Seen and heard

Fyffes fitness visits returning to Irish schools

Another sign that life continues to return to normal can be seen in the announcement by Fyffes that it is to resume its children’s fitness programme of live school visits in September following a two-year break during Covid.

Originally conceived as a means of introducing children to the importance of physical exercise and healthy eating, the upcoming schedule will see some 7,500 pupils from schools throughout Ireland, North and South, participate in an interactive Fit Squad session between September and March next.

Delivered by Irish health and fitness expert, Tom Dalton, and carried out under the eye of teachers present, each 45-minute session includes an active workout plus talks and tips on healthy eating, all designed to improve children’s general fitness through engaging and fun-filled activities.

Looking ahead to the resumption of the initiative, Fyffes head of marketing, Emma Hunt-Duffy said: “We have had such a positive response to the programme, many schools are already in the pipeline for visits before we had to go online.

“Much of the appeal is that the exercises don’t require any equipment and don’t need much space,” she added. “They focus on using your own body weight to build strength in a fun way that can be enjoyed by

Irish Olympic athletes David Gillick and Phil Healy are supporting the announcement by Fyffes that it is to resume its children’s fitness programme of live school visits in September

children, teachers and parents alike.”

Prior to going online when schools were forced to close, the multi award-winning children’s fitness programme has been introduced to over 20,000 pupils in a countrywide series of school visits since its launch just four years ago.

Schools interested in participating are invited to register at www.fyffesfitsquad.ie/register.

SuperValu encourages shoppers to shop sustainably and support local for Guaranteed Irish Food Month

SuperValu is partnering with Guaranteed Irish to encourage shoppers to shop sustainably, buy Irish and support local this June as part of Guaranteed Irish Food Month. The call comes as new research shows that the vast majority (89%) of Irish people believe buying local products can help Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish the environment, while and Ray Kelly, marketing director, 77% of Irish shoppers feel Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland it is important to buy sustainable products.

Over the past 12 months, shoppers say they have actively increased their efforts to reduce their impact on the environment with threequarters of people (76%) recycling more, 69% reducing their use of single use plastic and 68% reducing waste in their household.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Irish shoppers have also bought more locally produced goods in the past 12 months.

“We are at a point in history where action must be taken in order to ensure that we pass on a sustainable world to future generations,” said Ray Kelly, marketing director, Musgrave Retail Partners.

“It is heartening to see the importance Irish people place on shopping in a sustainable way,” he added. “At SuperValu, we have been investing time, resources and finances into becoming a more sustainable business. We’ve operated a zero food waste to landfill policy for over 15 years, we have recycling rates of 97% and over 90% of the plastic packaging for our own brand products is now recyclable.

SuperValu is committed to providing customers with more sustainable choices, Kelly continued, noting: “We recently launched the Taste of Local initiative, which showcases hundreds of small Irish food and drink producers in stores across the country, while SuperValu’s Food Academy programme for early-stage food and drink producers supports 320 Irish food and drink producers, 52 weeks of the year.”

Centra reveals sales of €1.98 billion in 2021

Centra has reported strong sales of €1.98 billion and 2.5% annual growth for 2021. This robust performance was driven by growth in Centra’s convenience offering, including its award-winning ownbrand ranges and Inspired By Centra, and Freshly Prepared meals as well as Frank and Honest coffee.

The retailer has also announced a €25 million investment in an ambitious expansion programme. The expansion will see 18 new Centra stores open in 2022, creating over 430 new jobs in local communities around the country. The expansion programme is in addition to the 11 new Centra stores opened in 2021 and the €17 million deployed last year to revamp and refresh 64 existing stores. Centra supports over 38,000 jobs and directly employs 11,716 people across the 483 stores operating in Ireland.

Throughout the pandemic, shoppers sought convenient meal solutions and tasty treats, driving demand for Centra’s cook at home prepared ranges. Moo’d Ice Cream, Centra’s high-quality Irish ice cream concept, recorded sales of €10m last year, up over 52% on 2020. The Inspired By Centra range saw strong growth with a 40% increase in sales, while the Freshly Prepared range of meals also saw a 40% jump in sales.

The announcement followed the publication of an economic impact report by leading economist Jim Power. This highlights the financial contribution of Centra stores is valued at an estimated €646.7 million. Direct employment by Centra creates approximately €38 million in employment taxes and generates a total net wage of €160.4 million, which is injected into local economies.

In 2021, Centra stores spent €2.1 million on local sponsorships and payments to a wide array of local and national charities. n

Ciaran Mangan, Centra council chair with Ian Allen, MD, Centra and sales director Cormac Dawson

P O WE R U P Y O UR

WAT E R

Croom and local Limerick retailer showcased on international stage

Croom and Padraig Broderick’s Spar store were elevated to a global stage last month when his Spar store was presented to 48 nations at the 65th annual Spar International Congress in Amsterdam as a shining example of what is possible when innovative design is met with true community retailing ambition.

Spar Croom has been serving the people of the picturesque town for more than 40 years with Padraig Broderick at the helm going on two decades. Providing employment to 44 people locally, Spar Croom is at the very heart of the 1,250 people who live locally.

The store underwent its most recent revamp last year and is now an impressive 6,725sq ft having added to the size of the store by moving into the old Ulster Bank building which was adjacent to the existing store. The other existing three buildings where the store sat are approximately 150 -200 years old so there was a substantial amount of structural work to be done in the process.

The new-look store which features the latest Spar design is fresh and modern with high ceilings, and the team also added a craft bakery, revamped and expanded the deli to offer more fresh offerings, and enhanced the range of the meat counter to offer more oven-ready products.

“Padraig Broderick and all the team in Spar Croom are a tremendous example of retailing at its finest,” said Colin Donnelly, Spar sales director.

“Spar Croom is an outstanding ambassador for Spar and I am thrilled that the store has been recognised on the international stage by being highlighted at this year’s Spar International Congress.”

The 65th International Spar Congress was held from 22-28 May in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The event celebrated Spar’s 90th anniversary, coming together in the country where Adriaan van Well founded the brand in 1932.

Maxol Ballycoolin in Dublin has beaten off strong competition from all over Europe to be named European Convenience Retailer of the Year.

The award was presented to Maxol Ballycoolin during the 2022 NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Berlin with the judges agreeing that the service station is an excellent representation of how Maxol is futureproofing its business by focusing on customer needs and delivering a foodfocused experience.

The NACS European Convenience Retail Awards provide retailers with the opportunity to showcase their innovation and creativity to the global retailing community. Maxol is no stranger to NACS awards and last year, won the 2021 NACS European Convenience Retailer Best of the Best Store Award for the redevelopment of its service station in Newbridge, Kildare.

“Being recognised on the European stage as a leader in convenience retailing is hugely rewarding and I’m thrilled for all of the team that have worked so hard on achieving this award for Maxol Ballycoolin,” said Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group. “This award recognises how Maxol is transforming from being a traditional forecourt retailer to becoming a leader in innovation and creating the service station of the future. Our partner Aramark and their dedicated team at Maxol Ballycoolin are incredible ambassadors for the Maxol brand both in Ireland and now, across Europe.”

Aramark, the global specialist in food and facilities management services, operates the Ballycoolin service station on behalf of Maxol and speaking about the win, Mark Cribbin, account director at Aramark Ireland said: “This award is proof of the success of the Maxol - Aramark partnership, which continues to go from strength to strength. We are so proud of our people in Ballycoolin who bring the best of service to both the local community and the significant passing trade in the area.” Summer is in the air and Starcamp with Gala Retail will be hosting activity camps for kids in locations across Ireland throughout July and August.

This year sees leading Irish convenience retailer, Gala Retail, continue its sponsorship of Starcamp for a second year, supporting Starcamp in its delivery of activity camps all across the country and providing over €10,000 worth of prizes for participating children and their schools.

Starcamp is known nationwide for its award-winning Easter and Summer camps, which take place in more than 250 locations across Ireland each year. Earlier this year, Starcamp with Gala Retail launched the first ‘National Confidence Day’ for children in Ireland with a special ‘I Believe in Me’ themed online show, designed to help Irish children to develop their confidence and self-esteem through participation in a range of fun activities.

The focus on building confidence and self-belief continues in summer camps with its ‘Be Confident’ theme, engaging the children at each camp in a range of activities that will help them to build self-esteem and self-confidence through participation in the camp’s activities which include music, dance, drama, camp games, magic, arts & crafts, comedy, fun masterclasses and so much more!

Starcamp with Gala Retail Summer Camps will be taking place in over 250 locations this summer, hosting almost 30,000 children. For more information on Starcamp with Gala Retail and Summer Camp locations and availability, visit www.starcamp.ie. n

Retailer Padraig Broderick has been at the helm of Spar Croom for nearly two decades

Pictured L-R: Henry O. Armour, NACS president and CEO; Ciaran McNally, chief retail officer for Maxol; Brad Schumacher, VP, global key accounts & marketing, Dover Fueling Solutions; Siobhan Grimes, head of retail for Maxol; Mark Wohltmann, director, NACS Global; Thomas McMullan, director and with the award, Brian Donaldson, CEO, The Maxol Group

Maxol presented with prestigious European Retail Award Starcamp with Gala Retail promises a summer of fun for Irish kids

Gary Desmond, chief executive of Gala Retail and Jennifer York Howard, Starcamp team leader, pictured with Olivia I Hekaire, aged 9 and Bobbi Osborne, aged 9

A special kind of genius

R a y C o y l e , t h e f o u n d e r o f L a r g o F o o d s a n d T a y t o P a r k , d i e d p e a c e f u l l y o n W e d n e s d a y , 8 J u n e 2 0 2 2 , s u r r o u n d e d b y h i s w i f e R o z a n d c h i l d r e n N a t a l y a a n d C h a r l e s . H e r e , w e p a y t r i b u t e t o t h e m a n w h o h a s l e f t a l a s t i n g l e g a c y o f h e l p i n g c o u n t l e s s o t h e r s t o s u c c e e d

“It takes a special kind of genius, vision, and determination to create a white-knuckle ride theme park in Co. Meath, name it after a crisp, and attract millions of visitors since 2010,” was how The Irish Examiner described entrepreneur Ray Coyle.

A hugely popular figure in the grocery industry owing to his generosity and gregarious good humour, here at ShelfLife we have our own fond memories of the Largo Foods and Tayto Park founder, whom we have interviewed several times down through the years. In fact, Ray Coyle featured on our cover exactly one year ago, for our June 2021 issue.

In that interview, Fionnuala Carolan described the easy, modest manner with which Coyle carried his success and innate resilience, writing: “Nothing seems to faze Ray Coyle. As he speaks about some astonishing events in his life, he might as well be reading out a shopping list. “I bought this factory then; I lost a fortune there; I decided to build a theme park; I’ve had cancer twice.”

“Coyle is an illustrious character,” the piece continued. “The measure of the man is really in the story that many in the industry already know about how in 1981 he found himself in serious financial trouble that would utterly destroy him, owing £1.2 million Irish pounds to the bank with no way to pay it back. The farm he owned would only cover a fraction of the debt if sold so he decided to raffle it off. He sold 4,000 tickets at £300 pounds a pop and recouped £1.2 million, paid the bank what was owed and turned around and launched a crisp company.”

To give a brief summary of his activities thereafter, the details of which many of our readers will already be familiar: Ray Coyle set up snack company Largo Foods in 1982, which grew to include brands such as Tayto, Hunky Dorys and King crisps. He later sold a 15% stake in the business that owned the Tayto brand to German firm Intersnack in 2007 and his remaining 25% stake in 2015, before stepping away from that business completely in late 2016. In 2019, Largo Foods changed its name to Tayto Snacks.

Tayto Park first opened in November 2010 and has welcomed over 5m visitors since it first opened its gates, growing into one of Ireland’s most popular paid visitor attractions. In November, the park said it was planning to change its name after Tayto’s existing title sponsorship ends at the end of this year. Ray Coyle is survived by his wife Roz, his son Charles, who manages Tayto Park, and his daughter Natalya, who has represented Ireland at the Olympic Games.

Back in 2008, I well remember interviewing Ray Coyle. In his typical playful humour, he tested my gullibility reflex with the following hair-raising explanation of how Buffalo Hunky Dorys are made: “We kill the buffalo every two or three weeks and dry the meat out until it’s bone dry. Then we macerate the product and spread it on the crisps.”

Of course, Coyle did indeed keep a herd of over 250 buffalo at the Largo Foods headquarters in Kilbrew, Ashbourne, County Meath. He explained that he actually bought the buffalo 12 years previously, “as a wild thing to do,” (no pun intended), and decided to introduce buffalo flavoured crisps on the back of this, which “believe it or not it worked!”.

Full of ‘joie de vivre’ seems to be a perfect phrase to sum up Ray Coyle, whose outlook was encapsulated in his thoughts on what made a good advertising campaign: “It has to be funny, to make you see it when you’re driving along the road and it must also make you feel warm and have a bit of a laugh, but not be offensive.”

This is the feeling that he himself evoked for many people. Always a modest man, since his passing, many stories have emerged of how Ray Coyle gave a helping hand to people as they started their business: an incredible legacy to bequeath.

ShelfLife would like to share our deepest sympathies with Ray Coyle’s family, friends and colleagues. ■

L A R G E S T I N D E P E N D E N T L Y A U D I T E D G R O C E R Y T R A D E C I R C U L A T I O N I N I R E L A N D

June 2021

Ray of light

Tayto Park’s Ray Coyle reflects on an illustrious career to date, including his latest venture with SynerChi Kombucha +

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CONVENIENCE RETAILING • OFF-TRADE • SUPERMARKETS • NEWSAGENCY • FORECOURT

Tributes to an iconic Irish entrepreneur

“CSNA is saddened to hear of Ray’s passing. He was a great supporter of the association and hosted the National Executive and Consultative Council at Tayto Park a number of years ago as well as being guest speaker at the CSNA Annual Dinner in Killiney Castle Hotel since. He championed the little guy and was always generous with his wisdom and time. May he rest in peace.” Joe Tierney, national executive officer, CSNA

“Ray was a wonderful entrepreneur and brought innovative thinking into the Irish food business, establishing an iconic brand. He was the creator of the remarkable development of Largo Foods and Tayto Park, creating considerable job opportunities in the process. Ibec and the wider business community offers its condolences to the Coyle family for their loss.” Ibec CEO, Danny McCoy

“Ray Coyle was an innovative entrepreneur who made a significant impact on the Irish grocery sector. RGDATA would like to send condolences to his family and his many colleagues, customers and friends. He will certainly be missed. May he rest in peace.” Tara Buckley, director general, RGDATA

“On behalf of The Federation of Independent Retailers, I offer our deepest sympathy to the Coyle family on the passing of Raymond. He was a thorough entrepreneur and gentleman. May he rest in peace.” The Fed Ireland district president, Martin Mulligan.