New research from Bord Bia

Bord Bia examines Irish eating habits

New research from Bord Bia has unveiled the truth about the nation’s evening meal habits, including their desire to eat more healthily and their changing attitudes to buying Irish.

WHAT do Irish people eat for their evening meal? Have eating habits changed considerably? Are Irish people actually eating what they say they eat? To find out the answers to these questions, Bord Bia recently released the results of an in-depth national study into the evening meal consumption habits of today. Carried out in partnership with Red C Research, this unique study was designed to better understand the changing dynamics of people’s evening mealtime habits, including the gap between what we say and what we do, and ultimately identify opportunities for the Irish food, drink and horticulture sectors.

The study involved a nationally representative online survey of over 1,000 Irish consumers who charted their evening eating habits, resulting in a sample of 5,925 adult and 1,841 child evening meals, collected over seven consecutive days. The research captures consumer intentions to live more healthily and sustainably versus their daily choices when it comes to evening meals.

Key findings Key findings of the study include:

• Classic ‘meat and two veg’ is the number one evening meal type eaten by adults in 2019, accounting for 11% of all adult evening meals across the seven days. Chicken dishes and pasta with sauce meals, such as spaghetti Bolognese, were in second and third spot at 10%.

• Pasta with sauce meals, such as spaghetti Bolognese, was the number one meal type eaten by children, accounting for 14% of all evening meals.

• Red meat is the most popular meat consumed in Irish households, with 29% of all adult meals including red meat, although chicken follows closely behind at 21%.

• Incidence of fish within all meals is at 7%. However, this increases to 11% on Fridays, demonstrating it is still a popular evening meal choice.

• Dairy is a key part of evening meals among Irish consumers, with 17% of all meals containing cheese.

• Over three quarters of grocery shoppers use Irish produce wherever possible, with the perception that it is worth paying more significantly higher (up 10%) than 2011.

Good intentions prevail Health and wellness considerations are driving consumer behaviour, with over 80% of people placing a high level of importance on eating a balanced diet. Four in 10 adults cite awareness of the food they eat and the impact it can have on physical and mental wellness as having a great deal of influence on evening meal choice. Ethical considerations are also influencing consumer behaviour, as almost three in 10 people feel making choices that are more positive for the environment has a great deal of influence on evening meals. While just over two in 10 (23%) people claim to have prepared more vegan meals at home in the last 12 months, the reality is that just 1% of

Top 10 adult meal types: 1. Meat & two vegetables 2. Chicken dish (for example: roast chicken) 3. Pasta with sauce (for example: spaghetti Bolognese) 4. Italian foods (for example: pizza & lasagne) 5. Diner-style favourites (for example: burger or steak & chips) 6. Fish dish (for example: fish bake or fish & chips) 7. Light meal (for example: toasted sandwich or beans on toast) 8. Chinese / Asian meal 9. Stew or casserole 10. Indian dish (for example: chicken tikka massala, korma, dhansak)

evening meals prepared over the last seven days were vegan dishes.

Commenting on the growing influence of health and wellness trends on dietary choices, Bord Bia Consumer Insight Specialist, Grace Binchy said; “When it comes to evening meals, this comprehensive study captures a clear intent to make healthy and socially responsible food choices and people believe they are regularly doing so. However, as a growing ‘time poor’ nation, life gets in the way. There is a tendency for people to remember the choices they make as being better than they were and their original intention is not always reflected in their actions.”

Busyness is the new norm Busier lives and seeking convenience solutions are influencing Irish evening mealtime habits. Smaller meals and snacks are changing evening meal dynamics, with 17% of all evening meals no longer the main meal of the day. There has been a 12% decline in regular scratch cooking among Irish adults, from just over four in 10 adults in 2011 to three in 10 in 2019.

The study found that there is no longer a ‘one size fits all’ approach to evening meals, with a significant rise in the number of households preparing different meals for different people since 2011. In keeping with the fracturing of the traditional evening meal occasion, one in 10 evening meals are now eaten in different rooms and more than seven in 10 meals involve a device being active (e.g. a TV, smartphone, or tablet). Takeaways and home deliveries account for almost one in 10 (9%) of all evening meals eaten over the course of a week, rising to 15% on a Friday or Saturday. A

further 11% of evening meals are eaten out of the home.

“As our lives grow increasingly busier, the study captures a move away from the traditional evening meal as we know it,” notes Grace Binchy. “With nearly half of adults claiming to enjoy cooking, but only when there is enough time available to do so, convenience emerged as an extremely important consideration when choosing what to eat in the evening.”

Grace Binchy, Bord Bia’s Consumer Insights Specialist.

Opportunities for growth Opportunities around marketing messages exist in addressing the converging importance of convenience, nutrition and climate for Irish consumers. “Over the past decade, Ireland has experienced huge social, economic and technological changes, which have significantly impacted consumer attitudes,” Binchy notes. “This research will help the food and drink industry to look forward and make well informed business decisions that serve customers’ needs better. Manufacturers should consider how they can deliver healthy products while creating convenience in people’s lives and addressing their changing demands around sustainability.” consumption increasing significantly for over-45s. • One in 10 evening meals contain eggs, with consumption particularly high amongst under-35s, highlighting their desire for protein and preference for lighter meals. • Almost three in 10 (28%) of all evening meals include bread. • There has been an 8% decline in dessert incidence with evening meals for adults since 2011, to 16% in 2019. Over two in 10 (21%) of children’s evening meals include a dessert, but this has fallen 10% since 2011. • Tap water is the most common drink accompaniment for both adult (36%) and children’s (29%) evening meals.

Additional facts uncovered by the study include: • Potatoes are at the heart of many evening meals in Ireland (28%), with

Top 10 children’s meal types: 1. Pasta with sauce (for example: spaghetti Bolognaise) 2. Chicken dish (for example: roast chicken) 3. Meat & two vegetables 4. Italian foods (for example: pizza & lasagne) 5. Diner-style favourites (for example: burger or steak & chips) 6. Stew or casserole 7. Fish dish (for example: a fish bake or fish & chips) 8. Chinese / Asian meal 9. Indian dish (for example: chicken tikka massala, korma, bhuna) 10. Light meal (for example: toasted sandwich or beans on toast) Incidence of fish within all meals is at 7%, growing to 11% on Fridays.

• For adults, both milk and wine are consumed less than they were in 2011, while for children, milk consumption with evening meals has fallen by 11% since 2011. • Chinese food is the most popular takeaway choice in Ireland, while pizza is the most popular home delivery choice. Almost seven in 10 (67%) of all takeaway and delivery food orders take place online.

Dublin Food Chain event highlights food innovation

Dublin Food Chain recently gave the opportunity to 40 producers to showcase their products, as these innovative entrepreneurs and their portfolios highlighted some of the country’s emerging food trends. Raphaela Pauwels reports.

FEBRUARY saw 40 food and drink producers showcasing some of the most innovative and on-trend products in their portfolios at the Dublin Food Producer Showcase 2020.

An initiative of the Dublin Local Enterprise Offices, supported by Bord Bia, the event gave these passionate local producers a platform to show what they do and how they do it. Each has their own innovative ways to showcase healthier and eco-friendlier products. Consumers are clearly changing their eating habits and acknowledge, more than ever, that their food choices have an impact on their health, wellbeing and the environment.

The rise of flexitarianism Growing numbers of people are deciding that a plant-based diet is important for health and ethical reasons. There are also increasing numbers of consumers choosing a flexitarian diet, where they eat more plant-based meals with less meat-based options. A flexitarian diet can be a good choice for those who don’t want to cut out meat completely but want to eat more plant-based foods on environmental or health grounds. Many consumers are choosing to reduce their meat intake, especially red or processed meat, in order to reduce saturated fat: here in Ireland, the HSE recommends eating no more than 500g or 1lb of red meat per week.

and more sustainable packaging. The clear message from the showcase was that these topics are not just passing trends but signposts of the way to go. Around the exhibitors Some of the companies exhibiting included: The Chia Collective, winner of an Irish Quality Food Award in 2019 for their chia muesli, is a 100% organic and plantbased small business, emphasising the The Chia Collective have already won an Irish Quality Food Award for their chia muesli. Going flexitarian can also help the environment: a healthy vegetarian diet is estimated to reduce water consumption by up to 55%.

Every year sees an increase in people choosing dairy-free or gluten-free diets, while growing numbers are choosing what product to purchase based on environmental concerns, from the environmental impact (organic, provenance etc) of a product to a company’s production processes (zero waste, circular business plans etc).

Gluten free, dairy free, vegan, flexitarians, organic, superfoods, avoidance of artificial ingredients, provenance, sustainability: these are now important to consumers and the companies who deliver on these trends are the ones who will succeed in the coming months and years. Retail News spoke to many of the producers at the Dublin Food Producers Showcase and one over-riding trend was a clear demand for plastic alternatives

Rohan’s Sauces uses natural, plant-based ingredients to create low calorie, healthy sauces for consumers on-the-go.

fact that their products rely on simplicity, high quality ingredients, chemical free ingredients and sustainability. Provenance is hugely important to the company.

Mudita is a vegan friendly, glutenfree, refined sugar-free and even soya-free company where each product is made with at least one superfood in it. After having to change her diet overnight because of serious health problem, the owner, Andrea McNamara, found herself being deprived of desserts and so set out to create her own. Also, all her packaging is either reusable or recyclable.

Rohan’s Sauces is an Irish brand that exclusively uses natural, plantbased ingredients, with a goal to make people’s life easier by creating low calorie, healthy sauces for consumers on-the-go. Furthermore, their packaging is 100% recyclable.

Safco is the first commercial falafel company in the Republic of Ireland. Owner Mohammed Rashid wanted to create a line of product that’s low in sugar and fat, with no added colourings or preservatives and with local, freshly produced ingredients. Their falafels are high in protein and fibre, vegan friendly and gluten-free and are made with 17 ingredients, as opposed to the traditional Palestinian recipe with four ingredients

Sales of One Water’s bottled waters have helped to fund clean water programmes that have given fresh drinking water to over 3.6m people in some of the world’s poorest communities.

Katie’s Kombucha is a fermented tea drink alive with a microbial community living inside, made with love in small batches in Dalkey.

or the Turkish and Lebanese ones with seven.

One Water understand how important it is to limit their environmental impact and as the market is moving away from plastic, they launched a canned water and a Tetra Pack offering. 70% of the materials in their Tetra Pak packaging is paperboard and they are increasingly using renewable plant-based materials to replace the usual fossil-based plastics used in beverage cartons. Also, some of their profits go towards good causes such as clean water projects in the poorest parts of the world.

The Sweet Potato Pizza Co. provides nutritious frozen pizzas, rich in fibres, protein, vitamins and minerals. They are also hoping to launch vegan products this year and become more sustainable by switching their film plastic to PLA, which would make them the first frozen pizza with biodegradable and sustainable packaging on the market.

Cathy’s Kombucha provides handcrafted organic drinks produced in small batches. The products are made with local ingredients, are vegan friendly, gluten and soy free and full of probiotics.

Mudita is a Dublin-based business specialising in vegan-friendly, gluten-free raw desserts and snacks.

The company employs a ‘zero waste’ approach by having a circular business plan and all packaging is either reusable or recyclable.

Katerina’s Pantry’s portfolio of products are vegan and gluten free. Winner of a 2019 Nourish Award for its plain flaxseed crackers, all the company’s products are locally produced and the crackers are made with alternative flour, such as brown rice flour or sorghum flour. This whole adventure started when Katerina Kanzantza, the founder of the company, started to experiment with a healthier gluten free diet for herself and wasn’t happy about what she could find in supermarkets.

Buttercream Dream is an innovative 100% vegan bakery that doesn’t exclusively rely on seeds or fruits, specialising in delivering the feeling of comfort food that sometimes can be missing in vegan products. The dairy and egg free range is made in small batches using only local non-GM ingredients, with no artificial colouring or preservatives, and comes in recyclable packaging.

New programme to attract food innovators

Bord Bia and DCU Business School have launched a new innovation programme for those innovators who want to shape the future of the Irish food and drink industry.

BORD Bia and DCU Business School have announced a new programme designed to enhance the innovation capabilities within the Irish food, drink and horticultural sector. As part of the Bord Bia Talent Academy, the MSc Innovation & Insights programme will promote consumer-focused innovation and new product development within Ireland’s largest indigenous industry.

Developing world class talent “Notwithstanding record-breaking exports of €13 billion in 2019, the continued growth of the sector hinges on our ability to effectively identify and deploy insight-led strategies in the promotion of Irish food, drink and horticulture,” noted Bord Bia’s Organisation & Industry Talent Director, Michael Murphy. “The Talent Academy’s partnership with DCU Business School will allow us to attract and develop world-class talent in the area of innovation and design thinking, which are essential to maintain our competitive edge. The MSc in Insights & Innovation complements our existing suite of programmes which focus on marketing, sustainability and international business and will enable us to expand the industry’s strategic capabilities as we work towards our growth targets.” The 18-month fully funded scholarship programme will combine academic learning with an industry placement, allowing participants to undertake hands-on innovation projects with leading Irish and international food and drink organisations. The academic component of the programme will focus on innovation strategy, design thinking,

consumer insights, global brand strategy and consumer research. Participants will directly apply learnings from these modules throughout their placements within the food and drink sector.

Executive Dean of DCU Business School, Professor Anne Sinnott, said, “We are delighted to have been selected by Bord Bia to lead this world-class innovation programme specifically aimed at enhancing the innovation capability within the food, beverage and horticulture sector. There are few companies where innovation is not right at the top of the corporate agenda and this is even more evident in the food and beverage industries, where the threat of Brexit and intense competition make innovation the number one priority. We are delighted to partner with Bord Bia to cultivate the next generation of talent, bringing specific skills in insight-driven innovation to a sector of such national importance and impact.” Call for applications The programme is currently seeking applications from individuals with a passion for innovation and an ambition to develop a career within the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry. Supported by Bord Bia and industry, successful participants will receive a full scholarship and a tax-free bursary of €20,000 per annum.

Individuals interested in applying can find out more information at business.dcu.ie/bordbia. The closing date for applications is May 15, 2020, and programmes will start in September 2020. Pictured are Bord Bia’s Organisation & Industry Talent Director, Michal Murphy, and Executive Dean of DCU Business School Professor, Anne Sinnott.

CBE annouces key appointments

Claremorris-based retail software company CBE has announced a number of key appointments.

CBE has announced a number of new key appointments at the retail software company.

“CBE is currently developing rapidly in the global market and the company is very fortunate in having a talented and very experienced team to manage this growth,” noted Sean Kenna, CEO.

Mover and shakers Keith McAndrew has been promoted to the role of Research & Development Manager, having worked in various roles within the company since 2002, including Systems Engineer, Senior Team Lead and most recently as Retail Applications Manager, a role which he held for the past 10 years.

Paul Kenna from CBE’s hometown of Claremorris joins the Senior Management team as Hotel Product Manager. Paul joined CBE in 2012 and has worked in various roles within the

Paul Kenna, Hotel Product Manager, CBE.

Cameron Joined CBE in 2014 and has been a key member of the CBE team in the UK.

Tom Ryan has been promoted to the role of Cloud Product Manager. Tom joined CBE in 2003 and has held various roles within the company, including R&D Software Developer. Tom recently completed his MSc in Cloud Computing at CIT and was awarded Best Masters Student.

One of Europe’s largest EPoS providers Headquartered in Claremorris, CBE was CBE’s new Marketing Manager, Niall Dooney.

founded by Gerard Concannon and his wife Catherine in 1980 and has grown to become one of Europe’s largest EPoS (electronic point of sale) providers. The company now employs 158 people.

CBE design and develop software applications for the supermarket, convenience, forecourt, hospitality, fashion and general merchandise sectors. The appointments come at an exciting time for the company as it increases its market share in Ireland and expands internationally.

For further details, see www.cbe.ie.

Keith McAndrew has been promoted to the role of Research & Development Manager, CBE. company in that time, most recently as a Hospitality Systems Executive.

Niall Dooney has been promoted to the position of Marketing Manager. Niall joined CBE in 2015, working in various areas of the business over the years including Systems Engineer and Marketing Executive.

Cameron Bates has been promoted to the role of Team Manager UK.