Retail News March 2019

Retail News MARCH 2019

Ireland’s Longest Established Grocery Magazine

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Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie|1

Contents News

Brexit: Stage Left?

COMMON sense has yet to prevail at the time of writing, as the House of Commons, and particularly the Tory party, continues to snub any attempt to agree a deal for the UK’s exit from the European Union. An extension to Article 50 is looking increasingly likely as the days and weeks pass.

If you have contracts with UK firms, what are the implications of Brexit for your business? Matheson’s Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team provide a practical guide to the effects of Brexit on contractual relationships (Page 22), an issue with potentially serious consequences, particularly in the event of a hard Brexit.

We also examine the possible impact of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, which came into effect this month, on Irish retailers (Page 2), who could face significant fines or even imprisonment for non-compliance.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. We also report on a new FSAI initiative to tackle food fraud (Page 7), speak to Tesco Ireland CEO, Kari Daniels about her plans for her tenure as Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund President of Appeals (Page 14), highlight the launch of a new cider from Diageo (Page 29), and report on how voluntary reformulation of food and drink products is having real benefits on the Irish diet (Page 38).

Kathleen Belton, Editorial & Marketing Director.

Horgans Delicatessen Supplies

2

Retailers warned to comply with new employment legislation

3

SuperValu Store of the Year named.

4

Rising prices drive grocery sales growth; Tesco brings the Women’s Museum of Ireland to life.

5

Musgrave MarketPlace Sallynoggin scoops top award; Tánaiste opens Dublin Liberties Distillery.

6

Tesco Ireland named as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland; Workplace Wellbeing Day takes place in April.

7

IGBF release details of two events; FSAI launch food scanning tool to fight food fraud.

20

2

Kari Daniels, CEO, Tesco Ireland, is the 2019 President of Appeals for the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund.

Here, she discusses her approach to the role, how she plans to involve more Tesco colleagues in events and the challenges facing the IGBF in 2019.

14

SuperValu Conference 18

SuperValu recorded a new sales high in 2018, and unveiled ambitious plans to open three new stores and create 210 jobs in 2019 as part of a €30m investment programme.

@RetailNews1

Editorial & Marketing Director:

Published by: Tara Publishing Ltd,

Kathleen Belton

kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie

14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2.

Editor: John Walshe

johnwalshe@tarapublications.ie

Tel: 00353 1 6785165 Fax: 00353 1 6477127

Sales: Brian Clark

brian@retailnews.ie

Web: www.retailnews.ie Email: kathleenbelton@retailnews.ie

Sales: Aaron Stewart

aaron.stewart@retailnews.ie

Subscription to Retail News: e95 plus VAT

Printed by: W&G Baird

Wine Correspondent: Jean Smullen

For over 45 years, Guaranteed Irish has been one of the most recognised and loved symbols in the country, writes Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish.

The brewers of Rockshore lager have unveiled new Rockshore Apple Cider, made from the juice of freshly pressed apples.

38

Email: ciara@tarapublications.ie Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited.

29

A new report from Food Drink Ireland details the progress and challenges of food and drink reformulation from 2005-2017.

IGBF Midwest Ball 42

The Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund Midwest Region’s annual ball took place recently, with a Valentine’s theme.

On The Vine 49

Jean Smullen examines the must stock wines for Easter 2019.

Regulars & Reports

Managing Director: Patrick Aylward

22

Reformulation

18

facebook.com/RetailNews1

Graphics: Catherine Doyle

A practical guide to the effects of Brexit on contractual relationships,

by Matheson’s Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team.

Rockshore Apple Cider 29

Ireland’s Longest Established Grocery Magazine

Production: Ciara Conway

22

26

Retail News Chief News Reporter: Pavel Barter

Brexit & Contracts

Guaranteed Irish

The Retail News Interview 14

Horgans Delicatessen Supplies is introducing a fresh new look for the much loved Horgans branded range.

8

Industry News

30

Dairy

34

Kids’ Stuff

37

Retail Ireland:

Monthly Update

44

Forecourt Focus: News

46

Drinks News

52

Shelf Life

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News

Retailers Warned To Comply with New Employment Legislation RETAILERS face prosecution under new employment legislation if they fail to give employees their terms of employment after one month of starting work. The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, which came into effect this month, also makes it an offence for an employer to give a worker false or misleading information in a contract.

“The ultimate sanction for employers [in these cases] is a Class A fine, currently maximum €5,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or both,” a spokesperson for the Department of Employment Affairs told Retail News. “However, [an inspector] may issue a fixed payment notice in lieu of prosecution for less egregious offences... usually €1,500.”

Some retail representatives have criticised the new legislation, which Regina Doherty TD, Employment Affairs Minister, described as “one of the most significant changes to working conditions in a generation”, over this criminalisation imperative.

Thomas Burke, Director, Retail Ireland.

“Our concern is you are seeking to potentially criminalise employers for minor infractions of the law,” said Thomas Burke, Director of Retail Ireland. “Some of the fines laid out within the legislation for non-compliance are very serious. But our members will do everything in their power to comply.”

The new legislation provides security for employees working variable hours and on insecure contracts. Under the bill, employees are entitled to be placed on a weekly band of hours that reflects the hours they work. According to its proponents, this allows them to demonstrate their employment status, improving their access to credit, loans, and mortgages.

However, some retailers fear the new law threatens the flexible nature of retail employment. Retail Ireland said “the employee will lose out. That flexibility will be limited or potentially disappear, as a result of employers being fearful to fall foul of what is a very serious piece of legislation with

serious consequences for those who are found infringing it.”

Many casual retail employees are students and working mothers who may not fit into the confines of the banded hours in the legislation, continued Burke.

“There are Vincent Jennings, CEO of the Convenience eight bands Stores and Newsagents Association. between three to 36 hours, so it's a very narrow window. I think it may deter employers from offering extra hours to employees who fall within a specific band. The concern is we won't be able to accommodate those individuals.”

The origins of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act can be traced back to a dispute between Dunnes Stores and trade unions in 2014, according to Gerry Light, Assistant General Secretary at Mandate trade union.

“Dunnes put the majority of their employees on 15-hour contracts, notwithstanding the fact that the vast majority of those workers worked more than 15 hours per week,” Light told Retail News. “At a stroke of a pen, a Dunnes manager could bring them back down to 15. It brought huge uncertainty for workers.”

Vincent Jennings, CEO of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA), pointed out that convenience stores did not cause this problem: “There was sufficient evidence some of the larger multiples used the threat of removing people's hours in a threatening fashion.”

The new act prohibits zero hour contracts, a type of contract where the employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours, “except in situations of genuine casual employment”. However, a 2015 study from the University of Limerick found that these contracts did not exist in Ireland.

“Zero hours practices are not common in this jurisdiction,” acknowledged the Department of Employment Affairs.

“However, the Government did not want the contagion of this working practice (1.8m people on these types of contracts in the UK) to increase here. The Government is committed to creating sustainable employment.”

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News Retail Ireland has claimed that some aspects of the new legislation are open to interpretation. Section 15 of the Act provides exemptions from employment contracts in “emergency circumstances”, but it does not explain how employers may meet those circumstances.

“The bill and act didn't do anything to decipher what those emergency circumstances might be,” said Burke. “Given the serious levels of penalty attached to non-compliance, we are concerned some retailers may fall foul of this, particularly in the early days of enactment.”

The department responded: “It is not good practice to define in legislation when the plain ordinary meaning of a word is easily understood. The Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court are capable of interpreting this provision if it is tested. Prudent employers should conduct an audit of their casual and or zero hours contracts to ensure they are in compliance with this Section.”

According to Gerry Light, smaller retailers have nothing to fear from the legislation. An employer only has to set up a banded contract following a request from a worker. “In a lot of smaller, family-type employments, people tend to engage on a different level,” he said. “They have different conversations: 'These are the hours - it suits you as an individual, it suits me as an employer - are you happy with those hours?'“ Jennings was in agreement. “Employees are not put into a band immediately. They have to request to be put into it. Both sides can still benefit under the new arrangements.”

In some respects, the new legislation preserves the relationship between employer and employee in local convenience stores, added the CSNA chief. “It's not right that our employees should have no knowledge of what hours they're working the following week. This is about attempting to address imbalances. If a person can't get a loan from the credit union because of an uncertain contract, that is not fair. It's important

Gerry Light, Assistant General Secretary, Mandate. for a person to know how much they're getting and how frequently they are expected to work.”

Whatever their concerns about the new law, retailers are obliged to comply. “This is a very serious piece of legislation and nobody wants to fall foul of it,” said Burke. “Familiarise yourselves with this, understand its implications, speak to your staff about it. Understand what their needs might be. Use it as a planning tool for how you allocate hours. Try and do everything within your power to make sure you're ahead of the game.”

After all, the risks of non-compliance are great. The Department of Employment Affairs told Retail News that the purpose of introducing a criminalisation imperative for employers, who do not comply with the act, “is to promote better work practices and provide greater clarity around the employment relationship for both the employer and the employee.”

SuperValu Store of the Year Named DANO’S SuperValu in Mallow has been named SuperValu Store of the Year for 2019. Beating off stiff competition from 12 other finalists, the Mallow store was recognised for its exceptional standards, as SuperValu stores throughout the Republic of Ireland were audited and adjudicated by independent competition judge and retail consultant Matthew Brown to determine the deserving winner.

The store audits focused on product range and quality, customer service, store presentation and innovation, fresh food offering and store hygiene standards; with SuperValu Mallow surpassing all SuperValu stores nationwide.

Receiving the award, store owner Paul O’Mahony paid tribute to his mother and father, Dan and Rose, who started the business in 1967 and were the cornerstone of today’s successful business. He also paid tribute to his team and acknowledged that their enthusiasm and dedication was pivotal to winning the award: “Our team strives towards a common goal, which is providing the absolute best fresh quality food and value for our customers, along with excellent customer service. Trading in Mallow for over 50 years and going from a small galvanised shed to a 16,500 square feet store is a real endorsement for the hard work of the staff over the years and the people of Mallow for their support of a local retailer and local producers.”

Speaking at the awards, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu, noted how this year, “competition was very close across all categories, but Dano’s SuperValu stood out and won the award for consistently providing its shoppers with a superb shopping experience. Its fresh

produce, bakery, meat and fish range, health and wellness selection, along with its support of local producers, is what makes this store a real winner. All SuperValu stores work hard to succeed in a very competitive market and it is the passion of the independent entrepreneurial retailers and their enthusiastic teams that is fundamental to their success.”

Pictured are Paul and Claire O’Mahony, Dano’s SuperValu Mallow, who won SuperValu Store of the Year 2019, with Martin Kelleher, SuperValu Managing Director; Ian Allen, SuperValu Sales Director; and JF Michel, Account Director of Three Business, award sponsors.

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News Rising Prices Drive Grocery Sales Growth THE latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel show the Irish grocery market grew by 3.5% in the 12 weeks Total Take Home Grocery - Ireland Consumer Spend to February 24, 2019, putting the 12 Weeks to 24 Feb 2019 change** 12 Weeks to 25 Feb 2018 sector on a solid footing as the UK %* %* % finalises preparations to leave the EU. After a prolonged period of deflation, Total Grocers 100.0% 100.0% 3.5 an upward trajectory in grocery prices Total Multiples 88.2% 88.2% 3.5 SuperValu 21.9% 21.3% 0.8 is making a significant contribution to Tesco 22.1% 21.6% 1.1 growth.

Dunnes 22.9% 23.0% 3.8 “Grocery prices rose by a Lidl 10.8% 11.0% 6.0 further 1.5% in the most recent 12 Aldi 10.5% 11.2% 10.5 weeks, marking the first time an Other Outlets** 11.8% 11.8% 4.0 increase has been recorded for four *= Percentage Share of Total Grocers consecutive periods since February **= Includes stores such as M&S, Boots, Spar, Centra, Greengrocers, Butchers And Cross Border shops 2017,” noted Douglas Faughnan, Consumer Insight Director at Kantar spend towards the retailers they perceive as offering better Worldpanel. “Prior to this, a number value,” Faughnan noted. “Each of the five major supermarkets of factors had contributed to the lengthy spell of deflation, not played host to at least two-thirds of the population in the past least the intense price competition between retailers, which 12 weeks, demonstrating that Irish shoppers are already has driven down costs for consumers and has been to the prepared to shop around for the best deals. Retaining the benefit of Irish shoppers overall.” loyalty of their existing shoppers will be a key priority for According to Faughnan, the continued growth of Aldi and retailers in the face of increased price pressure.”

Lidl, which now account for 11.2% and 11% of the market Valentine’s Day saw supermarkets cashing in from those respectively, has encouraged the three traditional retailers to consumers choosing to celebrate at home. “Convenience bolster their value credentials by launching promotions such continues to be a major priority for people celebrating with a as Tesco’s The 800 campaign, Dunnes’ Everyday Savers and night in. Valentine’s Day is no different, helping drive overall SuperValu’s Fill Your Trolley. sales of chilled ready meals and chilled desserts, which Meanwhile, a stronger euro to sterling exchange rate has grew by 8.4% and 6.9% in the past three months,” Faughnan made British imported goods and ingredients cheaper, allowing revealed. retailers to pass some of those savings on to Irish consumers.

Traditional gifts also benefited, with wine and chocolate “However, with prices already rising as Britain’s exit from the confectionery sales growing by 17.1% and 10.7%. “However, EU draws near, increases are likely to continue for the rest of as Lent kicked off on March 6, some of these more indulgent the year. More than €3.5 billion of food is imported to Ireland categories may face a more challenging period in the run-up to from the UK, which means currency fluctuation can have a Easter,” Faughnan noted. substantial impact on grocery prices,” Faughnan warned.

Following a strong festive period, both Aldi and Lidl The Consumer Insight Director revealed that branded sales continued their impressive start to the year, growing sales by have remained resilient, despite higher prices, growing at 3% 10.5% and 6% respectively. “This marks the second consecutive and accounting for 47.3% of overall sales, but he warned that period in which Aldi achieved double digit sales growth, a feat “continued inflation may drive Irish consumers to trade down it has not achieved since March 2015. Meanwhile, Lidl’s growth to cheaper own label ranges, which are already growing at 4% of 6% is the highest for the retailer since May 2016,” Faughnan in the latest 12 weeks”. concluded. “For the seventh consecutive period, Dunnes was Price growth will likely also affect the promotional Ireland’s largest retailer, posting sales growth of 3.8%. While landscape. At present 30.2% of grocery sales are on promotion, both Tesco and SuperValu saw their overall market shares though this has been in gradual decline over the past five decline, the pair did enjoy positive sales growth of 1.1% and years. An extended period of inflation may see Irish shoppers 0.8%.” seeking more value by preferring to buy more on promotion.

For more information, see www.kantarworldpanel.com.

“Shoppers may opt to save money by moving more of their

Tesco Brings the Women’s Museum of Ireland to Life TESCO Ireland partnered with the Women’s Museum of Ireland to shine a light on inspirational women of Ireland in celebration of International Women’s Day, with a special installation across its stores on March 8, showcasing Ireland’s historic female figures and their pioneering contributions to society.

The six inspiring women included Oonagh Keogh, the first female member of any stock exchange in the world; Katy McNulty, a pioneering female mathematician who played a vital part of computer programme for missile trajectory during World War II and worked on the UNIVAC I - the first commercial computer ever produced in the United States; Carmel Snow, the biggest name in American fashion for over 20 years; Lizzie Le Blond, mountaineering pioneer; Grace O’Malley, fearless leader on land and sea; and Constance Markiewicz, leading politician and womens rights activist, one of the first women in the world to hold a government cabinet position.

Patti Feerick of Tesco (left), pictured with Kate Cunningham of Women’s Museum of Ireland.

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News Musgrave MarketPlace Sallynoggin Scoops Top Award MUSGRAVE MarketPlace Sallynoggin was named ‘Region of the Year’ at the seventh annual Musgrave MarketPlace Region of the Year Awards.

The annual awards acknowledge the excellent team effort that goes in to the running of Musgrave MarketPlace branches around the country, as well as rewarding individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the business.

This year’s event saw 13 award categories in total, with 160 Musgrave Wholesale Partners employees in attendance. The Sallynoggin branch received the top award due to its continued remarkable sales performance, QA audits, mystery shopper scores and employee engagement results over the course of 2018.

“This is a tremendous achievement for all of us here at Musgrave MarketPlace Sallynoggin and we are honoured to be recognised as Region of the Year,” said Anthony Nolan, General Manager of the Sallynoggin branch. “Our team is committed, hardworking and focused on the common goal of driving sales, and wholesale excellence. I wish to thank each and every one of our team for their dedication and passion in providing a firstclass customer experience.”

Also speaking about the Region of the Year Awards, Paul Kerrigan, MarketPlace Director at Musgrave MarketPlace, said: “I would like to congratulate Anthony and his hardworking team at Sallynoggin, as well as all our winners across the country on their achievements. The Region of the Year awards are a great way to celebrate a strong year, as well as the teams and individuals that work so hard towards our goal of leading the future of food wholesaling and convenience retailing.”

Other awards announced on the night included: •

Central Support Colleague of the Year ROI: Shane Macken

The team from Musgrave MarketPlace Sallynoggin, the winning branch of the annual Musgrave MarketPlace Region of the Year Awards, are pictured along with Noel Keeley, Managing Director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners, Paul Kerrigan, Musgrave MarketPlace Director, and Anthony Nolan, General Manager of the Sallynoggin branch.

• • • • • • • • • •

Commercial Colleague of the Year ROI: Gwen Wolfe Warehouse Operative of the Year ROI: Michael Derham Warehouse Operative of the Year NI: David Glendenning Driver of the Year ROI: Vladimir Anton Driver of the Year NI: Stuart Macleod Gossip Success Winner: Michelle Goggin Best Kaizen Idea: Kevin Kenny Customer Service Winner: Steven Jess Perfect Attendance ROI: George Stringer Customer Service Champions: Dean O’Neill, Damien McElroy, Patricia Walsh, Eddie Holohan, Adrian Lynch, Charles Wood, Mairead Lally, Colin Jennett, Phillip Dalzell, Donna Heany

Tánaiste Opens Dublin Liberties Distillery THE Dublin Liberties Distillery has opened its new €10m state-of-theart whiskey distillery and visitor experience on Old Mill Street in Dublin’s Darryl McNally, Master Distiller, The Dublin Liberties.

Liberties Distillery, and An Tánaiste, After two Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Simon years of Coveney TD. construction, An Tánaiste - Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Simon Coveney TD, officially opened the new distillery, by closing the still door and commencing spirit production. More than 20 new jobs have been created at the new distillery and visitor experience.

Production of the Dublin Liberties Distillery’s whiskey portfolio, which includes award-winning brands, The Dubliner and The Dublin Liberties, has now commenced at the distillery under the supervision of renowned Master Distiller, Darryl McNally. The range of products in The Dublin

Liberties and The Dubliner portfolios currently sell in more than 30 countries with sales in excess of 37,000 cases (9L) in 2018.

The development of the new distillery has seen a complete renovation of a 400-year-old building, preserving its original architecture and façade. The distillery will combine traditional distillation practices with the very latest in modern technologies and features a unique natural spring water source on site to be used in the distilling process.

“Irish Whiskey is one of the fastest growing spirits on global markets and one of the leading lights of our food and drink export industry,” noted the Tánaiste at the opening. “Government is fully committed to supporting Irish Whiskey’s continued growth, working with the industry to further expand exports."

Head of the Irish Whiskey Association, William Lavelle, congratulated the Dublin Liberties Distillery and Quintessential Brands team: “This marks the third Irish whiskey distillery to commence production in Dublin and it is the fourth distillery visitor centre in the capital, a welcome addition to the city’s Irish whiskey tourism offering.”

The opening of the Liberties Distillery was soon followed by Cork-based Clonakilty Distillery, the 23rd operational Irish whiskey distillery on the island of Ireland, which also opened the doors to a distillery visitor experience, expected to attract up to 35,000 visitors annually. The distillery also boasts a gin school and ‘The Whale’s Tail’ bistro.

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News Tesco Ireland Named as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland TESCO Ireland has been officially recognised as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland in 2019. This is Tesco’s second year to be named as a top Irish workplace, which is assessed through Great Place to Work’s robust ‘Trust Index’ employee survey and a thorough ‘Culture Audit’ assessment of their policies and practices.

As a leading food retailer, Tesco is one of the biggest private sector Geraldine Casey, People employers in Ireland, Director, Tesco Ireland. employing over 13,000 people across the country in its network of stores, head office and distribution centre. In addition to the Great Place to Work

accolade, Tesco was also acknowledged as one of 13 Best Workplaces for Women in Ireland.

Certifying Tesco Ireland as one Ireland’s Best Workplaces, Great Place to Work commended Tesco on its culture, achieving its organisational objectives with employees who give their personal best and who work together as a team, in an environment of trust.

“We’re very proud to have retained the Great Place to Work standard for the second year running,” noted Geraldine Casey, People Director, Tesco Ireland.” As one of only 19 Certified companies in the country; it’s a great honour. We achieved accreditation for 2019 and will continue to build on learnings year-on-year, evolving our business to better the wellbeing of our 13,000 colleagues.

“Our best investment as a business is without doubt in our people. We believe in treating each other with respect, giving everyone an equal opportunity to get on. We’re in the process of rolling out smarter and flexible working policies across our estate and it’s those small changes that will really made a difference for our colleagues as we all strive to serve our shoppers a little better every day.”

Workplace Wellbeing Day Takes Place in April IBEC is launching Ireland’s fifth National Workplace Wellbeing Day, taking place on Friday, April 12, 2019. Public and private sector organisations across the country are expected to participate in the day, which aims to improve employee health through promoting better physical activity and nutrition in the workplace.

As part of this year’s activities, employers are being called upon to arrange a “Lunchtime Mile” - a one-mile cycle, jog, run, walk or swim for employees in the vicinity of their workplace.

“We are seeing an increase in employers prioritising workplace wellbeing and a recent Ibec study shows that 76% of employees say they believe there is a positive link between employees’ health Pictured are (l-r): Aoife O’Hanlon, Brand Activation Manager, Mars Ireland; Danny and wellbeing and the company McCoy, CEO, Ibec; and Alan Quinlan, former international rugby player and productivity,” said Danny McCoy, wellness advocate.

Ibec CEO, launching Workplace working, environment, policies, and through our leadership Wellbeing Day 2019. “Given the considerable amount of behaviour. At Mars Ireland, we’ll be celebrating National time people spend in the workplace, we are encouraging Wellbeing Day over an entire week, giving associates an employers of all sizes and across all sectors to get opportunity to participate in nutritional talks, or get physical involved.” in boxercise, pilates, yoga and group walks. We’ll also enjoy Aoife O’Hanlon, Brand Manager of Mars Ireland, specially prepared lunches and snacks. Our health tomorrow added: ‘’Mars recognise that good health and wellbeing begins with how we live today, and workplaces can have a are essential to our associates’ success both in work and really positive impact in promoting wellbeing of their people.” at home. We try to create a culture where healthy and For more information, see www.wellbeingday.ie. energising choices are easy to make, through our ways of

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News IGBF Release Details Of Two Events THE Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund have announced details of two high profile events over the coming weeks. The Grocers Fun Run will take place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, on Sunday, April 28, with the Today’s Women in Grocery (TWIG) lunch event taking place on Friday, May 3, 2019.

The Grocers Fun Run is a great event with plenty of activity for runners, work colleagues and family members.

Entries are now open, with both corporate and single entries available: corporate entries cost €250 for 10 people.

Technical tee-shirts, medals, goodie bags and much more are included, while on the day, there will be an entertainment area with food tastings, beverages and kiddies activities.

Registrations can be done at either www.igbf.ie/igbf-events or www.popupraces.ie/race/the-grocers-fun-run-2019.

Meanwhile the next TWIG lunch event will be held in the InterContinental Hotel in Ballsbridge on Friday, May 3, 2019.

The theme for the day is ‘The Power of You’ and the event will be an opportunity for people working across the grocery industry in Ireland (male and female) to connect, network

and hear from inspirational speakers.

Speakers on the day will be Suzanne Jackson, Founder of SoSueMe.ie, Carolan Lennon, CEO of Eir, Kari Daniels, CEO of Tesco Ireland, Fiona Dawson, Global President of Mars Foods, and John Ryan, CEO of Great Place to Work & Healthy Place to Work (GPTW and HPTW). The lunch will be compèred

by Sonya Lennon, Designer and Entrepreneur.

Spaces are limited for this event, so those interested are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. Please contact Roisin at Hotel Solutions to book tickets on 01 6309211 or email Roisin@hotel-solutions.ie.

FSAI Launch Food Scanning Tool to Fight Food Fraud THE Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has a new DNA scanning tool to identify the entire DNA content of a food. The new analytical tool can proactively identify all the ingredients and their biological sources in a food, which will aid regulators in protecting consumers in relation to potential food fraud and/or misleading labelling.

The FSAI worked with a commercial laboratory, Identigen, over the past two years in adapting a relatively new DNA sequencing technology known as next generation sequencing, so that it could be used as a DNA scanning tool in food.

According to Dr Pat O’Mahony, Chief Specialist, Food Science and Technology, FSAI, this applied use of next generation sequencing is unique in a regulatory context and will be a significant new asset for regulators to identify exactly what is contained in a food and if that matches what is stated on the product’s labelling. It is now possible to scan the entire DNA content of a food without any prior knowledge or suspicion of what may or may not be present in that food.

“Even with the restriction of having to target the DNA of certain plant or animal species in previous studies, the FSAI has been able to detect food allergens and GMOs, and demonstrate the mislabelling of fish products,” he said. “Of course, targeted DNA analysis was also the method used by the FSAI in discovering horsemeat in beef products, which ultimately brought the global awareness of food fraud to a new level.”

The restrictions imposed by the need to target only specific species and ingredients in products led the FSAI to look for new innovative ‘non-targeted’ screening methods.

Next Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS) is the basis of the

new DNA food scanning tool and has been applied successfully by the FSAI to screen 45 plant-based foods and food supplements from Irish health food shops and supermarkets. It looked for the presence of all plant species in the selected products and identified 14 food products of interest that may contain undeclared plant species.

Of the 14 products selected for further investigation, one was confirmed to contain undeclared mustard at significant levels.

Mustard is one of the 14 food allergenic ingredients that must be declared in all foods under EU and Irish food law.

Another product (oregano) was found to contain DNA from two undeclared plant species, one at significant levels. A third product was found to have no DNA from the plant species declared on the label, but instead rice DNA was identified. All three products are under further investigation.

“Our two-year project has proved that next generation sequencing has the capacity to screen a variety of plantbased foods for the presence of undeclared plant species. It is important to understand that any results of the initial scan will always need to be corroborated by more established analytical techniques. Being able to scan the entire DNA content of a food means that it will be difficult to substitute or hide an ingredient of biological origin without it being detected. The plan is that in the future, the FSAI will apply the same technology for the screening of meat, poultry and fish products,” concluded Dr O’Mahony.

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Industry News

Gala’s Gift to Barretstown GALA Retail has given a lot of #GalaGifts over the past year, giving back to its customers and the communities in which they operate. Coinciding with Random Acts of Kindness Day, which took place on Sunday, February 17, Gala Retail presented one of its #GalaGifts to Barretstown, a charity which offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with a serious illness – supported behind the scenes by 24-hour on-site medical and nursing care. CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond presented a cheque for €5,000 to Barretstown CEO, Dee Ahearn, and Director of Development at Barretstown, Tim O’Dea, and this money will go to great use, improving the lives of those living with serious illness and their families.

Eurospar Retailer’s Operation Transformation EUROSPAR retailer, Paul Murphy, from Tubbercurry, brought his Operation Transformation journey to a conclusion recently when the class of 2019 graduated from the immensely popular RTE One television show. Paul and the other Operation Transformation Team Leaders were joined by more than 5,000 supporters for the Operation Transformation 5k road run in the Phoenix Park. Along with family members and friends, Team Eurospar was out in force to support Paul on the day, including fellow Eurospar retailers and BWG management.

Pictured are Philip Murray, Eurospar ROA; Racquel Kirwan, Peter Kealy, Denise McCann, Paul Murphy, Eurospar Tubbercurry, Brian Murphy, and Willie O’Byrne, Managing Director, BWG Foods.

Celebrating 100 years of NFRN

MORE than 450 guests from the world of independent retailing, publishing, wholesaling and manufacturing gathered at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on February 12 for the NFRN’s centenary dinner and Awards. A total of 12 awards were presented on the night for excellence in retailing and delivering newspapers, along with three special centenary awards for the Longest Serving Active Member, Outstanding Contribution to the News Industry and Outstanding Contribution to Independent Retailing. The Irish contingent included district president Martin Mulligan and national councillor Peter Steemers who were there to support colleague Louis Hennessy of Malone Newsagent in Kildare, one of five finalists in the Newsagent of the Year category.

Louis Hennessy is pictured with National President Mike Mitchelson and awards host Sir Trevor McDonald.

Lidl Ireland Commits to Sugar and Salt Reduction LIDL Ireland has announced that over 850 own brand products (over 30% of the product range) are currently being assessed as the retailer commits to a 20% reduction in added sugar content, as well as reducing salt levels in accordance with best practice standards by the end of 2020. In an effort to actively promote healthier nutrition to customers across all stores in Ireland, Lidl Ireland will reduce the added sugar content in own brand products by 20% by the end of 2020, focusing primarily on foods that are popular with and consumed by children, including categories such as breakfast cereals, spreads, sauces, and sweet confectionery.

Lidl Ireland will reduce the salt content of own-brand products in line with the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) 2017 salt targets by the end of 2020. The reduction of salt first focuses on food categories that are consumed on a regular basis and generally make up a large share of the daily salt intake, including ready meals, soups, pizzas, crisps, cakes and meat products.

Consumers Surpass National Recycling Targets in 2018 WEEE Ireland, Ireland’s largest electrical and battery recycling scheme, has revealed that they have collected 48% of batteries sold on the market as part of the Free WEEE Pledge programme in 2018, equivalent to 11 AA batteries for every single person in Ireland. The record figures were unveiled as WEEE Ireland announced a €50,000 donation to LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice, as part of the WEEE Pledge battery recycling programme. Running continuously since 2011, the partnership with LauraLynn was recently renewed for five more years, and has to date collected over €390,000 for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. In 2019, our national target for e-waste recycling is 65% of material placed on the market, and 45% of waste batteries.

This means that there’s lots of work to do! Pictured at the announcement is Bosco, the nation’s favourite redhead, and WEEE Ireland recycling champion.

Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie|9

Industry News BWG Foodservice Records Bumper 2018

BWG Foodservice has announced record sales of over €100m for 2018, an increase of 12.5% on the previous period. The milestone marks the eighth year of consecutive growth for BWG Group’s Foodservice division. In addition to strong organic growth in sales, the fast growing BWG Foodservice business also completed the acquisition of Corrib Food Products during the period, which will increase its annualised revenues to over €150m.

The business is now targeting sales of €200m by 2022 on the back of continued investment in expanding its end-to-end tailored foodservice solutions across ambient, chilled, and frozen. “We are delighted with the growth delivered in 2018 but are particularly excited about hitting our next milestone of €200m in sales over the coming years. Through the support of the wider BWG Group, we now have a market leading foodservice offering that allows us to deliver an extensive range of quality produce at competitive prices efficiently through our industry leading supply chain,” noted John Moane, Managing Director, BWG Wholesale, pictured (left) with Leo Crawford, Group Chief Executive, BWG Group; Ricky O’Brien, Head of BWG Foodservice; and Jenny Egan, Marketing Manager, BWG Foods Wholesale.

Lucky Gala Car Winners Geared up for 2019 IT’S been a prosperous start to 2019 for three lucky Gala customers, who won the top prizes of three Toyota Aygo cars, courtesy of Gala Retail.

The lucky winners were Geraldine Mahon from Newtownforbes, Co. Longford; Carmel O’Connor from Belmullet, Co. Mayo; and Georgina O’Callaghan from Abbeydorney, Co. Kerry. Each of the winners were presented with their prizes by their local Gala store owners, Smith’s Gala, Newtownforbes; McGloin’s Gala, Belmullet; and Power’s Gala, Abbeydorney. “Last year Gala celebrated its 20th year in business and as the year drew to a close, we wanted to go out on a high and launched our biggest ever in-store promotion as part of our ‘Gala Gifts’ activity,” noted Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail. “Our 20th year celebrations were all about giving back to our customers and the communities our stores serve and this has been a great way to round off the year of celebrations and we’d like to say a big congratulations to all of our winners.”

ABP Triumphs at Annual Green Awards

Fulfil Named as Snack Partner to Women’s Mini Marathon THE Women’s Mini Marathon has announced a new sponsorship deal with Fulfil Vitamin & Protein Bars, with the brand coming on board as the Official Snack Partner of the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon. Fulfil will be sampling bars to participants at the event, as well as introducing a large-scale activation after the finish line on race day. The sponsorship deal also includes course branding opportunities on the day. As part of the sponsorship, Fulfil will also be running an engaging social media campaign to recruit women to join them for the event as part of Team Fulfil. “Fulfil Nutrition are delighted and proud to be part of the Women’s Mini Marathon this year. We feel it is the perfect partnership for the brand as the WMM is an inclusive, fun event which encourages women from all walks of life to take part in the 10km race,” noted Orlaith O’Brien, Senior Brand Manager, Fulfil Nutrition, Richmond Marketing.

ABP was the winner of The Green Food & Beverage Award at the Annual Green Awards, which took place recently in Dublin. This prestigious award recognises ABP’s commitment, innovation and action in evolving Irish food production toward sustainability and acknowledges the company as a clear industry leader when it comes to sustainable practices and environmental initiatives. “We are very proud to have collected the Green Food and Beverage Award at the innovative and progressive Green Awards,” said John Durkan, Group Sustainability Manager at ABP. “This recognition stands as a testament to the continual commitment to sustainable practices that ABP has undertaken. There are currently hundreds of innovative sustainability initiatives taking place across our company, keeping us on track to reach our sustainability targets for 2020 that aim to reduce water consumption, electricity usage, energy consumption, carbon footprint and send zero waste to landfill.” Pictured are Barry O’Donovan, ABP Sustainability Manager; Geoff Codd, Head of Marketing & Retail Development, Energia, and Collette Carter, ABP Cahir.

10|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News Aldi Announces €7m Deal with Mulrines ALDI has agreed a one-year contract extension with Donegal-based premier juice producer Mulrines that will see the business provide over €7m worth of Irish-made fruit juices and smoothies to Aldi’s 137 stores nationwide. Under the new agreement, Mulrines will increase the volume of product it supplies to Aldi by over 20% year on year. It will also see several new innovative products developed exclusively for Aldi customers, including a premium 100% Irish fresh apple juice. Made from a blend of Irish grown Cox’s Pippen, Elstar and Jonagold apples, Specially Selected Irish Pressed Apple Juice will launch exclusively in Aldi stores in April 2019, retailing at €2.39. Pictured at Mulrines orchard in Kill, Co. Kildare, are: Peter Bough, Buying Director at Aldi Ireland, and Peter Mulrine, CEO of Mulrines.

A Gala Special Moment THERE was a Gala special moment for Special Olympics footballers recently as they met up with football legend Niall Quinn ahead of their travel to Abu Dhabi to compete in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Quinn joined the team to celebrate Special Olympics’ partnership with Gala Retail, an official sponsor of Team Ireland that has supported the Special Olympics programme for the past five years. This significant partnership

by Gala Retail and its 200 stores is helping to fund the travel and participation of the 91-strong delegation of Irish athletes who are travelling to Abu Dhabi to represent their country. Pictured are former Republic of Ireland international Niall Quinn, Matt English, CEO, Special Olympics Ireland; Gary Desmond, CEO, Gala Retail (centre); Majella Hennessy of the Gala Retail Council (far left); Karen Coventry, Director of Sport at Special Olympics Ireland; and Gala board member, Pat O’Sullivan of M & P O’Sullivan; with Special Olympics Team Ireland soccer players, at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown, Dublin, ahead of their departure to the Special Olympic World Games 2019 in Abu Dhabi.

Reilly’s Daybreak Sells Record Winning EuroMillions Ticket REILLY’S Daybreak in Naul, Co. Dublin, recently sold the winning €175m EuroMillions ticket, which is the biggest jackpot in Irish history.

Les Reilly and staff at the store were delighted with the news, with Reilly’s Daybreak also due to receive a €25,000 prize for selling the winning ticket. “We cannot believe that our shop had the winning ticket.

It is fantastic, not just for the winners, but also for us and the community of Naul. We are a small community and this news brings a great buzz to everyone,” said store owner Les Reilly, pictured (right) with Thomas Gilligan, Musgrave Business Development Manager, Daybreak.

Tesco Ireland scoops Green Award for Excellence in Waste Management

TESCO Ireland was rewarded for its work in Waste Management across the business at the national Green Awards. “We’re delighted to have been recognised for our Waste Management achievements,” noted Geraldine Casey, Tesco Ireland Director. “We’re particularly pleased to be recognised from an end-to-end waste management perspective, including our work on food waste in our business. At Tesco, we’re committed to achieving maximum sustainability in all our operations and are proud to be recognised with this award.” Lorraine Shiels, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Tesco Ireland, is pictured accepting the Green Award for Excellence in Waste Management from Frank Mutel, greenoffice, at the Green Awards 2019.

Dawn Meats Launches New Premium Range

DAWN Meats Foodservice, a Division of Dawn Meats, recently launched its Vintage Reserve range of dry aged beef to complement its extensive range of crafted meat products at Catex 2019. Speaking at the Co. Waterford processor’s beef and lamb cutting demonstrations, Commercial Manager Neil Lanigan said “Dawn Meats is delighted to showcase at Ireland’s Premier Foodservice Show and we are proud to introduce our Vintage Reserve. It is a premium, dry-aged product with a robust, intense flavour – perfect for those looking for that extra-special experience. Our Vintage Reserve dry-aged beef is aged for 21-28 days in special maturation chillers where under controlled conditions, our beef develops the right balance of flavour, tenderness and succulence.” Pictured are Dawn Meats team members at Catex: Anthony Smith, Louise Heslin, Neil Lanigan, Michael Russell, and Sean Daly.

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12|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

Industry News Mace Supports Down Syndrome Day MACE retailers encouraged customers to indulge themselves during the lead-in to World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 by giving in to their sweet cravings and enjoying a specially created pack of four iced cupcakes that were exclusive to Mace stores. The pack of four cupcakes, two orange and two purple, represented the colours of Mace and Down Syndrome Ireland, retailed at €2.50, with all proceeds going to the official Mace Ireland charity partner to help fund their activities. Pictured are (l-r): Blaise Coates (6); Daniel O’Connell, Mace Sales Director; Sorcha Maguire (7); Gary Owens, CEO, Down Syndrome Ireland; and Rafael Siewierski (7).

Conquer Your Own Everest EVEREST Snacks officially launched its new range of protein bars at Trinity Sports Campus, Dublin, as part of its Reach Your Peak event, with MC and successful Irish Influencer, Niamh Cullen. Niamh, who has over 100k followers on Instagram, was accompanied by a panel of inspiring Irish speakers, including five-time hurling All-Star Joe Canning, and John Burke, who successfully climbed Mount Everest in 2017 to raise funds for the youth mental wellbeing charity Elevate. Also speaking at the event was Irish MMA fighter, Deirdre Fitzpatrick, and Professor in the Artificial Intelligence discipline at Trinity College, Seamus Lawless, who is to summit Mount Everest this May. Irish MMA fighter Dee Fitzpatrick and hurling All-Star Joe Canning are pictured launching Everest Snacks' new range of Protein bars as part of its Reach Your Peak event at Trinity Sports Campus.

Milkybar Mixes Things Up! NESTLÉ is introducing Milkybar Mix Ups, newly invented Milkybar chocolate discs that mix white chocolate with milk chocolate for the very first time. The sweets will begin appearing in shops across Ireland later this month in both sharing bags and single packs.

Each selection contains a mix of classic Milkybar white chocolate discs with a cocoa filling and milk chocolate discs with a milky filling.

“We get a lot of requests from Milkybar fans who have been asking us to mix white chocolate with milk chocolate for a long time but it’s not something we’ve done before with original Milkybar,” said Maria McKenna, Marketing Manager for Nestlé Confectionery. “Milkybar is famously white chocolate so it needed to be something a bit special if we were going to mix things up. We think Milkybar Mix Ups are very special and they’ll do very well!”

Flahavan’s Free Breakfast Bootcamps FLAHAVAN’S has teamed up with Kathryn Thomas to share easy-to-follow motivational health and exercise routines for the office.

Flahavan’s recognises that 'desk-fasting' has become a way of life for many Irish people and wants to help bring healthy habits to the place we spend most of our waking hours: the office!

As a result, they held two free #OfficeOats Breakfast Bootcamps, with Kathryn Thomas and her Pure Results team, on March 12 and 13, in the dynamic co-working space of Huckletree in the heart of Dublin city. The exclusive early morning classes allowed office workers to beat the traffic, get moving and grab a goodie bag of Flahavan’s Quick Oats, so that they could have a nutritious and delicious bowl of oats at their desks – ready in just two minutes! “I’m delighted to team up with Flahavan’s and support this initiative,” noted Kathryn. “It is so important to start the day off right with a healthy breakfast and exercise routine.”

Bewley’s Barista Wins at Irish Barista Championships

BEWLEY’S Barista, Wojciech Tysler, has won the most coveted Irish award for Baristas after coming out on top at the Avonmore Irish Barista Championships, which took place at Catex in February. Wojciech triumphed over the nine other finalists to take home first place in the highly competitive awards. He will now represent Ireland in the leading international coffee competition, the World Barista Championships, taking in place in Boston in April. Wojciech Tysler is pictured with Jason Doyle, Bewley’s Managing Director.

Introducing

formerly

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14|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

The Retail News Interview

Leading From the Front Kari Daniels, CEO, Tesco Ireland, is the 2019 President of Appeals for the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund.

Here, she discusses her approach to the role, how she plans to involve more Tesco colleagues in events and the challenges facing the IGBF in 2019.

Kari Daniels, CEO, Tesco Ireland, and President of Appeals, IGBF.

KARI Daniels might be relatively new to the Irish grocery market, having taken up her position as Tesco Ireland CEO in September 2018, but she’s no stranger to working with a grocery charity, having worked extensively with Grocery Aid in the UK, during her 17 years with Tesco’s UK operation.

“I was heavily involved with Grocery Aid in the UK, and I really enjoyed working with them, so when I was asked to be President of Appeals for the IGBF, I was delighted,” she reveals.

Traditionally, one of the biggest issues facing an incoming President of Appeals is the substantial challenge of juggling the role with the pressures of the day-job in Ireland’s ultra-competitive grocery industry, which one suspects is even more of a concern when you’re the newly appointed CEO of one of the largest retail groups in the country.

“That’s just life, isn’t it?” Kari smiles. “I am committed to the role and to building on the fantastic success of IGBF to date. I think a lot of my colleagues in Tesco Ireland can play an important role to help me during my tenure as President of Appeals.

Essentially, the way I am going to approach it is to understand that all my Tesco colleagues are part of this industry industry, so I’d like to actually get the help of category directors and commercial managers: I’m asking them to take ownership of different events.

“Our Fresh Category Director, John Brennan, is a very keen golfer and he was delighted when I asked him to take the lead on the golfing events, and we will get more colleagues around the country involved in terms of entering teams into some of the golfing tournaments,” she continues.

“Clearly, I have a big role to play but what’s really encouraging has been the enthusiasm of the team to get involved to lead some of the activities.

I’m absolutely committed to giving ample time to support the IGBF’s goals and striving to deliver the best outcomes to the beneficiaries of the Fund. That’s essentially how we’re going to approach it.”

A Multi-Faceted Approach Kari sees her mission as President of Appeals as being multi-faceted, and not just about asking suppliers to contribute financially: “The brief clearly is about fund-raising; that’s the primary job to be done. I want to raise as much as I can for the organisation. Secondly, I think there is an opportunity to raise awareness of the IGBF, and thirdly, there is a chance to widen the net in terms of

Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie|15

The Retail News Interview those who contribute to the Fund. There is still an opportunity to broaden the membership, broaden the contribution and involvement of suppliers to the grocery industry.”

Kari feels that there are “quite a number of events throughout the year, so I don’t really think it’s about creating more events; it’s about improving participation in the existing events, getting more people involved. It might mean getting more teams in the golfing events and the Grocers Fun Run, and more tables at the big events like the TWIG and Christmas lunches. That’s what I see as the main way we can increase revenue.”

Kari herself will take a lead role at the Today’s Women in Grocery (TWIG) networking lunch, Kari Daniels (centre), pictured with Frances Higgins, Group Head of Promotions, BWG Foods, where she will deliver and IGBF Vice Chair (left), and Anne O’Brien, Category Manager, Musgrave and TWIG Committee one of the keynote member. speeches. However, and lots of causes one could get involved part that I’ve been really amazed and she is very keen to get other members of excited by, that it is our colleagues at in, so ensuring the IGBF remains part of the Tesco team involved, including Aoife the front-line who see CSR as being companies’ CSR plans is a challenge,” Donohoe, Head of Corporate Affairs, and Kari admits. important and are acting on it.

Sharon Doherty, Senior Buying Manager, “From a Tesco Ireland point of Ambient Grocery.

Broadening the Audience view, it has been really important to She also believes that the Fund needs to us as a business to be able to give Delivering on CSR back in a meaningful way and that is ensure the events throughout the year The importance of Corporate Social what we have done over the years, and remain relevant to its audience. To this Responsibility has grown exponentially end, she cites the success of recently the customer has really responded to in the last decade or so, as businesses introduced events like the TWIG lunch, that, recognising the good things we are keen to give back to the communities the Grocers Fun Run and the sports are doing. We’re really proud that our in which they operate. This has been lunch, as key elements of broadening the colleagues and customers have been particularly true of the grocery industry. the driving force behind the success IGBF’s appeal.

“Personally, I think CSR is very of our charity partnership with Temple “That is the IGBF responding to a important, but more interestingly, that more modern audience. At the same Street Children’s Hospital over the last is what most of our colleagues would four years, where we’ve raised €4.1m. time, the golf events, for example, are say too,” she avows. “In each Tesco well supported and have been very The IGBF, as an extension of the retail store across Ireland, our blue tokens for industry, also has its unique social successfully organised for many years, our Community Fund are very visible, responsibility role to play by continuing so it’s a case of holding onto the good whereby we are supporting local projects to provide assistance to relieve hardship from the past, while trying to be more across the country, such as football relevant with new events,” she stresses. amongst unemployed and retired clubs, schools and local charities.

“I’ve been really struck by the members of the retail sector.”

It is the colleagues in those stores success of TWIG, which started out three One of the biggest challenges facing who are championing those causes, the IGBF in 2019 is that it is competing years ago with a lunch for 100 people. doing whatever it takes to encourage for financial support with a host of other Its growth emphasises how relevant it is customers to vote for the particular and therefore, more and more people good causes. “There are lots of charities cause they are supporting. That’s the

16|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

The Retail News Interview

Kari Daniels, pictured with Leonard Hegarty, IGBF Chairman and General Manager at G&M Industrial Cleaning Products; former IGBF Chairman, Donal O’Shea, and John Moane, former IGBF President of Appeals and Managing Director, Wholesale, at BWG Foods. want to attend. So it’s vital that the IGBF keeps events relevant and speaks to as broad an audience as possible. Even in terms of the golfing events, which have historically tended to attract men, there is a real opportunity there to get more female golfers involved.”

continues to support those colleagues across the grocery industry who have fallen on hard times, regardless of whether their companies were supporters of the IGBF or not: it doesn’t discriminate. This is about helping our colleagues.”

Vital Fund Considering Ireland is operating at almost full employment and the economy is growing steadily, some commentators would argue that the need for the IGBF isn’t as great as it was even a decade ago, when we were in the depths of recession. Unsurprisingly, the current President of Appeals disagrees.

“The number of people that the IGBF is helping is not dropping; it’s as high as ever,” she insists. “This is the 56th year of the Fund and it is supporting more than 250 families and 500 individuals across the country, so the need is still there.”

The IGBF is unique in terms of an Irish charity organisation funded entirely by a business sector to support people in that industry who need help: “It

Phenomenal Commitment One of the issues in recent years has been that a relatively small amount of people do an awful lot of work when it comes to the IGBF committees, with previous Presidents of Appeals highlighting the need for new blood within the organisation, both to ease the time burden on those who have already given so much and to bring new ideas into the Fund.

“I am struck by the amount of work that some of the people involved in the IGBF do. The commitment of people like Leonard Hegarty (IGBF Chairman) is phenomenal and it’s clear that the committees are filled with extremely hard-working individuals who have been involved for many years,” Kari admits. “I see my tenure as President of Appeals

as an opportunity, which is why I’ve taken the approach to get champions within the Tesco Ireland organisation, involved.

I’m trying to get more people involved in organising and taking part in events, and also helping in terms of the workload.”

At the end of her tenure, what would Kari like to have achieved as President of Appeals? “A big part of it is fund-raising, of course,” she admits.

“That is the key part of the role and we challenge ourselves to raise as much money as possible in a very engaging way. I hope I will get more engagement from organisations and get more Tesco colleagues taking part in the different events, which would be an internal measure of success for me. Overall, I’d like when we look at the attendances from the golf events, from the Grocers Fun Run, the TWIG lunch, from all the various events during the year, that when we tot up the numbers, we will have reached a greater proportion of the population within the grocery industry. I want to grow individual events, get more people involved and ultimately raise more money.”

Whichever way you look at it… you could be onto a winner.

We are extending the number of places players can buy a Lottery ticket. Tickets played in these new outlets will be printed on white paper.

As part of our commitment to making it as convenient as possible to play our games, we have teamed up with selected retailers nationwide to offer the National Lottery’s most popular products directly from the store’s own point of sale terminals. We are extending the number of places you can buy a Lottery ticket.

Games purchased through these networks will be printed as white National Lottery tickets. The new white tickets are the same as our usual green National Lottery tickets and are completely transferable across our retailer network. So whichever tickets you have, your players are in the draw.

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18|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

SuperValu Conference

SuperValu Hits Sales Milestone SuperValu recorded a new sales high in 2018, and unveiled ambitious plans to open three new stores and create 210 jobs in 2019 as part of a €30m investment programme.

SUPERVALU recorded a new sales milestone of €2.724 billion in 2018, it was announced at the SuperValu Conference in the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry. It was also revealed that the group plans to expand its network by opening three new stores in 2019, creating 210 new jobs in the process, and revamping 30 additional stores as part of a €30m investment programme.

A key trend in 2018 was the continued growth in SuperValu’s online shopping service, with 25% year-on-year growth in online sales and an additional 26,000 new customers using the service.

The retailer also invested substantially in its Real Rewards loyalty programme, with membership growing to 1.2m people.

Building on its reputation for food leadership, SuperValu’s Signature Taste premium range was a stand-out line for the retailer, growing sales by over 10% on the previous year. This can be attributed to shoppers looking for an award-winning premium own brand range. The range currently features over 330 products, with another 40 expected to hit the shelves in 2019.

Growing Sales of Health & Wellness One of the key sales trends last year was increasing consumer demand for health and wellness-related products.

For example, SuperValu now boosts a health and wellness aisle in all stores, with a range of over 1,000 products.

It also introduced a range of over 340 vegan products to meet consumer demand and has begun rolling out dedicated Vegetarian/Vegan zones across stores as part of its ongoing strategy to differentiate the brand from its competition.

In 2018, SuperValu became the first retailer in Ireland to introduce fully compostable and biodegradable bags for produce, along with increasing their

Pictured at SuperValu Kinsale are (l-r): Ian Allen, Sales Director, SuperValu; Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu and Michael Smith, SuperValu Kinsale and SuperValu Retail Chair. loose range of fruit and veg. It followed this up by becoming the first national grocery retailer to introduce 100% compostable coffee cups through all Frank and Honest stations in its stores.

These form part of a broader strategy to reduce packaging and make 100% of SuperValu’s own brand and fresh produce packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Food Leadership Credentials “We continue to build on our food leadership credentials and further establish SuperValu as a destination shop by responding to consumer trends and shopping requirements both in-store and online,” highlighted SuperValu Managing Director, Martin Kelleher.

“We plan to build our momentum in 2019 with a €30m investment programme, which will see three new stores opened and an existing 30 stores revamped as we continue to roll-out new shopping concepts such as Vegetarian and Vegan zones, new salad bars and health and wellness aisles, adding both theatre and on-trend ranges for the new shoppers' evolving tastes.”

SuperValu serves over 2.6m customers every week and has 219 stores nationwide. Together with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500 staff, making it one of the State’s largest private sector employers. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible, which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.

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20|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

Horgans Delicatessen Supplies

Horgans Celebrates New Look Range Horgans Delicatessen Supplies is delighted to introduce a fresh new look for the Horgans branded range, which has been well established in Irish retail since the 1970s and is much loved by the Irish consumer.

HORGANS Delicatessen Supplies has unveiled a new image for the Horgans branded range, which leverages the rich heritage of the Horgans brand, representing family values, heritage, provenance and innovation. The symbol represents the spirit of Horgans and the ‘Finders of Fine Foods’ ethos. It is based on the original carriage concept, depicting a journeyman (Michael Horgan) setting off on his travels to find the finest foods to bring home to his customers.

Central to the Horgans brand, as Finders of Fine Foods, is Michael Horgan's ‘Guarantee of Quality’, which is stamped on every pack.

Horgans packaging has been revamped on all products across the range, including the iconic Horgans Blacky Ham, Horgans Irish Cheddar and Horgans Patés.

In response to trends in the Irish market for sharing platters and tapas style eating, the Horgans branded range of continental meats has also been revamped, with the introduction of two new salami lines.

Due to popular demand, Horgans will launch three of its award-winning deli/bulk beef products in sliced prepack format in the first quarter 2019.

This range includes Horgans Sliced Corned Beef, Horgans New York Style Pastrami and Horgans Irish Silverside Spiced Beef, which took a Gold Award at Blás na hÉireann 2018.

An Exceptional Service Horgans Delicatessen Supplies is a 100% family owned and operated business.

Since being founded in the 1970s, Horgans has been dedicated to sourcing the finest quality food products around the globe and providing an exceptional and personalised service to customers.

Today, this vision has seen the business

AA Food Safety Certification for the operation. In addition, Horgans has recently been approved by IOA to store and distribute all types of organic food products.

Horgans has introduced a frozen storage and distribution element to the business in recent months. As well as frozen distribution capabilities, Horgans can now also provide a service to retail customers whereby frozen product can be tempered and date coded for chilled delivery to the customer. Horgans is currently operating this system for some private label business (chilled convenience) and it is proving very successful, giving the retailer maximum shelf-life on product.

With Brexit looming, Horgans is

evolve into one of the premier speciality food distributors on the island of Ireland.

Horgans Delicatessen Supplies is a supplier to all the retail multiples and symbol groups via central distribution and directly through their van sales fleet to hundreds of valued independent and speciality retailers throughout Ireland.

Horgans operates from a stateof-the-art warehouse and production facility, with over 40,000 square feet, including chilled, frozen and ambient warehousing, together with office space.

The facility at Mitchelstown offers a clean-room environment for cheese cutting, waxing and packing. This unique service offers the option to cut largeformat cheeses into various convenient retail specific sizes.

Opportunities For Growth Horgans is committed to sound quality assurance practices and consistently achieves BRC Global Standard Grade

The iconic Horgans Blacky Ham brand is one of the products enjoying the new look. looking to capitalise on opportunities that may be presented for the business.

Horgans has a long-established supplier network across Europe and on a weekly basis, arranges collections ex-factory or at central consolidation points throughout and transports products back to their base in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork.

22|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

Brexit & Contracts

Brexit and Contracts - A Practical Guide A practical guide to the effects of Brexit on contractual relationships, by Matheson’s Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team.

FOR businesses trying to navigate the current Brexit landscape, one key consideration is the impact of events on their contractual relationships. This is a very real issue with potentially significant consequences.

On February 21, 2019, the English Courts tackled the issue of a Brexit argument in the context of a lease related contractual dispute. Canary Wharf Group (as landlords) succeeded in obtaining a declaration that a withdrawal by the UK from the EU and/or the relocation of the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) (as tenant) did not absolve EMA from its obligations under

the lease, as a consequence of which EMA remains liable for lease obligations worth about £500m. EMA had argued Brexit would frustrate the lease, as it drastically changes the original reason for signing it. Although it remains to be seen whether this decision will be appealed, it is indicative of the narrow approach of common law courts to the doctrine of frustration.

So can a party avoid contractual obligations which become more onerous or impossible to perform as a result of Brexit?

With Brexit day fast approaching, many businesses are wondering

whether the fact and/or form of Brexit will, of itself, constitute an event which operates to discharge parties from their obligations under commercial contracts.

Unforeseen events which occur after a contract has been entered into may be used by a disadvantaged party to argue that performance of the contract has become impossible, illegal or radically different from that originally contemplated, such that the contract has been discharged by the operation of the doctrine of frustration or by reason of force majeure or material adverse change (“MAC”) clauses.

Ultimately, the question of whether

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Brexit & Contracts including express termination rights in agreements, through force majeure or MAC clauses, where an adverse event arises.

these types of clauses can be triggered as a result of Brexit will depend on the wording of the relevant clause. It is unlikely that the very fact of Brexit in and of itself would trigger such clauses, absent specific wording to that effect. It is, however, possible that legal changes that come about as a consequence of Brexit, and the impact of such changes, might trigger those clauses.

What is Frustration?

A frustrating event would generally be an event which could not have been foreseen by the parties at the time of entering the contract.

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In the event of a no-deal Brexit, one can see how it might be argued that this constitutes an unforeseen adverse event in contracts that were entered into prior to the original Brexit vote in the UK.

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A contract will not be frustrated merely because performance has become more expensive or due to changes in economic conditions. Rather, for a frustration argument to succeed, it would need to be established that

an event has occurred of sufficient seriousness that it renders performance impossible or the obligation fundamentally or radically different from what was agreed to when the contract was entered into. For example, currency fluctuations are less likely to be a frustrating event than an inability to source products that meet revised regulatory standards.

The doctrine of frustration is a narrow one and the burden of proving it is onerous. There is very little case law on the doctrine of frustration. One reason for this is that commercial parties have, for many years, sought greater contractual certainty by

What are Force Majeure and MAC Clauses?

Force majeure clauses generally operate so as to excuse performance of particular contractual obligations on the happening of certain specified events beyond a party’s control. However, there is case law to the effect that a change in economic circumstances which affects the profitability of a contract or the ease with which the parties’ obligations can be performed, does not constitute a force majeure event in the absence of express wording to the contrary.

Similarly, MAC clauses are designed to relieve a party of its obligations on the occurrence of an unforeseen adverse event. These are very common in finance documents.

For example, where the prospects of a business have been materially adversely affected by Brexit, a lender might wish to rely on a MAC clause to limit its ongoing exposure to that business.

Can You Brexit-Proof New Contracts?

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, one can see how it might be argued that this constitutes an unforeseen adverse event in contracts that were entered into prior to the original Brexit vote in the UK. However, for more recent contracts, it will be more difficult to argue that this possibility could not have been foreseen and, for this reason, ‘Brexit clauses’ have been included in commercial contracts more frequently in recent months.

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Brexit & Contracts Irrespective of whether we see a no-deal or negotiated withdrawal, Brexit has the capacity to affect almost every aspect of doing business (although of course some sectors and industries are more susceptible to impact than others).

Parties often have in their contracts a term by which a party (or both parties) may be excused from performance of the contract, in whole or in part, or be entitled to suspend performance or to claim an extension of time, upon the happening of certain events. Since the vote on June 23, 2016, Brexit has featured in the list of such events in many commercial contracts.

Alternatively, some commercial contracts have incorporated bespoke Brexit clauses to trigger automatic changes to a contract. A Brexit clause might simply provide for a requirement that the parties will seek to renegotiate certain relevant aspects of the contract, failing agreement on which the contract may be terminated.

For such clauses to be effective and enforceable, it is essential to define the “trigger event” clearly. Some commonly used trigger events we have seen as a result of Brexit contingency planning include the following: • • • • •

the contract becomes unprofitable for one party (by reference to specific margins and/or thresholds); a change in law, regulation, or illegality; changes in regulatory regimes which give rise to additional costs over certain agreed thresholds; prices change substantially (eg, costs relating to tariffs or taxes); the exchange rate fluctuates (up and/or down) more than a specified percentage over a specified period.

Other contractual quagmires include: • Standard interpretation clauses commonly provide that “any reference to a statute or statutory provision includes any statute or statutory provision which modifies, consolidates, re-enacts or supersedes it”. One likely

just events which may directly impact them, but also their supply chain.

Customers need to consider not only possible impacts on their own ability to use goods or services purchased under an agreement (and whether the price they are paying will remain competitive), but also how the market for their own products may be affected.

An audit of contracts, both in the pipeline and already in place, as well as

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• •

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interpretation of this is that relevant UK legislation will continue to apply post-Brexit, but the consequent legislative changes may have a significant commercial impact.

Is a provision allocating costs arising from a change in law required? These clauses provide certainty by setting out which party will be responsible for the costs incurred in complying with certain changes in law. Changes in law are inevitable as a result of Brexit.

Is a clause which protects against changes in currency value required?

Is a clause that seeks to allocate the burden of increased costs in providing the goods or services on agreed terms required? Current tariffs that are in place, applicable corporation tax rates, applicable VAT rates and treatment, the level of complexity of current customs checks and/or paperwork requirements are all issues to be considered in this regard.

Consider the governing law and jurisdiction clause. This will be very important for contracts with cross border implications. Such clauses will be particularly important where the contract relates to regulated industries or data processing, where EU law may need to be expressly stated as continuing to apply.

Being Brexit-ready Is there anything that can be done to Brexit-proof existing contracts?

Unprecedented events are unfolding and outcomes are far from clear. What is clear, however, is that Brexit will directly or indirectly affect most if not all transactions between Irish and UK businesses or Irish businesses doing business in the UK (including Northern Ireland).

Suppliers need to consider not

Some commercial contracts have incorporated bespoke Brexit clauses to trigger automatic changes to a contract. A Brexit clause might simply provide for a requirement that the parties will seek to renegotiate certain relevant aspects of the contract, failing agreement on which the contract may be terminated.

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a high awareness within businesses as to any contractual relationships which are already under pressure due to Brexit related events, is advisable. This should be stress tested in the context of both no-deal and negotiated Brexit outcomes.

At a minimum, businesses should: • consider how Brexit could affect their business generally and their commercial arrangements with third parties; • identify the key contracts governing those arrangements and assess if they provide sufficient protection against Brexit or are at least clear about the implications of Brexit; • consider whether it will be necessary from a legal or regulatory perspective, or desirable from a commercial perspective, to renegotiate or amend those contracts to deal more clearly with the implications of Brexit; • keep contracts under ongoing review.

Ultimately, there is no one single solution and each contract and solution needs to be tailored for each individual business. Bespoke legal advice and input should be sought.

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Guaranteed Irish

Highlighting Homegrown Heroes Guaranteed Irish celebrates 45 years of success for businesses in Ireland, writes Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish.

GUARANTEED Irish was first established to promote Irish goods and services in 1974. Traditionally, the organisation was primarily concerned with the creation of jobs in Ireland and the provenance of the companies who delivered those jobs. For over 45 years, Guaranteed Irish has been one of the most recognised and loved symbols in the country. While this continues to be the case, since 2016 its remit has evolved to also promote international businesses and enterprises based in Ireland that empower people and communities.

Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish.

Today, when marks of provenance and quality abound for every facet of a good or a service, what makes the Guaranteed Irish mark stand out is its focus on the quality of jobs created and how these help build good, sustainable communities across Ireland – it is not just concerned with the number of jobs a business creates.

What has changed since 1974 is that, today, we live in one of the most open economies in the world, where many of these good jobs are sustained by companies who may not have originated in Ireland but have invested heavily

and meaningfully in the country and its communities.

Evolving With Modern Ireland Guaranteed Irish has evolved to reflect and embrace Ireland's modern business landscape, shifting its approach to accommodate the considerable increase in foreign direct investment, a burgeoning services sector and the knowledge economy, as well as homegrown indigenous businesses - positioning Ireland as an 'all together better' destination in which to do and invest in business.

As an inclusive, values-based brand, Guaranteed Irish primarily carries out two core activities. First, it educates and builds awareness around the social value of good business and the benefits of buying goods and services from companies who provide quality sustainable jobs for people living in Ireland, genuinely operate and add value in Ireland, and meaningfully engage with the local communities in which they are based. Second, it also allows its members to utilise the Guaranteed Irish symbol as a key part of their brand positioning and as a strategic asset for their businesses and brands.

The Guaranteed Irish symbol is recognised by 74% of consumers and helps consumers and businesses to identify products and services that are 'all together better' choices for communities across Ireland. Today, Guaranteed Irish has 600 business members, who employ 73,000 people and contribute €11.2 billion to the Irish economy and €26.2 billion to the global economy.

On behalf of its members, Guaranteed Irish works to educate, promote and lobby to champion Irish business. It believes that enterprise is at the heart of thriving

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Guaranteed Irish

The Guaranteed Irish board, (l-r): Carmel Logan, Tax Partner, KPMG Ireland; Michael Jackson, Managing Partner, Matheson; Paddy Kelly, Managing Director, Tegral Building Ltd; Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland; Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish; Ger Brennan, Managing Director, MSD Ireland; and Orlaith Blaney, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Ervia. communities and that the benefits of creating sustainable, high-quality jobs are first and foremost about improving people's lives.

Business Benefits Membership of Guaranteed Irish also brings with it numerous benefits to businesses, both indigenous and international companies operating in Ireland. Guaranteed Irish’s strong emphasis on its values means it actively works with its members to support their CSR activity and strategic brand building. In conjunction with members, it develops communications campaigns and events that give those businesses a platform from which to promote their products and services to a nationwide audience. Businesses that carry the Guaranteed Irish mark on their products and services are 'all together better' because they fulfil the following criteria: • People & Jobs They are business that provide quality sustainable jobs for people living in Ireland.

• Place / Provenance They are businesses that genuinely operate and add value in Ireland.

• Enterprise & Community They are businesses that meaningfully engage with the local communities in

which they are based.

Since its foundation, Guaranteed Irish has become one of Ireland's most enduring, recognisable and authentic symbols. It helps Irish consumers identify products and services that are a better choice for the life of their communities and Ireland.

The Quest for Authenticity When navigating the wide range of choices available to them today, consumers are increasingly seeking out authenticity, a genuine sense of purpose, and real social responsibility from the brands, products and services they purchase. Guaranteed Irish's own research has borne this out, with a third of consumers surveyed saying it is very

important to buy from businesses that create jobs In Ireland.

With over 40 years of heritage, the Guaranteed Irish symbol immediately communicates authentic and credible Irish provenance. Members use the symbol on their products, websites or promotional materials to demonstrate their commitment to quality jobs that help build and sustain thriving communities. Members also leverage the Guaranteed Irish brand positioning within CSR, recruitment, and communications activity to achieve a more resonant and meaningful brand positioning for their businesses.

A business' involvement in its local community is also deemed to be significant by the wider public, with 48% of respondents saying it was 'quite important' or 'very important'.

Accordingly, Guaranteed Irish members spent €4.66m on their formal CSR programmes in 2018, an average of €475 per employee.

Guaranteed Irish Month This month, Guaranteed Irish is also celebrating ‘Guaranteed Irish Month’, an annual event that aims to shine a spotlight on businesses in Ireland that live up to the ideals of the organisation, and encourages consumers to support theses businesses when it comes to purchasing.

Running throughout the month, Guaranteed Irish Month includes a range of activities such as partnership campaigns with leading brands such as SuperValu, FBD Insurance and Harvey Norman, and an extensive marketing campaign showcasing members' success stories from across the country.

As the Irish economy continues to perform well and growth increases, it will be crucial that businesses continue to expand at home and abroad, strengthening Ireland's reputation for quality goods and services, innovation and competitiveness In business.

Guaranteed Irish has been at the forefront of driving all that is best about Irish business for 45 years, and will continue to work with its members to benefit business, jobs and communities in Ireland well into the future.

Keep up to date on Guaranteed Irish news here: • Website: www.guaranteedirish.ie • Twitter: @GuaranteedIrl • Instagram: @guaranteed_irish • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ company/2422682/ • Facebook: www.facebook.com/ GuaranteedIrishOfficial

Gem Pack Foods: Proud Supporters of Guaranteed Irish

Gem Pack Foods has been producing and packing product in Ireland for over 50 years. The company operates from a purpose-built factory in Damastown, Dublin 15, where its full range of products are all packed in the most up-to-date packaging formats. In most of the product areas in which Gem operates, it is the only remaining company packing in Ireland. Currently employing approximately 100 people, Gem Pack Foods aims to be the most cost-efficient producer in the Irish food packaging business.

This year, Gem Pack Foods is the official sponsor of The Great Irish Bake: “Together, we are baking a difference

for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. Gem has already sprinkled hundreds and thousands on the cause in a pledge to raise significant funds for Temple Street Hospital. We are encouraging everyone to join in the fun and help raise €250,000 for Temple Street Hospital by hosting a Great Irish Bake cake sale,” notes Bobby Mulligan, Managing Director, Gem Pack Foods .

Gem Pack Foods are proud and active members of Guaranteed Irish, promoting Irish excellence and jobs and supporting the local community.

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Rockshore Apple Cider

Diageo Launches New Cider Brand The brewers of Rockshore lager have unveiled new Rockshore Apple Cider, made from the juice of freshly pressed apples.

THE brewers of Rockshore Irish lager at St James’ Gate, inspired by the bracing refreshment of the Atlantic coast, are excited to announce a whole new taste experience as they unveil Rockshore Apple Cider.

New Rockshore Apple Cider offers the light, crisp, refreshing taste that Rockshore lager is known for, with a less sweet taste than other cider.

“We are absolutely delighted to introduce Rockshore Apple Cider into the category. Since the launch of Rockshore lager 12 months ago, we have been overwhelmed by the response from both trade and consumers,” said Stuart

New Rockshore Apple Cider offers the light, crisp, refreshing taste that Rockshore lager is known for, with a less sweet taste than other ciders.

Kinch, Head of Marketing for Beer & Cider, Diageo.

Rockshore Apple Cider is made from the juice of freshly pressed apples, which are harvested, milled and pressed to extract the fresh apple juice, which is then fermented within five days, producing a crisp, refreshing taste.

Independent Taste Test “We have been experimenting and trialling cider recipes for several years and we believe that we have landed on something refreshingly different,” continued Kinch. “We undertook research among cider drinkers at The Open Gate Brewery and the reaction was even better than we expected. Seven out of 10 people, after tasting Rockshore Cider for the first time, said that it tastes better than any other cider they tasted before. We are really proud and excited that cider drinkers will now have a new crisp and less sweet choice with Rockshore Apple Cider.”

The independent taste test research was conducted by Kantar TNS in October 2018, amongst 159 male and female cider drinkers aged between 18 and 64 years, and also found that 90% of people said they would consider buying it after tasting it.

A Balanced Sweetness Also speaking about Rockshore Apple Cider, Brewer Aisling Ryan said; “What became clear during the development process is that people often find cider overly sweet, so we wanted to create a cider that offers a refreshing taste with a balanced sweetness. Rockshore Apple Cider is made from the juice of freshly pressed apples. The apples are harvested, milled and pressed to extract the fresh apple juice, which is then fermented within five days, producing a crisp, refreshing taste with a distinctive natural green apple character.”

The launch of Rockshore Apple Cider will be supported by a heavyweight TTL campaign including TV, outdoor, experiential and PR, which will go live from April.

With an ABV of 4%, new Rockshore Apple Cider will be rolled out nationally and will be available on draught, in bottles and cans in pubs, off licences and supermarkets throughout the Republic of Ireland.

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Dairy

Brexit is a worry for some export categories within dairy, but the domestic market continues to thrive.

The Dairy Heirs WHILE the dairy industry braces itself for the effects of Brexit in terms of exports to the UK – with cheddar in particular singled out as one of the sectors at risk in terms of tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit – the domestic market remains a happy one when it comes to dairy.

According to the latest report into the sector by Euromonitor International, cheese is predicted to grow sales over the coming years as demand grows. The report also highlights how improving consumer confidence is encouraging many consumers to trade up to premium products, particularly those with added health benefits.

Cheddar remains the most popular cheese in Ireland. However, other types of cheese are increasingly popular as consumer tastes become more sophisticated, with a definite shift in demand from processed to artisanal cheese products.

The cheese category is a competitive one, with a large number of niche brands and private label ranges competing for consumer attention.

Growth is being driven by new product developments in terms of flavours, types and added health benefits, as well as

by players tapping into the snacking category.

Milk production in Ireland continues to be ramped up since the abolition of EU milk quotas in 2015, although this is with a focus on growing exports rather than in response to increased demand domestically, and Brexit could have a big effect on the sector. The drinking milk products category is still growing in Ireland due to further innovation, however, particularly in the area of added value nutrition, with many fortified milk products hitting the market in recent years. While demand for milk alternatives has grown, manufacturers are confident that dairy will remain relevant for the Irish consumers as it is part of the Irish heritage and culture.

Euromonitor also reveal a growing yogurt/sour milk category, driven by reformulations and new product developments that continue to focus on health and wellness, with increasing demand for products that contain protein, vitamin D and calcium. High sugar content in yogurts continues to be an issue that manufacturers have to address, and Euromonitor expect plain yogurt to be the fastest growing within the category. This is due to strong

demand for more natural yogurt that can be sweetened with fruits and berries as opposed to buying already fruited or flavoured yogurts.

Other categories enjoying growth are fromage frais and quark, thanks in the main to new product innovations, for example reduced sugar products, and a growing trend in Ireland for organic products. Chilled dairy desserts are growing, whereas shelf stable dairy desserts are in decline.

According to Euromonitor, innovation lies in developing healthier options and catering to growing demand for guilt free pleasures.

Kerry Foods Kerry Foods are introducing new Charleville Crafty Creations Monterey Jack Slices!

As the number one branded cheese in Ireland (Source: Nielsen, January 2019), Charleville know a thing or two about making great tasting cheese. “We have a range of delicious cheese to suit everybody and are particularly proud of our Crafty Creations range,” explains Ciara Boyle, Assistant Brand Manager.

These are a range of specially selected delicious cheeses from around the world

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Dairy “We are delighted to be adding a new cheese to this range this year.

Our exciting new Monterey Jack is an American-style firm cheese that is mild, creamy and very, very tasty!” enthuses Ciara. “We know consumers are looking for new and exciting flavours in a premium convenient format, and our Monterey Jack does just that, coming at a time when specialty cheese is in value growth of 6.9% year on year (Source: Nielsen, January 2019). So whatever meal or occasion, it’s got to be Charleville.”

New Charleville Crafty Creations Monterey Jack Slices: an Americanstyle firm cheese that is mild, creamy and very, very tasty. that are carefully crafted and sliced for the best taste experience, including Maasdam and Oaked Smoked Cheddar.

Aurivo Connacht Gold Mór Milk, a fresh and nutrient-rich whole milk, has launched for the first time to the Irish market.

This new milk product is specifically formulated for children from 1-12 years, providing them with with essential vitamins and minerals that are needed to keep kids fit and healthy.

With no added sugar or artificial flavours, Connacht Gold Mór Milk is a rich source of calcium, vitamins and minerals. Fortified with Iron, prebiotic fibre, Vitamin A, C, D, E and Zinc,

Connacht Gold Mór Milk is specifically formulated for children from 1-12 years, providing them with with essential vitamins and minerals that are needed to keep kids fit and healthy.

ON-PACK PROMOTION - LAUNCHING APRIL 2019 Why? To drive frequency and repeat purchase in the cheese category

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To enter, FREETEXT the word CHARLEVILLE followed by the unique code on selected packs to 50400

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Dairy Super Competition from Avonmore Super Milk AVONMORE Super Milk is giving consumers the chance to win an amazing 10-night sunshine safari experience for four people (2 adults & 2 children or 4 adults) in South Africa, with return flights from Dublin, private airport transfers, accommodation in three luxury resorts and spectacular safari drives. Plus they have 20 runnerup prizes to be won, including weekend escapes for two adults and two children at Fota Island Resort, with a family pass for Fota Wildlife Park. To be in with a chance to win, consumers enter a code from Avonmore Super Milk promotional 1.75L and 1L packs.

Pictured at Carbery’s Ballineen site where the new production facility will be based are (l-r): John Holland, Chief Operating Officer; Jason Hawkins, Chief Executive, Carbery Group; and Peter Fleming, Chairman, Carbery Group. investment by Carbery Group into this diversification project.

The investment will allow the organisation to diversify from its exclusive production of cheddar cheese into an expanded range of new cheese offerings. This is in response to increased market growth and consumer demand for mozzarella and other cheese varieties in emerging markets.

The new production facility also signifies increased milk production capacity at the site, which will have the capacity to process 4m litres of milk each day. As a result, the operation will be one of the largest diversified cheese manufacturing sites in Europe.

With construction planned for completion in early 2020, the investment will future-proof Carbery’s capability to process all of the milk produced by its shareholders and farmer partners out to 2030 and beyond. The Group will be increasing its borrowings to fund the investment and thus will not seek to raise additional capital through its shareholder base.

“Product and market diversification

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has always been a core part of our business and ongoing strategy, with this project in the planning for almost two years,” notes Jason Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer, Carbery Group. “As a global organisation, we are constantly looking to international consumption trends to further grow our offering and our business. Cheese such as mozzarella provide us with a more diversified product range and an opportunity to build a stronger foothold in new and emerging cheese markets such as Asia and the Middle East, while also providing us with a new product range and market opportunities, in sectors such as foodservice.”

Carbery has enjoyed tremendous success with its cheeses. Indeed, Carbery was crowned Best Maker of Finest Mature Cheddar with its Carbery Cracker Cheddar Cheese product at the 2018 British Cheese Awards, where its cheeses won two gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

Dubliner Lighter White and Carbery Special Reserve both won gold; Dubliner Lighter White, Vintage and Mature

05/02/2019 15:37

Connacht Gold Mór Milk is developed to assist in meeting the needs an active growing child requires.

Connacht Gold Mór Milk is the only Irish fresh milk enriched for kids; it can be enjoyed straight from the bottle or beaker cup, poured on cereal or in a kid’s favourite smoothies.

Connacht Gold Mór Milk is now available on supermarket shelves in a 1-litre carton, with an RRP of €1.65.

Carbery Group West Cork based Carbery Group has announced its plans to begin the expansion of its production facility at its Ballineen site. In the planning for some time, the new plant represents a €78m

Carbery Cracker Cheddar Cheese, one of the most successful brands in the Carbery portfolio.

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Dairy Welcome for Dairy State Aid Pilot Approval DAIRY Industry Ireland, the Ibec group representing Ireland’s dairy processing industry, has warmly welcomed the confirmation by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, that the European Commission has given State Aid approval to DII member Carbery, for product diversification capital investment.

“We have worked closely with colleagues in Food Drink Ireland and Ibec central since the referendum with Government to push for this type of state aid flexibility from Europe to enable us meet the Brexit challenge head on,” stressed Conor Mulvihill, Director of Dairy Industry Ireland.

DII identified the specific exposure of cheddar to Irish industry and finalised a study of various Brexit scenarios in 2017 which was delivered to Government.

“Our studies showed a tariff exposure of the region of €155m and also showed we were at risk of losing up to 90% of trade volumes in cheddar to the UK in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit,” Mulvihill revealed. “With cheddar forming the vast bulk of our cheese manufacturing base, hovering over 2 billion litres of milk from Irish farmers, it was clear that our member processors would have to engage in radical cheddar all won silver; while Red Cheddar with Chilli, Red Leicester and Mature cheese types won bronze awards

diversification actions to mitigate this clear threat for their businesses and their farmer suppliers.

“Dairy Industry Ireland will be working to ensure other member processors will be able to avail of these flexibilities in the future.”

DII have urged Government to “pull every lever possible to protect the sector. Robust actions such as; financial instruments, tariff rebates, loans, Conor Mulvihill, Director activation of EU schemes of Dairy Industry Ireland. such as aid for private storage and intervention, export supports and training funding all need to be put in place to mitigate the effects of a potential ‘cliff edge’ no deal.”

in their relevant classes.

These wins join an already impressive number of accolades and

awards for its cheese production achieved at various international competitions in recent years.

Kerrygold Unveils Major New Campaign KERRYGOLD is placing Ireland’s farming families at the fore of a major new global campaign that will reach over 36m people worldwide and aims to take the Kerrygold brand to new heights.

The digital Pictured are sisters Emma Louise (9) and campaign Caoimhe Cleary (7) from Waterford for entitled ‘A the international launch of Kerrygold’s True Taste of new global campaign ‘A True Taste of Kerrygold’ puts Ireland’s Kerrygold’ starring the Irish farming families behind Kerrygold. grass-fed family farming system firmly in the spotlight, celebrating the passion, pride and tradition of Irish dairy as part of a major global expansion drive for Ireland’s largest food exports.

The campaign will roll out globally, including Ireland, the UK, US and Germany. Kerrygold is the clear market leader in Germany, where a block of Kerrygold butter sells faster than any other food brand on supermarket shelves. Kerrygold

is also the number two butter brand in the large-scale US market, where it has enjoyed double digit volume growth for over 10 years.

The widespread success of Kerrygold products is attributed to the unique taste and quality of Irish dairy that is derived from the milk of Ireland’s grass-fed cows. This milk is produced everyday by dedicated and passionate Irish family farmers. Kerrygold truly is the Irish farmer’s brand and this campaign shines a spotlight on it like never before.

The authenticity of Kerrygold and its roots back to the heritage and tradition of Irish dairy farming are presented in the creative. Three Irish farming families play a starring role in this charming and evocative campaign - the Clearys from Waterford, the McKennas from Monaghan and the Crowleys from West Cork. These families tell the story of the dedication and passion it takes to deliver the world class milk that makes Kerrygold so successful.

“This new global campaign is a stand-out moment for Kerrygold on the world stage and a celebration of the daily dedication and commitment of farmers throughout Ireland which underpins its success,” explains Róisín Hennerty, Managing Director of Ornua Foods. “For decades, Kerrygold has been synonymous with the benefits of grass-fed dairy and has authentically told the story of Irish dairy farming to the world.

“The beauty of a brand like Kerrygold is that we all own a piece of it, whether that’s the memories shared around family mealtimes, the charm of the Kerrygold TV ads of yesteryear or the swell of pride we feel in its presence in countries all over the world. It has always been an intrinsic part of Irish identity. It is owned by a community of Irish farming families who have passed down their farming values and methods from generation to generation.”

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Kids’ Stuff

Child’s Play?

Small customers can lead to big profits, as the market for products aimed at babies and children continues to grow.

THE market for products aimed at babies and children is huge, and with a constant stream of new consumers being born each year, it shows no sign of slowing down.

It is estimated that 65,000 babies are born in Ireland each year, with Irish parents spending up to €5,000 on products for each of those babies within the first 12 months. And as any parent will attest, the spending doesn’t exactly reduce after year one.

While that may be a financial conundrum for new parents, it represents a huge growth opportunity for manufacturers and retailers who can capture a slice of the baby/children’s market.

Brands need to figure out how they how to connect with new parents in particular, with the best brands becoming an easy resource and building an emotional connection with the parents of small children.

According to Euromonitor International, the baby and child-specific products category is expected to see good retail value growth over the coming years, thanks to a growing economy, which means there is surplus disposable income in consumers’ pockets and in turn allows for positive volume sales of baby and child-specific products.

The nappy rash treatments sector is anticipated to the best fastestgrowing category over the coming years, according to Euromonitor. This product is seen as an everyday essential for babies’ delicate skins, with ever-increasing demand for natural products free from parabens and chemicals, as parents seek the best for their baby.

Baby food continues to experience growth in value and volume terms, with growth expected to continue into the next few years, Euromonitor predict, with parents trading up and seeking baby food that has a higher nutritional content. Prepared baby food is the most dynamic category, according to Euromonitor. Its growth comes from continued quality improvements and an alignment with current health and wellness trends.

One interesting statistic is that when it comes to baby food, own label penetration is very low, according to Euromonitor. While there has been a shift in the perception of the quality of private label in packaged food overall during the economic downturn, particularly those products available from discounters, this has not translated into baby food.

Strings and Things Kerry Foods are introducing Strings and Things, the new family of kids snacks that feature family favourites Cheestrings and Yollies, and now

the new cheese snacking innovation, Cheeshapes! Cheeshapes Icons and Cheeshapes Randoms were co-created with kids and parents, meaning kids love them and parents have the comfort of knowing they are full of dairy goodness.

Each bag of Cheeshapes contains real cheese pieces in either emoji or random shapes, playing into key kids’ trends, whilst also up-aging the kids

Cheeshapes are designed to spark the imagination of kids and are set to rocket the cheese snacking category penetration skywards.

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Kids’ Stuff snacking category. Cheeshapes are designed to spark the imagination of kids and are set to rocket the cheese snacking category penetration skywards.

Heinz For all new parents, there will be times when they simply don't have all the answers: everything's very new and there's lot to learn. So for those occasions when they could do with a helping hand and some useful advice, Heinz are there. “We believe it is important for babies to discover all sorts of yummy tastes and textures

Heinz baby food is made with expertise, using the best ingredients.

Heinz believe it is important for babies to discover all sorts of delicious tastes and textures from nature. from nature and help parents during this exciting adventure,” explains Laura Stevenson, Marketing Manager, The Kraft Heinz Company. “Come discover our exciting food carefully made with expertise using the best ingredients!”

WaterWipes WaterWipes and new WaterWipes with Soapberry are made with 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract, and are carefully designed to be suitable and safe for sensitive skin.

WaterWipes, creator of the world’s purest baby wipes, has grown from its humble beginnings in Drogheda, Co. Louth, to become the number one brand in its product category, available in all

leading Irish retailers and in over 50 countries globally.

WaterWipes understands that a baby’s skin is much more delicate than that of an adult, so it should be cleaned with the gentlest essentials possible.

That is why WaterWipes, the world’s purest baby wipes, are made with just 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract.

In late 2018, WaterWipes introduced a new wipe for growing babies who are starting to explore food and the world around them. WaterWipes with Soapberry are made with 99.9% water

WaterWipes and new WaterWipes with Soapberry are made with 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract, and are carefully designed to be suitable and safe for sensitive skin.

THE NEW FAMILY OF KIDS SNACKS FEATURING YOUR FAVOURITES

&

SIMPLIFYING OUR RANGE FOR SHOPPERS UNDER ONE MASTERBRAND A CLEARLY RECOGNISABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY PLATFORM TO LAUNCH NPD ENCOURAGES EXPLORATION ACROSS THE RANGE ALLOWS STRETCH INTO NEW CATEGORIES OF KIDS SNACKING FOR A BROADER AGE RANGE OF KIDS

Strings&Things_Retail News_Half Page Ad_130x185mm.indd 1

28/02/2019 12:56

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Kids’ Stuff plus a drop of fruit and Soapberry extract.

With 57% of consumers now purchasing natural products due to their lack of unnecessary ingredients or chemicals, parents can be assured that WaterWipes have the purest of ingredients in their wipes. WaterWipes are recommended by 97% of midwives for use on newborn baby’s skin, and as a suitable alternative to cotton wool and water.

Both WaterWipes and WaterWipes with Soapberry are accredited by Allergy UK and are proud winners of a number of baby and parenting awards.

Huggies Huggies Wipes, from Kimberly-Clark,

are made with skin loving natural fibres that gently care for baby’s delicate skin. Huggies Wipes are inspired by a parent’s gentle loving hug, designed to offer baby’s skin protection, comfort, and care.

Huggies Pure Extra Care and Huggies Pure Extra Care and Huggies Natural Care Extra Huggies Natural Care are Huggies’ best wipes ever, with even more skinCare Extra Care loving natural fibres. are Huggies’ best caring wipe for delicate skin. For more wipes ever, with even more skin-loving information, see, natural fibres. They are the thickest www.huggieswipes.co.uk.

Huggies baby wipe ever, and their most

Marketing to Children: the Rules THE ASAI Code of Standards for Advertising and Marketing Communications in Ireland has very specific rules for marketing communications addressed directly or indirectly to children.

The Code covers commercial marketing communications and sales promotions in all media in Ireland, including digital (online banners, websites and social platforms), print, outdoor, radio, TV, leaflets/ brochures, and direct marketing.

The ASAI acknowledges that parents and guardians have primary responsibility for children, who lack adults’ knowledge, experience and maturity of judgement. Marketing communications addressed directly or indirectly to children, or marketing communications likely to be seen or heard by a significant proportion of them, should have regard to the special characteristics of children and the ways in which they perceive and react to marketing communications.

As well as general rules for advertising to children, the Code has a specific section on promotions, whereby promotions addressed to or likely to attract children: (a) Should not offer promotional products that are unsuitable for distribution to children. (b) Should be carried out responsibly, taking into account the location in which the promotion is conducted. (c) Should make it clear that parental permission is required if expensive and/or inappropriate prizes and incentives might cause conflict between children and their parents. (d) Should allow a sufficient time-frame for participation in a manner that will reflect moderate consumption of a product. (e) Should clearly explain the number and type of any additional proofs of purchase needed to participate. (f) Should contain a prominent closing date.

(g) Should not exaggerate the value of prizes or the chances of winning them. (h) Should not exploit children’s susceptibility to charitable appeals.

Marketing communications for food products that are targeted directly at pre-school or primary school children should not include a promotional offer, subject to the exceptions listed below: (i) Marketing communications for fresh fruit and/or fresh vegetables; (ii) Marketing communications carried in media subject to the BAI Children’s Commercial Communications Code for products characterised by that code as being permitted to be advertised to children; (iii) Point of sale displays, packages, wrappers, labels, tickets, timetables and menus.

The rules go on to cover the use of licensed characters and celebrities popular with children, which should always be used with a due sense of responsibility and expressly forbid the use of licensed characters and celebrities popular with children in marketing communications for food products that targeted directly at pre-school or primary school children, aside from those mentioned above.The prohibition does not apply to advertiser-created equity brand characters (puppets, persons or characters), which may be used by advertisers to sell the products they were designed to sell, while licensed characters and celebrities popular with children may present factual and relevant generic statements about nutrition, safety, education or similar.

Marketing communications for infant formula are prohibited unless they appear in scientific publications, or are for the purposes of trade before the retail stage, or are a publication for which the intended readers are not the general public. Marketing communications should not confuse between infant formula and follow-on formula.

Marketing communications for follow-on formula addressed to the general public should: (a) Be designed to provide the necessary information about the appropriate use of the products so as not to discourage breast-feeding. (b) Not use the terms ‘humanised’, ‘maternalised’, ‘adapted’ or similar terms.

Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie|37

Retail Ireland: Monthly Update BREXIT UNCERTAINTY WILL HURT IRISH RETAIL THE United Kingdom is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019. This date, set in stone by the Treaty on European Union, is fast approaching and there is now serious doubt that any consensus can be reached on a Withdrawal Agreement that is acceptable to the UK Government or more importantly, to the more strident Brexiteers in the Conservative Party, and the EU27. The notion of a 'no deal' Brexit and the United Kingdom leaving the EU with no interim arrangement would be extremely disruptive to the Irish economy. A ‘no deal’ Brexit would have devastating economic consequences and must be avoided.

However, regardless of the type of Brexit agreed over the coming weeks, retailers will see an increase in their operating costs arising from checks at ports and other supply chain disruption. In the current operating environment, these

additional costs simply cannot be absorbed and will have to be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. In the case of a no deal, increased tariffs and new regulatory checks would lead to increases in the cost of making products available to consumers.

While retailers have been working hard over recent months to assess the options available, such as adjusted supply chains or substitute products, these tariffs could result in significant increases in the price of some everyday food items should the UK and EU27 revert to World Trade Organisation Most Favoured Nation Tariffs. There are also concerns regarding the cost implications of non-tariff barriers such as checks and delays. It is vital for the sector that a deal is reached by the United Kingdom and the European Union to provide this vital clarity to an industry so uniquely exposed to the potential fall-out from Brexit.

Sales Uplift Masks Footfall Decline RETAIL Ireland published its latest Retail Monitor in mid February. The report details that sales values grew by 2.7% in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the same period in 2017, hitting the pre-Christmas industry growth targets and further demonstrating the slow but steady growth that has characterised the sector over recent times.

The report does, however, also highlight growing concerns in the sector around declining footfall and a gradual softening in consumer sentiment and spending.

The fourth quarter of 2018, and the Christmas period, has further emphasised the dramatic shift in shopping patterns that is underway in Ireland at present. While sales values held up reasonably well, there is consensus in the sector that footfall levels in traditional shopping hot spots are continuing to decline.

This is largely as a result of a move to online shopping by Irish consumers and changing consumer shopping patterns.

Retailers have reacted to that move and are now offering an increasingly compelling proposition in this space. This is challenging margins, however, as online fulfilment costs are high and there is intense price competition in this market.

The Monitor also reveals that sales in December, historically the biggest shopping month of the year, grew by a mere 0.4% when compared to November. Deep discounting and promotional events in early November are central

determinants of this low growth, according to the report. 2019 is likely to be a challenging year for the Irish retail sector, with ongoing structural shifts requiring the industry to rethink its traditional approach. Allied to this, Brexit impacts will likely require the reimagining of supply chains and depending on negotiations over the coming weeks, could impact consumer spending power.

Key trends set out in the Retail Ireland Q3 2018 Monitor include: Supermarkets and Convenience Stores: There was strong competition in the supermarket and convenience sector over the fourth quarter of the year, with a large focus on couponing in the multiples. Consumers in this sector remain strongly motivated by price, but 2018 marked the strongest year for this sector since the economic downturn of 2007/8.

Fashion & Footwear: A combination of online pressure and an unseasonably warm early winter period led to significant discounting and promotional activity in this category. The early Christmas sales period in November was tough, with sales particularly soft during the week of Black Friday. However, a pick-up in trade in the latter part of December, combined with an extra trading day during Christmas week, compensated somewhat.

Fuel: Prices at the pumps took a tumble in December, but there was only a modest increase in volume sold of 3.6%. While the fuel mix in new car sales continues to favour petrol and hybrid models as consumers move away from diesel, it should be noted that there was a 10% drop in vehicle sales in December 2018 when compared to 2017.

Tel: 01-6051558 www.retailireland.ie Need more?

For more information about what we do and how your retail business can benefit from our unique services and supports, please visit us at www.retailireland.ie.

38|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

Reformulation

Reformulation Helping to Drive Health Agenda A new report from Food Drink Ireland details the progress and challenges of food and drink reformulation from 2005-2017.

VOLUNTARY reformulation by the Irish food industry between 2005 and 2017 has led to a reduction sodium in products of 28%, while saturated fat fell by 10% and sugar by 8%.

That’s according to The Evolution of Food and Drink in Ireland, 2005-2017, a new report from Food Drink Ireland (FDI), the Ibec group the represents the food and drink industries, which highlights the decreases in sugar and saturated fat in Irish diets between 2005 and 2017 as a result of voluntary undertakings by food and drink companies.

“Food and drink companies are constantly innovating in response to changing consumer lifestyles, tastes and demands. This report makes a major contribution to the store of public knowledge on intakes of sugar, salt, saturated fat, total fat and energy,” noted Linda Stuart-Trainor, Director of Prepared Consumer Foods in FDI. “It analyses how reformulation and new product development by the food and drink industry interacts with consumer choices to impact on the nutrient intakes of adults, teenagers, children and preschoolers.”

What is Reformulation?

Reformulation occurs when a food or beverage company decides to change a product’s recipe. This may be to reduce or remove certain nutrients, like fat, salt or sugar; to lower calorie count; or to improve taste. It can also refer to fortification – the addition of new or more readily absorbed nutrients or the addition of ingredients with positive health benefits, such as wholegrain and fruit and vegetables.

The FDI report found that direct reformulation of products on the market in both 2005 and 2017 saw:

Pictured are Dr. Pamela Byrne, CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland; Danny McCoy, Ibec CEO; and Linda Stuart-Trainor, Director of Prepared Consumer Foods in Food Drink Ireland.

Sodium reduced by 28% Saturated fat reduced by 10.1% Sugar reduced by 8% Energy reduced by 1.6% Total fat reduced by 0.3%

saturated fat intake remained constant.

Results for the other nutrients were more modest, with sodium, total fat and energy intake remaining relatively stable over the period.

Between 2005 and 2017, adult sugar intake reduced by 0.8g/day, teen sugar intake reduced by 2.7g/day, child sugar intake reduced by 3.2g/day, and preschooler sugar intake reduced by 2.0g/ day.

When it comes to saturated fat intake over the same period, adult saturated fat intake reduced by 0.5g/ day, teen saturated fat intake reduced by 0.2g/day, child saturated fat intake reduced by 0.2g/day, and pre-schooler

Participating Companies The 15 FDI member companies that provided data for the research outlined in the report represent some of the biggest food and beverage brands in Ireland, ensuring that some of the mostconsumed and loved products in the country have been analysed.

The companies involved are: Britvic, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company Ireland and Northern Ireland, Coca-Cola Ireland, Danone, Glanbia, Kellogg’s,

• • • • •

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Reformulation Kepak, Kerry Foods, Tayto Snacks (previously Largo Foods), Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ireland, Mars Ireland, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Valeo Foods.

Of the products analysed, those on the market in both 2005 (baseline) and 2017 showed average reductions in all of the nutrients of interest: energy (1.6%), total fat (0.3%), saturated fat (10%), sodium (28%) and sugar (8%).

Key Findings Modelling the impact of food industry activities (reformulation, new product launches, removal of products), as well as the impact of consumer choice on purchasing within product categories, shows that overall, between 2005 and 2017, sugar and saturated fat intake in the average Irish diet has decreased, while sodium, total fat and energy intake remained stable. In higher consumers of the food categories sold by FDI members, between 2005 and 2017 energy intake also decreased for all ages except teens.

The most significant reductions were in intakes of sugar, which was largely driven by reductions in the beverage category through direct reformulation and consumers switching to low and no sugar variants. Reductions in sugar intake were also observed in high consumers of breakfast cereals and milk and dairy products.

Reducing sugar content can present challenges from a technical, sensory, and safety perspective. However, decreased sugar levels did not lead to overall increases in dietary intakes of salt, fat, saturated fat or energy – a welcome result.

The lack of change in modelled sodium intake may seem puzzling, given the 28% direct reduction in sodium between 2005 and 2017. A recent independent monitoring report by FSAI also found sodium reduction across multiple food categories. One possible explanation is that the products submitted by the participating companies do not include many of the biggest contributors to salt intake in Irish diets.

The Evolution of Reformulation As the practice of product reformulation has evolved, most reformulation now considers the broader nutrient profile of a product. The addition of positive ingredients and nutrients is an important element. The changes in one nutrient should not come at the expense of other nutrients of public health concern. As well as providing a source of energy or

Reformulation at a glance

1

Concept

6

Original product is chosen for reformulation

Launch

2

Proposal

Reformulated product launched on shelves

Product brief is developed for trials, manufacturing, business and marketing

5

3

Promotion

Recipe development

Labelling changes are made and marketing communications begin where relevant

4

Factory trials begin

Recipe trials begin in the test kitchen

Manufacturer conducts tests to develop the product at scale

Reformulation at a glance (Source: The Evolution of Food and Drink in Ireland, 2005-2017). nutrients, ingredients like salt, sugar and fat often fulfil a wider technical role within a product. Therefore, it needs to be highlighted that reformulation often involves a very complex technical balancing act. This can take significant time and investment and differs greatly depending on the category/product.

Changing a product’s ingredients and nutritional profile while maintaining quality and the taste that consumers love and expect can be a challenge.

Reformulation does not happen overnight. It is often a lengthy process that usually requires multiple changes to the original recipe, reducing certain nutrients or adding new ingredients to balance taste, while maintaining the integrity and safety of the product.

Reducing a nutrient gradually in small incremental steps can be vital to reformulation’s success, to ensure the

consumer also adapts to the new recipe.

This ‘health by stealth’ approach has worked well for nutrients like sodium in particular: if salt levels dropped suddenly in savoury snacks, for example, consumers may add salt back in independently, possibly to even higher levels than contained in the original product before reformulation.

Salt levels in crisp ranges were reduced by between 20-58% from 2005 to 2012, a significant change. Many products reformulated within the savoury snack category are now nearing the limit on the amount of sodium that can be removed while still maintaining acceptable shelf life, flavour and hard bite texture.

Regulatory considerations also exist relating to the composition of certain products. For example, chocolate is subject to specific compositional

40|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

Reformulation standards in the Cocoa and Chocolate Directive (2000/36/EC) which stipulates levels of ingredients that can be included and specifies minimum fat/cocoa butter content, depending on the type of chocolate. In addition, the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation (EC 1924/2006) specifies the nutrition claims that can be made on a product, including the criteria required to make a reduced nutrient claim. For example, a claim that a food is ‘energy-reduced’ (and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer) may only be made where the energy value is reduced by at least 30% when compared to other foods in that category. If the 30% energy reduction can only be partially achieved in a product, this may affect a company’s decision to invest in reformulation as the company cannot directly communicate the benefit to consumers.

The Complications of Reducing Sugar The reduction of sugar is also more complicated than simply removing added sugar from a product. Sugar has its own functional properties, including providing bulk and textural qualities, so the possibility and extent of removing sugar depends largely on the type of product. Investments in innovation, R&D, technology and design development by food companies have resulted in several new advances for sugar reductions in certain product categories in recent years.

Some categories (such as deserts, cakes, ice cream and confectionery) face particular challenges when working to reduce sugar content due to these products containing a higher proportion of sugar by their nature.

There are different routes by which manufacturers can achieve sugar reduction in this category. Some have committed to developing single-serving sizes of confectionery and ice cream products of less than 250kcal (or 100kcal in children’s products). Others are investing into new technologies and R&D to reformulate recipes and reduce sugar on a per 100g basis with some initial successes.

Innovation and advances in recipe development have made possible the use of several low-calorie sweeteners in foods and drinks: there are 11 different low-calorie sweeteners approved for use in Europe, and they have been used in Ireland since 1983.

Ireland Leads the Way Ireland has established itself as an international leader in the investigation of food and drink industry reformulation

Sugar

Sodium

Sugar intake has decreased for all age groups since 2005 0.8g/day

Minimal impact on sodium levels

2.7g /day

2.0g/day

2.7g/day 3.2g/day Adult intake reduced

Teen intake reduced

Child intake Pre-schooler reduced intake reduced

1.2kg of sugar has been removed from the average Irish child’s annual diet

from food changes in Irish diets between 2005-2017

4,219 kcal removed from Irish high consumer adults’ annual diet

Energy

Stable 2005-2017

however, benefited from a reduced energy intake overall as a result of industry efforts

Total fat

Saturated fat 0.5g/day & 0.2g/day

High consumers,

decrease in Irish adult and teen diets respectively, as a result of food and drink industry efforts

Stable 2005-2017

Direct reformulation of 235 products on the market in both 2005 and 2017 (Source: The Evolution of Food and Drink in Ireland, 2005-2017). efforts. A previous Food Drink Ireland report in 2016 gave a first look at data in this regard. The latest report represents a significant progression of the research methodology, taking a more holistic approach and including new products placed on the market since 2005.

“This report demonstrates the food and beverage industry’s ongoing commitment to the societal effort to tackle obesity and improve public health,” insisted Linda Stuart-Trainor.

“Reformulation is a lengthy and complex journey; each step in the right direction counts. For many products, changes must be gradual in order to ensure consumer acceptance and lock in the

health benefits.”

However, the report authors insist that despite significant commitment and investment, industry initiatives alone cannot change dietary habits. Changing consumer behaviour is notoriously difficult and requires significant combined effort from all stakeholders over many years.

Ibec CEO Danny McCoy noted how the presence of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and other policy stakeholders at the report’s launch “highlights the importance of continued collaboration between government and industry when it comes to improving public health.”

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42|Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie

IGBF Midwest Ball

IGBF Celebrates in the Midwest The Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund Midwest Region’s annual ball took place recently, with a Valentine’s theme.

THE Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund Midwest Region held their annual Black Tie Ball on February 9 at the Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick. The Valentine’s themed event raised almost €30,000 for the IGBF, thanks to the generous support of the retail, wholesale and supply trade, who turned up in great numbers for this annual event, one of the highlights of the social calendar.

Guests on the night included Joe Manning, Commercial Director of Tesco Ireland, and Vincent Jennings, CEO of the Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association, who stressed the importance of supporting those in need within our trade.

There was a huge attendance on the night, including representatives from Kellogg’s, Musgraves, BWG, Mars Ireland, John Player, Heineken Ireland, Maxol Group, Applegreen, Shopfitters Ireland, Largo Foods, Gala, Centra, Mondeléz and Britvic, along with the Tuffy Group.

Incredible Sponsors “The event carried on to the wee hours and all the trade wars were left behind for a night, and we would not have had such a success were it not for our amazing sponsors,” noted James Johnson, Dunnes Stores, Chairman of the Midwest Region of the IGBF. He paid tribute to the sponsors, whose generous support helped make the night such a success, including Diageo, Dunnes Stores, Excel Recruitment, Celtic Water, Molson Coors, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, JTI Ireland, Comans Wholesale, Tesco Ireland, and main sponsor Shannon Airport.

Pictured enjoying the ball are (l-r): Alexina and Michael Johnson, Ernst & Young; Mary Egan, Limerick Chamber; James Johnson, Dunnes Stores, Chairman of the Midwest Region of the IGBF, and Audrey Johnson.

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IGBF Midwest Ball

Joe Manning, Commercial Director, Tesco Ireland, and Annabelle Manning.

Michelle and Darragh Shaw, Kellogg's

Employees from the Tuffy Wholesale Group, John Player and Celtic Water Group, pictured enjoying the ball.

Alan McCarthy, Supermacs, and Henry Healy, Barack Obama Plaza.

Niamh Cunningham and Caroline Renohan, both from Dunnes Stores, enjoying the Ball.

Sinead and Padraig Murray, Johnston Mooney and O’Brien.

Entertainment on the night was provided by Tiny Giants, who ensured a full dancefloor.

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Forecourt Focus: News Circle K Celebrates the Roll-out of milesPlus to 50th Forecourt CIRCLE K recently dropped the price of their advanced fuel offer milesPlus by 7c per litre for a weekend at all 50 sites that offer its most advanced fuel. The fuel prices were dropped for a limited time to celebrate opening the 50th service station to offer milesPlus in Ireland, Circle K Douglas, Co. Cork. Local radio station, Red FM, broadcasted live at Circle K Douglas on Tuesday, March 5, giving listeners the chance to win €100 milesPlus fuel vouchers.

“At Circle K, we pride ourselves on innovation and value and we are delighted to be able to Bert Peskens, Fuel Product Manager; Phillipa White, Marketing and Communications; Ciaran offer motorists the most advanced fuel on the Irish Hollywood, Site Manager; and Gordon Lawlor, Fuel Director of Circle K, are pictured at Circle K Douglas, celebrating the Co. Cork site becoming the 50th location to offer milesPlus fuel in market,” noted Gordon Ireland.

Lawlor, Fuels Director at improves vehicle’s engine power and acceleration.

Circle K Ireland. “The response from Irish consumers has been milesPlus diesel has a higher concentration of cetane extremely positive and we are planning on doubling the number and deposit control additives than miles diesel. This new and of service stations selling milesPlus fuel over the coming improved package of additives prevents the build-up of deposits months. and optimises combustion. It boosts cold start performance “milesPlus is our new advanced premium fuel that has a and reduces knock and noise in diesel engines. This innovative higher concentration of additive, delivering more power and chemistry is designed to deliver positive results for old and new acceleration for a superior driving experience. Our fuel experts generation diesel engines. have worked with an industry leading additive supplier to milesPlus unleaded has a higher concentration of friction develop a powerful next generation in-fuel additive. Our fuels modifiers and deposit control additives than miles unleaded. have been independently tested and are quality approved by AA This new and improved package of additives keeps intake Ireland.” valves clean and clear, resulting in better engine performance. milesPlus provides motorists with a superior driving This leads to power and torque maintenance and prevents fuel experience and improved power, acceleration and fuel injector deposits building up in engines. consumption. Regular use of milesPlus restores, maintains and

Maxol Appoints Sherry Communications as PR Agency MAXOL has appointed Sherry Communications as its PR agency for Ireland, working across consumer PR, sports sponsorship and corporate positioning.

“Following a review of our PR requirements, we are pleased to appoint Sherry Communications as our new PR agency at an important time for us as we continue our ongoing investment in the expansion of our service station network and refresh of our retail offer,” noted Caroline Burton, Head of Marketing, the Maxol Group.

“We look forward to working with the team in delivering our communications programme as we have a number of exciting announcements in the pipeline.”

Rachel Sherry, MD of Sherry Communications said: “We very much look forward to working with the team at Maxol in Ireland and are excited to work with such an iconic Irish brand and long-established business Pictured are (l-r): Megan Virgo, Sherry Communications; Brian with an impressive retail network. We look forward to building awareness of the Maxol brand even further as Donaldson, CEO, Maxol; Rachel Sherry and Fiona Thornton, Sherry Communications; and Caroline Burton, Head of Marketing, Maxol. it continues to evolve.”

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Forecourt Focus: News Applegreen Rolls Out New Premium Fuel APPLEGREEN has announced the launch of fuelgood PowerPlus, the group’s most advanced, premium fuel to date.

This new fuel uses a more concentrated additive that cleans up a vehicle’s engine as it drives, restoring the car to a ‘like new’ condition by reducing the deposit build-up and enabling advanced engine performance.

“At Applegreen, we are committed to bringing the best to our customers including our fuel, coffee and food offerings. With fuelgood PowerPlus we are delivering on this commitment to our customers by offering better performance and power,” said Aisling Ryan, Head of Marketing, Applegreen.

“In simple terms, fuelgood PowerPlus contains an increased concentration of our specially formulated additive, which cleans up the pistons inside a vehicle's engine for an advanced performance, resulting in increased engine longevity. It also decreases the chances of incomplete combustion, reducing HC, CO and NOx emissions, making it the premium fuel of choice for the more environmentally aware customer.” fuelgood PowerPlus products (both diesel and unleaded) are tested against standard EN 228/EN590 by an independent third party supplier, one of the world’s leading chemical companies.

Irish international hockey player and World Cup Silver Medallist 2018, Nicci Daly helped to launch the brand. Nicci has a passion for cars, having worked as a data engineer in Indianapolis, “the home of motor racing” for the Juncos Racing team, and she has also spent time working as a test engineer for Ford.

“I love driving, which is just as well because it’s in my blood,” Nicci said. “My late dad, Vivion Daly, was a racing driver,

Circle K Play or Park January Winner

Nicci Daly, motorsport engineer, Irish international hockey player and World Cup Silver Medalist 2018, fuels up for better performance with Aisling Ryan, Head of Marketing, Applegreen, at Applegreen M50 Services Junction 10, Ballymount, for the launch of fuelgood PowerPlus, Applegreen’s most advanced, premium fuel. my uncle Derek Daly raced in the Formula One Grand Prix, and my cousin Conor Daly is an IndyCar driver. With this in mind, I know the importance of looking after your car’s engine to get better performance and better power from it and keep it in the best shape it can be. With a homegrown brand like Applegreen, the fuel is from a trusted source and delivers on what I need for my car. fuelgood PowerPlus is for people who want to get more from their cars, and it ticks all the boxes on what I demand from a fuel.”

Maxol Celebrates Rugby Sponsorship MAXOL marked one of rugby's longest sponsorships, celebrating a 27-year partnership with the Irish Universities Rugby Union (IURU) this year. The IURU is dedicated to the growth of third level rugby by maximising opportunity, participation and accessibility to the game for all players, male and female, regardless of standard. Brian Donaldson, CEO of Maxol, met with members of the Ireland Student Squad ahead of its clash with its Scottish student counterparts at Queen’s University Belfast recently.

Pictured is John Duddy, the January 2019 winner of Circle K Play or Park.

JOHN Duddy was the January 2019 winner of Circle K Play or Park, winning an all-expenses paid holiday for two to Bali. The prize includes return flights, a nine-night stay at the 5* Como Uma Canggu hotel, private traditional gastronomy lesson, a quad bike adventure, an underwater sea bed walk experience, and €2,000 spending money.For more information on Circle K Play or Park, visit www.playorpark.ie.

Trevor Ringland, President of Irish Universities Rugby Union (left), and Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive of Maxol (right), are pictured with players Ntinga Mpiko, Cian Bohane, Rowan Osborne, David Whitten, and Shane O’Hanlon, before the captain’s run, in preparation for the Irish Universities Rugby Union match between Ireland and Scotland at Queens University in Belfast, Antrim.

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Drinks News Peroni Libera 0.0% Launches in Ireland ITALIAN beer brand, Peroni Nastro Azzurro has launched its first alcoholfree beer, Peroni Libera 0.0%. The first super-premium alcohol-free beer in the Irish market, Peroni Libera 0.0% is available exclusively in Tesco stores nationwide now.

It will then roll out widely from April 2019 in 330ml bottles for bars and restaurants, as well as 330ml four-pack for off licences. Building on the trend for lighter alcohol consumption as part of a balanced lifestyle, Peroni Libera 0.0% offers an alcohol-free alternative that has a rich and intense flavour of fresh citrusy hops.

“We’ve seen a change in consumers drinking habits in the industry. With the rise of mindfulness and wellbeing, people are more regularly considering low- and no-alcohol alternatives and currently there isn’t a premium, great tasting beer out there for them to enjoy,” noted Simone Caporale, Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s world-renowned resident Master of Mixology. “Peroni Libera 0.0% is the perfect alcohol-free beer option for the lower-tempo occasions - a mid-week night out with friends, or during those working lunch occasions. Peroni Libera 0.0% delivers a crisp taste, a fine bitterness and a fast and clean finish, with a welldefined taste of beer, meaning those looking for an alternative to alcohol no longer have to compromise on quality or taste.

Salute!”

Dingle Gin Named World’s Best Gin DINGLE ORIGINAL GIN was named Overall Best in World at the World Gin Awards, which took place in London recently. Over 400 gins from across the globe were blind tasted by industry experts, with Dingle Original Gin, produced in the Dingle Whiskey Distillery, claiming the top prize.

Dingle Gin also picked up the award for World’s Best in the London Dry Gin category. The win was described

by Patricia Callan, Director of Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, as a “wonderful accomplishment” and “another sign of Irish gin going from strength to strength on the highly competitive international stage.”

A Touch of Rhubarb!

VOLVIC is launching new Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Rhubarb flavour in special edition in both 750ml and 1.5L formats.

The sweet and tart flavour follows the brand’s special edition bestselling watermelon variant launched in 2018, which won several industry awards.

Available at retailers from March in Ireland, Rhubarb is the ‘flavour trend’ to watch, says Volvic Brand Manager, Maria-Tzina Leria: “We’re excited to bring Volvic Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Rhubarb to our customers. Inspired by traditional flavours, we have worked hard to get the recipe right - the result is a refreshing tangy complementary flavour.”

The launch will be supported by a 360-degree marketing activation from May and backed by a heavyweight investment across the Touch of Fruit portfolio, and heroing the Rhubarb SKU.

New Micro Distilled Gin from Irish Distillers

IRISH Distillers has unveiled Method And Madness Irish Micro Distilled Gin, a bold step into the modern premium gin market and the first release from the Micro Distillery, Midleton. Bringing together the experience and expertise of Midleton’s Masters and Apprentices, Method And Madness Gin is the result of an exploration into historic gin recipes from 1798, which have been preserved at Midleton Distillery, and months of research into how botanicals work together to create unique flavours in gin. Overseen by Master Distiller, Brian Nation, and Apprentice Distiller, Henry Donnelly, the gin has been distilled in ‘Mickey’s Belly’, Ireland’s oldest gin still, first commissioned in 1958, at the Micro Distillery, Midleton. The new release benefits from an eclectic fusion of 16 botanicals led by black lemon and Irish gorse flower, imparting notes of citrus and spice with subtle earthy undertones. Method And Madness Gin is bottled at 43% ABV and has an RRP of €50 per 70cl bottle.

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Drinks News Heineken Kick Off Rugby World Cup Campaign THIS autumn, Heineken is excited to once again play the role of Official Partner of the Rugby World Cup 2019, taking place in Japan.

Heineken will be kickingoff and celebrating their sponsorship by giving Irish shoppers the opportunity to win one of three trips to see Ireland take on Scotland in Yokohama City this September. This incredible competition will run exclusively across selected retailers nationwide. This competition will be complemented by a nationwide visibility campaign, ‘Rugby's Favourite Star’, which will support and celebrate Heineken’s partnership with the Rugby World Cup 2019, Japan, and the brand’s long-standing association with rugby in Ireland. Now, Heineken is excited to reward Ireland’s loyal fans with the chance to travel to this year’s tournament.

YellowBelly Citra Pale Ale Crowned Beer of the Year 2019 YELLOWBELLY Beer's Citra Pale Ale has been named Beer of the Year for 2019 by Beoir, Ireland's independent consumer group for craft beer. “I am delighted and proud. This is a testament to the hard work of the entire YellowBelly family,” said Nicky Lambert, Managing Director of YellowBelly Beer. “In just three and a half years, we have evolved from a tiny brewery in the basement of a pub to an award-winning brewery with national distribution in Ireland and also distribution across eight export markets in Europe.. Beoir, and its members, have supported us from the very beginning and we can't thank them enough.”

Dublin City Gin Rewarded

DUBLIN City Gin was named Best European Craft Gin 2018 at the ICSEA in the Netherlands, the birthplace of gin. “We’re a small independent craft producer, proud to have such a world class product offering and very keen to build upon our competition success at home and abroad,” noted husband and wife team Jim O’Connor and Sheila Cooney, the brains behind Dublin I R I S H G I N Wis I T H produced A D U B L I N A C C E N T ! in City Gin. This “Irish Gin with a Dublin Accent”, small batches of 600 bottles. The recipe is prepared by hand, 700 ML PRODUCT OF IRELAND 42%VOL which includes organic rhubarb grown along the Grand Canal in Dublin itself. Irish Milk Spirit provides the ideal base for the botanical recipe, giving an extra silky finish.

EUROPEAN WINNER

MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING GIN, HANDCRAFTED IN SMALL BATCHES OF 600 BOTTLES IRISH MILK SPIRIT PROVIDES THE IDEAL BASE FOR OUR BOTANICALS GIVING THE EXTRA SILKY FINISH WE LOVE. FEATURES ORGANIC RHUBARB GROWN IN DUBLIN ITSELF.

PLEASE ENJOY YOUR GIN RESPONSIBLY, WE’LL TRY TOO!

Natterjack Irish Whiskey Launches

IRISH entrepreneur Aidan Mehigan has launched Natterjack, the new Whiskey brand created by Gortinore Distillers & Co. With distribution agreements already in place in the domestic market, alongside the United States, China, the UK and Europe, Natterjack Irish Whiskey is a unique blend, triple distilled in true Irish spirit and carefully crafted using Irish and American techniques. The whiskey starts ageing in exbourbon barrels (traditional Irish) and is finished in virgin American oak (traditional American), before bottling it to capture a unique Irish whiskey, wonderful to enjoy neat and versatile enough to make an amazing cocktail.

“We’ve set out to marry the knowledge from both sides of the Atlantic, to create a unique fusion of Irish and American whiskey traditions…and bottle it. We’re a whiskey company doing things differently, going against the industry trends and creating the best whiskey that we possibly can. We’ve explored new flavour profiles, taken the traditional methods of triple distillation, ageing and second used casts and amplified those with some of the methods used in Bourbon,” noted Aidan Mehigan, founder and CEO of Gortinore Distillers & Co.

Febvre To Distribute Akal Chai Rum FEBVRE Wines has been appointed all Ireland distributor for Akal Chai Rum with immediate effect. Owned by the SMAK’S Luxury Group of Trinidad and Tobago, Akal Chai Rum is the only West Indian botanical rum in the world.

One of the last family-owned West Indian rums, Akal Chai Rum is a unique, ultra-premium spirit. “The combination of rum from the West Indies infused with two types of high-altitude tea leaves from India’s Darjeeling area with the addition of exotic spices and herbs, aged in bourbon barrels, results in a truly unique flavour,” said Brendan Doyle, Commercial Director, Febvre.

“Chai rum is transforming the world of West Indian rum and we in Febvre look forward to introducing it to the Irish market.”

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Retail News|March 2019|www.retailnews.ie|49

On The Vine

Wines for Easter Jean Smullen examines the must stock wines for Easter 2019.

EASTER falls late this year, with Easter Sunday on April 21, virtually on the cusp of summer. When the seasons change, so too do wine preferences.

The consumer starts to look for lighter wine styles as they start to change their eating habits. Rosé wine, the most seasonal of all styles, is growing fast; it now has 5% of the Irish market.

As soon as spring arrives, even more Rosé start to appear on our shelves, so make sure you have plenty in stock.

Sparkling wines are also of the moment, at this time of year. Nothing says summer like a glass of something with bubbles, especially now as the season of weddings, communions, confirmations and graduations approaches.

Ampersand This Easter, Ampersand will continue to push their range, including some NOffLA Gold Star winning wines, with a great selection of trade deals.

To mark Easter or “Pasqua” as it translates in Italian, the Pasqua Audrey Hepburn Prosecco will make a colourful

The Ampersand range includes Pasqua Audrey Hepburn Prosecco, Santa Carolina Cellar Selction, Da Vero Organic and Vegan Wines, and Rioja Vega Crianza.

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On The Vine addition to any gathering. The bottle has striking packaging with a distinct blue label instantly reminiscent of Tiffany Blue and the link with Audrey Hepburn in her iconic film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Ampersand will also continue to promote their Santa Carolina Cellar Selection, which offers superb value at price-points of €9.99. The Sauvignon Blanc was a Gold Star winner at the Irish Wine show in October and is one of Ampersand's most popular wines. In 2018, the Silver Award was given to the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Look out too for the Da Vero Organic & Vegan Wines on promotion. Da Vero Vino Rosso Biologico from Sicily in Italy won a Gold Star and the accompanying white wine, Da Vero Vino Bianco was awarded Bronze. This range is becoming very popular with the trade and more importantly, with the consumer, who is turning to all things organic, vegan and vegetarian; priced at the magic price point of €9.99, this range will perform well with Millennial customers.

Another significant win for Ampersand was the Rioja Vega Crianza 2015, which in addition to this Gold Star has also been awarded three of the most prized awards in the Wine World – Berliner Wine Trophy Gold Medal, Gold Medal Mundus Vini, and the Gold Medal at the Sommelier Wine Awards. This is an extraordinary haul of awards for any wine, and with an RSP of €14.99, makes this a must-stock line for the trade to promote in-store in the run up to the busy Easter selling period.

Comans Beverages Comans will have some great spring offers in their sparkling wines this Spring. The Castillo Perelada Cava is made from Macabeo (40%) Xarello (30%), and Parellada (30%). Bottle fermented, it is cellared for about 15 months before disgorging. Cava is starting to gain traction on this market again, as consumers realise the value of bottled fermented sparkling wines in quality terms. As Easter is a time of celebration, make sure you have some good quality fizz on your shelves to meet the demand and this wine certainly fits the bill. They also have a superb Rosé in the range, the Castillo Perelada Cava Rosé n/v, bottle fermented and made from a blend of Garnacha (74%), Pinot Noir (18%), and Trepat (8%). It is aged for 12 months before disgorging, has an ABV of 11.5%, and comes highly recommended.

JP Chenet Pink Ice is another sure seller. With its distinctive bottle shape and bright pink colour, this is the perfect wine for the customer looking

for something fun for a party night. This Vin Mousseaux with a light sparkle is an off dry Rosé wine with tons of fresh red summer fruit flavours. As the popularity of sparkling Rosé increases, this is a must stock.

Comans also have some good offers on some of their most popular wines.

The Las Moras range includes Dada and Love, which were amongst the fastest growing wine brands in 2018. Love is a premium Malbec from Argentina; the wine is oak aged for nine months, it has dark black fruit flavours and a good firm tannin, with a hint of spice from the wood ageing. If you are looking for something to recommend to your customers to serve with roast lamb, then this will certainly fit the bill.

I also love Peter Lehmann Clancy’s Red, a pure Barossa wine; a collaboration of winemakers and growers who believe in making honest wines that punch above their weight. A blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz, this is another wine to recommend with spring lamb.

Look out too for Marquis de Rothberg, a new addition to their Bordeaux range, and the very popular Burke’s of Bordeaux: this specially commissioned wine range is made under the Burke’s of Bordeaux brand name by the Milhade family who own and operates six right-bank properties.

10 International 10 International have some great wines from Italy that are worth a look. All of the wines in their rage are vegan friendly. With Pinot Grigio such a perennial favourite and the rise and rise of Prosecco showing no sign of abating, make sure you take a look at some of these.

Camerino Catarratto/Pinot Grigio, is an IGT wine from Sicily made in a lighter style. It has an ABV of 12% and is a very food friendly style of Italian white. Look out too for the Emotivo Pinot Grigio, another IGT Italian wine, this time from Adriatic Italy; this is a strong Italian brand with good customer recognition and is a good wine to recommend with turkey, fish, or vegetarian or vegan food, especially for those customers choosing an alternative to meat.

10 International also has the Emotivo Prosecco in both the Frizzante & Spumante style. These Proseccos are dry in style, which many customers today find a little more appealing. They also have a super red wine which would also be perfect with any sort of red meat, Il Tauro Salice Salentino DOC. From the “heel” of Italy, this wonderful red wine is

made from a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia, and is a full bodied robust red with dark forest floor flavours and a firm balancing tannin.

Febvre & Co. For those who really want to celebrate in style, Febvre have Champagne Taittinger Brut NV on offer at €50. Founded in 1743

by Jacques Fournaux, it was purchased

by Pierre Taittinger from Lorraine in 1932, who changed the name. Taittinger has always aimed for elegance and purity of fruit. This is one of the best value Grand Marque champagnes. The Brut is light and elegant in style, yet with a rich

Febvre have Champagne Taittinger Brut NV on offer at €50 this spring.

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On The Vine creamy texture.

Febvre & Co will also be highlighting Rioja this Easter, with their 2010 Conde Valdemar Gran Reserva on offer at €20. The aged Rioja style is one to recommend as a good match for turkey or lamb, as the soft wine style complements both red and white meat.

For those who enjoy premium white wines from classic wine regions, make sure you stock the 2017 Louis Latour Chablis on offer this Easter from Febvre at €25. Founded in 1797 and directed today by the seventh Louis Latour, the company has remained a familyowned business and is one of the most highly-respected négociant-éléveurs in Burgundy. In Chablis, Chardonnay tends to have more flavours of apples and pears, rather than ripe melons. This is simply because there are less sunshine hours. Chablis is a good choice for customers who prefer a crisper white wine.

Finally don’t miss the Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny Port on offer at €26 – perfect with chocolate Easter eggs!

Febvre & Co will be highlighting Rioja this Easter, with their 2010 Conde Valdemar Gran Reserva on offer at €20.

Cassidy Wines As turkey is now starting to become offered more and more for Easter dinner, you need a softer style of aged red wine to serve with it, so as a treat wine I would recommend the Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva. Cassidy Wines will be running a special promotional price offer on this wonderful wine for the independent sector this spring. A Gran Reserva wine is only made in the very best vintages. This aged style of

wine from one of Rioja’s most esteemed wineries is made from a blend of Tempranillo 85%, Garnacha Tinta 8% and Graciano 7%, from 50-year-old vines grow in the Rioja Alta region. The wine is then aged for a time in French oak barrels and is then aged for four years in bottle before being released.

Mature with a soft mouth-feel and restrained tannin, with tons of spicy mocha dark fruit flavours, this is ideal for the discerning customer wanting to push the boat out and buy a classy wine for Easter Sunday.

Gilbeys Wines Chile and Argentina continue to perform very well on the Irish market. Santa Rita is still the number one selling wine.

The very popular Santa Rita 120 varietal range continues to over-perform. Look out for special price offers of €9.99 on the Santa Rita range this Easter, guaranteed to generate significant consumer sales. Look out too for the Los Cardos Argentine Malbec on offer at €9.99, another great wine to recommend with roast beef or lamb.

Dona Paula, Argentina’s biggest brand here in Ireland, will be offering their mid-priced Dona Paula Black Edition at €13.99, so make sure you have plenty of this on your shelves.

Made from a blend of Malbec 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35% and Petit Verdot 5%, this estate bottled wine is made from grapes grown on clay loam soils in the high altitude El Alto Vineyard in Ugarteche, at Luján de Cuyo.

An Alternative Summer Tipple GIN is now very much a must stock product for any off licence, as its popularity continues to grow exponentially, with a slew of new hand-crafted Irish made gins sweeping the market as the consumer develops a taste for premium cocktails, either an as aperitif or a “sundowner”. The latest gin to be launched on the market offers not only a fine, well-made spirit but also celebrity status, with an Irish connection.

Graham Norton’s Gin, distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam, is the newest addition to his very successful range of award-winning wines which includes a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a Rosé, an Australian Shiraz, and the Prosecco Frizzante.

The world-famous Irish TV presenter has now launched his own Irish gin, which celebrates the beauty and unique flavours of West Cork, his home turf. Made in collaboration with West Cork Distillers, Graham Norton’s Gin is light and delicate in terms of style. The botanicals are more citrus focused and result in a restrained lighter style of gin, less oily (or Juniper heavy) in terms of its flavour profile.

Launched this spring, Graham Norton’s Gin will be exclusive to SuperValu and as the quality matches the rest of the products in his range, I have no doubt this will be a mega seller this summer.

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Shelf Life MONDELEZ International is on the hunt for four new chocolate testers.

The company, which produces brands including Cadbury, Oreo and Green and Blacks, is offering chocoholics the chance of a dream job, tasting and testing new products before they hit shop shelves in over 150 countries. The successful candidates will work as part of a 12-strong team, tasting chocolate and cocoa drinks, helping Mondelez perfect their recipes for chocolate lovers. Chocolate tasters will work up to eight hours to avoid ‘palate fatigue’ and will be based in Wokingham near Reading, in the UK, at Mondelez International’s Global Research Centre.

NESTLÉ employees in Ireland succeeded in raising €107,082 for Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) over the last two years, breaking their original target of €70,000 by a whopping €37k. Over 700 employees from Nestlé Ireland and Nestlé's Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland organised and participated in a wide range of fundraising events to support DSI’s services. DSI provide children, teenagers and adult members, as well as their families, with a wide range of services and essential education supports. Since 2010, Nestlé staff in Ireland have assisted in raising a total of €797,000 benefitting a number of charitable partners including the Jack & Jill Foundation, Irish Autism Action and DSI. Pictured are Antonio Prochilo, Factory Manager at Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland Ltd, and Andrew Shaw, Country Manager at Nestlé Ireland, with Úna Connell, Andre Gleeson, Cara Lynch, Lacey O’Reilly, and Lilly May Killion.

A PRIMARY schools’ initiative run by students for students is helping children of all ages to change their eating habits for the better. Now in its sixth year, schools across the country are being invited to take part in the 2019 Healthy Heroes Lunch Club programme, launched by the Irish Bread Bakers Association (IBBA) and Bord Bia. The healthy lunchtime programme has been designed by teachers and behaviour change experts with the support of Dr Mary McCreery, one of Ireland’s leading consultant nutritionists and dieticians. Pictured are Roisin Morgan McGee, aged 12, and Malcolm Morgan, aged 11, both from Hedgestown National School, Lusk, Co. Dublin.

FEBRUARY 13 marked World Radio Day 2019 and Choose Radio, the umbrella organisation for the promotion of radio advertising in Ireland, and Ireland's leading producer of oats, Flahavan’s, came together for a first of its kind, multi-platform collaboration study to demonstrate the wide breadth of what a well-planned campaign with radio can achieve.

The Choose Radio Group and the Flahavan's team developed a campaign that ran on air and online, showcasing the many varied possibilities that radio offers that had outstanding positive impact on sales. Pictured are (l-r): radio and television presenter Kathryn Thomas; Gabrielle Cummins, Chairperson, Choose Radio; John Noonan, Sales and Marketing Director, Flahavan's; and Newstalk's Dr Ciara Kelly.

KINETIC teamed up with Knorr and media agency, Mindshare, to promote Ireland’s favourite soup, using a temperature-triggered, dynamic Digital Out of Home (DOOH) campaign, running from January to March 2019. The campaign is broadcast across digital formats in shopping centres and forecourts. The adverts display three delicious varieties of Knorr Soups; pouch, packet and quick soup, and allows weathertriggered content to be displayed when certain temperature and time parameters are met. The innovative creative element combines two messages promoting the products, each running on a 50/50 rotation. Pictured are (l-r): Rory Sweeney, Senior Account Manager, Mindshare; Tara Moran, Account Director, Mindshare; Hilda Lyon, Head of Marketing, Unilever Ireland; Robert Lyons, Brand Manager – Foods, Unilever Ireland; Lee Roberts, Business Executive, Clear Channel; and Susan Murtagh, Account Director, Kinetic.

BULMERS Irish Cider has launched a new TV advertising campaign to promote and support its inaugural year of sponsorship of The Cheltenham Gold Cup. The exclusive four-year sponsorship of Europe’s most prestigious jump race, now known as the Bulmers Cheltenham Gold Cup, also sees the brand become the Presenting Partner of the Festival. Made in Ireland, the new 30-second advertisement features a magnificent stallion racing through the orchards of Clonmel, the home of Bulmers, before crossing to the excitement of Cheltenham Gold Cup day; the roar of the crowds, the joy of the win and the splendour of the horses as they race towards the finishing line.

- THE N I V E R S A RY N A P ONE YEAR SINCE THE GREAT IRISH BREAD DASH OF 2018

FRIDAY ONLY

50c

Brennan’s Half Pan White 400g was €1.29

CENTRA recently celebrated the ‘Panniversary’ of Storm Emma with one of the most in demand products of 2018…. the humble sliced pan. For one day only on March 1, Centra stores nationwide were selling Brennan’s Half White Pan for just 50c. Last year, during Storm Emma, Centra sold 450,000 loaves of bread, an increase of 150,000 loaves from the same time in 2017.

This resulted in sales of €1.5m.

VALID FRIDAY 1ST OF MARCH ONLY. Customer Quotas may apply. €1.25/kg. When it’s gone it’s gone.

FOLLOWING the huge success of the Carb Killa range, Grenade has expanded its portfolio of low sugar, high protein snacks to include two brand new exciting bars, Dark Chocolate Raspberry and White Chocolate Salted Peanut. The appealing Dark Chocolate Raspberry Carb Killa bar layers delicious raspberry pieces, a crunchy cocoa nib topping and decadent dark chocolate for the ultimate taste sensation, packed with 20 grams of high-quality whey protein and less than two grams of sugar. The enticing White Chocolate Salted Peanut Carb Killa bar is coated in mouthwatering white chocolate and laden with salted peanuts, is high in protein (20g), low in sugar (2g), and contains 242 calories.

CORE, one of Ireland’s largest marketing communications companies, is forecasting that total media spend in Ireland will grow by just 0.6% in 2019 to €1.044 billion. As with previous years, online will deliver the growth in the market, albeit at a slower rate than before, while offline media will see a third consecutive year of decline, with overall spend falling 4.5% to €525m. The figures are contained in Core’s annual ‘Outlook’ report which forecasts spend for 2019 across a variety of media, including video, audio, print, online, sponsorship and out-ofhome.

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