November 2023 ShelfLife by Mediateam

LARGEST INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED GROCERY TRADE CIRCULATION IN IRELAND

November 2023

Deck the aisles!

Dive into our comprehensive guide to the must-stock brands guaranteed to get tills ringing this festive season

The bare minimum: Laura Lynott examines the impact of the minimum wage increase for retailers

The reality of marketing in 2023: Colin Gordon shares illuminating new research on Ireland’s marketing industry

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

OOOOOOOH, LOOK WHAT’S NEW.

AVAILABLE NOW FROM THE MAKERS OF IRELAND’S FAVOURITE CURRY SAUCE. CHRISTMAS. SORTED. GLUTEN FREE

WHEAT FREE

OPINION ShelfLife November 2023 Vol. 30 No.11 Editor GILLIAN HAMILL (01) 294 7776 gillian.hamill@mediateam.ie Staff journalist SHAUNA BERNARD (01) 294 7709 shauna.bernard@mediateam.ie Contributors CAROLINE REIDY FIONNUALA CAROLAN NIKKI MURRAN COLIN GORDON LAURA LYNOTT Head of business IAN MULVANEY (01) 294 7766 ian.mulvaney@mediateam.ie Account manager MARK MORGAN (01) 294 7767 mark.morgan@mediateam.ie

‘A life less ordinary’: RIP Ben Dunne Shortly before ShelfLife headed to print, we heard the sad news that businessman and former Dunnes Stores boss Ben Dunne had died at the age of 74. Survived by his wife Mary and four children, Ben Dunne was best known for being a former director of Dunnes Stores supermarkets and more recently he ran a chain of gyms around the country. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar led tributes to Mr Dunne, saying: "I was deeply saddened to hear that Ben Dunne has died. A constituent of mine in Castleknock and a local employer, I met Ben many times. He really was larger than life. Among other things, he pioneered the fitness industry in Ireland, first with Westpoint and then Ben Dunne Gyms. “He led a life less ordinary and in turn he made some mistakes in life. The best people do. He never allowed that to defeat him or hold him back. He touched the lives of tens of thousands who will mourn his loss.” ShelfLife would like to share our sincere condolences with the family and friends of Mr Dunne and all those affected by his loss. We will include a full tribute in our December issue and should you have any reflections or anecdotes that you would like to share, we would greatly appreciate hearing from you, in order to publish a fitting obituary for such an influential figure within Ireland’s canon of formidable entrepreneurs. Gillian Hamill, editor, ShelfLife magazine

Circulation subs@mediateam.ie Publisher JOHN McDONALD (01) 294 7744 john.mcdonald@mediateam.ie

Contents October

Printing W & G Baird Ltd ShelfLife is a controlled circulation magazine, available to selected individuals with interests in the retail and wholesale grocery trade, who fall within the publisher’s terms of control. For those outside these terms, annual subscription is €98.00 including postage & packing.

COVER STORY 20 Deck the aisles! A comprehensive guide to the must-stock brands guaranteed to get tills ringing this Christmas

NEWS&ANALYSIS News grid 6 Seen and heard 12 CSNA news 28 Food focus 33 Appointments 72 NOffLA news 4

Managing Director JOHN McDONALD; Sales Director PAUL BYRNE Operations Director BILLY HUGGARD Published monthly by Mediateam Ltd., 55 Spruce Avenue, Sandyford, Dublin 18. A94 RP22 Telephone (01) 294 7776 Fax (01) 294 7799 ISSN: 1393 0753

Circulation audited by Audit Bureau of Circulations.

ShelfLife is a member of Magazines Ireland

FEATURES&REPORTS 14 Mace store profile: Donal

Hannon of Mace Maxol Newmarket in Cork speaks to Fionnuala Carolan about the store’s successful revamp completed earlier this year 16 Minimum momentum: Ahead of the minimum wage increase from 1 January, Laura Lynott examines the impact on

retail businesses, from both employees’ and employers’ perspectives 18 Daybreak store profile: Shauna Bernard sits down with co-owner Darren O’Loughlin of Daybreak Gracedieu to discuss its fantastic new transformation 26 Empowering feedback: Key insights from ‘The Norwegian Retail Innovation Summit’, organised by the Norwegian Embassy in conjunction with Maze

outlines why the knock-on effect on higher-paid tiers of staff from the upcoming minimum wage increase must be considered 32 HR: The HR Suite’s Caroline Reidy outlines some practical steps employers can take to help ensure everyone stays safe while socialising this festive season

MARKETING& CATEGORY FOCUS

ADVISOR

38 Christmas essentials

23 Marketing: Colin Gordon

58 Soft drinks

has commissioned new research through B&A on the marketing sector, with illuminating results 30 Recruitment: Excel Recruitment’s Nikki Murran

48 Christmas drinks 64 Home baking 66 Blas na hÉireann winners 74 Market movers 76 Social diary

NEWS

NEWSGRID The top news stories in FMCG M&S half-year results show food sales up 14.7% M&S has recorded a profit before tax and adjusting items of £360.2m – up from £205.5m in 2022/23 – in its half year results for the 26 weeks ended 30 September 2023. With food sales growing by 14.7% and like-for-like sales up 11.7%, M&S outperformed all mainline UK grocers on volume as customer numbers increased. The retailer said growth was underpinned by further investment in trusted value, category resets in basket building areas, and ongoing quality upgrades.

Aldi Ireland proﬁts fell 56% in 2022 as expansion continued Profits at Aldi Ireland more than halved to €17.1 million last year as the retailer invested in expanding its store network and says it “shielded” customers from price increases despite an “increased cost base [which] impacted margin”. Although sales rose 1.1% to €2.03 billion, up €24 million on 2021, Aldi’s pretax and operating profits both dropped 56%. According to Aldi, last year’s profit reduction reflected its “ongoing focus on balancing the considerations of colleagues, customers, over 330 Irish suppliers and the company”.

Oishii Sushi invests €1m in new facility Thanks to an ever-increasing appetite for freshly made, premium sushi, Oishii Sushi, Ireland’s leading sushi brand, has made a significant investment of €1 million in a 4,000sq ft, state-of-the-art production facility. The Dublin-based business will expand operations and increase output at a dedicated site in Bluebell, Dublin 12. The new facility will enable Oishii to more than double its production and meet the business’ forecasted growth levels of 50% per annum over the next three years.

and retail from across Ireland

Tesco raises proﬁt outlook following better-thanexpected H1

Aldi unveils newly renovated Cashel ‘Project Fresh’ store

Grocery giant Tesco has raised its profit guidance for the year, after reporting a better-than-expected 13.5% rise in H1 core profit. The supermarket chain, which boasts a 22% share of Ireland’s grocery market, said it now expected 2023/2024 retail adjusted operating profit, its preferred metric, to be between £2.6 billion (€3 billion) and £2.7 billion. While UK like-for-like sales were up 8.7% in the first half, Republic of Ireland likefor-like sales were up 6.9%.

Aldi’s Cashel, Co. Tipperary ‘Project Fresh’ store reopened its doors to customers earlier this month, following an extensive renovation project worth almost €1m which has seen the store interior completely refurbished. Featuring the new layout, the Cashel store now offers a wide selection of fresh food at the front of the store, hi-spec fixtures and fittings throughout and new product category signage.

Laura Daley, Abi Moran, Kim Comiskey and Eimear Fitzmaurice of Folk Wunderman Thompson

New study ﬁnds advertising is failing to represent modern Irish household The Family Fallacy, a new research study from creative agency Folk Wunderman Thompson, has highlighted the need for brands in Ireland to adapt and accurately represent the evolving concept of ‘family’ to resonate with audiences. The traditional Irish family structure, which once dominated, now accounts for only 36% of Irish households, according to the new study, with a rich tapestry of diverse family structures emerging in its place.

Grocery price inﬂation hits single ﬁgures The latest Kantar data shows that take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 7.2% in the four weeks to 29 October 2023. While shoppers visited stores more often in October with an average of 20.1 trips over the month (up 3.6%), volumes per trip continued to decline versus last year (down 5.9%). Grocery inflation sat at 9.8% in the 12-week period and provided welcome news for consumers as it dropped into single figures for the first time this year.

Musgrave acquires Joyce’s Supermarket in Oranmore from Tesco To allay concerns raised by the competition regulator last year, Tesco Ireland has sold one of the nine Joyce’s Supermarket locations it acquired for more than €80 million. Musgrave confirmed it had agreed to buy the supermarket in Oranmore, Co. Galway for an undisclosed sum and intended to “transition the store in due course” to the SuperValu brand. The group would operate the store as normal during the transition process, Musgrave said, and would welcome the 44 people currently employed there once 30 days had elapsed under transfer of business rules.

Pepco launches ninth store in Ireland Pepco celebrated the opening of its newest store in Artane, Dublin recently, following eight successful launches in Ireland during the past year, including Limerick, Tallaght and Tralee in 2023. Pepco now has over 4,000 stores across 21 European countries. The latest opening on Saturday, 4 November, came after Dealz completely revamped eight of its Irish stores, converting them to the Pepco brand. ■

For more details on all the above and the latest grocery-related news as it happens, visit www.shelﬂife.ie. ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

SEEN AND HEARD

Velo Coffee Roasters racing ahead with innovation Coffee lovers have a new reason to rejoice! Velo Coffee Roasters has launched a brand-new coffee, bringing innovation to the coffee market. Velo Coffee + Protein is Velo’s delicious coffee, packed with 12 grams of protein per serving. This unique and exciting coffee is specially designed for those who want to enjoy their favourite beverage while also staying energized and focused throughout the day. Move over protein shakes and instant coffee! Velo Coffee + Protein is made from specialty 100% Arabica coffee beans that are carefully roasted to perfection, providing a smooth and delicious taste. They are ground and blended with whey protein to create a rich and creamy coffee to provide energy while helping build and maintain muscle. “This project is two years in the making working alongside experts in Glanbia Nutrition. It is surreal to see it on-shelf,” says general manager, Suzanne Casey. “Taste was the most crucial factor for us. We refused to compromise on the quality of coffee that Velo is known for, and I am thrilled with what the team developed.” Marketing co-ordinator Madyson Savner trialled the coffee at the Food Expo in Birmingham earlier this year. “People raved about the protein coffee, and you could see the excitement around this innovation,” she reports. Velo Coffee + Protein is now stocked by Tesco. For more information, visit www.velocoffee.ie/pages/new-product or contact the team at coffee@velo.coffee.

Worth a listen: Check out thoughtprovoking retail podcast, The Retail Tea Break Host Melissa Moore is an award-winning retail consultant, mentor and educator with over 25 years’ experience

The Retail Tea Break podcast is Ireland’s leading retail podcast. It brings together industry experts from across the globe, along with national and international brands. Hosted by Melissa Moore, the aim is to decode myths, share knowledge and give the audience an insight into the retail industry. The passionate retail expert started the podcast to educate and inspire others in the retail industry. The current season of The Retail Tea Break podcast kicked off with international retail expert, Michelle Grant. She discussed Salesforce’s predictions for the festive season which included how returns policies are impacting the shopper journey and the new trend of ‘resale gifting’. With over 60 episodes to choose from, conversations have covered a range of topics including the omni-channel experiences, e-commerce and loyalty as well as the latest in retail technology. Moore has spoken to experts from the academic world about subjects including consumer behaviour and ephemeral retail. She has also talked to leading retailers including Lidl, Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Circle K, Lifestyle Sports and McElhinneys. The podcast is available across all podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple iTunes and Youtube. The award-winning retail consultant, mentor and educator with over 25 years’ experience runs The Retail Advisor. “I support retailers to reach their potential through sales growth, strategic decision making and excellence in customer experience,” Moore explains. 2024 will see Moore continue to design and deliver retail training programmes as well as hosting season 6 of The Retail Tea Break podcast. For more information, visit www.theretailadvisor.ie.

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Velo Coffee Roasters marketing co-ordinator Madyson Savner and general manager Suzanne Casey, proudly displaying new Velo Coffee + Protein

Gala Retail unveils Ireland’s first-ever virtual reality store layout simulator Gala Retail has announced the unveiling of a pioneering virtual reality store layout simulator – believed to be one of the first in Europe. Representing a first-of-its-kind initiative within the convenience retail industry in Ireland and Europe, Gala Retail has invested almost €100,000 in cutting-edge technology to enhance the store planning experience for retailers, maximising every square foot of retail space. The technology also enables new retailers to the group to have an immersive experience when visualising what their future Gala store could look like. Pictured from Gala Retail are Aoife Finn and Gary Desmond, CEO at Gala Retail and front row, Siobhan Grimes, retail operations manager

“At Gala Retail, we are committed to providing our retailers with tools that help empower their success. This groundbreaking simulator not only showcases the potential of Gala stores but also underpins Gala Retail’s commitment to fostering innovation within the convenience retail sector,” says Gary Desmond, CEO at Gala Retail. The new VR simulator, developed in collaboration with Irish-based technology group, Mersus Technology, allows retailers to step into the future via a simulated Gala store environment. This state-of-the-art technology has been designed to breathe life into new store layouts, enabling retailers to visualise and navigate a Gala store right from the initial planning stages. By leveraging this innovative simulator, retailers gain valuable insights into the potential of a Gala store, demonstrating how strategic refurbishments can boost turnover and profits through intelligent space utilisation and the integration of advanced concepts. For retailers seeking to join Gala Retail or existing Gala partners looking to revamp their stores, the virtual reality store simulator provides invaluable insights into the future of retail spaces. For more information, visit www.gala.ie.

SEEN AND HEARD

Award-winning Willowbrook Foods rolls out new branding and product lines From the shores of Strangford Lough, Willowbrook Foods has been serving customers UK and Ireland-wide with convenient salad, vegetable and premium cooked meal accompaniments for well over 50 years. Willowbrook Foods is steeped in a rich heritage of farming, John McCann MBE, founder of Willowbrook Foods, is by nature a true farming pioneer, growing and marketing vegetables at scale. With continuous innovation, the business has grown organically and now with further strategic plans, is proud to present its new branded signature range. Building a strong authentic brand identity is as important to Willowbrook Foods as providing good customer service. “Our mission statement is to be recognised as the best producer and supplier of fresh, convenient, quality and innovative products in the market we serve,” says John McCann. Willowbrook’s exciting new range includes fresh and vibrant crunchy salads, a mouthwatering pasta salad range along with its chicken Caesar and bacon salad.

SuperValu expects to sell 115,000 Irishgrown poinsettias this Christmas

With premium ingredients ranging from a creamy Caesar salad dressing and authentic Italian parmesan reggiano shavings in its Caesar salad, juicy sweetcorn and vibrant red peppers in its sweet and crunchy salad, to fresh herbs and dressings used in its nut-free basil pesto and a bespoke indulgent mayonnaise made in its production facilities for pasta salads. There is something for every taste bud and age range; all available in bespoke, sustainable packaging. Willowbrook Foods proudly develops products for all categories in the food industry. These include tailored lines for the retail sector and a variety of on-trend products for foodservice. It also creates bespoke components for food manufacturers, delivering the convenient Willowbrook fine dining experience at home. For Willowbrook, NPD isn’t just about creating new products; it’s about ‘Nurturing the Power of Delicious’. For more information on how the team can support your business needs, contact info@willowbrookfoods.co.uk.

“The Willowbrook brand uses premium ingredients which are simple, tasty, and engagingly innovative. Quality and value are at the heart of everything we do,” says founder John McCann MBE

SuperValu partners with ‘Too Good To Go’ in initial 33 stores

Pictured at the Uniplumo poinsettias glasshouses in Oldtown, Co. Dublin are Isobel Geraghty and grower Paddy O’Dwyer as SuperValu celebrates 28 years working with the Irish supplier

SuperValu has launched a partnership with food waste management company Too Good To Go, in a bid to tackle food waste, while also offering value to customers. Initially, the partnership will see 33 SuperValu stores take part, before being rolled out nationwide over the coming months. Through the Too Good To Go partnership, customers will have the chance to purchase a Surprise Bag of surplus food from participating SuperValu stores, at a lower price. The Surprise Bag will include fresh products approaching their use-by date, and can include a selection of chilled meats, dairy, fruit and vegetables, salads, sandwiches, ready meals and bakery items, which can be easily ordered for collection from a select number of SuperValu stores through the Too Good To Go app. The Surprise Bag is available at two price points, €4.99 or €5.99, and includes a range of products at a third of the price. SuperValu is committed to reducing food waste across the store network and is already on track to achieve a 30% reduction by 2025. As part of SuperValu’s Take Local Action, Make Global Impact campaign, the group believes that collectively, small lifestyle changes can lead to bigger global impacts. In addition, SuperValu has committed to making 100% of its own-brand and in-store packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable within the next three years. To date, SuperValu has achieved 96% of its 100% packaging goal. “At SuperValu we are committed to bringing sustainability into every area of our business and making it easier for our shoppers to make more sustainable choices,” says Ian Allen, managing director of SuperValu.

SuperValu has announced that it expects to sell 115,000 Irish-grown poinsettias in the run-up to Christmas. The vibrant red flower is a firm favourite with customers every Christmas. All poinsettias sold by SuperValu are Bord Bia-approved and carry the Bord Bia Quality Mark. This year marks the 28th year that the North Dublin-based grower Uniplumo has worked with SuperValu to supply the popular festive plant. SuperValu fully recognises the environmental, social and economic benefits that come from supporting local and buying Irish produce. When customers choose to support local and Irish produce, for every €1 that is spent on Irish goods, €5 comes back to the Irish economy.

Pictured are Patrick McKinney, Too Good To Go and Rachel Murphy, duty manager, SuperValu Blessington

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

SEEN AND HEARD

Maxol announces partnership with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Maxol has announced the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind as its newly appointed charity partner. Over the course of the two-year partnership, Maxol aims to support the charity by increasing awareness and the impact of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind’s work. The family-owned company has also committed to funding the training of at least six assistance dogs. It costs approximately €53,000 to breed, train, and care for each of these dogs over the course of their working lives. They are trained specifically to help those with visual impairments and children with autism. With the varying needs of each person/child, guide or assistance dogs can act as a calming presence, helping with behaviour regulation, and improving social skills and confidence. Brian Donaldson, chief executive officer, Maxol Group, said: “With so many charities in need of urgent funding, selecting just one to which we will commit our resources is hugely challenging. But when we looked not only at the work of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind but the positive and

tangible impact the charity can have on so many people’s lives – children, adults, and their families – we saw a really compelling case. This is a national organisation but with a strong and widespread community presence, much like our own business, and together with our local retailers we are looking forward to getting behind their work and ensuring Maxol makes a difference.” Tim O’Mahony, chief executive officer, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, said: “Maxol’s support will have a huge impact; ensuring that we can deliver more guide dogs and assistance dogs over the next two years – essentially bringing independence and mobility to the lives of our clients and many families. The partnership will have a life-changing affect across communities as we develop links with our nationwide volunteer branches and their local service stations.” Taking an all-Ireland approach, Maxol and its retailers are planning for a host of exciting fundraising and retail initiatives. The company

Cully & Sully achieves re-certified B Corp status Cully & Sully is thrilled to have been re-certified for B Corp status this month. B Corp, along with Cully & Sully’s Origin Green certification, demonstrates the brand’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility. At the Cully & Sully ‘Hen House’, the team are dedicated to sustainable sourcing, employee wellbeing, and reducing the brand’s environmental footprint whilst always providing the most delicious soups, pies, broths and risottos for customers. “This is a huge team effort, a team we are hugely proud of and who all do their part,” said Cully & Sully co-founders, Cullen Allen and Colum O’Sullivan. “We will continue to reach our targets, operate our business to the highest standards and have fun along the way,” the duo added. Cully & Sully recently implemented improvements in its packaging by removing the plastic cap on its Tetra Pak 750g soups. This small tweak will result in a reduction of over 2,000kg of plastic per year. Meanwhile, in 2018, Cully & Sully changed its pie packaging from plastic to foil saving approx. 13.5 tonnes of plastic a year. That’s equivalent to the weight of two African elephants. “We are constantly looking for new solutions to improve our packaging and do better,” the co-founders continued. The company also sponsored the Big Beach Clean in Ireland and the Great British Beach Clean in the UK this September where thousands of volunteers collected over 53 tonnes of marine litter.

Alongside Cully & Sully’s Origin Green certification, its B Corp recertification demonstrates commitment to social and environmental responsibility

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Brian Donaldson of Maxol with guide dog users, L-R Dawn Hopper with Micky and Christina Kelly with Effie

has committed to supporting Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and in Northern Ireland, Guide Dogs NI with direct funding that will ensure more people will be matched with trained dogs over the coming months and years.

India Sasha takes the wheel for Coca-Cola’s Designated Driver campaign

India Sasha alongside general manager of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, Davide Franzetti

For the 15th year in a row, Coca-Cola HBC’s Designated Driver campaign is back to reward those drivers who get loved ones home safely after a night out. With a 36% increase in deaths on our roads so far this year, planning your route home and potentially being the Designated Driver has never been more important. To reward those unsung heroes of Christmas who gift their friends a lift, the Coca-Cola Designated Driver campaign is back in over 78 participating venues across Northern Ireland. Drivers can grab two soft drinks from the Coca-Cola range for free, by simply making themselves known to bar staff. To help get the message out, social media star and disability activist, India Sasha has joined the campaign to raise awareness across Northern Ireland. The Designated Driver campaign will also run in the Republic of Ireland for the 19th year with influencer and broadcaster, Miriam Mullins acting as the ambassador. ■

CSNA NEWS

CSNA NEWS PRESIDENT’S ADVICE

Reminder: All retailers of beverages must register for Deposit Return Scheme

GUS O’HARA

National President, CSNA

The CSNA has produced a number of communications to members about the Deposit Return Scheme, which is due to be launched in February 2024. All retailers of beverages must register, but not all will need to be a centre for the return of cans and bottles. We have managed to persuade Re-turn to extend the exemptions and to put pressure on the Department of the Environment and local authorities to ensure that all existing Civic Amenity Centres were equipped to accept in-scope containers. The scheme can be transformational from an environmental perspective, but it cannot create a barrier between our customer and their neighborhood store.

While Re-turn has extended exemptions, all retailers of beverages must nevertheless register for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)

CSNA NEWS assist us in the LW transition. The rates rebate announcement is only for 2024 and is not designed to help those with extra labour costs, in fact it will not give any assistance to many ratepayers such is the inadequacy of its basic design. CSNA is advocating that these additional costs should be given relief through the elimination of the low-rate PRSI for the three-year period of 2024-2026. Please take the time to speak with (much better than writing) your TD and local Senators and show them:

CSNA needs your help! The promises made by this government that they would give substantial support to businesses affected by increases (particularly increases that were because of government decisions) were seen to be far short of what our sector needs to remain vibrant and competitive. The €1.40 (12.4%) increase in the NMW is more than double the rate of wage increases attained across the State, and significantly greater than cost-of-living inflation measurements. While most of your employees earn in excess of the minimum wage, it is understandable that they will be seeking to maintain similar differentials as currently prevail, leading to worryingly high levels of overall wage increases next year. This Budget did nothing for our sector, considered to be an essential service during Covid. Using a partial rates rebate as the extent of assistance is insufficient and displays a lack of awareness of the extent that this move towards a Living Wage is going to affect

An “effective support package as promised” by the government is needed for community-based retail to survive greater costs, says CSNA

those of us with a large proportion of labour costs compared to all other business costs. We need to come clean and dispel the notion that we run “goldmines” with a licence to print money - we need to prove that these increases, projected to be €4.50 per hour extra over the 2022-2026 period, will decimate the businesses we have worked tirelessly to develop over decades,

YEAR

MINIMUM WAGE

2022

€10.50

2023

€11.30

(+7.62%)

2024

€12.70

(+12.39%)

2025

€13.70

(+7.87%)

2026

€15.00

(+9.49%)

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

INCREASE PECENTAGE

giving employment (including first experience) to countless numbers of local workers. You need to show your public representatives what these costs will do to your bottom line. The increase in the hourly rate is not the sole increase to your costs there is a Public Holiday in February, you are becoming liable for an additional two Sick Leave days, and it is likely that AutoEnrolment for Pensions will be brought in towards the end of next year, costing you an additional 1.5% of the employee’s wage. All of these are governmentimposed increases; it is reasonable for businesses affected, especially those affected disproportionately, to have an expectation that the State needs to recognise their responsibility towards us and devise a series of measures designed to

• What you earned last year and previous years • How many staff you employ. • Your current and projected costs are for 2024 with a 12.4% increase plus the previously outlined extra costs coming in. The projected increase per hour for 2025 is due to be €1.00 and the Sick Pay moves from five days to seven while the Living Wage will be introduced at a projected €15 in 2026 which will require a €1.30 increase and the Sick Pay will have gone from seven days to 10 days. You need to meet your FF/FG public representative and tell them unequivocally that the future of community-based retail is at stake, and that we need an effective support package as promised, not one that has all the hallmarks of a hastily designed miss-mash that tosses the work over to Local Authorities and is unmeasurable in its effect.

CSNA NEWS

IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THE CSNA, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSOCIATION ON 045 535050

CSNA NEWS

Dubco Ireland joins CSNA in providing affordable loans for Deposit Return Scheme Dubco Ireland Credit Union has partnered with the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) as the leading financer for Re-turn, Ireland’s new national Deposit Return Scheme, which was established to help Ireland achieve EU recycling targets for the estimated 2 billion drinks bottles and cans that are consumed here each year. Dubco Ireland Credit Union’s financing will support the scheme’s rollout through its Green Business Loan. Loans are available to all CSNA members who join Dubco Ireland, with the scheme expected to go live in February 2024. All retailers must register for the scheme, which will be a big step towards a more sustainable future. Members can apply for this loan, for which SEAI grants are available, by calling CSNA on 045-535050.

“We are delighted to be associated with the CSNA, and we look forward to providing our hugely competitive and flexible range of products and services to CSNA members, staff and their families,” said Michael Ahern, CEO of Dubco Ireland. “The Green Business Loan is a very affordable loan with a potentially market-leading interest rate of 5.47% (5.61% APR) and a flexible repayment term of up to 10 years. It is one of the many similarly affordable and flexible loan products Dubco Ireland offer to make practicing sustainability an achievable goal for all businesses and is likely to be particularly attractive to smaller businesses.” “We are absolutely thrilled to partner again with Dubco Ireland Credit Union,” said Vincent Jennings, CEO of CSNA. “Their

VEGAN

Vincent Jennings, CEO (CSNA) and Michael Ahern, CEO, Dubco Ireland Credit Union Limited

support in financing the reverse vending machines for our CSNA members with the low-rate Green Business Loan is a significant step forward in making the Deposit

Return Scheme a reality for our members. Together, we’re helping to pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future for our members and our planet.” ■

!! Comp a

n doing goioeds

STORE PROFILE

Donal Hannon of Mace Maxol Newmarket in Cork speaks to Fionnuala Carolan about the very successful revamp that was completed on their shop earlier this year and the difference it has already made to their bottom line Donal Hannon of Mace Maxol Newmarket in Cork says that since their store revamp was completed, they recorded an overall increase of 11% across the shop

The new face of Mace

ewmarket in Co. Cork is a small town on the busy road between north Kerry and Cork city meaning that Hannon’s Mace Maxol forecourt benefits from plenty of passing trade, especially during the summer months. Open from 6am – 10pm Monday to Saturday and 7am to 10pm on a Sunday, they are the only shop open at that time of the morning and that late at night along the route so it’s a common pit stop for many commuters. The Hannon family have had a business on the main street in Newmarket for five generations and Donal Hannon’s parents have been operating a shop here since 1999. As the fifth generation, Hannon took over the running of the business last December with a view to completing a long-awaited revamp. He had just returned from London after spending over two years working for HSBC bank following a Masters Degree in Finance in UCC. He is grateful for both the life experience and work experience he attained in London, but the pull of home

was always strong.“It was nice to get away and see how other businesses operate,” he says.“Before working with HSBC, I did my internship in a construction company over there and they took me into their commercial department and it was a fantastic experience and has stood to me since I came back,” he explains.“When you grow up in a business you can get set in your ways and it’s nice to bring ideas back and get some experience outside a small town.” Despite all the opportunities that London offered, he was never in any doubt about wanting to come back and work in the family business.“What I like about working for yourself is that the harder you work at it, the more successful you will be,” he says.“I don’t think there was ever any doubt that I wanted to come back and work for myself if possible.”

Family affair Hannon’s parents, Gerard and Geraldine (who is the real boss, according to Hannon) are still very involved

The Mace For Food’s Sake deli, led by deli manager, Agata Czepliewicz, is reaping rewards for the store

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

in the shop. His father Gerard worked with his own father back when it was a motor factory and dealership and then he knocked that and developed a shop.“They are still very much part of the business,” he says of his parents.“My father is here every morning at 6am. He is programmed to be up because he’s been doing it for so long and it’s great to be able to lean on him for any advice. “Funnily enough, they broke ground on the new shop the day my sister Maeve was born, 3 August 1998,” he says. Maeve has gone down a different path to her brother and works as an A&E nurse in Cork which Hannon says is a tough but rewarding job. Committing to a revamp is an investment of time, money and energy. Hannon credits Colin Brady, their Mace retail operations advisor on providing unending support during this time.“Colin really brought us through it,” he explains.“He had our back all the way and was always there for any queries we had or any advice we needed.”

Introducing a full off-licence was a key move in the revamp of Mace Maxol Newmarket

STORE PROFILE

Sponsorship

Aside from doing the revamp he has found the support from Mace to be second to none.“If we were independent, we wouldn’t do half as well. Between training and special offers, we get a lot of help from them. We get a list of special offers every three weeks to help us to remain competitive and offer tangible value to our customers.” There is a SuperValu and another independent retailer in Newmarket, so they have some competition, but Hannon believes that being with Mace gives them the edge.

The revamp The family had initially planned the revamp for some time during Covid, but things were pushed back for obvious reasons. When the opportunity came about to start the revamp, Hannon made the move home.“I came back in December, and everything kicked off in February,” he explains.“The pace of life had been busy in London, so it was good to have something to keep me busy and engrossed.” The revamp took just eight weeks and for the first three weeks they were going 24 hours a day. “When we closed at night the tiler was in and working until 5am and we opened back up at 6am. It was pretty manic,” he admits. Hannon says it was more of a cosmetic than a structural job, but it was a complete revamp from floor to ceiling and they made some very beneficial changes.“We introduced an off-licence, changed our Smooch offering and took our coffee from the wall and put it in the middle of the shop and added another machine. Because we are a rural business, we still deal in a lot of cash, so we also put an ATM in. Mace was able to guide us about our offering and how to display it all. I think the overall layout is far better than it used to be and across our key lines we are really starting to see the benefits,” he explains. The deli underwent a complete revamp too to the Mace For Food’s Sake concept and he says,“we’ve been reaping the rewards of that since.” Hannon heaps praise on his deli manager, Agata Czepliewicz, who has been with them for over four years, for expanding the deli and making it such a success.

A popular pit stop for many commuters, the store’s Bewley’s coffee offering performs strongly

Importance of an off-licence Since the revamp was completed, they have seen an overall increase of 11% across the store and their key lines are performing very well. The retail food service and the hot deli is up 8% but most staggering of all is that alcohol is up 30%, due to the introduction of the off-licence. Introducing a full off-licence was a key move in the revamp. They had previously held a wine licence but after six months of operating the full off-licence they are sorry they didn’t do it sooner. “I think we missed out not having an off-licence during Covid,” he freely admits.“We were apprehensive at the start as we weren’t sure it would work out but then we got some reassurance from Mace. They said this is the way to go and now we are disappointed that we didn’t do it sooner. It ticks away all week, but we see a big boost at the weekend. We are the only store in town open until 10pm so we are catching that late evening market when people decide to have a drink at home,” he explains.

With a bright and airy appearance, Mace Maxol Newmarket maintains excellent standards across all departments

Being one of the main businesses in the town means that they are prime targets for sponsorship and Hannon says they are pleased to sponsor what they can. During the summer they sponsored free ice cream and drinks for children during the Kellogg Cul Camps and recently gave free Mace water to the 300 participants of the Twomey memorial cycle held in memory of a local man who passed away in a car crash. They also sponsor an annual local hurling competition called the Duhallow Cup. GAA is big business in Newmarket with the local hurling team, which Hannon is a member of, recently winning their local division junior hurling championship. He says that having such a strong GAA club, both hurling and football, is so important for the town but also personally for himself.“Retailing is long hours and can be quite stressful at times. Having that outlet and training 4/5 times a week is really fantastic for me. It’s great to go out and clear your head and obviously stay in shape as well.”

Staff While they can field a strong hurling and football team in Newmarket, many rural towns would struggle to do the same with so many young people emigrating. The biggest challenge for Hannon is recruiting new staff. He currently employs 15 staff including his parents and himself and eight of these staff are full time.“We are lucky as our staff have been quite settled for a number of years and we get college staff in the summer but if our long-term staff went elsewhere it would be difficult to replace them. There are not too many young people looking for work in rural areas these days. A huge amount of people I went to college with are in Australia or in Dubai. I suppose there are opportunities there for them but hopefully things will pick up and they’ll come back in the future,” he says. Coming close to one year post-revamp, Donal Hannon is very pleased with the results of the investment and is now looking towards the future of the business, even considering electric charge points and further seating areas in the forecourt. With his family and Mace supporting him at every turn, the odds of future success are high! ■

Fresh and appetising, the store’s For Food’s Sake deli has built up a great reputation for offering tasty fayre

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

FEATURE

Minimum momentum With the minimum wage set to increase from 1 January by €1.40 to €12.70, Laura Lynott examines the impact on retail businesses, from both employees’ and employers’ perspectives

maller retailers may have to close, while others could be forced to cut staff numbers and hours, or risk putting up prices, to pay for the hike in the National Minimum Wage (NMW). Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) CEO Vincent Jennings said retailers had been repeatedly hit by costs and against the backdrop of inflation, the NMW rise was just “another hammer blow” to businesses, particularly small retailers, struggling in a tough climate. “To retailers who are borderline, earning little profit already, but who are still profitable, this measure could cause them to close,” Jennings told ShelfLife. “We’re resilient but we can’t keep taking hammer blows and it’s the State that is causing the problems,” he added. Tara Buckley, director general of RGDATA, said: “We believe the government needs to design a new scheme that will compensate SME indigenous businesses, that employ significant numbers of full and part-time workers and provide important part-time jobs for carers, students and first time jobs.

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

“Our choices to deal with these additional costs are limited and stark – cut staff hours, cut staff numbers, put up prices, or go out of business.” It was announced in Budget 2024 that the minimum wage would increase from 1 January by €1.40 to €12.70. But months before this decision, employers had called for Budget supports for small companies who would struggle with the additional costs.

Supports have not materialised However, Jennings feels supports have not materialised. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, told ShelfLife it and the Department of Social Protection are currently undertaking an assessment of the “cumulative effect of new measures impacting businesses”. A Department of Enterprise spokesperson said an Increased Cost of Business scheme (ICOB) has been introduced. “The scheme will provide direct financial support to small businesses who have been most impacted by rising costs,” the

spokesperson said. The one-off grant would assist up to 130,000 small and medium businesses, he added. This measure was announced as part of Budget 2024 at a cost of €250 million. However, Jennings said the grant was far from enough to help retailers deal with a raft of additional costs instigated by the State. “This is a one-off grant,” he said. “The grant is only for quarter one. But the increase in costs is continual. The government should be saying ‘This is what we’re going to do to ease your pain over the next couple of years’ and create a properly considered plan. “Leo Varadkar was at pains to say everyone was going to benefit from the increase to the minimum wage and you can understand how an employee would feel that. “However, if someone’s been doing their job for a long time and a new worker comes in, earning the same, that doesn’t seem fair either.”

‘Not goldmines’ “Retailers are not goldmines; we’re not making a fortune.

Whatever we make is hard earned, we can’t be left with next to nothing. Where’s the incentive to work for yourself, doing the hours we do, taking the risks. “There needs to be a clear understanding that small enterprises in this country continually and significantly add to employment levels and it’s vital we’re not hammered. “A labour-based relief should be introduced. We suggest PRSI.” Tara Buckley noted: “The independent retailers that RGDATA represents are extremely concerned about the cumulative impact that a series of government measures, including the increase in the NMW, the increase in sick pay days, the introduction of a new public holiday and pension autoenrolment, will have on the cost of running their shops. “We estimate it will cost over €4,000 each per employee in 2024. This is a huge stress and challenge for locally owned shops and supermarkets, who provide over 90,000 jobs throughout the

Against the backdrop of inflation, the national minimum wage (NMW) rise is “another hammer blow” to businesses, says CSNA CEO Vincent Jennings

FEATURE

country. We’re operating in an extremely challenging and competitive market and independent shops don’t have the funds or the ability to deal with these costs without some support from the government.” She said that retailers also understand their customers are facing cost-of-living challenges. “We do not believe that we can just hike up prices to pay for these enormous additional costs,” she added.

RGDATA delegation An RGDATA delegation led by president Colin Fee recently met with the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, with responsibility for retail, Neale Richmond. Buckley said shopkeepers had given a “very passionate account of the huge stresses and challenges they’re facing and their very real fears about the cumulative impact of all of these measures on the very survival of their shops.” The delegation highlighted that the proposed Commercial Rates Rebate Scheme would not apply to many convenience store and supermarket owners, who pay more than €20,000 in rates. “We asked the government to review that scheme to ensure that it reaches the small businesses that employ significant numbers,” she said. “Government needs to introduce a support scheme that will compensate employers, who will pay significant additional employment costs in 2024,” she added. “We also asked the government to reduce employers’ PRSI to compensate employers for having to take on substantial additional costs like sick pay and pensions that were supposed to be covered by PRSI.”

Not affordable Jennings couldn’t see how retailers could increase prices and he felt the most likely scenario was less working hours and less trading hours. “We can’t afford to become less competitive,” he said. “The only option is to keep hammering away, making backbenchers, ministers and senators aware that we cannot be expected to be saddled with these enormous costs. They are so far above inflation. “For many retailers, it will cost €25,000 to €30,000 for 2024. But by 2026, there will be a €15 an hour increase - that’s over €30,000. And that’s on top of all the other costs.”

“Government needs to introduce a support scheme that will compensate employers, who will pay significant additional employment costs in 2024,” says RGDATA director general Tara Buckley

Department response The Department believes the current plan is workable, however. The Department spokesperson said: “The grant will be paid to small and medium sized businesses, who operate from a rateable premises and is intended to be paid at a rate of up to half the enterprise’s commercial rates bill subject to a prescribed limit.” A study on the measures will be completed by the end of this year and will inform future policy in the area, the spokesperson explained. “This study is in line with a recommendation from the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council in its report, Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2022,” he said. “The government has supported retailers with targeted interventions and supports, from the challenges of Brexit and the pandemic, to rising costs,” he added. The Department said it recognised “those challenges have not gone away, including very high energy costs”. The grant will be paid through local authorities in the first quarter of 2024. The details of the stimulus would be finalised within weeks. “This grant will go some way to help businesses with rising costs, including the increase in the minimum wage, though it can be put towards whatever cost they see fit,” the spokesperson said. The CSNA is advocating that relief should be offered through the elimination of the low-rate PRSI for the three-year period of 2024 to 2026. The group has asked its members to speak with TDs and senators, to show politicians a retailer’s income from last year and previous years. They also want retailers to highlight how many staff are employed and their current and projected costs for

2024, with a 12.4% increase and the extra costs. The projected increase per hour for 2025 is due to be €1 and sick pay will go from five days to seven, the group stated. The Living Wage will be introduced at a projected €15 in 2026, which will require a €1.30 increase. Meanwhile, sick pay will go from seven to 10 days. The CSNA is telling its members to clearly state to political representatives that the “future of community-based retail is at stake,” and to call for an “effective support package, as promised.” In July, Ibec stated that smaller businesses needed to access competitive and transitional supports, if they were to be able to implement the increased wage. The business representatives’ group, at that time, called for such a stimulus to be installed in line with the Budget. Part of the difficulty for retailers in this process is the cost of living faced by workers, who are also affected by a rise in mortgage interest rates and rent. As workers’ unions push for an increase to wages, retailers on the other side are struggling with the hike in costs.

ICTU position The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) earlier this year called for an increase to the NMW of €2, which would see the hourly rate go up to €13.30. Owen Reidy, general secretary of Congress, said: “Low paid workers on the national minimum wage are hurting disproportionately in this costof-living crisis. We welcome the fact that this government is committed to moving to a national living wage, but it needs to happen sooner.” The union said young workers, in particular, have been “let down by society and our economy,” working in “precarious low-paid work and are all but excluded from the housing and rental market, given the immense housing crisis we’re living through”. However, as Jennings pointed out, there’s a real difficulty if some smaller businesses can no longer take more costs and are forced to close their doors. This would result in less jobs for those same young people, affected by a tough economic climate, he feels. ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

STORE PROFILE

Communitycentered convenience Shauna Bernard sits down with co-owner Darren O’Loughlin of Daybreak Gracedieu, to talk about the store’s background, transformation and commitment to community involvement

In the heart of the rapidly growing community in Waterford, Daybreak Gracedieu has established itself as a hub of activity and a go-to destination for workers and residents. With its roots as a small independent store, Daybreak Gracedieu’s journey to becoming a thriving retail establishment has been marked by remarkable growth and community engagement.

Humble beginnings Daybreak Gracedieu’s story begins with Darren O’Loughlin, the man behind the store’s transformation. Originally, the store was known as‘eight to eight’ and occupied a modest 50 square-foot space. For four years, it served as a local independent shop. However, O’Loughlin saw an opportunity for expansion and

entered into discussions with Musgrave, ultimately leading to the store’s relocation to a newer and considerably larger unit just around the corner. O’Loughlin recalls:“That was last December, so we’re nearly a year in. And it’s been great since we started.” The renovation process was nothing short of a major undertaking. When Daybreak Gracedieu took over the new premises, it was a shell and four walls. The transformation that ensued, from plumbing to constructing walls and organising leases, was a substantial feat.“Anything you can think of going into making a building, had to be done,” says O’Loughlin. The store, located underneath a block of apartments, had remained vacant for a staggering 15 years before Daybreak Gracedieu breathed new life into it.

Sales growth Since the relocation to the new premises, and operating under the Daybreak umbrella, sales have more than doubled and the store has already topped its budget figures on a weekly basis, driven by impressive deli, coffee and grocery sales. According to business development manager, Paul Mullen:“The store hasn’t peaked yet and won’t for several years because of all the developments and any opportunity we see in the area to participate, whether it be the library, the local school or the local creches, we jump at the opportunity and Darren is excellent at that. We opened the store two weeks before Christmas and then in April in the second addition to the store we put a full off-licence in, which absolutely drove the sales to another level.”

A dedicated team The store boasts a team of 10 staff members, with two full-time employees and the rest working part-time. Notably, six of these team members made the transition from the independent shop to the new store. O’Loughlin gladly says:“Absolutely, I think they’re great and I wouldn’t change any of my staff for the world.” This continuity in staff played a vital role in maintaining the store’s operational values.

Community engagement

Store standards are paramount at Daybreak Gracedieu where well-stocked, tidy shelves allow customers to “Stop, Shop, Dash” with ease

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

The store takes pride in its involvement with the local community, sourcing some of its produce locally, including eggs from local suppliers. Additionally, the store has made contributions to the Waterford De La Salle GAA Club and provides dinners for the local Gaelscoil, enhancing its connection with the community. Touching on how important word of mouth is in the community, O’Loughlin notes:“Word got out that we do provide dinners so the Gaelscoil got in contact with

STORE PROFILE

“With ongoing development in the area, including the construction of thousands of new houses, Daybreak Gracedieu is well-positioned for further growth.”

us. We opened last year in December and they kept us on for another school year as well.” O’Loughlin also mentions the warm reception he receives on pizza Fridays when delivering to the Gaelscoil:“We deliver the likes of cottage pie, chicken curry, chicken nuggets, chips and pizzas on a Friday. I deliver them myself, and when I arrive on Friday with pizzas it’s a big cheer, and the other days I don’t even get noticed!”

Unique offerings The store’s offerings set it apart in the retail landscape. With over 2,000 houses under construction in the area, Daybreak Gracedieu has seized the opportunity to be part of the community’s growth. Sub-brands like 9 Grams coffee, Lickety Split, a Daybreak exclusive ice cream brand, and Munch & Co, which focuses on fresh foods, have contributed to the store’s success. These sub-brands have not only added to the store’s diverse offerings but have also helped drive margins. In addition, the introduction of Daybreak ready meals has been met with a positive response from customers. This range provides a great choice of delicious and convenient individual and family meal options, which have been well-received and are flying off the shelves. According to O’Loughlin:“They are going out just as quickly as they’re coming in and are also branded really well, which stands out to customers.”

Support and collaboration Daybreak Gracedieu continues to receive support from the Daybreak brand, which has been instrumental in the store’s success. O’Loughlin mentions that during the store’s set-up, Daybreak’s assistance was invaluable. “I think they’ve been brilliant,” he says.“Even when we were setting up the place, they’ve been a massive help in what they’ve done. I couldn’t have done it without them. And then with the daily running of things, the store promotions are a massive help, I couldn’t fault them in any way.” The ongoing store promotions and

difficulties.“It sounds like the energy costs are eventually going to go down but until they do, we’ll just have to keep going but yes, it is quite tough. I won’t lie, but we’re getting through it.” His primary focus is to drive down costs and maintain a strong customer value proposition.

Looking forward

Daybreak’s Munch & Co deli bar serves up a wide selection of healthy and hearty bites for breakfast, lunch or dinner

support continue to be crucial to the store’s operations. O’Loghlin insists that his business partner Rebekah should get a special mention as she opened up the opportunity, and gives him the freedom to run the store.“Without her support, the project would never have happened,” he says.

Overcoming challenges Relating to many businesses, Daybreak Gracedieu has had to confront rising business costs, particularly in the form of escalating energy prices. O’Loughlin acknowledges that the energy crisis has posed challenges, but the store is managing to navigate these

With Daybreak’s Munch & Co deli concept, eating fresh food on-the-go has never been easier

With ongoing development in the area, including the construction of thousands of new houses, Daybreak Gracedieu is well-positioned for further growth. O’Loughlin notes:“We’re in an area that is growing rapidly, I would say. There are three building sites within half a kilometre of us. Within those three building sites, there’s potential for a thousand houses. You can see it every day, there’s more builders and they are sometimes coming in three times a day. Once those guys are gone and the houses are up, people are going to move in and that’s even further growth again. We’re in a great area, I think we got in at the right time.” The store has been an integral part of the local community’s development and continues to look for opportunities to support the growth of the area. As the store continues to evolve and adapt to the challenges of the ever-changing retail landscape, it remains an example of persevering. With an evergrowing future ahead, Daybreak Gracedieu is poised to remain a vital part of the community’s growth and development in Waterford. ■

Lickety Split is an exciting ice-cream brand available exclusively from Daybreak

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

20 ADVERTORIAL

Gala Retail celebrates milestone 25th year at annual conference Group reflects on key milestones since its establishment in 1998 and recognises the ongoing commitment and dedication of Gala retailers today

technology has been designed to breathe life into new store layouts, enabling retailers to step into the future and visualise and navigate a Gala store right from the initial planning stages. This groundbreaking simulator not only showcases the potential of Gala stores but also underpins Gala Retail’s commitment to fostering innovation within the convenience retail sector.

Marketing Community continues to be at the core of Gala Retail’s values, and this is reflected in the brand marketing activities the Group undertakes throughout the year. This year Gala focused on rewarding customers through the ‘Gala Gifts For All’, ‘Gala Getaways’ and later this month will be launching a new festive in-store promotion, with Smyths Toys, with all activations targeted at driving footfall to Gala stores and generating goodwill within local communities. Touching on the Group’s sponsorship of national children’s summer camps, Starcamp with Gala Retail, and the Group’s continued support of Special Olympics Ireland, now in its eighth year, Gary highlighted Gala Retail’s commitment to supporting Irish organisations and celebrating the inspirational sporting achievements from individuals across Ireland.

Pictured with awards host, Lucy Kennedy are chairman of Gala Retail, Donald Williamson and CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond

Continuing the celebrations of its milestone 25th year in business, Irish convenience group, Gala Retail, held its 2023 conference at The Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry. The focus of the conference centred around the group’s continued success in community retailing, the growth of the Gala brand and the future vision for Gala. Welcoming in excess of 350 guests, the Gala Retail Conference and Excellence Awards was attended by Gala retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, Gala employees and friends of the group, and was hosted by Irish presenter, Lucy Kennedy. A look back at the growth and milestones of the group since it was founded in 1998, highlighted how Gala Retail’s focus on ‘local’ and ‘community’ values, combined with ongoing innovation continues to deliver success for the group and its retailers, which are in excess of 200, throughout Ireland.

Trade show Earlier in the day, guests attended the annual conference trade show in Killarney, where they viewed new products and services from

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

suppliers, discussed solutions that can be incorporated in-store and sampled the delicious product range from Gala’s in-house concepts – Baker’s Corner, The Deli, Galato, Distill and the new look and superior offering from Coffee Junction. The trade show is an integral part of the annual Gala conference, commenting on this, Gala Retail CEO Gary Desmond said: “Our suppliers are an intrinsic part of the Gala mix, supporting Gala stores in the delivery of great value, quality produce and excellent service to our customers. The trade show provides a fantastic opportunity for Gala retailers and suppliers to meet face-to-face, avail of exceptional offers and see first-hand the latest innovations, one of which is the new, superior Coffee Junction. It was great to see the warm reception to the new coffee offering which will ensure Gala stores become a destination for coffee.” At the event, Gala Retail, announced the unveiling of a pioneering virtual reality store layout simulator – believed to be one of the first in Europe. This state-of-the-art

Jason O’Brien, director of O’Brien Ingredients, receives the Supplier of the Year Award from CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond

ADVERTORIAL

The Mulrooney Group presented with the Coffee Junction Award 2023

Excellence in Retailing Awards At the Gala awards event, it was time for Gala retailers to celebrate excellence in retailing with the Gala Retail Excellence Awards. Presented to stores that are deemed ‘outstanding’ following a comprehensive and independent assessment process, the annual awards recognise quality retailing throughout the Gala Group. 64 Gala stores from across the country picked up an award in recognition of their excellence in retailing, with an additional 13 Category Awards presented on the night. O’Brien Ingredients was named as Gala Supplier of the Year and commenting on the win, Jason O’Brien, director of O’Brien Ingredients said: “It’s a real privilege to have been named supplier of the year, especially in this, the start of Gala Retail’s 25th celebrations. We have been involved with the group for many years, watching as it has grown from strength to strength, and are proud to have played our part in introducing new products that are loved by Gala customers.” Jason O’Brien was presented with the award by CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond. “We are honoured to have so many excellent and passionate retailers, and teams, within the Gala Group,” said Desmond speaking at the awards ceremony. “Our retailers go above and beyond and this has never been more evident than in recent years. It is our pleasure to recognise the retailers who embody the ethos and values of Gala Retail in their service to their communities with these awards. It is their successes both tonight and the wins in-store every day that make the Gala Group better, stronger and able to thrive.”

Retail Excellence Award Winners Kane’s Gala, Carlow

Gala, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick

Hegarty’s Gala, Carlow

Gala Parnell Street, Co. Limerick

Munnelly’s Gala, Carlow

Corrigan’s Gala, Moyne, Co. Longford

Gala Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan

Hanlon’s Gala Longford, Co. Longford

Crowe’s Gala, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare

Gala Achill, Co. Mayo

Curtin’s Gala, Dunmanway, Co. Cork

McGloin’s Gala, Foxford, Co. Mayo

Camier’s Gala, Ballydehob, Co. Cork

Gala Bonniconlon, Co. Mayo

Gala Ovens, Co. Cork

Tuffy’s Gala, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo

Minihane’s Gala, Clonakilty, Co. Cork

Mulhern’s Gala, Crossmolina, Co. Mayo

Cooney’s Gala, Coachford, Co. Cork

Walsh’s Gala, Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo

Harkin’s Gala, Raphoe, Co. Donegal

Tuffy’s Gala, Ballina, Co. Mayo

Harkin’s Gala, St. Johnston, Lifford, Co. Donegal

King’s Gala, Ratoath, Co. Meath

Browne’s Gala, Manorcunningham, Co. Donegal

Farrell’s Gala, The Brink, Navan, Co. Meath

Duffy’s Gala, Terenure, Dublin

Darcy’s Gala, Mount Lucas, Co. Offaly

Egan’s Gala, Dunmore, Co. Galway

Mulrooney’s Gala, Birr, Co. Offaly

Cliffords’s Gala, Oak Park, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Henry’s Gala, Ballymoate, Co. Sligo

Clifford’s Gala, Mounthawk, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Mulrooney’s Gala, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary

O’Shea’s Gala, Blennerville, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Mulrooney’s Gala, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary

Daly’s Gala, Waterville, Co. Kerry

Mulrooney’s Gala, Templemore, Co. Tipperary

Noonan’s Gala, Athy, Co. Kildare

Mulrooney’s Gala, Portumna, Co. Tipperary

King’s Gala, Maganey, Co. Kildare

Larkin’s Gala, Ballina, Co. Tipperary

Nolan’s Gala, Ardnore, Loughboy, Co. Kilkenny

Gala Golden, Co. Tipperary

Dempsey’s Gala, Portarlington, Co. Laois

Hurley’s Gala, Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary

Dowling’s Gala, Killenard, Portarlington, Co. Laois

Hennessy’s Gala, Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford

Bracken’s Gala, Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Gala Raheen, Co. Wexford

King’s Gala, Ballylinan, Co. Laois

Murphy’s Gala, Kilanerin, Gorey, Co. Wexford

Kieran’s Gala, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim

Gala Clonroche, Co. Wexford

Gala Mohill, Co. Leitrim

Gala New Ross, Co. Wexford

Gala Rooskey, Co. Leitrim

Gala, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

McDermott’s Gala, Patrickswell, Co. Limerick

Cullen’s Gala, Adamstown, Co. Wexford

Moynihan’s Gala, Adare, Co. Limerick

Gala Bunclody, Co. Wexford

Gala Kilmallock, Co. Limerick

King’s Gala, Gorey, Co. Wexford

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

ADVERTORIAL

Category Winners 2023 Fresh Food Award McDermott’s Gala Patrickswell, Co. Limerick

2023 Baker Corner Award Nicholson’s Gala Achill, Co. Mayo

Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail, pictured with the Gala Retail Council at the Gala Conference. Pictured are (back row): Gary Desmond, Paul Harkin, Hilary Duffy, John McDermott, Siobhan Grimes and Kevin Bracken. (Front row): Irene Murphy, Donald Williamson and Majella Hennessy

2023 Special Merit Award Gala Rooskey Co. Leitrim

2023 Store Manager of the Year Stephanie Sweeney Gala Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford

2023 Coffee Junction Award The Mulrooney Group

2023 Chilled Retailer Award Clifford’s Gala Mounthawk, Tralee, Co. Kerry

2023 Customer Service Award Gala Mohill Co. Leitrim

2023 Off Licence of the Year Award Pictured at the Gala conference are Donald Williamson, chairman of Gala Retail, Mario Rosenstock, Lucy Kennedy and Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail

Tuffy’s Gala Louisburgh, Co. Mayo

2023 Marketing Initiative Award Dowling’s Gala Killenard, Co. Laois

2023 Community Initiative Award Harkin’s Gala, Raphoe, Co. Donegal

2023 Social Media Champion Kane’s Gala Co. Carlow

2023 Supplier of The Year O’Brien Ingredients

2023 Brand Champion Award John Colclough from Kerry Foods and Audrey Kelly, Chilled and Logistics manager, Gala Retail, pictured presenting John McDermott, McDermott’s Gala with the Fresh Food Award

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

O’Shea’s Gala Blennerville, Co. Kerry ■

ADVISOR: MARKETING

The reality of marketing in 2023 Keen to see how much marketing has changed since his last survey undertaken four years ago, Colin Gordon has once again commissioned research through B&A, with illuminating results I began contributing to ShelfLife over three years ago. It was the middle of Covid and all the lockdowns and anxiety. The year beforehand I had undertaken bespoke quantitative research through B&A among marketers and agencies to seek out their impressions of what marketing is and the issues facing it. The results of the survey at the time were covered across a range of publications and media and I used them as a cornerstone for a book I published in 2020 (Marketing is in Trouble: How we got there and 10 steps to get us out by Orpen Press.). At the time and in my contributions to this publication and other platforms I was very worried that marketing had lost sight of selling and what it could do to enable selling; the main focus was shown to be on advertising and social media. If business is not about selling, what’s it for? But communications and social media had been shown in the survey (along with a heap of other really interesting findings to do with quality of briefings, marketing performance metrics used, etc) to be crucial to the marketers’ understanding of their job and I was more than keen to steer them towards a more holistic approach towards the subject. So, I decided to see if indeed things had changed. I redid the survey in the last few months with a few additional questions but the same method and the same

research house, B&A. And the results? Well, as the saying goes:“Everything changes, and everything stays the same.”

Everything changes In the last four years, sales and selling have considerably risen in terms of importance to marketers and their role; so too the customer has increasingly become the centre of focus. Delivering and retaining the customer is seen as more important than in the 2019 survey. This is really positive, even if it should always have been that way. Drucker said a long, long time ago that the purpose of any business is to create a customer. He famously said that marketing is the core function in a business in ‘delivering’ the customer.

Everything stays the same Despite this move in the right direction, everything seems to stay the same. Even though marketing is recognised in the survey as (very) important to the business, nearly one in three respondents said their organisations didn’t have marketing represented at their executive table and almost two thirds of marketers admit that their organisations are not (very) customer centric. How can you have marketing as a core function and not at the decisionmaking forum? Would the same happen for finance or operations? Definitely not but why not? How

COLIN GORDON Marketing Expert

‘Marketing is in trouble: How we got here and 10 steps to get us out’ by Colin Gordon is now available to purchase, published by Orpen Press. To get your hands on a copy, visit the following: www.orpenpress.com www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08M9XY6HF www.amazon.com/dp/B08M9XY6HF Marketing is in trouble eBook by Colin Gordon 9781786051127. Rakuten Kobo Ireland www.kobo.com/ie/en/ebook/marketing-is-in-trouble.

do companies or marketers expect sales to happen if their employers do not have marketing at the top table and aren’t fully focused on the customer? There were several other contradictions evident in the survey. For instance, it was revealed once again how “trigger happy” marketers are, saying on the one hand how satisfied they are with their agencies but then showing how frequently they change them.

Changing agencies Going out to pitch gives a real sense of activity; marketing is busy and is seen by colleagues in sales or finance or HR to be doing something. Sometimes doing something (anything!) can be a strategy. Marketing folk can find it hard to explain the results of marketing activity in the shortterm, so firing an agency is being busy. But activity for its own sake is vanity and self-serving. Doing nothing can be the correct thing. Why not leave the packaging the same? Don’t change the creative agency every four years (as was evident from the survey).

Short-termism The survey also pointed to an increasing sense of short-termism

and a continuing feeling among agencies that their client briefs are often no better than ‘neutral’ with almost half of their clients being seen as presenting poor briefs. And very often clients admit they are not even trained in briefing. In fact, ongoing marketing training in general has reduced over the four years. The 2023 survey was designed and timed to see if there was much change since the first survey and especially since Covid. While it’s encouraging to see the customer and sales performance becoming more important, it will be interesting to see if this is a response to the issues facing so many businesses in the intervening period (high inflationary pressures, Covid-related supply chain issues, ongoing Brexit challenges, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, etc.) or will they become embedded? If they are to become so, then organisations will need to be able to be more customer-centred, be more longterm focused, get marketing to be part of the top table, recognise that agencies are not mere service providers but business partners, and train their marketers so they are more up to date on ‘stuff ’ and better at briefing and working with their agencies over the longer term. A lot done but more to do! ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

24 ANALYSIS

Ireland’s city centres – is retail part of the problem or the solution? Despite the recent closures of Argos and Iceland, Owen Clifford, head of Retail Sector at Bank of Ireland, shares his thoughts on why those writing the obituaries of our city centres and the role of retail within same are vastly premature Owen Clifford, head of Retail Sector, Bank of Ireland

In recent months, the future of our city centres has attracted widespread commentary and opinion linked to a number of high profile antisocial incidents and a perceived demise in attractiveness for shoppers, tourists and workers. As retailers navigate an uncertain economic market fuelled by the growth of online sales, inflationary pressure and the closure of Argos and Iceland (collectively known as the “Vowel virus” by some in the industry), some have queried if the sector represents a hurdle/roadblock or a catalyst for the re-invigoration of our city centres. Certainly, there has been an over-reliance on the retail sector in the recent past; however, those writing the obituaries of our city centres and the role of retail within same are being premature. Here’s why:

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

“By transforming stores into an experience-led proposition, a more fertile environment for gathering customer feedback and insights is created,” writes Owen Clifford

Balanced approach

The post-Covid consumer

International evidence demonstrates that balance and diversity is key to successful city centre regeneration; A strategy that inter-links retail with residential housing, flexible office space, hospitality/entertainment options along with a focus on leisure/wellness and historical heritage is a positive first-step in this regard. This approach requires buy-in from a range of stakeholders/interested parties including the retail sector. In a post-Covid environment, retailers’ appetite to re-engage with the city-centre (citing the ‘Donut effect’ whereby footfall within shopping-centres and retail parks increased dramatically at the expense of the high-street) has been questioned. Recent footfall/spend data and market activity rebut this argument; however, there is a recognition from the sector that sustainability can only be delivered through continuous innovation and flexibility in their proposition. The historic focus of many city-centre stores was solely on selling products to tourists, students and commuters/day-trippers. This is now changing to reflect the expectations of the modern consumer and will need to continue to evolve to ensure a more “community-centred” citycentre is nurtured into the future.

Development and cultivation of strong consumer relationships are imperative in a market where customer loyalty patterns/ statistics are being diluted linked to the range of choice (both online and offline) now on offer. Retailers still need to excel at selling products, but product sales will become only one element in a broader ecosystem — one that includes services, experiences, advice, and content — to keep consumers coming back. Internationally, shoppers are moving away from the middle of the market — in greater numbers they’re either seeking value-based or premium propositions. This behaviour is intrinsically linked – consumers seeking to “treat themselves” with a more expensive product/activity/night out etc after a sustained period of repressed/manged spending. This behaviour manifested itself as “revenge-spending” in the immediate aftermath of the recent pandemic. Retailers are addressing this pattern in a combined manner with “pre-loved”/second hand luxury items now on sale in many department stores – offering a gateway to the premium market to a wider consumer base through a valued-based proposition.

ANALYSIS

Role of the city centre store The physical city centre store has an instrumental role to play in meeting the expectations of the modern customer. A retail space located in the city centre provides retailers with the opportunity to showcase their brand, engage with a broader, more diverse demographic (mix of commuters, tourists, day-trippers etc), trial new concepts and transition their business to an integrated, omnichannel model. In transforming these stores into an experience-led proposition – a more fertile environment for gathering customer feedback and insights is created – the bedrock of any solid customer loyalty/ engagement strategy. In this model – less is more – retailers will reduce store numbers but will retain/seek larger-footprint or more highprofile spaces within the city centre. While differentiated in nature, these stores will act in tandem with their suburban/retail park outlets to facilitate accessible delivery/pick-up/return options etc to support a more user-friendly customer experience and maintain footfall/ engagement across their wider store network. This strategy aligns with a more balanced/ mixed-use city-centre proposition as outlined above. It also facilities the development of partnerships – complementary brands sharing space – adding value and choice to the consumer in an intuitive manner.

Ireland – The opportunity Ireland’s city-centres remain an attractive location for international retailers. The arrival of Flannels, Lego, Lulumelon, Canada Goose,

“As calls for a Royal Commission on this topic gain momentum in the UK – the creation of a focused, city-centre revitalisation taskforce would be a timely intervention by the Irish government drawing on international best practice from a transport infrastructure, business incentive (rates and capital allowances etc) and community engagement perspective.” Pret A Manger, Tessuti and Mont Blanc stores post Covid illustrates a more diversified shopping experience in a market/environment once dominated by mid-tier UK fashion retailers. This re-alignment has also facilitated Irish brands such as Elvery’s, Carraig Donn, Sculpted by Aimee and Dubray Books to open in prominent city-centre locations nationwide. Progressive retailers use sophisticated, datadriven techniques to inform their location decisions – with low unemployment, strong savings levels and a multi-cultural population – they view Ireland’s city-centres as a robust location for investment. This potential has also been highlighted by the inclusion of Cork, Dublin and Belfast among the top-ranking “Cities of the future” from a business/investor attractiveness perspective in a recent report commissioned by the Financial Times/FDI Research.

Action required In recent months, vast column inches have been filled with the problems associated with

Ireland’s city-centres. To build upon the groundswell of support to address these issues, proactive collaboration is now required across national/local government departments, the business community and public-interest advocacy groups. As calls for a Royal Commission on this topic gain momentum in the UK – the creation of a focused, city-centre revitalisation taskforce would be a timely intervention by the Irish government drawing on international best practice from a transport infrastructure, business incentive (rates and capital allowances etc) and community engagement perspective. Contrary to some commentary – the retail community have not abandoned our city centres. They do recognise however that openness to change and innovation is imperative to remain sustainable. In championing the benefits of this approach, the retail sector can once again be a driving force in establishing a strategy for positive change in our city centres. The time for action is now – Irish retailers are and will be part of the solution. ■

INTERVIEW

QUICK QUESTIONS WITH

MELISSA MOORE,

host of The Retail Tea Break podcast 5. Top book recommendation? Build Your Dream Network by Kelly Hoey.

13. Greatest achievement to date? Running my own business.

6. Which social media platform do you use most?

14. Best website? Does Google count?

Instagram, give theretailadvisor a follow! 7. Best ad on telly? Coca-Cola Holidays are Coming. Melissa Moore

1. Best series you recently watched on a streaming platform? Special Ops: Lioness.

8. Worst ad on telly? The carbon monoxide ones with the canary. 9. Favourite grocery shop? Asian Food Market in Galway.

2. Best place for coffee? I’m a tea person; a little spot near me called Joyce County Bakery serves a fantastic chai latte.

A good Goan curry with all the side dishes.

3. Top movie recommendation? Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder.

Ensure no one ever goes hungry again.

4. Top spot for a walk? Anywhere around Lough Corrib.

10. Your favourite dish to make at home? 11. First thing you would do if you were Taoiseach? 12. If you had to live in another country, where would you choose? India!

15. Do you prefer working from home or in the office/on-site? I love working from home, but I also love delivering training in person to retailers. 16. Best piece of advice you ever received? Work on your business, not just in it. 17. City or beach break? I’m off to Goa in a few weeks, so I have to say beach! 18. Top restaurant recommendation? Olive’s Seoul Food in Claremorris. 19. Best customer service you ever received? Brown Thomas. 20. What’s the last compliment you received? That my website is great! ■

If she had to live in another country, India would be Melissa Moore's preferred choice

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

26 FEATURE

Driving continuous improvement

Gillian Hamill reports on key insights from ‘The Norwegian Retail Innovation Summit’, organised by the Norwegian Embassy in conjunction with Maze

n Tuesday, 24 October, ShelfLife was delighted to be invited by ambassador Mari Skåre to ‘The Norwegian Retail Innovation Summit’, an exciting new event held at the Norwegian residence in Dublin 4. Organised in conjunction with Maze, it promised an evening of networking, learning, and collaboration with some of Norway’s most influential retail leaders. Thankfully, the event more than fully lived up to this billing, with numerous useful insights to report to our readers. The event featured the following high-calibre speakers: • Henning Eriksen, Møbelringen CEO: A dynamic leader driving remarkable success in Norway’s furniture retail. • Stine Solheim, Fargerike managing director: Transformed a paint retail chain into a retail powerhouse. • Pär Linder, retail director at Gina Tricot: Achieved a 170% NPS increase in the fashion retail industry. • Milan Hladil, Albert’s operations director: 19+ years of retail expertise in the Czech Republic’s largest grocery chain. • Mark Rice and Tomas Pinås, Maze innovators: Empowering frontline staff to double and triple retail revenues globally.

Speakers travelled from across Europe to share their experiences and insights at The Norwegian Retail Innovation Summit; pictured here outside the Norwegian residence in Dublin 4

Tomas Pinås, VP Global Sales, Maze: Enabling retailers to build a continuous improvement culture at the frontline

Norwegian ambassador Mari Skåre alongside Tomas Pinås, VP Global Sales, Maze

Following a charming introduction by Norwegian ambassador Mari Skåre, Maze’s Tomas Pinås likewise warmly welcomed guests to the summit. Pinås’ focus throughout his introduction was centered on enabling frontline retail staff to achieve tangible goals to improve

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

customer service; consequently, improving the retailer’s reputation, and crucially, driving sales. In essence, Maze offers an AI driven training app with feedback from real customers encouraging retail staff to take responsibility for their daily training. Instead of delivering a lengthy explanation of how Maze’s solution works, the company made the sage decision to invite retailers from across Europe who were able to recount their own first-hand experiences of how Maze had worked for their businesses and the difference it made to their bottom line. Retailers are facing “an ongoing battle for customer experience,” Pinås said. “A battle of converting as many visitors as possible to drive as much revenue and fulfil the customer’s needs every day. “I’m not going to pitch you anything about Maze, I’m just going to set the scene. And then I’m going to let our customers who we have brought here from all over Europe, talk about how they are actually working to win that customer experience every day.” He highlighted that “continuous

improvement” is essential; “moving the responsibility from the headquarters to the frontline sales staff who are in the battle every day. For those who are facing the customer every day; give them the power to actually take action and control their own behaviour and their own stores.” Pinås qualified that he was not referring to the sales campaign and pricing, “but the things that frontline staff can actually take control of”, to deliver exceptional results. Since its foundation in 2005, Maze now works with over 100 retailers across the world to provide them with training solutions. Pinås reinforced that Maze’s success in partnership with retailers lies in allowing management to: “See your frontline store staff, reinforce them, give them credibility when they are doing something positive towards the customer and give them regular appraisals.” The impact of Maze, he continued is to “increase their energy every day, make them a whole lot happier and allow them to >>

FEATURE

>> master their job. They get feedback from customers and colleagues instantly every day, telling them what they can specifically improve upon and how they can improve”. His concluding question was one that will fully resonate with our readers: “How can

we actually measure this?” Pinås is able to point to examples of retailers increasing revenues by tens of millions within the first year of operating in partnership with Maze. “The UK-based business Specsavers started running the solution globally and

tripled their business,” he adds. “I’m not standing here, taking credit for all of this but Maze is a very, very important tool to help businesses during their growth journey, and in building their continuous improvement culture at the frontline.”

Retailers share their experiences and results with Maze With retailers travelling from all over Europe to share their experiences of working with Maze, it was fantastic to hear their firsthand accounts of the difference that Maze made to their businesses. A continuous finding reported throughout all the presentations was the extent to which receiving regular, detailed feedback from customers motivated frontline staff to ensure they delivered a first-class experience. They felt empowered because the feedback showed the extent to which they were valued by customers and that their contributions could have a significant impact on the company’s reputation. In short, they felt ‘seen’. HQ also benefitted with real insight on how the business was performing on a store-by-store basis.

Henning Eriksen, CEO, Møbelringen

Pär Linder, retail director, Gina Tricot

Stine Solheim, who is the managing director of Fargerike, the number one home and interior decorating company in Norway, with 94 stores across the country, shared her account of why the business decided to partner with Maze and the positive results that decision has delivered to date. “We spend so many millions on marketing every day, every month and we wanted to know, does it really work, is this the best way to develop our concept and to communicate with our customers?” Customer service has always been a mainstay of the business and is a key reason why customers choose Fargerike. Indeed, with 96 stores and 1.6 billion in turnover, Fargerike has consistently achieved top customer satisfaction scores for five years. However, with continuous improvement in mind, Solheim was seeking a way to receive regular customer feedback, in order to know that customers are happy with the group’s marketing and that they are fully satisfied across all of Fargerike’s stores. She was delighted to discover that Maze had the capability to deliver exactly this type of detailed feedback. “We started in April, and we now have half a year of experience. It’s not [a long time] but it’s starting to give us some really good results. We now send out questionnaires to all our loyalty members after they have visited us. We get really great feedback.” She explained that as well as praise for the group, customers also took the time to deliver insightful constructive feedback. “I found that really impressive because it shows they really care about our brand,” she said. “Why would you dedicate so much of your time giving feedback to a retailer? It’s because they actually really care; it’s not about criticising us, but it’s really helping us to become better in the areas that they find a little bit confusing or that we could maybe improve, and that’s so positive.” Store

Milan Hladil, operations and strategy director, Albert

managers and their employees read the customers’ comments every day, enabling them to track their progress in terms of customer satisfaction. It’s really engaging for staff to see how they’re performing on a day-to-day basis. “We’ve decided not to give the feedback on an employee level yet, because we have stores which may only have say, four or five employees, so we’ve decided to develop our team spirit about giving the best customer service continuously rather than giving it on an individual level yet,” she added. “By creating this team spirit, the team can develop better and better results.” ShelfLife will report on further retailer insights in partnership with Maze in our December issue. To learn more, visit www.en.mymaze.com. ■

Stine Solheim, managing director, Fargerike

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

28 FOOD FOCUS

Tayto releases new Christmas TV advert Mr. Tayto is starring in his very first Christmas advert this year, in a magical new TV advertisement that follows Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. In the advert, after busily ensuring that every child around the world has a gift under their tree, when Santa returns to the North Pole, he finds that sadly there are no gifts under his own tree. In the true Christmas spirit of generosity, Mr. Tayto leaves a very special gift for Santa to enjoy over Christmas as everyone gets a gift including Santa. This touching tale invokes a delightful sense of Christmas mystery and excitement within the viewer. Mr. Tayto’s new advert is shot in a beautiful, cinematic style and as the joyous story unfolds to a specifically composed beautiful

melody, an emotional connection grows with the viewer. As the brand approaches its 70th birthday, Tayto wanted to mark the occasion. This iconic TV advert is the perfect nod to the dear place Tayto holds in the hearts of the nation. No doubt when the ad returns every year, it will signal to viewers that Christmas has arrived. The Tayto Christmas box, featured in the advert, has been a staple in Irish households at Christmas time. The box appearing in stores signals Christmas has begun and with projected sales of 1.2 million Christmas boxes this year - you are likely to find a box under the tree in one in every two households across the country. Iconic new TV advert is the perfect nod to the dear place Tayto holds in the hearts of the nation

Spade shared kitchen officially launched for start-ups The first open plan shared commercial kitchen at the Spade Enterprise Centre in Dublin City Centre has been officially opened by Minister for Enterprise, Simon Coveney. Based in North King Street in Dublin 7, the brand-new facility serves as an incubation centre for fledgling start-up food and drinks producers. The state-of-the-art facility spans some 5,600sq ft, including kitchen and storage facilities, providing capacity for 24 businesses. Spade was developed with support from the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund administered by Enterprise Ireland, with additional funding provided by Dublin City Council. “The new space will accommodate up to 24 businesses and will accelerate entrepreneurial activity in the area providing space for food start-ups to collaborate and innovate with access to state-of the art facilities including an interactive teaching and demo kitchen,” said Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney. “The opening of Spade, supported by over €2.7m in funding from my Department’s

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Regional Enterprise Development Fund, will provide high potential businesses with the space and practical support they need to flourish and prosper,” he added. Spade will meet with potential members; explore their business ideas and they can then join Spade for a membership fee of €50 a month and rent their space for €12 an hour with a minimum commitment of four hours.

Bernie Everard, CEO of Spade with Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment, Simon Coveney pictured with fledgling food producer Wiseman Mangaliso from South African Braai and Carol Gibbons, regional divisonal manager, Enterprise Ireland at the official launch of Spade Shared Kitchen

Irish foodservice industry hits record high: Bord Bia report

Findings from Bord Bia’s annual Foodservice Market Insights report show that the Irish ‘out of home’ sector was up nearly 13% this year to a new record high of €9.3 billion across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This is the first time that the market value has exceeded pre-pandemic levels, and this growth has been achieved amidst a surge of challenges over the last four years, although industry growth has slowed from the significant increases seen in 2022. Forecasts for 2024 indicate that the industry will experience a more discerning occasionled approach to dining out of home.

Bento Sushi rolls into M&S Liffey Valley

Bento Sushi has launched the first ever Bento Sushi bar in Ireland as part of an exclusive partnership with M&S at Liffey Valley. Bento will serve M&S customers with the affordable, quality and fresh Japanese cuisine that the brand has become internationally famous for. This includes hand-rolled sushi, street food and ready meals of popular dishes such as Chicken Katsu Curry. The opening of the kiosk has created five jobs for sushi chefs in the local area and will be an addition to the existing exclusive partnership for M&S Liffey Valley with the Butler’s Pantry, which launched in 2022. A new recipe has been created to mark the opening: The Sláinte Roll features chicken katsu and avocado rolled in spicy shichimi drizzled with curry mayo and Irish stout teriyaki and topped with crunchy umami potato crisps

Tirlán and Dairygold forge sustainable partnership

Tirlán and Dairygold are collaborating to bring the renewable energy solutions programme FarmGen (www.farmgen.ie) to more farm families across Ireland. Tirlán launched its FarmGen Solar PV programme in 2019 and has since seen farm businesses demonstrate a keen interest in embracing sustainable technologies, with a large number of Tirlán farm families installing a range of turnkey solar-powered energy FarmGen systems. Dairygold suppliers can avail of the solar PV programme as part of the switch to renewable energy solutions to reduce on-farm emissions and lower energy bills. Dairygold and Tirlán milk suppliers can also avail of 100% flexible financing for the FarmGen installation on their farms. ■ John Murphy, chairperson, Tirlán and Sean O’Brien, chairman, Dairygold CoOperative Society

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30 ADVISOR: RECRUITMENT

Examining the impact of NMW increases Ahead of the upcoming National Minimum Wage increase, Excel Recruitment’s Nikki Murran outlines why the knock-on effect on higher-paid tiers of staff must be considered

A lot of questions have been coming our way about the knock-on impact of the upcoming National Minimum Wage increase. In particular, how stores will be responding across the various levels of the business in order to remain competitive. The impending increase of €1.40 reflects a 12.4% increase in just 12 months. In total, the NMW increased €1.85 across eight years from 2014 to 2022, with yearly manageable increases. However, we are seeing an increase of €2.20 per hour, equating to 21%, in just the two most recent increases. This increase is more than double the rate of wage increases across the state and understandably is having a significant impact on retailers across the country. The most common question we are being asked is how retailers are responding across the rest of their stores’ teams.

are managing. So, the issue here is one that impacts the entire store team. And this is what is causing concern for retailers across the country. In an effort at fairness, many stores are increasing these junior managers’ salaries by the same percentage as the minimum wage increase. This means by the end of 2022, many, if not most of these junior managers were starting at €28,000 – €30,000 PA. However, a 21% increase from 2022 to 2024 would now bring an entry-level, junior management candidate to €36,000! A salary many experienced managers are on. This in turn causes an increase across the next level of managers – from assistant managers to fresh food and store managers. The question is, where does this become too crippling a cost for store owners to bear?

Entry level management roles

Natural market increase

Trainee managers, duty managers, team leaders, and store supervisors were typically earning €26,000 to €28,000 a couple of years ago. This was an entry-level role where they gained experience and was a first step on the retail career ladder. The medium here now equates to the 2023 NMW for a 45-hour week. There are many instances where the rates of minimum wage store staff have increased but that of the junior level manager has not moved. This level is being paid only slightly more than the teams they ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

That’s not to say that the minimum wage is a bad thing – indeed – it’s important that all are paid fairly. However, it’s this knock-on effect which needs to be taken into account, to ensure stores stay profitable and all those working are being paid fairly. The low unemployment rate has already caused a natural increase in the minimum wage for good staff over the last couple of years. This means that any retailers who worked hard could expect an increase from their employer in order to retain them.

This market balance means stores are paying those who work hardest more and have the budget to reward those who deserve it.

Retailers’ response Many of the retailers I spoke to are already paying their staff above minimum wage. However, 2024 will force an increase that brings all staff to the same level regardless of their performance. Other retailers will offset this cost by trimming hours in their stores where possible. More still will look at their ratio of under-18 staff and seek to balance their wage bill by ensuring they have a mix of under-18 staff and more experienced staff. However, with the current legislation around under-18s selling alcohol and tobacco; this is often not an option!

NIKKI MURRAN Director, Grocery Retail Recruitment, Excel Recruitment www.excelrecruitment.com

Wage wars This 2024 increase will see the “levelling out” of salaries. This means many competing employers will start increasing again in order to attract top talent in a still overheated employment market. Some retailers suggested that rather than compete with more “wage wars” against other employers they will look at their contracted hours, shift patterns, benefit packages, and reward schemes. This seems to be the most palatable solution going forward as any additional increases past January’s increase seem most unpalatable.

What’s next Considering the substantial increase of 2024, the projected NMW increase of 2025, the additional February Bank Holiday, the additional sick pay, and the auto enrolment for pensions, many retailers will be looking long and hard at their P&L sheets this yearend. 2024 will likely see retailers making sure they get the most value for money in terms of new hires, paying a little more for a lot more talent by moving up the ladder to more experienced hires and adjusting their overall packages to remain an employer of choice and attract the best talent available to drive their stores forward. ■

A deposit return scheme (DRS) for bottles and cans is coming to Ireland. TOMRA is the leading provider of reverse vending technology, helping retailers to automate the returns process and create a great recycling experience.

Get in touch to find out more: drs.ie@tomra.com Peter Whelan, Sales Manager Ireland 087 4265098 Andrew Boyle, South 087 2177931 Eddie Kavanagh, East & North East 087 4853838 Damien Cleary, West & North West 087 4892674

ADVISOR: HR

‘Tis the season to party! While it’s the season for merriment all-round, it’s vital to remember employers can be held liable for incidents that happen at Christmas parties, even when off-site and out of hours. Here, Caroline Reidy outlines some practical steps employers can take to help ensure everyone stays safe while socialising

The company Christmas party is always a great opportunity for employees to socialise, unwind and enjoy the Christmas season celebrations together. Morale can often get a lift during Christmas parties, as teams can come together and socialise outside of standard working hours. Creating personal connections outside of the work environment can often help improve the general atmosphere and attitudes displayed throughout the workplace. Christmas parties are also an opportunity for the company and its management to show recognition for the work well done by staff throughout the year. As an employer, to ensure that you have a well-received and safe Christmas party, it is important to remember that employers can be held liable for incidents that happen at Christmas parties, even if the party is off-site and out of hours. It is important that employers take practical steps prior to the party to ensure everyone attending is aware of what is expected of them during the celebrations.

preferences or ideas are taken into account.

Policies Once the Christmas party has been arranged, it’s a good idea to remind employees of the company policies and procedures and remind them that they are expected to observe these policies at all times during the Christmas party. In particular, the Dignity at Work, Bullying and Harassment, Disciplinary and Grievance and Social Media policies in place should be highlighted. As an employer you should make employees aware that drunk and/or disorderly behaviour, illegal drug taking, verbal or physical abuse and harassment of a sexual or discriminatory nature will not be tolerated and any such behaviour is likely to result in

Planning With regard to planning the event, it is advisable that you get input from the staff on what they would like to do. Often employers tend to go to the same venue or have the same plan for the Christmas party each year. A quick employee survey can allow staff to give their input and ensures that the employees’ ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Remind employees that any incidents which breach company policy will be dealt with in the same manner, as if it happened on company premises during normal working hours.

Social media Remind employees that they should be mindful of their use of social media and the posting of comments or photos which may have a negative effect on the company and to be aware of the privacy of their colleagues. Employees should be aware that any misuse of social media may result in disciplinary action.

Alcohol Employees should be reminded that alcohol must be consumed responsibly at the Christmas party. To help avoid the misuse of alcohol, ensure there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and food readily available.

Safety Employers need to remember they have a duty of care towards their employees and therefore have a responsibility to ensure that they get home safely. Encourage employees to either pre-book taxis or to research late night public transport options. Alternatively, arrange paid transport home for employees if this can be provided by the employer.

Employee inclusion Employers need to respect employees who do not wish to attend the Christmas party due to personal or religious beliefs; this is the choice of the employee and should be respected by the employer and their colleagues. An employer should also inform employees to avoid discussing anything which may be controversial during the Christmas party as these topics can quickly lead to uncomfortable or heated conversations which may potentially lead to disagreements, exclusion or even grievances.

Brief the management team “To help avoid the misuse of alcohol, ensure there are plenty of nonalcoholic drinks and food readily available,” advises Caroline Reidy

Employers should advise management not to discuss issues relating to salaries, performance,

CAROLINE REIDY Managing director The HR Suite If you are an organisation based in the Republic of Ireland and require further information or advice relating to HR, please do not hesitate to contact The HR Suite’s office on (066)7102887 or email info@thehrsuite.com.

career prospects or serious HR issues at the event, especially if alcohol has been taken. Managers should also be reminded of company policies and that if they see a situation arise or any inappropriate behaviour during the Christmas party, that they act on it where appropriate to do so.

Written communication A good option to ensure that you communicate all relevant points to employees is to send an email or post a memo in staff areas in advance of the party setting out clear written guidance. It is advisable that you specify in the written communication an agenda for the night and what aspects of the Christmas party are being organised/managed by the company. While it is important to get the above areas across in the written communication, it is important to keep the tone as light as possible as this is a positive announcement and to advise that you are including important safety notices to ensure all employees enjoy the event.

After the party It is important that if any issues arise following the Christmas party that these are dealt with in an appropriate and prompt manner by management. It is vital that any issues raised are dealt with in line with the appropriate company policy such as the Dignity and Respect at work, grievance or disciplinary policy. ■

APPOINTMENTS 33

Ampersand appoints Paul Raftery as wine manager

Paul Raftery

FMCG distributor, Ampersand has appointed Paul Raftery to the position of wine manager. Ampersand FMCG has been importing and distributing wine and cutting-edge convenience products onto the Irish market since 1947, providing an excellent service to over 3,000 customers. In his new role, Paul Raftery will be responsible for purchasing and the selection of quality wines to add to Ampersand’s awardwinning portfolio along with the overall management of Ampersand’s wine business. Raftery brings a wealth of experience to the role, having joined the company originally over 20 years ago as a field sales executive, before becoming a wine buyer. Raftery has completed the WSET Level 2 and Level 3 Wine Examinations and is currently entering the final stage of completion of the Level 4 Diploma. Raftery has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results. His knowledge of the industry and expertise are invaluable and will continue to drive the company’s success. Ampersand looks forward to seeing the pivotal role Raftery will play in leading an integral part of their business. Commenting on his promotion, Paul Raftery said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to the position of wine manager. I look forward to working closely with both our wine producers and our customers. I’m confident that together we are on a very exciting path ahead.”

Grafter, the Irish flexible workspace provider, appoints Robert Scanlon as head of hospitality

Robert Scanlon

Grafter, the Irish flexible workspace provider that offers members a dedicated place for work, rest and everything in between, has appointed Robert Scanlon as head of hospitality. Located in a collection of beautifully restored buildings in the heart of Dublin city and London, Grafter offers working solutions for businesses of all sizes, including private offices for personal use, co-working options, customised workspaces for start-ups or an entire floor for a growing team. With over 30 years’ experience in hospitality as a manager, creative director, consultant and restaurant owner, Robert Scanlon will lead the in-house Grafter hospitality team to ensure members enjoy the best experience and service possible. Beginning his career as a private caterer for the entertainment industry, Scanlon has a history of managing and directing a variety of establishments, from elevated casual fare to fine dining. These include some of Ireland’s best-known and well-loved restaurants and venues such as Residence Private Members Club on St. Stephen’s Green (now The Grayson), Pichet Restaurant and Airfield Estate. In 2015, Scanlon opened Osteria Lucio Restaurant in partnership with Michelin-Star chef Ross Lewis of Chapter One. With his exceptional managerial and creative direction experience, Scanlon has also acted on a consultancy basis for a range of restaurants and start-ups in Dublin and beyond.

Drinksology Kirker Greer appoints ex-Molson Coors marketing director

Ali Pickering

Rapidly growing global premium drinks pioneer, Drinksology Kirker Greer (DKG), has appointed Ali Pickering as its new chief marketing officer, completing its Executive Team line up. Ali Pickering brings over two decades of invaluable marketing experience to the DKG team. As marketing director at Molson Coors, she has amassed a wealth of strategic and brand-building expertise, working with some of the most iconic beer and cider brands across more than 50 markets worldwide. “I am truly excited to join the DKG family as the chief marketing officer,” said Ali Pickering. “DKG has assembled an Executive Team comprising industry experts, each bringing their unique talents to the table. Together with Steven Pattison, Richard Ryan, Donal McAteer, and Ryan McFarland, we are well-poised to drive DKG’s strategic direction and growth strategy.” “Ali’s extensive marketing experience and her proven ability to drive innovation and growth in the beverage industry make her an invaluable addition to our team,” added DKG CEO, Steven Pattison. “With our new Executive Team in place, we are perfectly positioned to elevate our brands, including Ukiyo Japanese Spirits, Jawbox Gin, Born Irish Whiskey, Bowsaw American Whiskey, and Kadoo Rum, to new heights.”

Irish Distillers appoints Andrew Dickey as brand education and advocacy manager

Andrew Dickey

Irish Distillers, producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys, has appointed Andrew Dickey as brand education and advocacy team manager. In his new role, Andrew Dickey will be responsible for the promotion of Irish Distillers’ prestige portfolio to wholesale, on-trade, off-trade, whiskey societies and whiskey enthusiasts. Andrew Dickey will play a pivotal role, developing both Irish Distillers’ Irish whiskey and broader spirits education and advocacy programme for the on-trade and retail channels. He will lead and manage the team of spirits ambassadors who will work with customers and influencers across the Island of Ireland. Andrew Dickey joined Irish Distillers as brand specialist in 2018, having previously spent over ten years working in the bar trade. In his previous role as brand specialist, he was responsible for educating bartenders and consumers who were looking to upskill and enhance their cocktails, spirits and trends knowledge and talents, while also providing on-trade consultancy. He also established Irish Distillers’ bartender training facility, Scully’s, in Dublin in 2019, widely regarded as one of the best in the country. “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew as brand education and advocacy team manager,” said Claire Tolan, managing director, Irish Distillers Ireland. “Andrew joined the Irish Distillers family in 2018 and since then he has made a significant contribution to the business, educating and training bartenders about our portfolio of white spirits including Absolut, Beefeater, Havana Club and Altos. The role of brand education and advocacy team manager is a special one and we know that Andrew will bring his passion and enthusiasm to our prestige Irish whiskey education and influencer programmes.”

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

34 ADVERTORIAL

tra Store of the Year 2023. Limerick named as Overall Cen Lee’s Centra in Pallas Green, owner of Lee’s Centra, , Lee dan g Director, Bren (l-r): Ian Allen, Centra Managin and Cormac Dawson, tra Ray Lee, owner of Lee’s Cen Teresa Kiely, Store Manager, ctor Dire s Centra Sale

Lee’s Centra Pallas Green Limerick named ‘Best Centra in Ireland’ at Centra’s national award ceremony

Celebrating the Pride of Centra Awards! Lee’s Centra Pallas Green in Limerick has been named as the best Centra in Ireland, after receiving the much-coveted title of ‘Store of the Year 2023’ at the Pride of Centra awards, Centra’s national award ceremony. Taking place in the Mansion House in Dublin on Wednesday, 8 November, Centra’s national award ceremony recognises and celebrates the best of Centra stores, its people and exemplary retail excellence. Other award winners on the night included the ‘Rising Star’ award going to Colin Harding, Elys Centra in Cashel and Centra’s ‘Best Deli’ counter awarded to John’s Centra in Drogheda. The Overall Off-Licence of the Year award, kindly sponsored by Diageo, was also scooped by Power’s Centra Miller’s Glen in Swords. The prestigious ‘Store of the Year’ award, kindly sponsored by 3, sees Centra stores nationwide assessed in areas such as quality, range, customer service, sustainability, and local community contribution. Retail consultant Dr Alan Collins undertook a competitive independent auditing process, in which Lee’s Centra Pallas Green Limerick exceled. Within the category, winners on the night also included Fraynes Centra Westland Row Dublin for Hi Convenience and Garvey’s Centra Adare Limerick for Neighbourhood. Commenting on the award ceremony, Ian Allen, managing director of Centra said: “As the leading convenience retailer with approximately 12,000 employees and 496 stores across Ireland, we are delighted to recognise and reward the very best of convenience excellence from our people and stores. Congratulations to Ray and Brendan Lee and the team Lee’s Centra Pallas Green Limerick for winning Centra Store of the Year; this win is a testament to the exceptional standards, commitment and service they offer the local community of Pallas Green on a daily

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

basis. This award is independently audited and with a highly competitive process in place, receiving this recognition truly is a tremendous achievement within the convenience retail industry.” Hosted by broadcaster Doireann Garrihy, the award ceremony presented 18 awards on the night and welcomed 93 finalists. The awards fell into three categories - ‘People’, ‘Excellence’ and ‘Store of the Year’. The ‘People’ category acknowledged staff who demonstrated

exceptional passion and enthusiasm – such as Length of Service award and Employee of the Year. The ‘Excellence’ awards shone a light on stores delivering the best of Centra across the in-store categories Deli, Moo’d, Bakery, Off Licence and Local Activations. The ‘Store of the Year’ awards celebrate excellence in convenience retailing and exceptional consumer experience. Cormac Dawson, sales director, Centra, commended finalists in the ‘People’ and

Store of the Year Winners The ‘Store of the Year’ awards celebrate excellence in convenience retailing and exceptional consumer experience.

Pictured is Ian Allen, Managing Director Centra and Cormac Dawson Centra Sales Director with Lee’s Centra, Pallasgreen, overall Store of the Year winner at the Pride of Centra Awards which took place at the Mansion House Dublin.

ADVERTORIAL

‘Excellence’ category, noting: “We are proud to recognise and celebrate our people who deliver exceptional service to their local community. These finalists offer the very best in retail excellence and are a testament to their teams’ hard work and determination in offering a consistently great service to their community on a daily basis.” Centra is Ireland’s leading convenience retailer serving over 3.5 million customers per week, providing convenient shopping with

value and quality front of mind. With 496 bright and accessible stores, Centra supports over 38,000 jobs and directly employs approximately 12,000 people across the country. At the heart of the communities in which it operates, Centra are proud sponsors of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship since 2010. Centra is part of Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland, the retail franchise division of Musgrave Group, one of Ireland’s largest grocery and food distributors. The full list of award winners is as follows:

Celebrations for the team at Frayne’s Centra in Westland Row, Dublin as they were awarded Store of the Year within the High Convenience category

Garvey’s Centra in Adare, Limerick won the title of Store of the Year within the Neighbourhood category

People Award Winners The ‘People’ category acknowledged Centra staff who demonstrated exceptional passion and enthusiasm instore.

Extra Mile Award Winner*

Length of Service Award Winner*

Employee of the Year Award Winner*

Caroline Senior, Martyns Centra Mountrath, Laois

PJ O’Donnell, Gibbons Centra Drumshanbo, Leitrim

Mary Mulvihill, Sheehys Centra Kilfinnane, Limerick

*Award presented by Anne Rigney, Director of HR - Talent, Learning & Development at Musgrave

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36 ADVERTORIAL

People Award Winners continued

Rising Star Award Winner*

Management Team Member*

Store Manager*

Colin Harding, Elys Centra Cashel, Tipperary

Joanne Dickie, Cuddihys Centra Delgany, Wicklow

Michela Ferrari, Singh’s Centra Dorset Street, Dublin 7

*Award presented by Anne Rigney, Director of HR - Talent, Learning & Development at Musgrave

Excellence Award Winners The ‘Excellence’ awards shone a light on stores delivering the best of Centra across the categories of Off-License, Deli, Bakery, Moo’d and Local activations.

Overall Off-License of the Year Winner†

Off-License of the Year (Convenience)†

Power’s Centra Millers Glen, Swords, Dublin

Hicksons Centra Tramore, Waterford

†Award presented by Cormac Dawson, Centra Sales Director

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

ADVERTORIAL

Excellence Award Winners continued

Deli of the Year†

Bakery of the Year†

John’s Centra Drogheda, Louth

Sweeneys Centra Ratoath, Meath

Moo’d Counter of the Year†

Local Activation†

Fogartys Centra Waterville, Kerry

Gary Costello of Costellos Centra Kilmessan, Meath

Kindly supported by

Off-License of the Year (HiConvenience)† Jordans Centra Blessington, Wicklow

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

Christmas Essentials

Christmas Drinks

Soft Drinks

Home Baking

Blas na hÉireann Winners

38 CATEGORY FOCUS Christmas Essentials

A Christmas cracker! With the most wonderful time of the year upon us once again, decking your aisles with Ireland’s bestselling brands is essential to maximise your sales potential. Read on to ensure you are stocking the right product mix guaranteed to spread a little festive joy during Christmas 2023

s any retailer will tell you, Christmas is an absolutely vital sales period and indeed, last year’s Kantar data demonstrates major growth during the Christmas season. Take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 10% in the four weeks to 25 December 2022 as the average price per pack soared 13% and visits to stores increased by 7%, according to Kantar’s data. The first Christmas since 2019 with no Covid-19 restrictions saw shoppers spend an additional €119m, making it a record-breaking month with sales of €1.3bn, and the strongest growth since February 2021. A significant increase in average price per pack saw shoppers spend an additional €95.31 compared to the same time in 2022. However, Kantar noted that while value sales were up 6.7%, grocery price inflation was the real

Retailers can transform your store into a destination hub with PostPoint; offering a host of useful services

Do more in-store this Christmas PostPoint is a wholly owned subsidiary of An Post, offering retailers the opportunity to provide a comprehensive range of convenient and essential services in-store. Top of the list for PostPoint retailers this Christmas are stamps and One4all gift cards. These products, exclusive to An Post, encourage impulse purchases and drive additional footfall to your store. Christmas stamps first went on sale on 2 November. Email your order to aprs.orders@anpost.ie or

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driving factor behind this. “Christmas was certainly different this year. Even though 46.5% of buyers claimed they would spend less than previous years, the cost-of-living crisis didn’t stop Irish families from looking for ways to keep spirits high, with the average shopper spending €58 more on groceries during December than they did last year,” said Emer Healy, Kantar business development manager, commenting on the Christmas 2022 results. Nearly half of the population stocked up on festive treats on Friday, 23 December, the busiest shopping day of the year, with €94.4m going through the tills. This was €8.6m more than the busiest trading day in 2021 (Thursday, 23 December). Sales of festive treats or niceties such as chocolate, cheese and paté rose by 9.9% and

call 1800 300 150. Christmas will come early this year for some lucky retailers. PostPoint is giving retailers the opportunity to enter various competitions in the lead-up to Christmas. The latest iPhone 15, Playstation 5 and €500 One4all gift cards are up for grabs. Keep an eye out for correspondence from PostPoint and follow the group on social media to find out how you can win. TFI Leap was added to the PostPoint range of services in May of this year. Customers can now purchase tickets and top-up Leap cards in PostPoint outlets nationwide. Customers everywhere can now avail of the convenience and savings to be made on Ireland’s urban and rural link transport network with TFI Leap. Transform your store into a destination hub and offer customers the facility to pay their bills, top up their phone or Leap card and even pick up and return their online shopping.

mince pies by 15.5%, but all declined in volume terms. Wine bucked the trend with shoppers spending an additional €13.3m year-on-year with strong volume growth of 7.3%. Smaller Christmas gatherings in 2020 and 2021 led to more households opting for rolled turkey, but in 2022, 25,000 more households tucked into whole turkeys, reflecting the 32% of buyers that planned on having 5-7 people for Christmas dinner. During December, sales of cold and flu products, as well as household cleaners, also grew as Irish shoppers spent an additional €828,000 on cold treatments and €547,000 on vitamins. A restriction-free Christmas also meant that more people were hosting others and cleaning their homes, resulting in shoppers spending an additional €6.8m on household and cleaning products.

Do More in Store this Christmas

Place you order by Email: aprs.orders@anpost.ie or Call us at 1800 300 150

For Christmas stamps, email your order to aprs.orders@anpost.ie or call 1800 300 150

All Postpoint services are backed up with comprehensive marketing support throughout the year. PostPoint would like to wish all its retailers a Happy and Busy Christmas Season and thank you for your support throughout the year.

Do More in Store this Christmas

One4all Gift Cards

Postage Paid Gift Boxes and Bags

Place you order by Email: aprs.orders@anpost.ie or Call us at 1800 300 150 Retailers, watch out for correspondence from PostPoint detailing competitions we are running in the lead up to Christmas

Christmas Essentials

Christmas Drinks

Soft Drinks

Home Baking

Blas na hÉireann Winners

40 CATEGORY FOCUS Christmas Essentials

The Lindt Lindor Milk Selection Box (234g) is made by Lindt’s master chocolatiers using the finest ingredients

The Lindt Lindor Assorted Selection Box (227g) offers a selection of the most iconic Lindor products, from tempting truffles and heavenly hearts to irresistibly smooth chocolate bars

Lindt Lindor Festive Edition Milk and Assorted Chocolate Truffles (200g) are the ideal addition to any gathering for sharing and gifting

Give the gift of bliss Lindt Lindor has strengthened its position as the number one boxed chocolate brand in the Irish market. €1 in every €5 spent on a box of chocolates in Ireland is spent on a Lindor box,* proving that Lindt Lindor continues to be a must-stock for retailers in 2023. Lindt Lindor’s success comes not only from the much-loved classic Lindor milk recipe but also through its continual innovations to the market that are guaranteed to excite and delight your shoppers. Gifting couldn’t be easier this Christmas with new Lindor Festive Edition Milk and Assorted Chocolate Truffles (200g). It’s the same iconic Lindor boxes and taste, but with a new enchanting, sparkly and festive packaging. These seasonal special edition boxes are the ideal addition to any gathering for sharing and gifting. Discover an irresistible selection of smooth Milk, decadent White, rich Extra Dark and crunchy Hazelnut chocolates in the Lindor Assorted box or choose Milk Chocolate for that creamy, melt-in-the-mouth smooth chocolate experience; it’s total bliss. Get into the festive spirit with new limitededition Lindor Irish Cream Truffles (200g). Their creamy filling contains the finest milk chocolate with an irresistibly smooth melting Irish Cream filling which provides the ultimate indulgence. As market leaders, Lindt will deliver a massively up-weighted national support plan this Christmas behind the Lindor brand, with Lindor TV advertising returning to your

screens since October and a strong push in-store with premium point of sale and display. With a format for every occasion, give your shoppers the gift of bliss this Christmas: Lindor from Lindt! Also new from Lindt this festive season, bring Teddy to life with Lindt’s new and innovative Teddy Augmented Reality Advent Calendar 250g. Through the use of a QR code, your customers can join Teddy on a new adventure behind every door; a heart-warming and enchanting tale that encapsulates the magic of Christmas. The Lindt Teddy AR Advent Calendar will include 24 of the finest Lindt milk chocolates, including the iconic Lindt Teddy (100g) with his unique and magical heart charm. The Lindt Teddy AR Advent Calendar is the must-have festive gift this season; spreading joy, creating memories, experiencing an enchanting story, and of course, enjoying chocolate. Lindt will continue to give the gift of bliss this Christmas with the Lindor Milk Selection Box (234g) and Lindor Assorted Selection Box

Don’t forget Avonmore Cream this Christmas! Avonmore’s festive cream range includes fresh pouring cream and ready to serve whipped cream: the perfect accompaniments for all your shoppers’ Christmas needs. Avonmore’s festive flavours will be available to stores from early December, including Avonmore Fresh Pouring Cream, Avonmore Freshly Whipped Cream, Avonmore Brandy Whipped Cream, Baileys Whipped Cream, and the new limited-edition Avonmore Salted Caramel Whipped Cream. For some delicious, festive recipe inspiration, check out avonmore.ie which features a wide selection of Christmas starters, main courses and desserts as well as treats and festive drinks. Avonmore Cream is the number one branded cream in the Irish market, with 33% category share*.

Avonmore Freshly Whipped Cream is a perfect accompaniment for festive treats

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

*(Source: Nielsen: Total Market: Ttl Scantrack ROI (excluding discounters) data to 10/09/2023)

The cream that makes Christmas!

*(Source: Nielsen Scantrack, 52 w/e 30 July 2023, value)

The Lindt Teddy AR Advent Calendar includes 24 of the finest Lindt milk chocolates, including the iconic Lindt Teddy

(227g). Discover a selection of the most iconic Lindor products — from tempting truffles and heavenly hearts to irresistibly smooth chocolate bars — all made by master chocolatiers using the finest ingredients. The perfect gift to delight loved ones, or oneself, this Christmas. So, whether your customers are travelling to see family, visiting friends, or treating loved ones or themselves at home this festive season, it wouldn’t be Christmas without Lindt.

With 33% category share, Avonmore Cream is the number one branded cream in the Irish market

Christmas Essentials

Christmas Drinks

Soft Drinks

Home Baking

Blas na hÉireann Winners

42 CATEGORY FOCUS Christmas Essentials

Skyrocket your senses!

With a 16.6% share of the market, KP Nuts is Ireland’s number one branded nut

Dreaming of a white (chocolate flake) Christmas? Butlers Chocolates, Ireland’s premier familyowned firm dedicated to the craft of exceptional chocolate making, has Christmas chocolate indulgence all wrapped up and filled to the brim with gorgeous chocolates that exceed expectations. For a luxury chocolate gift that hits all the sweetest notes, Butlers Ballotins are a muststock premium Irish-made chocolate gift. Available in three sizes (160g, 320g and 480g featuring, 12, 24 and 36 chocolates respectively), the beautifully gift-wrapped boxes showcase a carefully curated selection of classic Butlers favourites, guaranteed to please. The irresistible selection inside each box includes white chocolate Raspberry Heart, dark chocolate Intense Truffle and seasonal

Quality has always been at the heart of KP Nuts, so it is little wonder that they will be included in the nation’s trolleys for the Christmas season. KP continues to hold the number one branded nut position with a 16.6% share of the market*. When looking for a tasty snack to wind down with at the end of the day, consumers are seeking out crunchy textures. KP continues to innovate and has brought KP Flavour Kravers to the market in exciting flavours. Flame Grilled Steak is a fired-up barbecue of bangin’ beefy, mouth-watering flavour, while Smokin’ Paprika is a fun-packed fiesta of peppery punch and smokey flavour. Get ready for something that torpedoes your tastebuds, skyrockets your senses and seriously livens up your day. The range is high in fibre, a source of protein and suitable for vegetarians. Throughout November, KP is live across digital and static out-ofhome (OOH) sites, celebrating the full KP range including its latest hot product, KP Flavour Kravers. *(Source: Nielsen MAT Value Sales 08 October 2023, Nuts)

favourites including Marzipan and Orange Crunch. Also available is The Chocolate Collection by Butlers – an iconic chocolate assortment featuring a stylish and contemporary selection of chocolate truffles, pralines and caramels in 185g and 300g sizes – a perfect chocolate gift for everyone on the nice list. Presented in a smart lid and base box, the box is embellished with a bronze and gold foil art deco print sleeve with a hoop cut-out. Taking chocolate indulgence to the next level, Butlers also produces an extensive range of beautifully co-ordinated large 180g and 100g solid chocolate bars in a variety of decadent flavours such as White Mixed Berry, Milk Salted Caramel, Mint Crunch and also vegan friendly options of Dark Almond & Orange and 70% Cocoa. Each bar features striking on-pack iconography highlighting Butlers’ responsible manufacturing practices of using recyclable packaging, sustainably sourced cocoa, vegetarian ingredients and no palm oil. Also called out on front of pack is solar power, as the Butlers factory is home to one of the largest solar roof installations on an industrial premises in Ireland. With a proven track record in-store, supported by a quick turnaround on orders and direct supply from the factory in north Dublin, it’s never too late to stock up on or place additional orders for Butlers Chocolates this festive season! Email the team at sales@butlers.ie for details on these or any of the brand’s other lines.

• Date, Honey & Walnut Bloomer Packed with dates and lightly spiced; this is the perfect bread for a cheeseboard or to make the ultimate toasted glazed ham sandwich. • Classic Sweet Mince Pie Scrumptious shortcrust pastry bursting with rich fruits, juicy sultanas, sweet currants and mixed spice: So good Mrs. Claus wants the recipe! • Festive Sausage Roll Light pastry wrapped around a pork filled sausage roll that is flavoured with herbs and finished with Ballymaloe cranberry sauce. Retailers will have the chance to maximise your sales this Christmas with the new Cuisine de France festive products. You can learn more about the products at www.aryzta.ie or speak to your local business developer.

Baking up fabulous treats

With a proven track record in-store, the Butlers Chocolates range is supported by a quick turnaround on orders

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Each year at Cuisine de France, the team creates the most delicious festive treats on the market, and this year is no different. Cuisine de France researches and understands its consumers so that it can put the best quality products and ingredients on their tables. Cuisine de France has developed a range of products from savoury to sweet that will suit people on the go while also catering to those festive gatherings with family and friends. This year, Cuisine de France has introduced five new products that are sure to be Christmas essentials this festive period, including:

From savoury to sweet, Cuisine de France has a range of delectable treats to adorn your shoppers’ tables this Christmas

**40% less fat per 100g compared to standard cheese & onion fried potato crisps”

Wholesome turkey alternative

NaviLens technology enables blind and partially sighted people to shop independently for their favourite Pringles flavours

Christmas Essentials

Christmas Drinks

Soft Drinks

Home Baking

Blas na hÉireann Winners

44 CATEGORY FOCUS Christmas Essentials

Kellanova, the owner of Pringles and Kellogg’s, was the first food company in the world to use NaviLens on packaging

Inclusive design NaviLens technology has been added to Pringles cans in Ireland to make them more accessible to blind and partially sighted people. The new packaging will allow a smartphone to easily detect the unique on-pack code and playback labelling information to the shopper with sight loss. NaviLens first appeared on some Pringles varieties from 1 November, with the full rollout to be completed by the end of 2024. The move from Kellanova - the new name for the company that owns Pringles and Kellogg’s - comes after the success of the addition of NaviLens to Kellogg’s brands in 2022, which has appeared on over 750 cereal boxes. Many other brands have since followed Kellogg’s lead, with NaviLens technology now appearing on numerous well-known products. The idea came after the company met with pupils from St Vincent’s in 2019, a specialist school in Liverpool for children with sensory impairment. It was the pupils’ insights that inspired the business to look for solutions to make its packaging more accessible. Important information, such as allergens, can often only be found in small print making it impossible for blind or partially sighted people to read. The solution came in the form of the NaviLens code, which allows smartphones to pick up the on-pack code from up to three metres’ distance when a shopper points their device in the direction of the product. The user does not need to know exactly where the code is located to scan it. When the phone senses the NaviLens code, it is alerted. From here, the shopper can choose to have ingredients, allergen and recycling information read aloud to them – as well as reading it on their device using accessibility tools. Kellanova’s design director, Pete Matthews,

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says: “Following the success of adding NaviLens to our cereal packaging last year, we are now really pleased to feature this technology on our iconic Pringles cans. This provides equal access to important information on-pack and enables blind and partially sighted people to shop independently for their favourite Pringles flavours. “We were the first food company in the world to use NaviLens on packaging and have been delighted to see many global brands follow our lead. It continues our movement for inclusive design and helps fulfil our purpose to ‘create a place at the table for everyone’.”

Following on from its sell-out success last year, Irish meatless meat brand Thanks Plants has launched its Festive Roast for 2023 which is crammed with Christmas flavours and available from a wider range of stockists. With almost 30% of Irish people choosing either a flexitarian (16%), vegetarian (9%) or vegan (2%) diet*, there is a requirement to offer more than the traditional turkey and ham at Christmas in order to satisfy the tastes of all diners at the table. The Thanks Plants Festive Roast is ideal for this; an artisan product made from premium wholesome ingredients, it’s bursting with delicious flavours and is the perfect alternative to a stuffed turkey crown. The Festive Roast features a delicious gourmet stuffing made with mushrooms, chestnuts and cranberries. The meatless meat part is a mix of seitan flour, pearl barley, cannellini beans, vegetables, herbs and spices. Thanks Plants founder Aisling Cullen recommends basting the Festive Roast with a glaze that is one part maple syrup, one part olive oil and one part soya sauce and serving it with all the traditional trimmings. “More and more Irish people are choosing to reduce their consumption of meat so this is an ideal product to serve alongside the traditional turkey and ham. It also works great as leftovers – just like a turkey or ham sandwich,” Cullen says. The Festive Roast retails at €19.95 and at 1kg serves 5-6 people. It is available online from www.thanksplants.co and in select SuperValu stores and independent retailers from midNovember. Tesco will stock the Festive Roast from the first week of December.

A true Christmas classic Christmas is all about spending time with loved ones, sharing special moments, and choosing gifts that will make them smile. Jacob’s has been delighting taste buds for generations, and this Christmas season is no exception. Whether your shoppers are on the hunt for a present for their partner, best friend, mum, or the neighbour who always takes in their deliveries when they’re not home, Jacob’s is a perfect gift to show how much they’re appreciated. Jacob’s Elite range is sure to be a favourite this Christmas. Your shoppers can choose from Elite Chocolate Mikado, Elite Chocolate Tea Cakes, Elite Chocolate Kimberley and the new Elite Favourites tin, which includes Jacob’s timeless Chocolate Kimberley, the classic Chocolate Tea Cake, and delicious Chocolate Dreams. The All Butter Shortbread and Belgian Biscuit selections have also launched for this Christmas and are sure to become festive family favourites. The All Butter Shortbread Selection is a delicious assortment of original, chocolate chip and salted caramel shortbread biscuits. The Belgian Biscuit Selection has a mix of plain and chocolate coated biscuits, made with milk, dark and white Belgian chocolate. Alongside its classic Afternoon Tea and USA selections, Jacob’s has something for everyone!

The Jacob’s Elite range has an option to delight every family member this Christmas

46 CATEGORY FOCUS Christmas Essentials

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For gifting on-the-go, stock up on the Ultimate Chocolate Collection. This gorgeous gift-wrapped double layer ballotin box of delectable milk, white and dark chocolates is stylishly presented and is ideal for impulse gifting opportunities. The Ultimate Chocolate Collection is also available in a stylish and contemporary single layer box.

Featuring some of the world’s best loved dessert recipes, Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection and is available in two box sizes: 16 chocolates and a larger 30 chocolates box

Lily O’Brien’s Ultimate Chocolate Collection is stylishly presented and ideal for impulse gifting opportunities

‘For the ones you really know’ A gift of Lily O’Brien’s chocolates is ideal for your customers to show friends and family how much they know and love them this Christmas. Made in Ireland and crafted with Lily O’Brien’s signature chocolate, this mouthwateringly delicious range is the perfect choice for gifting and sharing this Christmas. Lily O’Brien’s is the largest of the Irish brands in the premium box chocolate market in Ireland and is the second largest brand overall in the total premium box chocolate category. (Source: Nielsen MAT Dec 2022). From the bestselling decadently indulgent Desserts Collection, the Ultimate Chocolate Collection, the Exquisite collection and the most recently launched Truffles range, Lily O’Brien’s has the perfect product range to suit your shoppers’ needs this Christmas. Firm family favourites with Irish shoppers and ranked in the top five premium chocolate collections (Source Nielsen MAT December 2022), the iconic Desserts Collection and the Ultimate Chocolate Collection are must-stock items for Christmas 2023. The Desserts Collection includes some of the world’s best loved dessert recipes and is available in two box sizes: 16 chocolates and a larger 30 chocolates box.

For shoppers looking for that that extra special gift, the Exquisite Collection delivers a taste journey like no other. With eight delicious recipes from almond and cranberry to blueberry truffle, this collection is sure to delight with every bite. Lily O’Brien’s Truffles range is perfect for informal get-togethers over the festive season with family and friends. Available in eye catching single flavour 200g cartons of individually wrapped chocolate truffles, there are three delicious products in the truffles range - Milk Chocolate Truffles, Salted Caramel Truffles and Vanilla Truffles. Perfect for moments of “O’ooh! So delicious” truffles enjoyment, Lily O’Brien’s truffl es are sure to be a winner with shoppers this Christmas. The Lily O’Brien’s brand is supported with an above-the-line (ATL) campaign and impactful POS for in-store display this Christmas. The campaign message ‘For the ones you really know’ positions Lily O’Brien’s with consumers

Lily O’Brien’s Exquisite Collection contains eight delicious recipes from almond and cranberry to blueberry truffle

as the ideal gift to choose for family and friends to show how well they are known and loved. For a successful Christmas season and to continue to grow your sales this year, the brand advises you make sure to stock Lily O’Brien’s chocolates. Available to order through Tennant & Ruttle, contact your sales representative for more information (www.lilyobriens.ie).

Lily O’Brien’s Truffles are available in three flavours: Milk Chocolate Truffles, Salted Caramel Truffles and Vanilla Truffles

Indulgence is never square!

Toblerone Truffles are individually wrapped diamond-shaped truffles made with Toblerone chocolate around a velvety centre of honey and almond nougat

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Toblerone, the famously triangular chocolate, has expanded its iconic range with the addition of new Toblerone Truffles. The sweet new addition comes in a quirky diamond shape, reinforcing that indulgence is truly never square. The premium product features individually wrapped diamond-shaped truffles made with Toblerone chocolate around a velvety centre with tiny pieces of crunchy honey and almond nougat. Toblerone Truffles allow consumers to experience indulgence from every angle. This exciting new product will bring shoppers the iconic high quality of a classic Toblerone product in the form of deliciously different bitesize truffles, perfect for gifting. Toblerone Truffles aim to recruit younger adult shoppers who have shown an appetite for a slice of indulgence within the premium chocolate segment and in turn help grocers grow the Toblerone premium gifting offering with Christmas being the perfect time of year for shoppers to “trade up” and treat themselves and their loved ones. The new Truffle gift box (180g) is deliciously different, with each truffle offering a deceptively angular outer shell of iconic Toblerone chocolate before revealing an indulgent smooth and nougatty centre, meaning it is well-positioned to give a decadent touch to the festive season this year. Packed in a gold and red box, it delivers the iconic quality of classic Toblerone products consumers know and love. “Toblerone Truffles have arrived, and we are delighted to help brand fans celebrate those special moments, whether treating yourself or your loved ones,” says Maighread Lynch, brand manager for Toblerone at Mondelēz. “Toblerone Truffles are the perfect seasonal gift for those who enjoy a slice of indulgence within the premium chocolate segment,” she continues. Toblerone Truffles are now available in retailers nationwide since October 2023. The 180g pack RRP is €9*. *(Retailers are free to set their own prices)

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The Percy Pig Pig ‘n’ Mix (¤7.50, 250g) delivers ‘delicious Percy-ness’ in every bite

Crafted from delicious, creamy Belgian milk chocolate, Spencer Bear (¤4.50, 85g) is a perfect stocking filler or treat for a loved one

Perfect solution for corporate needs BWG Foods Wholesale Division offers the ideal solution to your corporate gifting needs this Christmas with perfectly curated solutions designed to build customer relations through meaningful gifts. Through BWG Foods’ enhanced corporate gifting offering and expertise, along with its commitment to outstanding service and great value for money offering, the group aims to exceed customer expectations and is passionate about ensuring its bespoke hampers give you the opportunity to create the ideal corporate Christmas gift made specifically to your requirements. From everyday to luxury ranges, Irish artisan foods, sweet treats and savoury delights, worldrenowned wines, beers, and spirits, BWG Foods Wholesale Division caters to all tastes. You can rely on the group’s innovation and professionalism to help you create a special gift and its team of experts are on hand and will work closely with you to create the perfect gift or help you with your selection from its existing range. BWG Foods Wholesale’s local presence around the country means its team are always close to you, no matter where your business is. Representatives are ready to discuss all your corporate gifting needs and offer a nationwide delivery service. Let them take care of everything! If you have specific requirements in mind, BWG Foods Wholesale’s experienced team would be delighted to help you create the perfect corporate gift this Christmas and all year round. ■

Christmas Drinks Christmas Essentials

It wouldn’t be Christmas at M&S Food without the ultimate range of gorgeous gifts, and this year, the retailer is confident its festive gifting range has brought the magic of Christmas to life, holding something special for everyone to enjoy, and better yet, at amazing value too. M&S’s team of experts work closely with the best producers, to ensure the best quality ingredients are sourced and the most stunning packaging is created for both its new and beloved festive favourites. With the seasonal fayre now in stores, M&S customers will have the opportunity to start shopping early to spread out the cost in the lead up to the big day, and more importantly to get their hands on the retailer’s must-have gifts. In the spirit of the advent’s 24 days, M&S spotlighted 24 of its festive favourites this year. To highlight just a few examples; the festive range includes the Percy Pig Pig ‘n’ Mix (€7.50, 250g). This is a moreish mix of milk chocolate Percys, Percy flavour choc snouts with Percy Piglets gummy sweets and candy-coated milk chocolate beans. A favourite festive friend, Spencer Bear (€4.50, 85g) is carefully crafted from delicious, creamy Belgian milk chocolate. It’s a perfect stocking filler or treat for a loved one. Meanwhile, the Magical Christmas Village with Lights and Music (€22.50, 249g) is a breath-taking box of delights which follows a car on its journey home to the wondrous magic of the village in the distance. It weaves through a snowy forest of milk, dark, white, and blond filled Irish chocolates towards a Christmas market in full swing and the sound of the orchestra playing ‘The First Noël’.

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Gorgeous gifts for 24 days of Christmas

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The Magical Christmas Village with Lights and Music (¤22.50, 249g) is a breathtaking box of delights

BWG Foods Wholesale Division will work closely with you to create the perfect corporate gift

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Christmas best cellars! Whether visitors prefer a marvellous Merlot, subtly sophisticated cocktail or a punchy craft beer, one thing is certain: none of your customers will want to find themselves caught short and unable to serve up their family and friends’ preferred tipples. With that in mind, here’s our annual guide to the beverage brands guaranteed to be in demand this festive season

t’s that time of year again when your shoppers will be most keen to stock up on spirits, wines, beers and ciders to ensure they have a well-stocked drinks cabinet (or trendy bar cart!). One that satisfies the palates of all visitors, both planned and unexpectedly “just popping in”, during this most social of seasons. The Irish Spirits Market Report 2022 by Ibec trade association Drinks Ireland | Spirits showed that spirits sales in the domestic market were up by 6% last year and by 10% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, driven by the consumer trend of premiumisation. Domestically, vodka remains Ireland’s favourite spirits drink, followed by Irish whiskey and gin respectively. The report shows gin’s meteoric rise in the last ten years slowed in 2022, but that slowdown is driven by “standard” gin brand sales, with “premium” brands increasing by 15% in 2022. While less gin was sold, consumers are focused on quality and new tastes. In line with their successes in export markets, Irish whiskey and Irish cream continued their impressive growth at home too, with sales up by almost 11% and over 8% respectively. An emerging category in recent years has

been ‘ready to drink’ spirit drinks. With the on-trade recovering last year, sales of these products in Ireland slowed, down by 0.3%, but this is after a growth of 14% in 2021 and 26% in 2020, the report showed. The research also showed that while no alcohol beer is leading the growth of the low and no category here, low and no spirits have emerged in Ireland in recent years, growing by 1122% between 2019 and 2022, albeit from a very low base. Meanwhile, the Irish cider industry celebrated a year of resurgence in 2022 as bars and restaurants fully reopened, according to a new report by Ibec trade association Drinks Ireland | Cider. Overall, domestic cider sales grew by 3.9% in 2022 compared to 2021. The total share of the alcohol market held by cider grew by 13.8% to reach 6.6% of sales. These markers of growth, though promising, are yet to fully recover to the pre-pandemic levels as the sale increase remains 12% below pre-pandemic levels and the share of the market was 7.4% in 2019. Cider consumption per capita also rose by 1.8% in 2022. The report also notes that there is a growing trend of premiumisation in the cider market, presenting an opportunity for the craft cider

O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey blends golden grain and malted barley, triple distilled and aged in bourbon casks for a minimum of three years

100% bourbon cask maturation beautifully enhances the sweet vanilla profile of O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey

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sector. A recent report on the craft cider market by Bord Bia, in collaboration with Drinks Ireland, highlights the growing craft cider category that offers consumers an array of choices and exciting innovations. The Bord Bia report* also showed that the consumption of beer has declined in Ireland by 2.1% since 2017, while that of Irish craft beer rose by 13.5%. There was also an increase in market share of the 79 independent microbreweries that are currently in operation in the Republic of Ireland, as consumption of craft beer rose from 2.9% in 2017 to 3.4% in 2022. In recent years, consumers have embraced independent beverage options. There are currently 12 craft cider producers in Ireland, and craft cider production accounts for 2.2% of total domestic cider consumption. WineSpark, the premium Irish wine subscription service, also recently released its latest trends report and the results show that Irish tastes are expanding rapidly. While the big five grapes (Tempranillo, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc) still have the biggest market share, customers are also moving more towards lighter styles. *(Source: www.bordbia.ie/industry/insights/publications/craftbeer-and-cider-report)

An exceptional blend O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey is a pitch perfect Irish whiskey, ideal to gift this Christmas to a loved one who always seeks the best. O’Driscoll’s is a beautifully blended Irish whiskey and is currently the only Irish-owned Irish whiskey in the standard blend category. Inspired by Michael Stafford’s grandfather Diarmuid O’Driscoll, the O’Driscolls were a famous pirate clan from Baltimore, West Cork. The O’Driscolls were men of the sea. They were pirates and smugglers who built castles and harbours and by the fifteenth century were one of the strongest clans in Ireland. It was the wild Atlantic Ocean that was their real domain. O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey is a tribute to those famous men of the sea and encapsulates that wild Atlantic spirit of adventure, bravery, and survival. An exceptional blend of golden grain and malted barley, triple distilled and aged in bourbon casks for a minimum of three years, giving the signature smoothness of Irish whiskey. Maturation of whiskey is an art form. The influence of 100% bourbon cask maturation beautifully enhances the sweet vanilla profile of the whiskey.

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America’s original craft vodka, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is also one of the fastest growing spirits brands in Ireland

Holiday thyme is here! This season, stand under the mistletoe and spend some quality thyme with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Sip on this tart cocktail topped with the aroma of savoury thyme, a bit of a sparkle, and a burst of colour. To make the distinctive Tito’s “Holiday Thyme” cocktail: Simply shake 45ml of Tito’s, 45ml of cranberry

juice, and 15ml of lime juice with ice, pour into a glass and then top with 90ml of sparkling water and a sprig of thyme for garnish. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is America’s original craft vodka, and it’s also one of the fastest growing spirits brands in Ireland. In 1995, sixth-generation Texan Bert “Tito” Beveridge obtained the first legal permit to distil in Texas and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka on a plot of land in rural Austin where he built a small shack, rigged a pot still with spare parts and batch distilled his corn-based, naturally glutenfree vodka. Today, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is now available in over 140 markets including the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East, and is distilled and bottled in Austin on the very same land where the whole thing started. Tito’s is also highly committed to community causes, charitable organisations, and disaster relief efforts across the world, through the brand’s “Love, Tito’s” initiatives, especially pet welfare efforts. In Ireland, Tito’s is proudly represented by Comans Beverages Ltd.

Authentic Wicklow experience The Powerscourt Distillery is delighted to announce the return of the acclaimed Fercullen Irish Whiskey & Food Pairing Hampers, available for delivery nationwide, bringing the authentic Wicklow experience

Each Powerscourt Distillery hamper represents the exquisite flavours of Wicklow and supports local businesses and artisans

right to your doorstep. Back by popular demand, following the sellout success of previous years, the 2023 Fercullen Whiskey Hampers are brimming with premium Irish produce, promising to elevate festive celebrations with a taste of the Garden of Ireland. All orders include a complimentary Whiskey >>

Superbly stocked Christmas cellars For wine retailers looking to stock up on excellent wines and exceptional offerings this Christmas season, Ampersand Wines has a fabulous selection of award-winning wines and some delightful newcomers which have been recently added to its portfolio. At the recent Irish Wine Show Awards, Ampersand swept the board again, winning four gold star awards, seven silver and five bronze awards, a total of 16 awards on the night. Ampersand won the four gold star awards for the following wines:

Arthur Metz is another excellent option available from Ampersand that offers a delightful range of Cremant d’Alsace wines that capture the essence of celebration. Ampersand’s Calvet Sparkling Wines would also make a great choice this Christmas. These wines are renowned for their effervescent charm, exceptional quality and attractive bottle and packaging. Retailers should also consider non-

• Hans Baer Riesling 2022 – Best OldWorld White Under €12 • Rioja Vega Semi Crianza 2022 - Best OldWorld Red Under €12 • Remy Pannier Cépages de Loire Sauvignon 2022 – Best Old-World White Under €15 • Faber Alcohol-Free Sparkling Rosé NV – Best Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Under €15 These winning wines stood out for their excellence in their various categories, offering a delightful range of Old-World wines and a remarkable non-alcoholic sparkling option, making them a perfect choice for wine lovers this Christmas. For champagne and sparkling wine enthusiasts, Ampersand recently launched Prestige des Sacres, a Champagne that exudes elegance and sophistication. Prestige des Sacres Champagne is deeply rooted in the history of France, with its origins dating back to the coronation of 33 French kings in Reims, at the heart of the Champagne Appellation area.

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Ampersand won an impressive four gold star awards at the recent NOffLA Irish Wine Show Awards

alcoholic options in this category by stocking Ampersand’s award-winning, Faber Non-Alcoholic range of sparkling wines - an ideal choice to ensure the holiday spirit remains alive for everyone. In addition, Ampersand Wines has also recently introduced two exceptional new additions to its portfolio. Chateau Bouquey Grand Cru St-Emilion, a gem from the Bordeaux region, offers the embodiment of rich, full-bodied red wine with its deep flavours and velvety texture, making it a wonderful companion for hearty holiday feasts. Jardins de Loire Sancerre is a crisp and refreshing white wine that hails from the famous Loire Valley vineyards. Its vibrant acidity and citrusy notes make it a superb pairing for seafood and lighter holiday fare. Finally, Ampersand has also released two new limited-edition wines from Rioja Vega in time for the festive season; Venta Jalón Reserva Especial and Tempranillo Blanco Reserva. These wines represent the essence of Rioja Vega’s winemaking expertise. The Venta Jalón Reserva Especial offers a deeply nuanced red, made with a Graciano and Tempranillo blend while the Tempranillo Blanco Reserva presents a premium-quality limited production white wine fermented in French and Hungarian oak barrels. If you would like more information on Ampersand’s Christmas wines or would like to stock any of Ampersand’s 16 awardwinning wines, contact your Ampersand representative or call the sales line on 01 4151050 or email info@ampersandsales.ie.

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Promoting the spirit of “Shop Local”, The Powerscourt Distillery emphasises its

Punk IPA is the beer that kick-started the BrewDog revolution. This scene-stealing flagship is an India Pale Ale that has become a byword for craft beer rebellion; synonymous with the insurgency against mass-produced, lowest common denominator beer. Punk IPA charges the barricades to fly its colours from the ramparts – full-on, full-flavour; at full-throttle. Layered with new world hops to create an explosion of tropical fruit and an all-out riot of grapefruit, pineapple and lychee before a spiky bitter finish, this is the perfect drink to quench thirst. This 5.6% trans-Atlantic fusion IPA is light golden in colour with tropical fruits and light

The addition of fruity hops to BrewDog Punk IPA creates an explosion of tropical fruit flavours and a sharp bitter finish

caramel on the nose. The palate soon becomes assertive and resinous with the New Zealand hops balanced by the biscuit malt. The finish is aggressive and dry with the hops emerging over the warming alcohol. This fresh, full flavour natural beer is BrewDog’s tribute to the classic IPAs of yester-year. The postmodern twist is the

Christmas Drinks Christmas Essentials

• Fercullen Whiskey Start Pack Hamper: €66 Trilogy pack of Irish Whiskey, metal hip flask, Glencairn glass, and a complimentary Whiskey Tour and Tasting Experience for two.

Punking up craft beer scene

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• Single Malt Hamper: €120 Fercullen Single Malt, assorted gourmet chocolates and cheeses, two Glencairn Glasses, and a complimentary Whiskey Tour and Tasting Experience for two.

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• Estate Series Hamper: €165 Limited Edition Estate Series 3, awardwinning Wicklow Way Wines, and a selection of premium local produce, including Coolattin Mature Cheddar and Powerscourt Honey, exclusive items like Glencairn tasting glasses and a complimentary Whiskey Tour and Tasting Experience for two.

commitment to utilising high-quality, local produce, allowing each hamper to represent the exquisite flavours of Wicklow and support many local businesses and artisans. “We extend warm festive wishes to all our customers and look forward to welcoming them to our Whiskey Lounge at the Distillery Visitors Centre this festive season,” a distillery spokesperson said. Hampers can be ordered online for nationwide delivery or click and collect directly from The Powerscourt Distillery: https://powerscourtdistillery.com/productcategory/gift-hampers/.

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>> Tour and Tasting Experience for two, valued at €50. The last order date for pre-Christmas delivery is 15 December, while a click-andcollect option from the Distillery will be available until 21 December. Shipping is free on all hamper orders (see website details below). Customers can choose from a range of hampers, each offering a curated selection of Fercullen Whiskeys and selected with gourmet pairings. Notable hampers for 2023 include:

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addition of amazing fruity hops giving an explosion of tropical fruit flavours and a sharp bitter finish. Distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam, BrewDog reports sales are on a high and the rebellious Punk IPA shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

World’s favourite Italian liqueur Disaronno enjoys cult status as an Italian style icon: featuring a smooth taste, unmistakable aroma, unique and distinctive design of its bottle, original square cap and its golden label which adds a sense of contemporary elegance and style. Disaronno is the proud ambassador of the ‘Endless Dolce Vita’, telling a story through the iconic postcards of the Italian beauty, thanks to a new world of reference. La Dolce Vita, the endless pursuit of pleasure, is an attitude, a lifestyle ascribed to the Italians. The “contemporary dolce vita” lifestyle is full of worldly immersive pleasures. Nowadays, this is suspended between the new and the ancient, tradition and contemporary. Disaronno Amaretto captures the senses with its amber colour, rich aroma and incomparable taste which has made it the world’s favourite Italian liqueur. This Christmas, every customer can “enjoy Disaronno your way”, in a cocktail or even with cola and a slice of lemon. The most popular Disaronno cocktails include the Disaronno Sour, the Irish Godfather and the Disaronno Fizz. For more cocktail ideas from Disaronno, check out Disaronno.com. Distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Broadcasting legend Graham Norton alongside Invivo co-founders, entrepreneurs Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron

Created to turn heads! Arguably Ireland’s favourite West Cork native, Graham Norton’s wine brand has reached Ireland’s top 20 wine brands this year. The Graham Norton wine range is produced in collaboration with New Zealand’s Invivo and Graham Norton controls every aspect of the blending process for his wines, combining southern hemisphere grapes with ‘Norton Hemisphere’ brilliance to create a super range of six wines. Invivo was founded by two Kiwi wine entrepreneurs, Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron in 2008. This year, 2023, Graham and Invivo will celebrate ten years of making awardwinning wine together. Graham’s range includes his best-selling (and awarded) Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand joined by a wildly popular New Zealand Rosé, Graham Norton’s Shiraz and the most recent addition, an Argentinian Malbec named He-Devil after Graham’s memoirs ‘The Lives and Loves of a He-Devil’. “My He-Devil was created to turn heads, break hearts and leave you wanting more…

and it’s delivered on all counts,” said Graham Norton, chief winemaker. In relation to bubbles, GN Frizzante Bianco and the GN Frizzante Rosé are wildly popular in Ireland. Moving onto spirits, Graham Norton’s Own Irish Gins celebrate Graham’s West Cork heritage, the beauty and flavours of his idyllic native county and his awardwinning flair for blending perfection. Partnering with an Irish distillery was very important to Graham and that is why he decided to work with his West Cork neighbours, West Cork Distillers. West Cork Distillery is the most southerly located distillery on the Atlantic Archipelago, an area close to Graham’s West Cork retreat. Graham has three gins in the portfolio: Graham Norton’s Own Irish Gin, Irish Pink Gin and Irish Marmalade Gin. The latest spirit addition is Graham Norton’s Own Irish Vodka – made form potatoes, it is ridiculously smooth on the palate. Graham Norton’s wine and spirits are proudly distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

A worldwide phenomenon

Disaronno is an Italian icon loved for its smooth taste and unmistakable aroma

How to make a Disaronno Sour With over 100 perfect mixes, the brand and fan base continue to grow. Disaronno Sour is a favourite at the moment - this is a unique and refreshing drink in which the distinctive notes of Disaronno blend with the scent of freshly squeezed lemons. It’s easy to make too. All that’s required is 50ml Disaronno, 25ml fresh lemon juice, 5ml of sugar syrup and egg white. You shake all the ingredients with ice and serve with a garnish of lemon for a beautiful cocktail.

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Kylie Minogue Wines is an exquisite, elegant portfolio of bespoke wines, crafted with passion and integrity. Launched in 2020 on Kylie’s birthday, on 28 May, the rosé quickly became one of the most successful launches in its category ever. Kylie Minogue Wines has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon with a glass of Kylie Minogue Prosecco Rosé sold every six seconds*. Kylie Minogue Wines has sold 9 million bottles since launch (that’s over 43 million glasses of Kylie Minogue Wine poured) and is available to purchase in 31 countries. Kylie Minogue now has five rosés in her wine portfolio - Sparkling Prosecco Spumante, Sparkling Prosecco Frizzante, Cotes des Provence, Signature Rosé and Alcohol Free Sparkling Rosé. This Signature range comprises of two wines from France including the delicate paledry rosé made from Cabernet and Carignan grapes, and a light and zesty Sauvignon Blanc from Gascony.

Pop icon Kylie Minogue says she has been “unbelievably humbled and thrilled by the global response” her wine range has received

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The latest addition is the delicious Prosecco Frizzante produced in the heart of Veneto on the picturesque hills of Gambellara. This wine is fresh and fragrant with a marked aromatic character rich in floral scents of acacia and wisteria flowers. “I am unbelievably humbled and thrilled by the global response to Kylie Minogue Wines,” the pop icon said. “It has been incredible, and testimony to the amazing producers and winemakers Kylie Minogue Wines has been lucky enough to work alongside. I have been incredibly touched by the joy our wines have brought to so many people.” Kylie Minogue Wines are proudly distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

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*(Source: Nielsen EPOS volume sales - Total UK Off Trade to 11 March 2023)

The McGuigan Zero range offers an unparalleled alcohol-free experience both on the nose and palate

Outperforming the market McGuigan Wines continue to outperform the market as the number one Australian wine brand in Ireland. The Black Label range comprises of a Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Rosé and Malbec. McGuigan has once again demonstrated its innovation by introducing McGuigan Frizzante to the market. This is a light style of sparkling, full of lively yet delicate bubbles that give a crisp and refreshing sparkle. The latest addition to the McGuigan portfolio is McGuigan Zero. With unrivalled taste and zero alcohol, this is for everyone,

everywhere. McGuigan Zero is a true trailblazer in its category. The range offers an unparalleled alcohol-free experience both on the nose and palate. Launching with Shiraz, Chardonnay, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Sparkling, McGuigan Zero is created using state-of-the-art spinning cone technology. By drawing the wine into super fine layers for efficient vaporisation, alcohol may be removed at lower temperatures than ever before, thus resulting in a truly beautiful tasting product. McGuigan Wines are distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Coffee lovers’ classic choice Tia Maria has been designed for the Espresso Martini. It is the must-have ingredient for this classic cocktail. The Espresso Martini is the seventh most popular cocktail sold in the world. The Tia Espresso Martini has been the classic evening pickme-up since its creation in the 1980s. It’s as delicious today as it’s always been. The combination of cold brew coffee and hot espresso coffee enhances the true coffee taste in an Espresso Martini. Made with Madagascar vanilla, Jamaican rum, and 100% arabica coffee, Tia Maria has a classic roasted, full-bodied, and rich taste. An exclusive cold brew extraction process gives it its distinctive intense coffee aroma, which is followed by notes of chocolate and pipe tobacco, caramelised cane sugar and vanilla. Check out TiaMaria.com for more cocktail inspiration. Distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

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Discover The Busker Small Batch Double Aged Collection. The Busker Small Batch Whiskeys are double matured by using a limited number of casks accurately selected by its team from its warehouse in Royal Oak Distillery, Co. Carlow. The Small Batch Collection has been personally selected by master blender Caroline Martin. These exclusive releases are the best expression of what the Royal Oak Distillery has to offer within the premium category. The first in this collection is the Single Pot Still Small Batch. Double aged in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Casks, and non-chill filtered to preserve the taste and aromas. Tasting notes include fruit notes, raisins, sultanas, prunes and figs, warming spice ginger and cinnamon. With a long, smooth and mellow finish; on the nose, the Single Pot Still gives leathery, profoundly rich, complex, robust, fresh pipe tobacco, aromatic, rounded and perfectly balanced aromas. It’s best enjoyed neat, or on the rocks. The Small Batch Single Pot Still has already won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023 and 93 points in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2023 before it had been released. With a new take on the packaging side, the Small Batch Single Pot Still is corked, and has the Royal Oak Distillery embedded into the glass, this new look will be what we see for the Busker single range coming into 2024. Distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Soft Drinks

Profoundly rich and perfectly balanced

Tia Maria is made with Madagascar vanilla, Jamaican rum, and 100% arabica coffee

Learn how to make the perfect Espresso Martini with Tia Maria

The Busker Single Pot Still Small Batch is double aged in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Casks, and non-chill filtered to preserve its taste and aromas

All you need is: 25ml Tia Maria, 25ml vodka, single or double shot of espresso and coffee beans to garnish. Fill a martini glass with ice and set aside to chill. Pour Tia Maria, vodka and espresso into a cocktail shaker. Fill the rest of the shaker with ice. Shake the ingredients together. Empty the martini glass of ice. Pour in the contents of the shaker using a strainer and sieve into the glass. Finish with three coffee beans.

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54 CATEGORY FOCUS Christmas Drinks

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The reds (dry to sweet) • Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon Traditional in taste, this big red has bold flavours. The Cabernet Sauvignon is best paired with foods that complement strong flavours. Beef, lamb, rib eye or other red meats are good wine pairings. Enjoy with a meze of hard cheese such as cheddar, smoked, cured meats, as well as tomato pasta dishes, broccoli and even cheeseburgers.

Sauvignon Blush is the most recent launch from Ireland’s number one New Zealand wine brand, Villa Maria

Leading New Zealand star Villa Maria is Ireland’s number one New Zealand wine brand. Villa Maria’s extensive portfolio is one of the most geographically and stylistically diverse and highly awarded range of premium wines by any New Zealand producer, fuelling consumer adoration and success across the globe. In Ireland, the Private Bin range is available, most famously known for the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, yet other varietals are also available such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Pinot Noir. Villa Maria wines have a fresh new look for the Private Bin range; the wine is the same outstanding quality just in a new contemporary pack. The high tier Cellar Selection Pinot Noir and the Reserve Wairau Sauvignon Blanc are also available in the Irish market. The most recent launch from Villa Maria is the beautiful Sauvignon Blush: Sauvignon Blanc with a hint of Merlot. This delivers the taste experience of New Zealand’s favourite white wine with a playful fun-factor that opens up a whole new occasion for Sauvignon Blanc. It’s Sauvignon Blanc. 90% Sauvignon Blanc in fact, caressed with 10% Merlot for a beautiful ‘Provence-like’ blush. Looks like Rosé; tastes like Sauvignon Blanc. Villa Maria Wines are proudly distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Matches made in festive heaven Your customers can make sweater weather even better with Barefoot Wine this festive season, the number one USA wine brand in Ireland. Barefoot Wine has got everyone covered with the ultimate food matching guide:

• Barefoot Malbec Traditional Malbec is dry with a jammy taste, similar to Cabernet Sauvignon. This plush wine is full and gorgeous, bursting with characteristics of thick juicy blackberries, currants and caramel. You’ll notice a hint of toasted oak which means it’ll complement smoked meats as well as caramelized onion. Rich mushroom pasta, red meats, pulled pork, BBQ ribs, salsa and strong Stilton are great foods to pair with Malbec.

With a RRP of ¤10.50, there is a Barefoot Wine to suit every taste and meal occassion

• Barefoot Merlot You’ll find merlot to be one of the sweeter red wines while still being typically mild. Enjoy the warm chocolatey, mocha finish with a smoky vanilla-oak aftertone. A medium merlot is the most versatile out of the reds and can be paired nicely with all red, smoked and cured meats. Merlot can also complement swordfish, grilled tuna, roasted chestnuts and all poultry.

The whites (dry to sweet) • Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc Fresh flavours like green vegetables, crisp apples, citrus fruits as well as potatoes, pasta and even chips all go well with Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy a chilled glass with roasted turkey, smoked fish like salmon, salty oysters and feta or goat’s cheese salad. • Barefoot Buttery Chardonnay Fruity in taste, Chardonnay is the perfect addition to meals which include soft and hard cheese, chicken, pork, salmon, shellfish and potatoes. Enjoy chardonnay with creamy pastas, roasted veg and hearty lasagne. • Barefoot Chardonnay Fruity in taste, Chardonnay is the perfect addition to meals which include soft and hard cheese, chicken, pork, salmon, shellfish and potatoes. Enjoy chardonnay with creamy pastas, roasted veg and hearty lasagne.

Barefoot is the number one USA wine brand in Ireland

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• Barefoot Pinot Grigio Light-bodied and floral, Pinot Grigio is one of the sweeter white wines. You’ll be able to taste the tart green apple, fruity citrus and

peachy undertones. Fish and white meats are great food pairings for Pinot Grigio. Enjoy with poultry, spicy pasta, cheese pizza and green veg.

The pink (sweet) • Barefoot White Zinfandel Enjoy a glass with spicy tandoori Indian and Asian food, along with salty bacon, grapes, mild cheese and cured meat. Most seafood and shellfish can also be paired with the sweetness of White Zinfandel. For those with a sweet tooth, your options are endless. Enjoy a glass paired with Eton Mess, strawberry trifle, apple crumble, caramel, sticky toffee pudding and currant buns. Barefoot Wine is available from all good stockists (RRP: €10.50).

Superb craftmanship Feeling the pinch this Christmas? Why not try an Irish Wine Show Gold Star award winning wine with a few years of age for an absolute snip? The winner of the Best New World White Under €12, Santa Rita Estates Semillon 2017 proved a hit at a recent press tasting with many recommendations. Superb quality and craftsmanship are the hallmarks of Santa Rita, one of Chile’s most admired and innovative wine estates. The dynamic Reserva series has a well-structured, fruity style, perfect for any occasion. This Semillon has an elegant golden colour. It shows soft aromas of pineapple and melon, nicely complemented with white roses and honey caramel. It is balanced with a smooth mouthfeel, while still fresh with a lingering finish. The Irish Wine Show Gold Star winner of the Best New World Red Under €12 was the 2015 Carmen Premier 1850 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a beautifully mature Cabernet, with leafy aromas, cassis and blackcurrant on the palate and a soft, smooth finish. Meanwhile, for those watching the calories or alcohol units, there’s the 120 Dealcoholised range which includes a zesty Sauvignon Blanc and fruity Cabernet Sauvignon.

Elegant yet approachable For those seeking the pleasure of a warming glass of red, the Doña Paula Estate Malbec from Argentina is a must. This elegant, refined yet very approachable Malbec is made by renowned winemaker and viticulturalist of the year Martin Kaiser using grapes grown at 1350 meters in the foothills of the Andes. The range also includes Doña Paula Estate Blue Velvet, >> The Carmen Premier 1850 Cabernet Sauvignon offers leafy aromas, cassis and blackcurrant on the palate and a soft, smooth finish Santa Rita Reserva Estates Semillon 2017 shows soft aromas of pineapple and melon, nicely complemented with white roses and honey caramel

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Christmas gift ideas for the discerning spirit lover Boann Distillery is renowned for its innovative distilling techniques and unparalleled craftsmanship, making it a standout in the Irish drinks industry. This Christmas, it has an array of exceptional and distinctive spirits, poised to delight during the festive season:

Put a little Hendrick’s in your holidays! From an extravagant feast to an intimate soirée, Hendrick’s gin is a deliciously super premium gin, made with a number of unusual twists. To deliver a most curious and delightfully unique flavour, Hendrick’s combines a distinct blend of eleven botanicals, as well as the signature infusions of cucumber and rose petals, producing a wonderfully refreshing gin with a delightfully unique aroma. Hand crafted in Scotland in miniscule batches by William Grant & Sons, Hendrick’s is the only gin that uses a marriage of spirits from both Carterhead and Bennett Copper Pot Still, a combination that produces a divinely smooth gin that has both the required character and balance of subtle flavours. This Christmas, the brand’s recommendation is to ‘Put A Little Hendrick’s in Your Holidays’ with its ‘maestro of the gin and tonic’ Christmas gift box, now available in leading retailers nationwide (RRP: €38).

Silks Irish Dry Gin is a fresh, floral contemporary spirit distilled by hand in small batches

All wrapped up for Christmas Dublin cocktail company Craft Cocktails is back with a limited-edition trio of Christmas cocktails to bring some elevated tippling to the silly season. The All Wrapped Up range features three drinks with a retro wrapping paper design, in a large 700ml size, perfect for under the tree, or a small 200ml size to fill a stocking. The Mistletoe Margarita, Festive Old Fashioned and Gingerbread Punch join Craft Cocktails’ core range of colourful bottled cocktails, hand mixed and bottled in Dublin 7 and available for delivery around Ireland. The Mistletoe Margarita is made for the season by infusing Don Julio 100% Agave Tequila with pine needles for some extra festive flair. Mixed with fresh green apple, agave and lime, this original Christmas cocktail is best served over ice with a sprig of Christmas tree to garnish. This new cocktail joins Craft Cocktail seasonal favourites: the Festive Old Fashioned; a slow winter sipper for after the kids have gone to bed, made with a mix of Bulleit Bourbon and flavours of fig, caramel, orange spiced bitters and a dash of PX Sherry, and the Gingerbread Punch; a warming winter mix of Ketel One vodka, sloe gin and ruby port, with cranberry, gingerbread spices, and clementine. The range can be purchased in Craft

• The Whistler 16-year-old Palo Cortado “El Misterioso”, ¤165 At the top end of the range is the single malt 16-year-old Whistler “El Misterioso”, elegantly presented in a striking red single bottle presentation case. First matured in second fill bourbon barrels for 14 years, this unique triple distilled Irish Whiskey was then finished in rare Palo Cortado sherry casks for two years. It retails for €165 for a 70cl bottle and can be purchased from the Boann Distillery website, www.boanndistillery.ie.

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>> an alluring blend of Malbec, Pinot Noir and Bonarda and the Estate Black Edition which is a complex and full-bodied blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. A single varietal Doña Paula Estate Sauvignon Blanc completes the line-up.

infusing the whiskey with a ‘New Oak’ style spice that works in harmony with notes of dried fruits. It retails for €75 for a 70cl bottle and can be purchased from the Boann Distillery website, www.boanndistillery.ie.

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• 1848 Apple Brandy, ¤45.95 Experience the marriage of two worlds in the form of 1848 Apple Brandy, a unique blend that pays homage to the inaugural flying of the Irish national flag in 1848. This brandy blends the finest elements of France’s renowned Calvados Pays D’Auge from Chateau du Breuil in Normandy with Boann’s distinctive triple-distilled apple brandy. The result is a harmonious, smooth, and rounded balance with notes

The single malt 16-year-old Whistler El Misterioso is elegantly presented in a striking red single bottle presentation case

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• Silks Irish Gin, ¤42.95 Winner of Best Irish Gin at the Irish Whiskey awards 2022, Silks Irish Dry Gin is a fresh, floral contemporary spirit distilled by hand in small batches. Conceived by mum-and-daughter beekeepers, Sally-Anne and Marie Cooney of Boann Distillery, the gin uses signature botanicals including honey, apple blossom and elderflower, all handforaged from the family’s orchards to produce a contemporary gin with bright citrus and sweet florals on the nose. A special Christmas gift pack can be purchased for €50 which includes two branded Silks Gin glasses and a jigger. A 70cl bottle retails for €42.95 and both can be purchased on the Boann Distillery website, boanndistillery.ie for domestic and international delivery.

of honey, dried fruits, hazelnut, apple, cinnamon, and vanilla. It can be purchased from boanndistillery.ie, IrishMalts.com, or The Celtic Whiskey Shop and costs €45.95 for a 70cl bottle. • The Whistler 10-year-old French Oak, ¤75 The Whistler 10-year-old French Oak offers a unique single malt whiskey that weaves together the best traits of two different species of oak. The whiskey is matured in American Oak for a full-bodied and honeyed profile and is then finished in French Oak infused with the finest Bordeaux wine. The French barrel, having been through the New Era Oak Cask (N.E.O.C.) process, provides a virgin oak base for further maturation,

Cocktails’ factory ‘Cuckoo Lane’ off Capel Street in Dublin 7 and online from www.craftcocktails.ie with delivery nationwide. The brand is taking orders until 15 December for Christmas deliveries (12 December for personalised cocktail delivery), and 19 December for collection. Craft Cocktails’ colourful range of classic flavours are also stocked in over 50 retailers, hotels, and venues nationwide as well as being a regular on the festival circuit.

Gin’gle bells! In recent years, premium gins, particularly flavoured gins, have become increasingly popular as Christmas gifts. Malfy Italian Gin is the number five super-premium gin brand globally*. It continues to perform well within the Irish market with Malfy Gin Rosa, Con Limon and Con Arancia being perfect Christmas Gifts, exporting your customers to the Amalfi Coast with each sip. Irish Distillers is leaning into Malfy Gin’s Italian provenance in a new marketing push for the brand. The ‘Immagina Malfy’ campaign launched earlier this year. The campaign centres around an advert that will run on video on demand (VOD), backed by social media posts, digital and traditional out-ofhome activity, on trade experiential and retail point-of-sale. ■

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56 CATEGORY FOCUS Soft Drinks

Big softies! With get-togethers soon in full swing in the countdown to Christmas, ensuring you have shoppers’ favourite soft drinks in a full range of flavours and formats will be vital to fully capitalise on the Christmas sales opportunity

he season of get-togethers is upon us! For visitors of all ages, your shoppers will want to ensure they have a selection of soft drinks on hand to suit all tastes. Not just for the kids amongst their friends and family, but for adults who want to abstain from alcohol for a host of reasons; obviously including those who are driving to visit loved ones. Particularly for those with long drives ahead of them this Christmas to catch up with all their nearest and dearest, energy drinks will also be a popular choice. According to Euromonitor, in a report entitled ‘Soft drinks in 2022: The big picture’, soft drinks in Ireland were expected to maintain positive off-trade volume growth in 2022. Sustainability continues to be a key feature of the soft drinks industry, with manufacturers striving to reduce their environmental impact through a range of initiatives. Ireland’s new national Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which will go live on 1 February 2024, was established to help Ireland achieve EU

recycling targets for the estimated 2 billion drinks bottles and cans that are consumed here each year. The Deposit Return Scheme hopes to achieve higher drink container collection rates and contribute to the ongoing fight against singleuse plastics. More than 40 countries and regions have successfully introduced this type of scheme, with recycling rates exceeding 90% in many countries. According to the EU’s Directive on single-use plastics, Ireland must ensure a collection of 77% of plastic beverage bottles placed on the market by 2025, rising to 90% in 2029. “Interestingly, given the move to smaller, onthe-go formats, arising from increased mobility in Ireland, some retailers have [benefited] more than others in 2022,” Euromonitor has also reported. “For example, given more impulse purchases, smaller, local retailers, such as convenience stores and small local grocers, [were] expected to continue to enjoy higher distribution volume shares than in 2019.”

In the off-trade channel, Euromonitor reported that nearly all soft drinks categories are expected to continue to see volume and current value growth at the top level in the forecast five-year period. Meanwhile, in a report entitled ‘Ireland Carbonated Soft Drinks Market Report 2021’ Mintel highlights that health continues to be an important focus of the carbonated drinks market, with over half of carbonated drinks users stating they were more likely to avoid sugary drinks in 2021 compared to 2020, while actively avoiding drinks subject to sugar levies. Mintel reports that this trend will see continued innovation within the category to reduce sugar but is likely to also drive a trend for added functionality – with Covid-19 having helped to push more consumers to seek drinks that can help boost their immunity or general health. Furthermore, this will push manufacturers to create drinks with added value to inject higher spend back into the category, Mintel states.

Find your inner Santa!

This multi-faceted campaign is now live in-trade since 6 November through to the end of December 2023 and will come to life through multiple touchpoints which include TV, video on demand, cinema, radio, out of home, experiential, PR, in-store theatre, and POS support.

Stock up on the festive promotional packs to offer your customers a chance to win. Coca-Cola concludes that it can’t wait to start celebrating the festive period and bringing out the inner Santa in all of us this Christmas!

For Christmas 2023, Coca-Cola will ignite the world with Christmas spirit and invite people to bring more joy and kindness to the world. Famously, Coca-Cola is the brand that helped create Santa, and this year Coca-Cola plans to expand its meaning to remind everyone of the real magic of Christmas. The Coca-Cola Santa will return to help people discover their inner Santa and remind us that kindness and generosity rules. The world needs more Santas! The Coca-Cola Christmas campaign will show consumers, that whoever you are, if you have kindness inside you, then you have the spirit of Santa and a part to play in the real magic of Christmas! This Christmas, Coca-Cola is offering the chance to win prizes to bring real magic to Coca-Cola drinking moments. Through an exciting on-pack pincode promotion, consumers will have chances to win one of six trips to Lapland, plus thousands of great prizes including Coca-Cola merchandise and digital vouchers.

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In an exciting on-pack pincode promotion, consumers will have chances to win one of six trips to Lapland, plus thousands of great prizes

Coca-Cola’s multifaceted campaign is now live in-trade until the end of December 2023

The CocaCola Santas are returning this year to help people discover their inner Santa

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58 CATEGORY FOCUS Soft Drinks

Monster results! Monster Energy remains Ireland’s number one stimulant energy brand this year, driven by strong volume sales which have contributed to category growth of more than 37%* in value and more than 45%* in volume year-to-date (YTD). Monster Ultra White retains its number one position in 2023 as the bestselling Monster flavour and bestselling zero sugar energy drink*. Thanks to new product innovation, the Zero Sugar segment has been enriched with the introduction of Lewis Hamilton Zero Sugar and Ultra Rosa this year. Monster is set to continue its growth within the zero sugar segment with the launch of Monster Zero Sugar – a zero sugar option of the flagship original Monster, and a new Ultra flavour Peachy Keen. The expanding Zero Sugar segment now includes Ultra White, Ultra Rosa, Ultra Paradise, Ultra Gold, Ultra Fiesta Mango, Ultra Watermelon, Ultra Blue, Ultra Red, Ultra Peachy Keen as well as Lewis Hamilton Zero Sugar and now Green Zero Sugar. The brand’s Full Flavour range has also seen a new addition with the introduction of Aussie Lemonade and will be continuing its expansion at the end of 2023 with the launch of Reserve Pineapple. The full flavoured segment now includes Mango Loco, Pipeline Punch, Monarch, Khaotic, Aussie Lemonade, Pacific Punch, Mixxd Punch, The Doctor and now Reserve Pineapple.

Monster Energy’s strong volume sales have contributed to category growth of more than 37%* in value and more than 45%* in volume YTD

Monster is continuing its growth with Monster Zero Sugar – a zero sugar option of the flagship original Monster

Monster has created an exciting new Ultra flavour, Peachy Keen

New ¤20 million Monster canning line opened at Coca-Cola HBC’s production facility

Pictured at the launch of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland’s new Monster Energy canning line is World Superbike Champion, Jonathan Rea, a Monster sponsored athlete

Last month, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland alongside its partner Monster Energy officially opened a new £17 / €20 million canning line at its production facility in Knockmore Hill, Lisburn. World Superbike Champion, Jonathan Rea, who is a Monster sponsored athlete, was onsite at Knockmore Hill to officially cut the ribbon and celebrate the achievement with employees. The new €20 million canning line represents the single largest investment since the production facility opened in 2008, with 35 new permanent roles created as part of the expansion. The extension

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adds an additional 4,597 square metres to the facility, covering manufacturing, warehousing and logistics. The expansion comes after a competitive tender process where Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland was selected as the strongest location amongst a number of other bottling operators across Europe. “The official opening ceremony signals an exciting moment for our business and our partner Monster Energy,” said Davide Franzetti, general manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland. “The expansion is also a further demonstration of the commitment of Coca-

Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland to the local economy with 35 new roles created and opportunity for our own people to grow and develop their own skillset with this new state-of-the-art new canning line,” Franzetti added. Desmond White, chief commercial officer, Monster Energy EMEA, said the new canning line “will unlock new opportunities for us in the Ireland and Northern Ireland markets, and also across other European markets”. “We are very proud of the strategic partnership with Coca-Cola HBC, the success and growth of our brands Monser and BPM, and the increased employment and employee development opportunities this investment brings. Today signifies a new milestone in our partnership which we are sure will bring further success,” White added. With a heritage on the island of Ireland dating back to 1938, Coca-Cola HBC employs over 750 people across the island with 450 colleagues based at the Knockmore Hill site in Lisburn. Since 2008, over €145 million has been invested in the facility in Knockmore Hill, a significant proportion of which is dedicated to furthering Coca-Cola HBC’s goal of achieving a NetZero carbon position by 2040. The new canning line is part of the wider expansion of Monster Energy on the island of Ireland, with its syrup production facility in Athy, Co. Kildare also in the process of expansion.

Christmas Essentials

Lucozade’s campaign, ‘Grab Christmas By The Baubles’ will resonate with consumers as they navigate the fun, trials and tribulations of the festive season

Grab Christmas by the baubles! Lucozade Energy, Ireland’s number one energy brand* is ready to refresh the nation in the run up to and across Christmas. The brand has a very significant investment on social throughout the Christmas break, including TikTok, Snapchat and Meta platforms. The campaign, ‘Grab Christmas By The Baubles’ is a contextual campaign that will resonate with consumers and keep them refreshed and revitalised as they navigate the fun, trials and tribulations of the coming Christmas period. Research shows Lucozade is Ireland’s number two FMCG brand** which is a testament to the high level of brand investment ensuring Lucozade Energy is ‘Always On’ in high-reach media across the year. *(Source: Ttl Scantrack, Value sales, Impulse Energy, YTD 8 Oct 2023). **Source: Nielsen Top 100 brands 2023. Checkout 7 September 2023)

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Fhirst’s three-strong launch line-up comprises three flavours – Cherry Vanilla, Ginger Mandarin and Passion Fruit

A Fhirst for life Next gen soda, Fhirst, has announced its launch into the Irish market, with listings confirmed in independent health stores across the country including Here’s Health, Health Matters, Horans, Nourish, and via WHSmith Travel in Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports. A ‘Fhirst’ of its kind, the up-and-coming soda brand is set to revolutionise functional beverages and beyond with its range of allnatural, zero-sugar or sweetener living sodas, which contain probiotics and prebiotics, plus added zinc.

Each can in the innovative new Fhirst range is packed with 2 billion living probiotic cultures, microencapsulated for stability and allowing for controlled release in the gut

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Lucozade is Ireland’s number one energy brand and number two FMCG brand, which is a testament to its high level of brand investment

The brand is on a mission to deliver greattasting, guilt free sodas that promote gut, immune and brain health. Each can is packed with 2 billion living probiotic cultures, microencapsulated* for stability and allowing for controlled release in the gut, and also contains 5g prebiotic plant fibre and added zinc. Not only that, Fhirst has zero sugar, artificial ingredients or sweeteners. The three-strong launch line-up comprises three delicious flavours – Cherry Vanilla, Ginger Mandarin and Passion Fruit with a RRP of €2.49 per 330ml can. Featuring distinctive, contemporary packaging, Fhirst’s unique proposition is aimed at health aware consumers, who have a Fhirst for life and are seeking the very best in healthy, functional beverages. Why is Fhirst different to other ‘gut healthy’ drinks? To date, gut loving drinks have mainly been made up of fermented drinks (such as kombuchas, kefirs and cider vinegar) and functional sodas (typically prebiotic sodas). Fhirst combines the best of both worlds, offering above and beyond when it comes to both health credentials and taste experience. No other brand has been able to create a shelf-stable soda capable of containing both probiotics and prebiotics, as well as having zero sugar or sweeteners. Fhirst’s extensive microbiological testing has shown that the gut health benefits in each can are as strong at the end of the products’ shelf life as on day one**, and that’s whether they’re kept chilled or ambient. Fhirst’s sweetness comes from an infusion of natural stevia leaves, not to be confused with the chemical sweetener ‘stevia’ (stevia extract or steviolglycoside) which is physically and chemically altered and processed. Aside from water and stevia leaves, no further extraction with ethanol, methanol or the like takes place, nor are any other substances ‘used to process’ the product. The infusion gives Fhirst a natural sweet ‘kiss’. Fhirst founder, Steven Van Middelem (also founder of D-Drinks), has both worked in the beverage industry for over 20 years, and has a passion for making best-in-class, healthier beverages with a sustainable impact: “The global pandemic encouraged us all to think again about our health and immunity. 80% of

our immune system lies in our gut, and gut health has been linked to the health of many other organs, including the heart and the brain. “We wanted to create a drink to help support immunity, brain health and overall gut health without compromising on taste, and most importantly without the sugars or sweeteners. It’s soda with benefits. We’re on a mission to help people make healthier choices, and we’re beyond excited to be bringing next gen soda to Irish consumers,” he added. As well as helping educate on the importance of gut health and evolve our drinking habits, Fhirst is committed to investing in nature’s biodiversity in the shape of Planet Fhirst, pledging 1% of turnover to biodiversity and green infrastructure projects via a partnership with SUGi. Fhirst funds will be used to boost the powerful web of 100% biodiverse native forests. For more information, follow Fhirst @drinkfhirst. *(Source: Microencapsulation ensures that Fhirst’s health benefits are as stable and strong at the end of its shelf life, as they are on day one). **(The cans have a 365-day shelf life)

Wiiings for every taste! Promising to vitalise body and mind, Red Bull Energy Drink, alongside its expanding range of editions will make for the ultimate Christmas 2023 party companion, with wiiings for every taste. Red Bull Sugar Free serves the no sugar category trend, while the colourful editions including Tropical, Red (Watermelon), Green (Cactus Fruit), Apricot and Juneberry provide wiiings for every taste. Red Bull Energy Drink, and now the Tropical and Watermelon

editions, are also available in super convenient four packs, perfect for Christmas get togethers. Available in over 170 countries worldwide, with more than 11.5 billion cans of Red Bull consumed last year, its expanding range of editions and beyond the ordinary marketing strategy see Red Bull continue to win its way into Irish consumers hearts, minds and shopping baskets this Christmas. Founded in 1987, Red Bull established the energy drinks product category, promising to vitalise body and mind. It is appreciated

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worldwide by top athletes, students and in highly demanding professions, as well as during long drives. Giving wiiings to people and ideas, Red Bull is proud to champion Irish sport, supporting Irish athletes in rugby player Mack Hansen, hockey goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, surfer Conor Maguire, downhill mountain bike athlete Greg Callaghan and drifter Conor Shanahan. Visit www.redbull.ie for more inspiring content and follow @RedBullIre on Instagram and TikTok to stay up to date with the latest action and events.

Available in over 170 countries worldwide, more than 11.5 billion cans of Red Bull were consumed last year

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62 CATEGORY FOCUS Soft Drinks

Sales of cold coffees up by 11% this year: Bewley’s Ireland is fast becoming a nation of yearround chilled coffee lovers, with under-35s turning to cold caffeine drinks flavoured with syrups and topped with foamed nondairy milk in all weathers, according to Bewley’s sales data. Caffeine drinks elevated with flavours like wild strawberry, passion fruit, and salted caramel are becoming increasingly popular – with sales of cold coffees rising by 11% this year. Bewley’s reports it has witnessed a sharp increase in sales of its chilled coffees to customers over the past six months. These include coffees infused with nitrogen known as nitro brews, iced lattes, as well cold foamy milk drinks. “The sales of chilled flavoured coffees and espresso martinis outnumbered the amount of hot coffees we sold by almost 1,500 cups at Electric Picnic and Kaleidoscope,” says Julie Murray, head of Coffee Culture at Bewley’s. “Menus in speciality coffee shops were once gloriously simple and consisted of three main items – espresso, espresso with milk, and filter coffee. This was a situation the shop owners loved because it was easy to manage, with simple price points and choice. “The new cohort of coffee drinkers are looking for a lot more variety and specialty coffee shops are selling iced lattes flavoured with syrups in response,” she adds.

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Meanwhile, Monin’s Europe-wide Winter Drinks Trends report 2022/23 also reveals that 7.3% of under 35s will drink at least one iced coffee away from home each day. In response to the increased demand, Murray says Bewley’s is now selling automated milk frothing machines to the hospitality sector in Ireland. The Latte Art Factory automated milk frother sits

alongside the barista’s espresso machine and grinder and can even pump nitro coffees straight into the glass. “The Latte Art Factory not only dispenses cold and hot textured milk but also nitro cold brews, says Murray. “It greatly improves efficiency and helps the industry overcome labour challenges.” ■

Head of Coffee Culture at beverage firm Bewley’s, Julie Murray, with a flavoured chilled espresso topped with foamed cold milk. According to the latest figures, sales of similar drinks have risen by 11% this year. (Pic credit: Leon Farrell, Photocall Ireland)

Christmas Essentials

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Blas na hÉireann Winners

64 CATEGORY FOCUS Home Baking

Baking Christmas magic! With festive goodwill in abundance at this time of year, nothing shows loved ones they’re truly cared for quite like a delicious homebaked treat. For little ones, it’s also a fantastic way for families to spend quality time together and develop their own special Christmas homebaking traditions. Thankfully, Ireland’s leading brands have created a plethora of options to make baking considerably easier – but with all the same fun

othing creates that homely, cosy Christmas feeling quite like a spot of home baking. In recent weeks, the perennially popular, wholesome TV favourite, ‘The Great British Bake Off’ has been continuing to inspire home bakers of all levels, from novices to the more experienced, to try their hand at baking up a treat during a crisp winter’s evening. In a new global report entitled, ‘A Year of Innovation in the Baking Ingredients and Sugar Market 2023’, Mintel reports on the specific EMEA innovations that have taken place within this sector. “Consumers want fuss-free and quick baking preparations. Brands in the baking ingredients market continue to focus innovation around consumers’ need for convenience,” the analyst states. “Easy-to-use options that don’t compromise quality for convenience are likely to appeal to consumers who are short on time but also value-conscious.” In a previous report released in April 2021, entitled ‘Baking Beyond the Baked Good’, Mintel also examined the question, ‘Why are consumers really baking?’ According to the analyst: “Baking is more than a means to an end for bakers; it’s a hobby. Consumers are baking more often not only to treat themselves but also to relax, to improve

their own baking skills and as a way to bond with their families, indicating the experience of baking is just as important as the baked good itself. Brands can further amplify that experience in messaging and innovation to extend the joy of baking long beyond the pandemic.”

Make lasting memories

Christmas is the perfect time to impress loved ones with a homemade holiday masterpiece using the well-known Irish brand, Siúcra

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

During Christmas, Siúcra knows how important it is to make lasting memories. Whether your customers are whipping up goodies with the kids in the kitchen or enjoying meals with family, Siúcra has got everyone covered for all baking needs this festive season. Your shoppers can treat family, friends, grandparents, or teachers to some sweet homemade treats, put a unique spin on a classic gift, or just have some fun together in the kitchen to create memories. This is the perfect time to impress loved ones with a homemade holiday masterpiece or a delicious dessert using the well-known Irish brand, Siúcra. This year, Siúcra has put together a collection of festive recipes that are not only

These gingerbread sandwich cookies make for a scrumptious homemade festive treat

Home Baking CATEGORY FOCUS 65

No mess, no fuss, just fun!

Christmas Essentials

Make memorable sweet treats and traditions at home with Siucra

www.nordzuckerireland.ie

SiucraIreland

Kerrygold delivers an abundance of choice to meet budding home bakers’ needs

Christmas Drinks

Odlums is proud to have been milling and packing flour in Ireland for over 175 years. Originally established in Portlaoise by the Odlum family in 1845, Odlums has been an integral part of Irish baking and cooking for generations. ‘Tis the season to get baking and for some, the task of baking at Christmas can be an intimidating one. Some might simply associate it with taking on the more time-consuming

favourites like Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. Odlums takes pride in making baking accessible to all types of bakers from the more experienced to the beginner who may be trying baking for the first time. Odlums.ie has something for everyone. Odlums has made it even easier this Christmas with its new range of Cake Shakers. Available in two flavours, Classic Muffin and Chocolate Brownie. Odlums Cake Shakers make baking easy; simply add water and oil to the bottle and shake! Shaking the ingredients together will create a smooth liquid mixture which is then ready for the oven. It’s that easy – no mess, no fuss, just fun!

Ireland’s leading butter brand, Kerrygold, is the secret ingredient for every kitchen moment. The full line-up of Kerrygold products now includes the Kerrygold 100gram Butter Stick. The handy 100-gram format offers food lovers greater variety for a host of usage occasions while delivering the unmistakable great taste that Kerrygold is known for all over the world. Whether your shoppers are budding chefs, a dab hand at baking, or simply seeking that extra edge to up their kitchen game, Kerrygold offers food lovers an abundance of choice to match every occasion. To access the full range, contact the brand directly at Irish.Retail@ornua.com. ■

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tasty but also designed to inspire and help you create sweet treats and traditions at home, using some of Siúcra’s top seasonal products. Visit www.nordzuckerieland.ie for more details.

Ireland’s leading butter

Home Baking

Siúcra has put together a collection of festive recipes that are not only tasty but also designed to inspire bakers of all levels of expertise

Available nationwide; to find out more visit Odlums.ie or find the brand on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Blas na hÉireann Winners

Odlums takes pride in making baking accessible to all bakers, from those with years of experience to beginners

siucraireland

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Blas na hÉireann Winners

66 CATEGORY FOCUS Blas na hÉireann Winners

The taste of success! Now in its 16th year, Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards sees competition from a range of top-quality Irish producers across 32 counties. Considered to be the ‘Oscars of the Food World’, the prestigious Blas na hÉireann Awards celebrate and reward the very best tasting Irish food and drink products, and the passionate, committed producers who produce them

las na hÉireann 2023, the Irish Food Awards, celebrated another bumper year this year during a fabulous threeday celebration of the very best of Irish food and drink between 28 - 30 September in Dingle, Co. Kerry. Morelli Ice Cream was crowned as Supreme Champion for its Morelli’s Mango Sorbet and Miena’s Nougat was announced as Best Artisan Producer; both of whom are featured in more detail within these pages, alongside a host of other notable winners. Speaking as the winners were announced, Blas na hÉireann chairperson, Artie Clifford said: “We are thrilled to see such deserving winners and finalists again this year at Blas na hÉireann 2023. Looking back on 16 years of

Marino, Dario and Arnaldo Morelli from Morelli Ice Cream, County Derry who won the Supreme Champion Food Producer Award for their Mango Ice Cream Sorbet at the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards in Dingle, County Kerry (Photo: Don MacMonagle)

Blas, it’s fantastic to see the standard of food and drink in Ireland go from strength-tostrength year on year. It’s a real privilege for myself and the whole Blas family to bring these products, and the amazing producers who make them, to a wider audience.” Now in its 16th year, Blas na hÉireann saw the highest number of entries with almost 3,000 products and many new producers entering the awards for the first time. Products from every county in Ireland were entered to win Bronze, Silver or Gold awards in over 150 food and drink categories, as well as key awards like Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer. The judging process, developed in conjunction with UCC and the University of

Ice cream in their veins! The Morelli family certainly has ice cream running through their veins. The fourthgeneration Irish/Italian family business was crowned Supreme Champion at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards for its Mango Sorbet. A versatile product made with real mango puree, Morelli’s Mango Sorbet contains no Morelli’s supplies a range of 950ml retail packs in popular flavours

Made with real mango puree, Morelli’s Mango Sorbet contains no dairy or lactose

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Morelli’s was crowned Supreme Champion at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards for its Mango Sorbet

dairy or lactose, making it suitable for absolutely everybody and a great alternative to ice cream. The company also picked up a Gold for Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt, a Silver for Mixed Berry Frozen Yoghurt and a Bronze for Pistachio Swirl Ice Cream as well as Best in County Derry and Best in Province (Ulster). The Morelli family’s focus is on quality ingredients and great tasting ice cream. As well as having family-run scoop ice cream shops on the beautiful North Coast of Northern Ireland, the family also has a

Copenhagen, is regarded as an industry ‘gold’ standard worldwide with each product subjected to a blind taste test that sees packaging and identifying features removed to ensure a level playing field. The judging panel is composed of food experts from a variety of backgrounds, including chefs, restaurateurs, academics, journalists, authors, food champions, caterers and enthusiastic home cooks. As the competition ramps up year on year, securing that Blas badge is a huge achievement and means those producers who are short listed as finalists and the final winners really are the crème de la crème of Irish food and drink.

purpose-built production facility in Coleraine where production is about to reach 1,000,000 litres for the first time: a milestone that the family feels extremely proud to reach. Morelli’s supplies Tesco in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with a range of 950ml retail packs in its best-selling flavours including Double Cream Vanilla and Honeycomb as well as producing a range of Irish Made Ice Cream for Dunnes Stores under the Simply Better brand. Flavours like Caramelised Hazelnut and Butterscotch are extremely popular with Dunnes shoppers.

Retailer spotlight: Centra Centra’s Irish food producers claimed 28 awards at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards including seven Gold awards for products including Inspired by Centra Overnight Oats, Centra Rapeseed Oil, Centra Streaky Smoked Rashers, Centra Mango Kefir and The Happy Pear Hummus. In total, Centra producers took home seven Gold, 13 Silver and eight Bronze awards. The big wins include 11 products from the Inspired >>

IRELAND’S NO. 1 AWARD-WINNING SUPERMARKET

Congratulations to our SuperValu suppliers & Food Academy producers winning Blas Na hÉireann Awards

A selection of our Award-Winning Products from SuperValu Suppliers & Food Academy Producers such as: Ballyhoura Apple Farm, Ballykilcavan Brewing Company, Builin Blasta, Clonakilty Gluten Free Kitchen, Dan & Monstro, Drummully Boxty, Greenes Family Kitchen, Kinsale Mead, O’Neills Dry Cure Bacon Co., Follain, Galmere, Dunn’s of Dublin, Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, Clona Dairy Products Ltd, Ballymaguire Foods, Newgrange Gold, Glenisk, The Foods of Athenry, The Happy Pear & Cartys. Products available in selected stores.

Details In-store or Online. Customer quotas apply. Please drink sensibly.

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Blas na hÉireann Winners

68 CATEGORY FOCUS Blas na hÉireann Winners

Gerry Sheridan and Lisa Clarke, Moo’d Ice cream, Cavan with Rachel Gearey and Majella Moynihan of the Musgrave Group

>> by Centra range, expertly created to bring you a range with value in mind without compromising on taste or quality. Award winners within the Inspired by Centra range include mouthwatering favourites such as Inspired by Centra Irish Angus Sirloin Steak with Peppercorn Butter and Inspired By Centra Italian Napoli Salami, Spicy Piccante Salami & Roasted Red Pepper Pizza. Other key award winners from the Centra range include Centra Hi Fibre rolls, Centra Tomato & Basil Soup and Centra Irish Creamery Butter. “As the leading Irish convenience retailer, we pride ourselves on offering quality Irish produce for our customers to enjoy,” said Ian Allen, managing director, Centra. “Our trusted suppliers scooping 28 accolades at this year’s awards demonstrates this. The Blas accreditation is a testament to Centra’s quality products from trusted Irish suppliers available across our network of 494 Centra stores nationwide.”

Retailer spotlight: SuperValu

Ezra Galvin of Clona Dairies, alongside Dave Sheehan (MRPI) and Ciara O’Gorman, Musgrave

Producers of SuperValu, Ireland’s largest grocery retailer, took home a remarkable 94 Blás na hÉireann Awards in another winning year for the retailer and its local producers. SuperValu own brand and its Food Academy producers picked up 94 awards – winning 26 Gold, 24 Silver, 30 Bronze, five Chef Larder and nine Speciality awards. SuperValu Signature Tastes won five Gold awards: highlighting the exemplary quality across the top-tier range. This brings the total number of awards won by SuperValu and its suppliers over the last three years up to an incredible 303 awards across SuperValu own brand, SuperValu Signature Tastes, Food Academy,

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David Walsh-Kemmis of Ballykilcavan Brewery, a SuperValu Food Academy participant, celebrating at this year’s Blás na hÉireann Awards

and The Happy Pear. SuperValu award winners included one prestigious ‘Chef’s Larder’ award, won by Oliver Carty for the Signature Tastes Hampshire Easy Carve Gammon. Food Academy producers took home four of the highly coveted awards; including Cherry Orchard Community Garden’s Mixed Salad Leaves, Clonmore Farm’s Mixed Salad Leaves, Dainty Greens Microgreens Medley, and Roll It Pastry’s All Butter Puff Pastry. This highly regarded title is awarded for ingredients, specialist products or recipe staples that a chef would find to be a valuable part of their larder. Another key highlight was for SuperValu Food Academy producer Achill Island Sea Salt, taking home the ‘Best New Product’ for Achill Island Sea Salted Nougat with Cashew Nuts. SuperValu Signature Tastes and own brand took home a total of 10 Gold awards including SuperValu Natural Kefir of Clóna Dairy

Products Ltd, a West Cork based manufacturer of 100% Irish fresh milk and cream products and SuperValu Rapeseed Oil of Newgrange Gold. Also included in the Gold award line-up was SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish Hampshire Smoked Rack of Bacon (exclusive to SuperValu), produced by Oliver Carty. The business is owned and run by Ted Carty, whose foresight, innovation, and love of the business has brought Oliver Carty to where it is today, one of Ireland’s largest pork and bacon producers. It was also another successful year for SuperValu’s Food Academy producers who picked up 48 awards – 13 Gold, eight Silver, 14 Bronze, four Chef’s Larder, one Best New Product and eight Best in County; including one Gold award from Ballykilcavan Brewing for its Blackwell Irish Stout. An on-farm brewery, Ballykilcavan Brewing sources 100% of its barley from its estate and introduced hop gardens while committing to sustainability and maintaining its Origin Green Sustainability status for 2023. “2023 has been another stellar year for SuperValu at the prestigious Blas na hÉireann awards,” said Ian Allen, managing director, SuperValu. “We are incredibly proud of our local producers as they receive the recognition they deserve,” he continued. “SuperValu has been supporting sustainable Irish food and drink producers for many years now, helping to deliver a more sustainable range for our customers as well as creating jobs within our communities. Along with supporting sustainable food producers we are committed >>

Gold-standard in dairy excellence Nothing tastes better than natural, and that’s precisely what you get with Ór-Real Irish Butter. Produced by North Cork Creameries in Kanturk, a farming cooperative with a history dating back to 1928, this traditional butter brand has become a true emblem of quality and tradition since its market debut in 2021. One of the secrets behind the unparalleled flavour of Ór-Real Irish Butter lies in its commitment to working with local suppliers — benefitting from generations-old relationships with farmers who provide milk from certified grass-fed cows. This dedication to local sourcing ensures that every block of Ór-Real Irish Butter carries the distinct essence of the Irish countryside. The butter’s journey from farm to table is a testament to the brand’s passion for authenticity, and it’s no wonder that Ór-Real Irish Butter has received numerous accolades in recent years. Most notably, its team was thrilled to clinch the gold award in the Butter category at the prestigious Blas na hÉireann Awards 2023, marking yet another milestone in its quest for excellence. The brand’s trophy shelf already boasts honours from the Best Taste and Irish Quality Food & Drink awards, underlining its unwavering commitment to delivering the finest Irish butter to families’ table. When you taste Ór-Real Irish Butter, you taste the legacy of a cooperative with deep roots in Ireland’s agricultural heritage, and the satisfaction of supporting local farmers. The brand is now stocked in SuperValu, Tesco, BWG and Barry’s and other leading retailers.

When it comes to flavour, quality, and tradition, the makers of Ór-Real Irish Butter are confident nothing tastes better than natural

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Miena’s Irish Handmade Nougat was named overall Best Artisan Producer at the recent Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards – yet another huge award for this small Wicklow producer. The brand was also named ‘Best in Leinster’ and its new Salted Caramel & Cashew Nougat from the Decadent range won a joint Gold medal. This success comes on the back of a very exciting year for Miena’s which launched the new Decadent range earlier in 2023 as well as creating a lovely range of gift boxes. The gorgeous new gift packets – ideal at Christmas and all year round - come in various flavours, including The Decadent Range Gift Box, the White Chocolate Coated Nougat Gift Package, the Dark Chocolate Coated Nougat Gift Package, the Fruit Selection Gift Cracker and the Nut Selection Gift Cracker. The new Decadent range has three flavours: Coffee, Chocolate & Pecan; Rum, Raisin & Almond and Salted Caramel & Cashew. These complement Miena’s existing nut and fruit flavours.

A small, artisan producer based in Co. Wicklow, Miena’s uses only the best and freshest ingredients

Available in gorgeous new gift packets, Miena’s Irish Handmade Nougat is an ideal present at Christmas and all year round

Christmas Essentials

Tesco Ireland was delighted to have received 45 awards at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards in another hugely successful year for the retailer and its producers. Tesco products almost doubled their tally from last year, receiving awards across several medal classes, including beef, lamb, and bacon, cured meats, ready meals, prepared foods, soups, ice cream, dairy, cheese, breakfast cereal and preserves categories. Tesco was awarded 15 Gold medals including Tesco Finest Certified Irish Angus Sirloin Steak with Creamy Pepper Sauce, Tesco Lamb Rack with a Mushroom & Herb Crumb, and Tesco Sicilian Lemon Luxury Yogurt 150g. Tesco Finest Blackcurrant Conserve and Tesco Finest Gherkin and Mustard Relish also won Gold awards while its Finest Rooster Potatoes received a prestigious ‘Chef’s Larder’ Award. “The Blas na hÉireann Awards are always a wonderful occasion, and we are especially thrilled this year to come away with 45 awards for Tesco own label and Finest products,” said Joe Manning, commercial director, Tesco Ireland. “We are delighted to have the quality of our Irish produced products recognised at such a

Artisan champion

Christmas Drinks

Tesco Finest Irish Rooster Potatoes won a Chef’s Larder Award at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards

Miena Rust, founder of Miena’s Irish Handmade Nougat, celebrating at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards

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Retailer spotlight: Tesco

Miena’s is a small, artisan producer located in Co. Wicklow. The handmade nougat is made using the best and freshest ingredients. It is available in good food stores across Ireland and is part of the Dunnes Stores Simply Better range. The brand is also exported across the world to places as diverse as the UK, Belgium, France, Denmark, the United States and Taiwan. The range can also be purchased directly at www.mienas.ie.

Blas na hÉireann Winners Home Baking

>> to helping our customers make sustainable choices. We recently launched our ‘Local Action, Global Impact’ initiative which showcases the small actions we can all take to make a global impact. Local Irish producers are certainly making an impact. This was another fantastic, award-winning year for our producers, and we are incredibly proud of our local producers as they receive the recognition they deserve.” Achieving such levels of quality remains a priority for SuperValu and the retailer is proud to be recognised for delivering the best taste and quality products for its customers. As Ireland’s largest grocery retailer, SuperValu understands the importance of supporting local and is committed to supporting Irish food producers throughout the country. SuperValu’s continued success at the awards, winning over 303 accolades in the last three years alone, shows the commitment SuperValu has to the very best quality Irish food.

prestigious event, and to have received 15 Gold medals, as well as 14 Silver and 15 Bronze, is an achievement that we are all extremely proud of,” he continued. “None of this would be possible without our outstanding suppliers who show such dedication and passion for their work. We’ve been working with some of them for over 25 years now, and year after year they continue to provide the best quality products for our customers. Congratulations to all involved.” In June of this year Tesco Ireland also received a number of top awards at the prestigious Monde Selection Awards in Brussels. The retailer won four Gold awards for its Finest Certified Irish Angus beef Striploin Steak, its Finest Certified Irish Angus beef ribeye steak, and its Finest Certified Irish Angus Beef Sirloin steak, while its Finest Certified Irish Angus fillet steak was awarded Silver.

A true original! The team at Original 7 Beverage Company in Cork was delighted to scoop a Silver medal at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards. The popular new microbrewery won the coveted award for its Wonderland Red Ale brew currently available in 56 pubs in Cork city. For more information, visit www.original7.ie.

Shane Long, founding director and Steve Guiney, managing director of Original 7 Beverage Company, Cork, receiving a Silver medal from awards organiser Fallon Moore

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

Retailer spotlight: McCarthy’s Eurospar Kilkenny McCarthy’s Eurospar Kilkenny is celebrating after being awarded Silver and Bronze medals at the prestigious Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards. John McCarthy’s Eurospar took home the Bronze medal in the Bakery Category for its sumptuous Tin Loaf while its Gourmet Lamb Noisettes took home the Silver medal in the Lamb Category. “Eurospar is extremely proud of the achievements of John McCarthy and all the team in McCarthy’s Eurospar Kilkenny,” said Peter Dwan, Eurospar sales director. “It’s a great honour to be recognised at these most prestigious Irish Food Awards. We are all delighted to celebrate with John and his team on achieving Silver and Bronze medals in two distinct categories, which highlights the high quality of their overall offering.”

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Blas na hÉireann Winners

70 CATEGORY FOCUS Blas na hÉireann Winners

Eurospar Kilkenny retailers John and Margaret McCarthy receiving one of their two Blas na hÉireann awards

Retailer spotlight: Dunnes Stores Dunnes Stores is proud to work in partnership with over 70 of Ireland’s best food and drink producers to source products for its Simply Better Collection. This year, Dunnes Stores’

Global expertise Secret Recipe, a family-owned company based in Cork, has developed a range of award-winning, exciting premium ready meals, called Global Kitchen. A brand that is focused on the under 35-year-olds, premium readymade meal market in Ireland and the UK. Inspired by street traders and local chefs from all corners of the globe, the products have tastes, textures and smells that will remind your customers of faraway places. The team tapped into the expertise of local chefs globally and then used their own to deliver something special to the Irish readymade meals market. With Global Kitchen, your customers can enjoy the delicious recipes the locals eat in Japan, the Caribbean, Malaysia, Cambodia and Mexico, all from the comfort of their own home. This new and exciting range of five chilled or frozen lines of 450gm premium prepared meals are produced in the brand’s Grade A, BRC certified kitchen that is also a Gold Verified Bord Bia Origin Green member. While being made in Cork, this exciting new range of premium prepared meals are now sold in retailers across Ireland and the

Simply Better producers picked up over 30 awards at the Blas na hÉireann Awards including two Chef’s Larder Awards for its Slow Cooked Bone Broth made by Carol’s Stock Market and its Ready To Roll All Butter Puff Pastry from Roll It Pastry. Some of the retailer’s Gold winners included its Single Estate Peruvian Ground Coffee from Two Fifty Square. The team there roast all of Dunnes Stores’ coffee beans at their roastery in Terenure, Co. Dublin. Meanwhile, the retailer’s jersey milk and cream supplier, The Village Dairy, picked up two Golds for its range. Another

Fit and healthy growth! The multi-award-winning Fit Meals brand continues to go from strength to strength. Indeed, Fit Meals is Ireland’s only fitness meals brand where all 11 retail lines can legally be declared ‘high protein’. The brand has seen major growth since its launch with Tesco and can now be found in not only high street retailers, but in venues such as the National Aquatic Centre. And with key relationships with brands such as Elite Sports events, this is the brand for the serious and casual fitness consumers. Fit Meals has seen great success this year, with three of the lines winning Great Taste Awards. With the recent launch of its range of Fit Meals Soups and Fit Meals Meal Pots, this award-winning brand has seen massive growth in 2023. With a number of new ventures to launch in 2024, the brand has cemented itself as the leading ‘high protein’ meals retail brand in the country.

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In the coming weeks, Fit Meals will see a launch with one of the UK’s leading online retailers and will also launch its full range in a foodservice format from January 2024. If you would like to know more, just contact the team at Fit Meals at info@fitmeals.ie or telephone 021 428 9515.

All 11 retail lines in the Fit Meals range can legally be declared ‘high protein’

Global Kitchen serves up the delicious recipes enjoyed by locals in Japan, the Caribbean, Malaysia, Cambodia and Mexico to Irish and UK shoppers

UK. With a number of new lines set to launch in early 2024, it’s a great time to stock this innovative new brand. For more information, contact info@globalkitchen.ie or telephone 021 428 9515.

double Gold winner was The Foods of Athenry, which scooped two awards for Simply Better Gluten Free Mince Pies and Cinnamon, Berry & Nut Granola. Both products are handmade by Siobhan Lawless and her team in Co. Galway. Chef Kevin Aherne from Sage restaurant in Midleton won a Silver award for Dunnes Stores’ Simply Better Handmade Buttermilk Ranch. Zanna Cookhouse also picked up a Silver trophy for its Handmade Irish Ham & Vintage Cheddar Quiche Lorraine along with two Bronze awards for its Handmade Irish Angus Beef & Wexford Ale Pie and the Simply Better Smoked Trout Pâté. Bronze awards also went to Corndale Farm for its Handmade Irish Chorizo, What’s For Pudding for Dunnes’ Handmade Sticky Toffee Pudding and Naturally Cordial for Dunnes’ Handmade Irish Raspberry & Wexford Rhubarb Cordial. “We would like to congratulate and thank each and every one of our producers for their continued support and commitment to producing great quality food and drinks for the Simply Better collection,” the retailer said.

Blas na hÉireann Winners CATEGORY FOCUS

Retailer spotlight: Aldi

Christmas Essentials

Aldi and its network of Irish-based suppliers and producers were once again big winners at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards, taking home an impressive haul of 46 awards across several categories, including 14 Gold medals, 17 Silver medals and 15 Bronze medals, retaining its position as Ireland’s most-awarded discount retailer at the key food awards for 2023. There was further cause for celebration following the announcement that Macroom Buffalo Cheese, a longstanding supplier to Aldi, ever since it came through the Grow with Aldi programme in 2015, won the Best in Munster award. This year, Aldi’s Gold medal-winning products were produced by ABP Meats,

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Dromod was ecstatic to announce its recent victory at the highly acclaimed Blas na hÉireann Awards, where the brand received a coveted Bronze award for its Gluten-free Boxty and Potato Bread. These exceptional products have gained immense popularity, owing to their outstanding taste rooted in traditional homemade recipes. Notably, they cater to ever-expanding markets. Dromod’s Gluten-Free Boxty is not just a dietary solution for coeliac individuals; it’s a true culinary delight that maintains the rich, authentic flavours of the traditional Irish boxty. Likewise, its vegan-friendly potato bread is versatile and delicious, making it a perfect choice for both breakfast and lunch, while also celebrating the hearty goodness of potatoes. Reflecting on the brand’s journey, Aine Faughnan, managing director, fondly reminisces about its humble beginnings in the village of Dromod, Co Leitrim. It all started

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A taste worth sharing

Callan Bacon, Carroll Cuisine, Loughnane’s of Galway, Macroom Buffalo Cheese, Oakpark, O’Hara’s of Foxford, Ribworld and Wild Irish Game, among others - all longtime suppliers and valued collaborators. Speaking about this year’s Blas na hÉireann wins, John Curtin, group buying director at Aldi, said: “At Aldi, we dedicate ourselves every day to delivering quality local food to our customers at affordable prices. This requires a serious team effort, and we could not do it without the hard work of our incredible Irish suppliers. That’s why it is so gratifying to see so many of them recognised at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards. With many of the winning products available year-round in 160 Aldi stores nationwide, customers can rest assured that they are availing of the best of the best when it comes to Irish food and drink. Congratulations to our producers and buying teams on this fantastic achievement.” For more information on the awardwinning products available in 160 Aldi stores nationwide, visit www.aldi.ie. ■

Blas na hÉireann Winners Home Baking

Dromod’s Gluten-Free Boxty maintains the rich, authentic flavours of the traditional Irish boxty

with Aine’s father crafting the traditional Irish boxty, following her grandmother’s cherished recipe. Fast forward nearly 35 years, and the brand has made significant strides. Dromod has secured contracts with renowned retailers such as SuperValu and Aldi and is even exporting products to the United States. Dromod’s product range has expanded to include not only boxties but also pancakes and kid-friendly options. As the company sets its sights on 2024, its goal is to make Dromod products readily available nationwide. The brand says its journey has been made possible by the dedication and hard work of its exceptional team, guided by values passed down through two generations of the family. At Dromod, the team firmly believes that its products represent “A taste worth sharing”. For more information, visit www.dromodboxty.ie/stockists. To explore opportunities for becoming a stockist or placing bulk orders, don’t hesitate to contact the team at info@dromodboxty.ie.

TOP 10 CATEGORIES ALONG 4 IMPORTANCE MEASURES

Quality

Authenticity

"Great quality in ‘CATEGORY’ Most important in…

“I trust that ‘CATEGORY’ is traceable back to its origin” Most important in…

Traceability

“Good selection of ‘CATEGORY’ made in a particular place or an authentic way” Most important in…

Irishness “I am able to buy Irish made or sourced ‘CATEGORY’” Most important in…

01 Baby Toiletries

01 Fresh Lamb

01 Sandwiches

01 Fresh Meat/Butcher

02 Fresh Meat/Butcher

02 Chilled Vegetarian Food

02 Fresh Lamb

03 Nappies

03 Fresh Beef

03 Cream Liqueur

03 Sandwiches

04 Fresh Beef

04 Fresh Pork

04 Fresh Lamb

04 Fresh Beef

05 to Cook Meats

05 Eggs

05 Brandy/Cognac

05 Deli Counter Cheese

06 Pasta/Pasta Sauces

06 Pies/Pastries/Quiches

06 Feminine Hygiene

06 Cream

07 Salad Vegetables

07 Brandy/Cognac

07 Herbs/Spices

07 Cream Liqueur

08 Feminine Hygiene

08 Frozen Vegetarian Food

08 Fresh Meat/Butcher

08 Fresh Pork

Pre-P P Speciality Cheese 09 Pre

09 Healthier Chilled Ready Meals

09 Beauty

09 Brandy/Cognac

10 Berries & Cherries

10 Breakfast Pudding

10 Mexican Cuisine

10 Eggs

Burgers, Meatballs, Ready

Data from survey of c. 32,872 Irish shoppers, Sept 2022-March 2023. Shopper insights available for 153 FMCG categories in 2023

Caroline Reid, Head of Client Services caroline.reid@shopperintelligence.com www.shopperintelligence.com

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

NOFFLA NEWS

www.noffla.ie

Celebrating all the 2023-2024 Irish Wine Show Star Award winners As we reported last month, the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) awarded its annual Irish Wine Show Star Awards to 54 wines on Monday, 9 October. In total, in excess of 600 wines were submitted to the Star Award adjudication panel of NOffLA judges and independent wine journalists. Points were awarded on the basis of appearance, smell, taste and value for money criteria, and the winning 54 were selected as the best wines from key suppliers across a number of price categories. Each of the winning wines will be sold in NOffLA member outlets across the country and will be recognisable by distinctive award symbols on each bottle. In the pre-Christmas period, NOffLA members will promote the Irish Wine Show Star Awards 2023-2024 Collection as ideal Christmas gifts, in a variety of special gift packs.

Points were awarded to the 54 winners on the basis of appearance, smell, taste and value for money criteria Paul Raftery accepting the Old World White under ¤15 Award for Remy Pannier Cepage de Loire Sauvignon 2022 (France), distributed by Ampersand Wines

Rachel Coogan accepting the Old World White under ¤20 Award for Gabel Riesling Trocken Organic 2022 (Germany), distributed by Febvre Wines

Kirsten McCann accepting the New World White under ¤12 Award for Santa Rita Estate Reserve Semillon 2017 (Chile), distributed by Bibendum Ireland

Paul Raftery accepting the Old World Red under ¤12 Award for Rioja Vega Semi Crianza 2022 (Spain), distributed by Ampersand Wines

Kirsten McCann accepting the New World Red under ¤12 Award for Carmen Premier 1850 Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 (Chile), distributed by Bibendum Ireland

Shelly O’Neill accepting the Old World Red under ¤20 Award for Portia Crianza Tempranillo 2019 (Spain), distributed by Richmond Marketing

Rachel Coogan accepting the New World Red under ¤15 Award for Nuevo Mundo Cabernet Sauvignon, Organic 2020 (Chile), distributed by Febvre Wines

Gerry Gunnigan accepting the Rosé under ¤15 Award for Alpha Zeta ‘R’ Rosato Veronese 2022 (Italy), distributed by Liberty Wines Ltd.

Declan Saunders accepting the Sparkling under ¤25 Award for Villa Conchi, Cava Brut NV (Spain), distributed by Tindal Wine Merchants

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Paul Raftery accepting the Old World White under ¤12 Award for Hans Baer Riesling 2022 (Germany) which is distributed by Ampersand Wines

Robert Smith accepting the New World White under ¤20 Award for KONO Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (New Zealand), distributed by Mackenway Wines

NOFFLA NEWS

www.noffla.ie

Thank you

A fabulous night was enjoyed by all at Dublin’s Morrison Hotel

The Irish Wine Show Star Awards would not have been possible without the participation of our suppliers who entered their wines for this initiative. Thank you to the following:

Christine Smith accepting the Old World Red under ¤15 Award for El Perdiguero Crianza 2020 (Spain), distributed by Mackenway Wines

Bren Smith accepting the NonAlcoholic Red under ¤15 Award for Zero-Point-Five Pinot Noir NV (Germany), distributed by Mackenway Wines

Shane Boyce accepting the Sparkling/Champagne under ¤60 Award for Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV (France), distributed by Liberty Wines Ltd

Kirsten McCann accepting the New World Red under ¤20 Award for Cabernario No.8 Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Chile), distributed by Bibendum Ireland

Bren Smith accepting the Non-Alcoholic White under ¤15 Award for Leitz Eins-ZweiZero Riesling NV (Germany), distributed by Mackenway Wines

Paul Raftery accepting the Non-Alcoholic Sparkling under ¤15 Award for Faber Sparkling Rosé NV (Germany), distributed by Ampersand Wines

• Ampersand Wines • Febvre Wines • Bibendum Ireland • MCM Spirits & Liqueurs • Mackenway Wines • Richmond Marketing • Liberty Wines • Tindal Wine Merchants • Irish Distillers Pernod Richard

NOffLA contacts If you have any queries regarding NOffLA membership or services, please contact our administrator, Reggie Walsh, at Block D, Unit 6, Nutgrove Office Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, by telephone on 01 - 296 2326, by fax on 01 - 296 2451 or by email at info@noffla.ie. The NOffLA website can be found at www.noffla.ie. ■

www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife November 2023

74 MARKET MOVERS

Blu Bar

Blu Bar sales steadily growing throughout the country since launch Like many other EU countries, disposable vapes have taken Ireland by storm. In fact, Ireland is one of the highest per capita users of disposable vapes. In late May, Imperial Brands John Player Ireland launched its flagship disposable vape brand, Blu Bar. Its six popular flavours have been carefully chosen to respond to consumer needs. Each Blu Bar device contains 20mg/ml of nicotine in 2ml of e-liquid providing up to 600 pulls and features a LED indicator that lights up when in use. Blu Bar is available to adult vapers at an RRP of €8 per device. The Blu Bar brand sales are consistently growing as the year progresses with very positive customer feedback. Consumer research shows that flavours are a key consideration for vape consumers. Due to popular demand, three new flavours were launched earlier this month. The flavour range now includes Blueberry Sour Razz, Apple Ice, Grape Ice, Watermelon Ice, Strawberry Ice, Kiwi Passionfruit, Banana Ice, Peach

Ice and Mango Ice. Blu Bar’s long-lasting and consistent flavours are a large contributing factor to the brand’s success. As a responsible business, Imperial Brands John Player Ireland strongly advises all retailers to only ever sell vape products to adults. Even though the law to ban vape sales to under 18s is not yet in place, it is the right thing to do, and the company applauds the many retailers who share this view. The responsible disposal of vapes is also incredibly important, due to the presence of lithium batteries in all vape devices. All used vape products can be returned to retail stores and deposited into the blue battery box provided by WEEE Ireland. Imperial’s sales reps can also provide these boxes to any retail outlet. In recent months, Imperial has collaborated with WEEE to pilot vape recycling initiatives around the country and hopes to grow these further over the coming months.

Nordic Spirit

McDonnells

Oooooooh look what’s new from McDonnells!

Nordic Spirit Watermelon Strong returns for a limited time only Thought the taste of summer was gone? Nordic Spirit Watermelon Strong is back again for a limited time only. Experience the refreshing taste of the tropics while available. Nordic Spirit offers 100% tobacco free nicotine pouches, the more convenient and discreet way to enjoy nicotine with no smoke or vapour. They can be used anytime, anywhere. The brand advises stocking up now to discover the unseen with Nordic Spirit Watermelon Strong, available for a limited time only. (18+. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance.)

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Loved by Irish families for generations, McDonnells is one of Ireland’s most iconic and delicious food brands. And with just weeks to go until Christmas, McDonnells is bringing gravy to the nation with its brand-new retail Roast Gravy sachet. Making it easier than ever to create rich and flavoursome gravy using the quality ingredients you would expect from McDonnells, the new Roast Gravy is the perfect topping for a festive feast. Award-winning McDonnells Roast Gravy is the ideal meal accompaniment for rich full flavour, while also satisfying a broad range of dietary requirements. Not only is the Roast Gravy gluten-free and wheat-free, it’s also suitable for vegetarians. Winner Winner Christmas Dinner! McDonnells Roast Gravy is coming soon to selected Dunnes, SuperValu and Tesco stores nationwide. ■

76 SOCIAL DIARY

A dazzling delicious Christmas feast The Avoca Christmas Food Event 2023 in the Suffolk Street store was held on Wednesday, 8 November. The festive celebration was attended by familiar faces in the foodie world including media, influencers and friends of the brand. John and Jayne Glynn from the Gavin Glynn Foundation also attended the event to chat to guests about their partnership with Avoca and to launch the Avoca X Gavin Glynn

Foundation charity candle. On arrival, guests were treated to a champagne drinks reception and seasonal award-winning canapés while they admired Avoca’s Christmas gifting offering; and cheerful seasonal greetings from Santa. A sit-down Christmas feast showcased Avoca’s Christmas food offerings. Guests shared a family-style feast featuring Christmas

Ciara McDonald, Jane McDonnell and Gill Mooney

classics and new dishes such as Avoca’s confit duck leg and winter berry glazed red cabbage, roast potatoes and all the trimmings. Lashings of pudding, decadent praline layer cake, black cherry trifle and festive mince pies rounded off the sumptuous meal. Avoca’s range of festive food and gifting options is available online at avoca.com and in-store.

Claire Hyland

Dee Breen and Corina Gaffey

Hannah Fay, Tom Neville and Monika Czubak

Erica Drum and Dee Laffan

Holly Newport, Ciara McDonald and Sara Treacy

Emily O’Donnell

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

Hannah Curham and Hannah Whelan

Do you sell paracetamolcontaining products safely? A new campaign targeted at staff in pharmacy and retail settings aims to remind them of the restrictions on the sales of paracetamol-containing medications that they should always know and follow. It is has been developed to promote the safe sales of paracetamol, from a self-harm and suicide prevention perspective, and to reduce the incidence of paracetamolrelated intentional drug overdose in Ireland.

You can now support this campaign New, free information packs are now available to order for your retail setting. They contain informative posters and postcards suitable for display in staff areas or noticeboards. They also contain shelf-riders/stickers that might be suitable for public-facing or staff-facing display units where paracetamolcontaining products are sold.

This campaign has been developed by the Department of Health, the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP), and National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) – with support from stakeholders in the pharmacy and retail sectors. Pictured at the launch of the campaign are Minister Mary Butler TD (Minister for Mental Health and Older People), and representatives from the Department of Health, National Suicide Research Foundation, HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, Medicines Unit (DOH) and Irish Pharmacy Union.

To order or download packs, follow the QR Code or contact info@nosp.ie.

If you would like to support this campaign in others ways, or adapt any of the materials for use in your own retail settings, get in touch. Contact the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention at info@nosp.ie

78 SOCIAL DIARY

Celebrating a new chapter of the Redbreast story Whiskey experts and enthusiasts gathered at a Redbreast Irish Whiskey event in the remarkable Dylan Hotel in Dublin on Thursday, 28 September to celebrate a brand-new release of Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition, the latest limited-edition whiskey in the Redbreast Iberian Series. Guests such as Ian Madigan and wife Anna Kirwan, Dev Toner, Mike Ross and others enjoyed an evening of exquisite entertainment and indulged in a Portuguese inspired menu, bringing the

feeling of Portugal’s Douro Valley to Ireland for a moment of luxury escapism with Redbreast Irish Whiskey. Irish Distillers global ambassador Andrew Dickey and distiller Eric Ryan hosted the night – bringing guests through the aromas and flavours of Redbreast Irish Whiskeys during an intimate tasting, as well as providing a conversational discussion on the history and craft of whiskey making. The Redbreast Iberian Series celebrates the

whiskey’s long-standing relationship with the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian Series adds a new and exciting chapter to the Redbreast family story with whiskeys finished in casks sourced from the sun-drenched bodegas of Spain and Portugal, suffused with the natural warmth and sweetness of the Iberian Peninsula. Keep up to date with the latest Redbreast Irish Whiskey releases and announcements by following @redbreastirishwhiskey on Instagram ■

Edward O’Rourke and Sean Munsanje

Emma Power

Ian and Anna Madigan

Ian Madigan and Mike Ross

Emma Waldron and Ros Lipsett

Ciara King

ShelfLife November 2023 | www.shelflife.ie

NEW

Nordic Spirit contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance.

LIMITED EDITION WATERMELON STRONG

BACK STRONGER NOW AVAILABLE IN STRONG

100% TOBACCO FREE, NICOTINE POUCHES For more information go to:

WWW.NORDICSPIRIT.IE

THAN EVER

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