsorship, SuperValu, Centra and the GAA bring together in true partnership three of the country’s most community-focused organisations. The Donohoe Group and the GAA share common values through focusing their approach on relationships, honesty, hard work, achievement and community identity.

SuperValu also sponsors the national Tidy Towns competition. To this end, the Donohue Group takes a very active role in the Ballinamore and Belturbet Tidy Town Committees’ annual Spring Clean. When the Belturbet Tidy Towns Committee had their gardening equipment stolen a few years ago, Donohoes Centra honoured a pledge to match the money raised through a GoFundMe campaign to buy new equipment.

“We try to support local community groups as much as we can,” continues Darren, whose aunt Eilisheen is also involved in the family business.

“We buy and support local as much as possible. The big focus is on fresh food, and delivering quality food at the best prices. Customer service is vital because you are

nothing without your customers. Belturbet, Ballyconnell and Ballinamore are rural towns along the border where everybody knows everybody. It’s hugely important that when a customer comes into any of our stores, they have a positive experience.”

Looking to the future, Darren says: “We’re always looking to expand and to try different things. I’m only 36, so we’ll see what happens. Now is not the right time to expand with what’s happening in Ukraine. Energy costs are very high as a result, but hopefully things will settle down soon.”

As the Donohoe Group continues to go from strength to strength, Darren would like to take this opportunity to thank his customers and suppliers for their continued support as well as his staff for their hard work, dedication and expertise.

“The Ballinamore store was purchased as a SuperValu in 2006 and we have since doubled the floor space from 5,000 sq. ft. to 10,000 sq. ft”

While our turnover increased during the pandemic due to the travel restrictions which were in place, it was an extremely stressful and challenging time for everyone. We provided a free home delivery service for the elderly. We were also available to help out with pharmacy and fuel collection and deliveries. We didn’t want to see anyone stuck

The Donohoe Group are continually improving their stores to ensure customers have the best possible shopping experience

Quality fresh produce

THE COOKSTOWN SIZZLE REMAINS AS IRRESISTIBLE AS EVER!

For eighty-five years and counting, Cookstown – home of the famous ‘Cookstown sizzle’ - has been one of the island’s premier pork processors, producing a market-leading range of sumptuous products, which today are as popular as ever they’ve been with consumers the length and breadth of Ireland.

It was in the late 1960s, due to an iconic black-and-white TV advertising campaign fronted by legendary Manchester United and Northern Ireland soccer star George Best, who famously declared that “what the man means is Cookstown are the best family sausages”, that Cookstown became a household name in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Once customers got on the scent of the Cookstown sizzle and discovered the veracity of the brand’s memorable promotional campaigns, there was no looking back. Cookstown’s sausages and other tasty pork products have stood the test of time and are a staple in many kitchens island-wide today.

Extensively available through a string of multiples including Sainsburys, Asda, Tesco, Iceland and Dunnes Stores as well as smaller supermarket chains and independent retailers, Cookstown’s ever-improving and -expanding range of delicious pork products continues to set the standards or taste, quality and traceability some eight-and-a-half decades after the company’s inception in the County Tyrone town they helped put on the map.

Cookstown is one of Ireland’s leading pork producers, and has been since 1937. Their famous Cookstown Sizzle® sausages have been part of many families’ daily meals for generations. Their heritage of quality and assurance has earned Cookstown – now part of Karro Food Group - the

respect, trust and loyalty of customers near and far.

While Cookstown will of course always be synonymous with their famous sizzling sausages (the recipe has recently been tweaked to make it even better!), they also produce a comprehensive selection of tasty sliced ham (crumbed, baked or wafer thin), succulent joints, crispy bacon and juicy gammon steaks as well as a mouth-watering and super convenient ready-to-cook range, a savoury range and party packs.

Meanwhile, their delicious new pies come in two flavours - mince & onion and chicken & ham, both now available in most major supermarkets - while a range of divine sausage rolls is also available.

For something completely different, why not try Cookstown’s pork loin steak, pork ribs, pulled pork in a delicious smoky barbecue sauce or diced bacon lardons, ideal for an awesome omelette? The product offerings keep

growing and each one is imbued with the proven Cookstown seal of quality, guaranteed to bring joy to the taste buds at any meal time.

The home of the sizzle and the best family sausages, Cookstown pride themselves on producing only quality local pork, with all pigs farmed locally in Ireland. In many cases, they have worked with local farmers for up to three generations. The Karro processing facility at Cookstown is Ireland’s largest pig factory, processing in excess of one million pigs per year, under the guidance of Michael Munnelly, Managing Director at Karro Foods - Cookstown NI.

All Cookstown’s products pass the Red Tractor quality assured food standards. They are proud of their pork and work hard to maintain quality right across the island of Ireland. To do this, they work closely with the Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum and Bord Bia to ensure that every product

has been independently checked from farm to fork.

The Cookstown sizzle has been part of family life for decades and is an essential for a traditional Ulster Fry. But, as their products range from these legendary sausages to bacon, gammon joints and sliced ham, they have every meal time covered, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Seven years ago, £8million was invested in major site improvements at the Cookstown facility, to support plans to better meet market demands and stay ahead of the game. This included a massive £6.5m investment in new chilling and processing technology.

Committed to providing good quality, locally farmed, fresh products, Cookstown – regular award winners at both industry and retailer annual awards ceremoniesalso recognise the importance of value for money for their customers and so have moved to an everyday value pricing strategy across their entire range. They have also revamped

their packaging so all products have a bright sharp feel. You can’t miss them on shelf in your local store.

As well as the aforementioned George Best television and newspaper advertisement campaign (Ivan Bell, who was Cookstown sausages sales manager at the time, said sales went from “pounds being sold on a weekly basis to tonnes being sold”), Cookstown also embarked on many other successful and memorable promotional campaigns down through the decades, including Pat Jennings and the Cookstown Sizzle, Local Pork No Porkies, VIP (Very Important Pork) and #MeTime.

In 2007, Cookstown District Council unveiled a commemorative plaque as a way of thanking the Manchester United and Northern Ireland soccer legend for putting the County Tyrone town’s famous pork sausages on the international map. The commemoration, which was requested by local football clubs, was erected on the site where Cookstown’s great range of pork products – including hams, bacon, gammon and sausages – continues to be produced to this day.

Working with over 150 Irish farmers both north and south, Cookstown is proud of the fact that all their meat is locally sourced to ensure the best animal welfare standards, production chain traceability and supply of the highest quality pork products into the local market.

Ireland’s premier pork processor has been leading this market for eight-and-a-half decades and continues to innovate and set the standards in today’s increasinglychallenging and –competitive marketplace.

70 Molesworth Road, Cookstown, County Tyrone.

Tel: 028 86763321

Email: info@cookstownbrand.com

Web: cookstownbrand.com

Facebook: facebook.com/Cookstown

Twitter: @cookstownsizzle

COOKSTOWN – KARRO FOOD GROUP

AWARD-WINNING

ALDI IRELAND LEADS THE WAY IN SUSTAINABILITY

It’s been an awards-laden year for ALDI Ireland, whose industry-leading efforts in the vitallyimportant area of sustainability were recognised at both the 2022 Lean Business Awards and the 2022 Green Awards, where the conscientious discounter was named Lean Leadership winner and Green Retailer of the Year respectively, much to the delight of managing director Niall O’Connor.

ALDI Ireland takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously, developing a series of major initiatives in recent years which have seen it consistently recognised by its peers as a proven leader in sustainability.

In September, ALDI Ireland received the award for ‘Lean Leadership’ at the Lean Business Awards 2022 at Croke Park, in recognition of the fantastic strides made in sustainability across both operational and energy efficiencyand driving further improvements over the past year.

The Lean Business Awards aim to position Ireland as the recognised centre of lean and enterprise excellence globally. Judges praised the innovative steps ALDI has taken through

its sustainability initiatives, including its reverse vending machine trial.

ALDI this year introduced its first reverse vending machine at its Mitchelstown store in County Cork and also launched Ireland’s largest reverse vending machine at its Naas Monread Road store, as well as another unit in its Mallow, County Cork store. Judges recognised the initiative, with €1,000 being donated to ALDI’s charity partner Barnardos monthly for the duration of the trial. This is the first time in Ireland for a reverse vending machine scheme to establish a direct fundraising link to an Irish charity.

Judges also commended the ALDI team for its efforts in continuously developing its store network through its

Project Fresh programme. ALDI’s entire store network is powered by 100% renewable electricity, and it achieved ISO 50001 accreditation in recognition of its efforts to improve energy efficiencies. Many stores have also received CO2 upgrades, meaning they use a more environmentally-friendly refrigerant.

Welcoming the latest award win, ALDI Ireland group managing director Niall O’Connor observed: “The team here at ALDI Ireland is absolutely delighted to win this award, and to be recognised for the great work undertaken to improve our sustainability initiatives and overall efficiency. Ensuring our customers have access to all the food and provisions they need, all at the best prices, across our 153 Irish stores

is our priority, and this award is a testament to the hard work and commitment of all our colleagues and suppliers across the country.”

ALDI is continuously exploring new ways to improve sustainability across its processes and has been Carbon Neutral since January, 2019. As part of its long-term commitment towards the environment, ALDI has pledged to plant one million native Irish woodland trees by 2025, and over 500,000 trees have been planted around Ireland to date. This initiative alone will effect a 160,000-tonne reduction in carbon emissions over the next 100 years.

The prestigious Lean Business Award is just the latest major award to wing its way to ALDI Ireland, which has

Niall O’Connor and Minister Charlie McConalogue with Bernard Broderick and Ciaran Fitzpatrick at the National Ploughling Championships

ALDI’s Project Fresh store refurbishment programme is being rolled out nationwide

also been recognised for its fantastic work in sustainability through a number of other such accolades, including the title of ‘Green Retailer’ at the 2022 Green Awards and being voted Ireland’s Most Sustainable Supermarket by Irish shoppers in the Ireland RepTrak Sustainability Index 2021.

Furthermore, ALDI Ireland secured the Communication – Multinational Company award at this year’s Chambers Ireland Sustainable Business Impact Awards in recognition of its Corporate Responsibility strategy, Better Everyday. This award recognises the sterling work ALDI does to communicate a comprehensive strategy to internal staff and external stakeholders alike.

The Better Everyday campaign improved communications internally with employees and externally with charity partners, customers and other key business stakeholders regarding ALDI’s comprehensive work and engagement in Corporate Responsibility (CR). ALDI’s CR strategy is formed around three pillars – Greener, Fairer and Healthier – which outline the steps ALDI is taking to continuously improve its business operations for its customers, the environment and

ALDI’s Regional Distribution Centre in Mitchelstown

Working with over 330 Irish food and drink producers

We consider it a great honour to receive this Green Retailer Award. To be recognised at the Green Awards is something that all companies in the sustainability space aspire towards, and to be considered a stand-out amongst our retail competitors is something we can be very proud of

the local communities in which it operates.

At the Green Awards in April, meanwhile, in recognition of its company-wide commitment to a series of sustainability initiatives, including carbon and waste reduction, biodiversity, community engagement and staff training and awareness, ALDI Ireland was a worthy recipient of the Green Retailer Award for the second time in three years. This was their FIFTH major sustainability award inside a six-month period!

The annual Green Awards, first established in 2008, recognise the outstanding contribution and commitment of companies towards achieving a greener future in Irish business. ALDI’s commitment to using 100% green electricity, reducing packaging and waste throughout its supply chain and its support of diverse carbon-offsetting projects were recognised by judges, along with many other sustainability initiatives and achievements.

It was noted that ALDI had removed more than 2,150 tonnes of virgin plastic from its Irish stores and replaced over 930 tonnes of unrecyclable material with recyclable alternatives.

“The entire team here at Aldi is committed to our sustainability goals and are focused on limiting our environmental impact whether that be through less food waste, reducing our carbon emissions or increasing the use of sustainable energy,” O’Connor commented.

“We consider it a great honour to receive this Green Retailer Award. To be recognised at the Green Awards is something that all companies in the sustainability space aspire towards, and to be considered a stand-out amongst our retail competitors is something we can be very proud of.”

Elsewhere, ALDI Ireland – who in 2015 became only the second supermarket in Ireland to achieve the international energy management accreditation ISO 50001 - was awarded the title of Plastic Pledge Gold Winner at the 2021 Pakman Awards, in recognition of its work in reducing plastic and packaging waste in its products and stores. The Pakman Awards are the national environmental awards recognising recycling and waste management among businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals in Ireland.

At the 2021 Chambers Ireland Sustainable Business Impact Awards, ALDI Ireland received the Environment Award in recognition of its work to significantly reduce plastic and packaging across its products and stores as well as the Partnership with Charity award in recognition of its work in combating food wastage and food poverty through its longterm partnership with FoodCloud.

Additionally, at the 2021 Business Energy Achievement Awards, ALDI was awarded the Overall Energy Achievement Award (in recognition of its approach to using sustainable energy, energy reduction and reducing carbon emissions) alongside the award for Best Energy Achievement in Retail. The Business Energy Achievement Awards recognise excellence and achievements from organisations which demonstrate effective sustainable energy initiatives.

ALDI Ireland is committed to consistently reducing its environmental impact by focusing on three key areas: tackling climate change; boosting energy efficiency; and reducing, reusing and recycling waste. Its Buying and Plastic & Packaging teams have reviewed the entire product range and have taken positive steps to reduce the amount of

Committed to supporting Irish suppliers

Niall O’Connor, Group Managing Director at ALDI Ireland

plastic and packaging used.

Since 2017, ALDI’s Energy Optimisation Project has sought to identify opportunities to save energy across all stores by improving lighting, refrigeration, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and small power. All new and refurbished stores boast more efficient LED lighting throughout the sales area, including in chillers and chest freezers. LED lighting uses up to 60% less energy than older traditional lighting.

ALDI Ireland and UK have been Carbon Neutral since January 2019, as a result of continually working to reduce their carbon footprint through buying 100% renewable electricity, using greener refrigerant gases and purchasing carbon offsets for the emissions they can’t yet eliminate completely.

ALDI Ireland have reduced their carbon footprint by 63% per m2 since 2012 and 100% of the electricity powering its store network is sourced from Irish wind power.

Since the beginning of 2018, all new stores have been granted environmentally-friendly CO2 refrigeration to significantly reduce carbon emissions from refrigerant gases, while these refrigeration systems are also being rolled out to older stores to replace end-of-life equipment, while waste heat from chillers is utilised to heat newer stores, crucially removing the need for gas.

The latest ALDI store in Clonakilty opened by Store Manager Peter Mullins

ALDI IRELAND www.aldi.ie

ALDI Ireland commits to planting one million native Irish woodland trees by 2025

Please check all the spelling, colour and positioning accuracy. Please note that once the proof has been signed off or replied to no amendments can be made

Please check all the spelling, colour and positioning accuracy. Please note that once the proof has been signed off or replied to no amendments can be made

20 YEARS

Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally won Retail Store of the Year (Medium Supermarket) at the inaugural National Grocery Retail Awards

Since opening in the Grove Island Shopping Centre in September 2002, Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally has become the go-to place for shoppers in the area. With a strong emphasis on fresh food and friendly service, the store continues to go from strength to strength and recently won Retail Store of the Year (Medium Supermarket) at the inaugural National Grocery Retail Awards. The new awards scheme is an amalgam of the Best in Fresh and National Retail Supplier Awards.

Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally is no stranger to winning accolades, having also been honoured by Musgrave’s with Best Small SuperValu Store for 2019, Best in Fresh Retailing in a Medium Supermarket 2019 and Supermarket of the Year Retail Excellence Ireland for 2020.

Employing 60 people, the store is part of the Garvey Group which operates seven SuperValu and three Centra stores in the South and South-West. The SuperValu stores are located in Corbally, Tralee, Castleisland, Dingle, Listowel, Cobh and Dungarvan, while the three Centra outlets are in Dungarvan, Adare and Newcastle West.

Founded in Tralee in 1935, the Garvey Group’s success has been achieved through the vision of its management team, the skill and wholehearted committed of all employees, its dedication to achieving the highest standards and its ongoing support of the local communities it is proud to serve. Passionate about fresh food, the Group prides itself on offering customers the very best in locallysourced fresh produce which is delivered on a daily basis.

Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally has become the go-to place for shoppers in the area

Garvey’s prides itself on being family-oriented and bringing the finest produce to the community

Gerard Walsh, Aoife Shiel, Hope Feehan and Jim Garvey celebrating success in the Better Energy Communities Scheme

Each store goes to great lengths to source the freshest fresh fruit and vegetables from farmers and food producers in their locality. They believe fresh is always best!

Helen Griffin has been Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally store manager since last January. Prior to that, she was assistant manager to Ger Walsh and has been with the Garvey Group for the past 11 years.

“We’re delighted to be celebrating 20 years in business here in Corbally,” the affable Tralee woman says.

“Garvey’s prides itself on being family-orientated and bringing the finest produce to the community. Since revamping this store in 2018, Garvey’s have brought a worldclass fresh food emporium to the people of Limerick city. We have everything anyone could possibly want, from a scratch bakery and large meat and fish counters to an off-license and ATM. We’re also National Lottery agents.”

Helen is full of praise for the Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally team who are highly-skilled, hard-working and courteous.

“Having the right people is key,” she stresses.

“We are lucky to have a very talented and qualified team who excel in each of their departments. We have a lot of long-serving staff which is testament to our business. They are very innovative and motivated. They want the best for the store and to make us proud. They enjoy a great rapport with our customers which is very important.

“The Covid-19 pandemic brought out the best in our team who went above and beyond the call of duty to help customers. We provided a free home delivery service for the elderly which continues to this day.”

Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally boasts great value in grocery shopping with plenty of parking, including a multi-storey with three floors. When entering the store, customers are greeted with a smile and an array of quality fresh foods across all

departments. The store offers a full range of scratch bakery, deli, meat, fish, dairy and groceries. The scratch bakery is one of the few remaining in Limerick and is famous for its occasion cakes. Its qualified bakers and confectioners have 200 years’ combined experience and work through the night to provide the freshest and most delicious goods every morning.

Both expert craft butchers have over 15 years’ experience. The store offers a wide range of prepared-by-butcher meals which are fresh meat and veg in a prepared dish. The deli encompasses a carvery, rotisserie bar and savoury counter that offer a broad range of ready-made meals and gourmet sandwiches. Garvey’s SuperValu also has a large selection of specialty foods and stocks a large variety of wines and beers in its off-license from local, national and international producers.

In addition, the store combines the best of SuperValu’s own grocery brands with the leading brands.

As a proud long-standing sponsor of the GAA Football AllIreland Championship, SuperValu is committed to inspiring the next generation of GAA stars. Through this sponsorship, SuperValu and the GAA bring together in true partnership two of the country’s most community-focused organisations. Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally and the GAA share common values through focusing their approach on relationships, honesty, hard work, achievement and community identity.

Telephone: 061 350 200.

GARVEY’S SUPERVALU CORBALLY Grove Island Shopping Centre, Limerick, V94 V1WE.

The store is part of the Garvey Group which operates seven SuperValu and three Centra stores in the South and South-West

Best Wishes and Continued Success to Garvey Group

“SuperValu and its local retailers across the country are supporting the GAA from grassroots to senior inter-county level,” continues Helen, who was thrilled to see her native Kerry and adopted Limerick capture the Sam Maguire and Liam MacCarthy Cups this year.

“Garvey’s has always supported all aspects of the GAA. With rugby being very prominent in Limerick, we’ve sponsored Shannon RFC and St Mary’s RFC. Other local clubs that we’ve supported include Corbally United FC, Parteen GAA and Clonlara GAA. We’ve also sponsored the Tidy Towns and Garda Youth Awards.

“We try to support local organisations as much as possible.”

Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally would like to take this opportunity to thank their wonderful customers and suppliers for their continued support. Here’s to the next 20 years!

A GROWING CONCERN

Goldcircle Mushrooms Ltd is a leading grower and marketer of fresh mushrooms for the UK and Ireland. Based in Tirnaneill, Co. Monaghan, the family-owned business is committed to providing healthy, delicious fresh products created with passion.

a nationally recognised model of collaborative best practice, enabling its members to achieve and maintain a competitive edge and delivering benefits at every stage of the supply chain.

Goldcircle Mushrooms was established in 2000 when Kieran Walsh, who was previously general manager of Monaghan Mushrooms, bought his family home and eight growing houses in the backyard. He began to grow eight tons of white mushrooms a week and sold these to local marketing companies and direct to UK wholesalers.

Fast-forward 22 years and Goldcircle Mushrooms now employs 240 people and produces fresh mushrooms across four of its own farms. About 90% of its produce is exported to the UK where its customers include Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, Brake’s and TJ Morris. Sysco Ireland in Dublin is another major client. Morgan McLernon Transport and Derry Refrigerated Transport look after the majority of the company’s haulage needs.

Goldcircle Mushrooms works in partnership with four other mushroom growers from the Northway Mushrooms Group. Headquartered in Dungannon, Northway is a producer organisation representing over 20 Irish growers, with Goldcircle Mushrooms being the largest partner. Northway is

Goldcircle Mushrooms supplies over 15,000 tons annually of fresh white and brown mushrooms directly to retail, food service, food manufacturing and wholesale markets. Mushrooms are a staple in many people’s diets as they are grown indoors all-year round and are less sensitive to the outside weather like other vegetables are. They are rich in B vitamins, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, a combination which helps protect heart health. Fresh mushrooms can also be enriched with Vitamin D by exposing the fresh mushrooms to UV light. Goldcircle Mushrooms has the latest UV booster that pulses the mushrooms with Xenon LED lights.

In spite of this, the fresh mushroom market is seeing a slump in kilos sold year-on-year. In the Republic of Ireland tonnage is down by 11.5% and by 14% in the UK.

Like most good food products, it is the ingredients that make a great end product. In the world of fresh mushrooms, this is compost. Made from Irish straw and Irish chicken litter, it enriches the soil and supplies nutrients for the healthy growth of mushrooms. It also minimises food miles at the

Goldcircle Mushrooms supplies over 15,000 tons of fresh white and brown mushrooms annually direct to retail, food service, food manufacturing and wholesale markets

offset. Collectively, the Northway growers committed their EU levy funds to build a state-of-the-art £25 million compost production facility in Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone in 2018. The facility produces over 42,000 tons of mushroom compost / substrate per annum. The excellent quality of the compost gives the Northway growers consistently good crops and yields.

Similar to other businesses and individuals, Goldcircle Mushrooms is feeling the soaring cost of each commodity. In 2021, overall costs rose by around 6%. So far in 2022, they have increased a further 10%. The company works closely with its customers to be as transparent as possible about the

levels of inflation and tries, where possible, to value engineer costs out of the category.

“The current, and past three years have been a challenge from maintaining staff levels in this labour-intensive category to managing the relentless level of inflation.

“We stay positive and look at projects to reduce costs and add tasty new products to our portfolio,” says Goldcircle Mushrooms sales and marketing manager Denise Stock. A subject at the top of the Co. Monaghan company’s action list is automated harvesting. Every mushroom is currently harvested by hand and placed into its primary packaging. As alluded to by Denise, the labour market

Goldcircle Mushrooms was established in 2000

is tight and a level of automation needs to be found. To this end, Goldcircle Mushrooms supported the Mushroom Machine Company Ltd in Lisburn, with a pilot project for a semi-automatic harvesting machine. The ‘game-changer’ compact and mobile unit is operated by one person and achieves double the hourly rate that manual harvesting does with a knife.

Looking to the future, Goldcircle Mushrooms plans to introduce various added value food innovations to the convenience / chilled food category with mushrooms being the main ingredient. With the support of Enterprise Ireland, the company is exploring new processing methods with the aim of developing unique mushroom products to enter the added value market.

“We have had many enquiries from Retail and Foodservice

customers requesting NPD for vegetarian ready meals that contain mushrooms,” Denise added.

Passionate about growing fresh, tasty and high-quality mushrooms, Goldcircle Mushrooms would like to take this opportunity to thank its customers and suppliers for their continued support, as well as its staff for their hard work, dedication and skill.

GOLDCIRCLE MUSHROOMS LTD

Tiernaneill, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan.

Telephone: 047 81884

Email: kieran@goldcirclemushrooms.com

Web: www.goldcirclemushrooms.com

About 90% of produce is exported to the UK where customers include Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, Brake’s and TJ Morris

and past three years have been a challenge

Tesco Ireland begins trial to electrify its home delivery van fleet

From November, many hundreds of households across Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, will have their shopping delivered by a brand new all-electric Tesco delivery vehicle as it is trialled in the area. This is part of Tesco’s efforts to become net zero in its own operations by 2035 and will see Dún Laoghaire become the first town in Ireland to include a Tesco electric delivery vehicle.

This new van will join the existing store fleet at Bloomfields which services 650 kilometres of deliveries in and around the Dún Laoghaire area every week. The van, when fully charged, offers a range of 160 kilometres, and will take on average 3 – 4 hours to charge. It will be powered by 100% renewable energy from a dedicated charging station at its base at Bloomfields Shopping Centre.

Minister Ossian Smyth with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy, “I’m delighted to support the launch in Tesco Dun Laoghaire of the trial of a new electric vehicle for home deliveries. This van is larger than your average electric vehicle, and will be able to deliver groceries, including frozen and refrigerated goods, all from batteries powered by renewable energy. I commend Tesco for introducing this pilot here in my constituency of Dun Laoghaire, I wish the pilot every success.”

Geoff Byrne, chief operating officer, Tesco Ireland, “In this critical time for climate action, we have a responsibility to drive change. We all have to play our part to take immediate actions to shape our future.

“Currently, we use sophisticated route planning and driving management systems for Grocery Home Shopping which help schedule smarter routes for our vans, resulting in less miles travelled and fewer carbon emissions. Through these systems, our fleet is predicted to achieve a reduction of 430 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Adding an Electric Vehicle into this mix is a further step in the right direction and should see a further 13 tonnes of C02 removed in the next 12 months.

“We’ve proudly based ourselves in Dún Laoghaire for 25 years, so I’m delighted that customers in this area will be the first in Ireland to trial this innonation in our home delivery fleet.”

Tesco continues to source 100% renewable energy to power its network of stores, offices and distribution centre. It also produces energy from a wind turbine at its Distribution Centre at Donabate – which generates 1.5million KWh per year, of which 10% goes back to the national grid.

Tesco Ireland provides customer vehicle charging stations at almost 50 of its stores nationwide, in partnership with ESB.

Shine a light on reduced energy costs of up to 80%

Reduce your energy consumption with a fully funded lighting upgrade for your business.

Future proof your company’s efficiency with a lighting upgrade and enjoy a guaranteed monthly reduction in your lighting bills and carbon footprint. We’ll carry out a comprehensive audit, create a bespoke lighting design and oversee installation, leaving you to enjoy a brighter workplace.

energia.ie/business/lighting-solutions

OUR COMPANY NAME HAS CHANGED, OUR QUALITY PRODUCTS REMAIN THE SAME.