Market movers

Alpro Brew up a storm this autumn with Alpro’s Barista range

Alpro has launched Alpro Barista; a 100% plant-based range specially made for hot drinks.

Your customers can now embrace their inner plant-based barista and brew their favourite blend at home with Alpro’s Barista range of Oat, Almond, Coconut and Soya drinks. Flat white fans and frothy cappuccino fanatics can now brew up a storm in a coffee cup with Alpro Barista –the perfect partner for coffee.

This tempting delight ticks all the boxes too; low in sugars, naturally low in saturated fat and dressed to impress in 100% recyclable packaging.

Perfect for foaming or pouring straight from the carton, Alpro Barista has got the goods to take hot drinks to the next level. Think warming pumpkin spice lattes, decadent hot chocolates or just recreating favourite coffees at home – it’s what winters are made for.

Feeling adventurous? Try Alpro’s Barista latte macchiato – gently heat Alpro Barista Almond Drink, then whisk until it forms a light and frothy foam, just like it was designed to do, and pour it over a strong espresso.

Alpro Barista is currently stocked in the ambient aisle at Tesco, SuperValu and Dunnes, RRP €2.59.

Sicín Sásta

Full on flavour from Sicín Sásta is worth crossing the aisle for!

Sicín Sásta has been wowing Irish consumers since launch. While welfare is top of mind, shoppers stayed for the taste, as Sicín Sásta’s quality chicken raised with grá is full on flavour!

Sicín Sásta chickens are born and raised on the same family farm, looked after by farmers with generations of experience.

The surrounds of Sicín Sásta’s fields are planted with wildflowers and natural grasses to attract bees and enhance the chicken’s environment.

Championing sustainability, the secret Sicín Sásta feed recipe is made up of 70% wholegrains sourced from local farmers and is produced in its dedicated chicken-only feed mill. Sicín Sásta chickens are a slow growing breed, maturing at nature’s pace.

With regards to its unique smart packaging, Sicín Sásta has been conscious of reducing excess where possible. There are no leg-ties or clingfilm, and the chicken trays have been removed to create just one functional and effective whole bird bag. The diced chicken fillet is also packaged in an innovative resealable pouch, and it has 15% less packaging.

The whole fillets are in a tray that uses 60% less packaging and includes a lining to keep it clean and ready to recycle once removed.

With both product tiers, ‘Sicín Sásta Free Range’ and ‘Sicín Sásta Farmers’ Own’, Sicín Sásta is proud to have the Bord Bia quality assurance mark and is a Love Irish Food affiliated brand. For tasty recipes, visit

sicinsasta.ie/ tasty-recipes/

and for more information, head to sicinsasta.ie.

Lindt

Discover Excellence – a little taste of luxury with Lindt

Accounting for 57% of the branded dark chocolate market, Lindt Excellence remains the number one in this segment and as market leader, continues to educate and communicate to Irish consumers the Lindt master chocolatiers’ craftsmanship and passion for chocolate through an extensive marketing support plan.

Flavour is, without question, what Irish shoppers are looking for when it comes to dark chocolate and Lindt is unmatched in this area through its breath of range available. The potency of chilli, the ‘bite’ of orange, the careful balance of caramel and sea salt; even on its own, cocoa requires real expertise to balance the bitter with the sweet, which is evident in classic recipes like Excellence 70% - a firm favourite in Irish households.

Lindt has continued to innovate with new recipes and in 2021 welcomed a new addition to the range, Lindt Excellence Cranberry, Almond & Hazelnut. The fascinating and lovely acidity from cranberries is masterfully balanced with the finest chocolate accompanied by the delicate crisp and crunch of hazelnut and almond.

Lindt is also proud to have achieved an important milestone in 2021 with its very own Farming Program for a transparent and sustainable cocoa bean supply chain. 100% of all cocoa beans used are now fully traceable back to the farmers and externally verified.

*(Source: Nielsen Scantrack, ex. Discounters, MAT September 2021)

Caldesene

Tender care at every change with Caldesene

Caldesene powder has been keeping babies’ bottoms happy by preventing and treating nappy rash for over 45 years. All parents or carers need to do is simply cleanse and dry the affected area, sprinkle on Caldesene after each nappy change or as directed by a doctor.

Caldesene is the only medicated powder available for nappy rash and is available in 20g, 55g and 100g formats. Available in pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide, for more information go to www.caldesene.ie.

Denis Sutton, director, and Mark Taylor, head of operations at Ishka Irish Spring Water Ishka Irish Spring Water introduces tethered caps three years before EU deadline

An Irish bottled water company is on course to dramatically reduce plastic pollution through the use of tethered caps.

Limerick-based Ishka Irish Spring Water is currently trialling the caps across its spring water range - three years before EU rules make it compulsory for plastic bottle tops to remain connected to bottles.

Bottle tops account for 10% of plastic litter found on European beaches and the EU’s Single-Use Plastic Directive includes a provision to ensure they are recycled together with the rest of the bottle.

The first bottled water company in Ireland to introduce tethered caps; later this year, all Ishka 500ml spring water bottles will have their caps fully attached to the bottle, making them extremely difficult to remove.

“Ishka is determined to do all we can as a business to drive the necessary change in consumer behaviour to help solve our global waste problem and protect marine life,” says Denis Sutton, director of Ishka Irish Spring Water.

During the summer, Ishka also invested substantially in tooling up machines and adapting production lines so that its 500ml bottles can be fully recycled from bottle through to the cap.

Ishka lays claim to being Ireland’s freshest spring water as it is bottled straight from five certified wells, untouched by human contact and not stored prior to bottling.

SuperValu

SuperValu welcomes eco-friendly brand GreenAware to stores

SuperValu and GreenAware both believe small changes can have a big impact. GreenAware’s sustainable household products have now arrived on SuperValu shelves, in a move which will help customers around Ireland make more sustainable swaps to help the environment.

The sustainable household range which features 100% compostable, 100% natural and 100% plastic free products, is now available in SuperValu stores around Ireland. The GreenAware range includes everything from Compostable Gloves and Bamboo Dish Cloths to Natural Fibre Bottle Brushes and Compostable Nappy Bags.

The announcement is just one of SuperValu’s many environmentally friendly initiatives including reusable fruit, veg & bakery bags, fully compostable packaging on organic produce as well as soup and sandwich containers and the introduction of 100% recyclable and compostable trays in the meat, fish and bakery counters.

“SuperValu is committed to providing customers with more sustainable choices and recognises the importance of green alternatives to both our customers and the environment,” says Ian Allen, managing director of SuperValu. “The GreenAware sustainable household range is all made using natural and renewable materials so is a great choice we’re delighted to offer our customers around Ireland.”

Guaranteed family mealtime crowd pleasers from Moy Park

With Irish families settling into the school routine, Ireland’s number one poultry brand, Moy Park, has launched an ideal seasonal solution in its core primary and coated chicken ranges.

For a tasty mid-week meal without the hassle, Moy Park’s breaded mini fillets and signature garlic kiev, made with 100% chicken breast are crowd pleasers and guarantee smiles from big kids and little kids alike.

For a mouth-watering roast dinner on any day of the week, Moy Park’s ‘Extra Tasty Roast in the Bag’ should be first in the basket. The product uses innovative packaging technology; it self-vents and enables the chicken to self-baste throughout the cooking process. This results in a more succulent meat and an enhanced flavour.

This gives consumers a convenient shelf-to-oven roast in the bag chicken, making it ideal for those who don’t have time to prepare a raw chicken from scratch. Due to the innovative nature of the packaging, the chicken browns in the pack without having to open it during cooking. The cooking juices are retained within the pack, allowing consumers to create flavoursome stocks and gravy.

For more information on Moy Park branded products and distribution, contact Colin Freeman on 07818058547 or email

colin.freeman@moypark.com.

Aunt Bessie’s

Aunt Bessie’s expands range with more tasty mealtime additions

2021 was a year of massive achievements for the Aunt Bessie’s brand. In addition to the group’s beloved Yorkshire Puddings, Aunt Bessie’s expanded its product portfolio to include Chips, French Fries, Wedges, and Roasties.

Now, just in time for the holiday season, Aunt Bessie’s is releasing two more products, perfect for any meal occasion. Aunt Bessie’s Mini Roasties and Stuffing Balls will hit shelves this autumn and make great additions to any shopping basket. Mini Roasties are as crispy as ever and their bite-sized format makes them perfect for any mid-week meal. Stuffing Balls come in a convenient 310g pack which make these easy to prepare accompaniments, irresistible to any shopper. ■

Face off

Throughout the pandemic, grocery retailers across the country have stringently adhered to safety and hygiene measures to keep their teams and customers safe. These continual efforts in the best interests of us all, make it all the more galling that a number of retailers, alongside hospitality outlets, have reportedly been targeted by so-called ‘anti-maskers’, simply for upholding the law regarding the mandatory wearing of face coverings.

The Convenience Stores and Newsagents Associations (CSNA) last month voiced concerns “that a number of complaints and suggestions of discrimination against our members have been lodged with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) as part of a coordinated campaign by anti-mask, anti-vaccination groups.

“It is alleged that a shop’s refusal to allow an unmasked person entry and/or service in the store was discrimination on the stated grounds that the person was suggesting that they had a disability and was entitled to enter the store and obtain service without needing to ‘maskup’.”

State resources

According to the CSNA, the WRC “had the option of refusing to act, but instead, sought to engage with the store’s management, using State resources to interrogate the actions of stores that were carrying out their legal and societally responsible duties”. Mediation services were then offered between retailers and those alleging discrimination.

“This implies that there is a “case” worth hearing, a case that will use up many resources of the State, (administrative, facilities and personnel) as well as the time and loss of earnings of store management and the costs of arranging for staff and cover,” the CSNA said.

WRC response

ShelfLife contacted the WRC with a number of questions concerning these cases. Firstly, we asked how the commission would respond to the claim that their response is unfair to law-abiding retailers? A spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on behalf of the WRC said: “The Irish people have been hugely successful in driving down the incidence of Covid-19 in the community and complying with all public health measures. Ireland now has one of the highest vaccine uptakes in the world, with over 85% of the population over the age of 12 fully vaccinated.

“The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent statutory body, tasked with investigating any claim of discrimination. All claims are investigated and given due process. These investigations are independent and impartial.”

While noting that “the WRC does not comment on specific cases that are before the commission,” the spokesperson elucidated further on the grounds of discrimination prohibited in law. “For information, the Equal Status Acts 2000-2015, prohibits discrimination in the provision of goods and services, the provision of accommodation and access to education, on any of the following 10 grounds - ‘the gender ground’, ‘the civil status ground’, ‘the family status ground’, ‘the sexual orientation ground’, ‘the religion ground’, ‘the age ground’, ‘the disability ground’, ‘the ground of race’, ‘the Traveller community ground’ and ‘the housing assistance’ ground.”

Mediation services

He added that all parties are free to accept or refuse the offer of mediation services from the WRC. “While mediation is offered to parties in terms of settling a dispute, the parties may accept the offer or refuse it, the offer in itself or its acceptance does not imply that the parties have acted improperly in the context of the complaint submitted,” he said. “Pre-adjudication mediation is a confidential service, and the WRC does not comment on any cases or on any parties that may or may not avail of that service. Furthermore, participation in mediation is voluntary for all parties. Under Section 39 (1)(b) of the Workplace Relations Act: ‘The director general shall not refer a complaint or dispute for resolution to a mediation officer if either of the parties to the complaint or dispute objects to its being so referred’.”

We were also keen to hear how many instances of this type of complaint have been lodged. “While the WRC do not record cases specifically related to face masks or coverings since the pandemic began,” he said, “101 specific complaints have been received where the grounds of complaint “Discrimination/ Equality/Equal Status” and the user has used the phrase “face mask” or “face covering” for details of the specific complaint. For context we have received 2,089 specific complaints under the grounds “Discrimination/Equality/ Equal Status” in this period.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that “the maximum redress under the Equal Status Act, if a case is successful, is either or both of the following as appropriate, compensation of up to €15,000 or an order for a specified person to take a specified action.”

High expense

Commenting on the potential expense of such cases, the CSNA’s CEO Vincent Jennings told ShelfLife: “Surely, the WRC should say that this is contrary to public policy for us to act on this and we’re not going to. That’s the simple solution rather than going through the motions and causing grief to retailers and premise holders and raking up a huge expense. Who will pay for that?”

The CSNA has subsequently contacted a number of Ministers in relation to this issue, including Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English. The CSNA also previously said it “has constantly warned government that they needed to stop ignoring these agitators and prosecute them for the very many breaches of the law they perpetrate”.

When asked what advice he would give to retailers facing this type of predicament, Jennings is adamant that they should “resist it fully”. ShelfLife is in firm agreement that retailers who stand firm against discrimination should not have to pay out for simply upholding the law of the land. n

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has received 101 specific complaints under the grounds of “Discrimination/ Equality/Equal Status” where the user included the phrase “face mask” or “face covering” in the details of their specific complaint. Gillian Hamill investigates the consequences for retailers