Retail News May 2023

TEMPERATURES have definitely started to rise and, with the occasional glimpse of a big yellow ball in the sky, there’s a chance that we may actually have a summer worth talking about this year (although given some of the rainshowers in recent weeks, one could be forgiven for forgetting it’s May).

While the soaring energy costs of last winter are starting to fade into memory, there are still plenty of challenges facing retailers as we head into summer. We speak to Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Employment Affairs & Retail Businesses, on some of the biggest issues, from rising inflation to new legislation and the need for more Gardaí on the streets (Page 12).

NOffLA Chair, Gary O’Donovan talks us through some of the overarching trends in the off-trade and explains why the independent sector is finally getting a fair crack of the whip after two decades of turbulence (Page 24). We report on the winners from the Good Food Ireland Awards (Page 50), Ali Vaziri from Lewis Silkin explains the importance of cyber security to retailers, while we also present the annual Retail News guide to what’s hot for summer across everything from wines and spirits to beers, ciders and soft drinks, along with BBQ (Page 27-49).

Kathleen Belton Editorial & Marketing Director

2 Will luck run out for bookies over National Lottery bets?

3 Lidl extend Mullingar Regional Distribution Centre.

4 Grocery price inflation dips for first time in almost two years.

5 New food features revealed for Bloom 2023; New CFO at Carbery Group.

6 Musgrave reappointed Sustainable Development Goal Champion; Ornua turnover up 36.7% to €3.4 billion.

7 XL open ‘greenfield site’ store in Offaly; New Country Manager at PJ Carroll.

Retail News Interview

12 Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Employment Affairs & Retail Businesses, discusses the big issues facing the retail sector in the months ahead, from soaring inflation to insurance reform, the potential impact of new labour legislation and the harassment of retail staff in the workplace.

SuperValu

16 SuperValu have launched a new state-of-theart Newcastle store following a €15 million investment.

Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps

17 Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps will return to make summer 2023 unforgettable.

Retail Ireland:

Monthly Update

18 Consumers remain cautious amid cost-of-living pressures; Harassment of retail workers a major concern.

Reformulation

20 The Food Reformulation Task Force, a partnership between the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and Healthy Ireland, recently hosted a workshop in Cork on food reformulation for food manufacturers, retailers, and the out-ofhome foodservice sector.

Off-Trade Focus

24 NOffLA Chair and Managing Director of O’Donovan’s OffLicence Group, Gary O’Donovan discusses the biggest issues facing the Irish drinks industry, from punitive excise duties to spiralling costs, and explains why the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing has finally levelled the playing field for independent off-licences after two tough decades of trading.

Summer Stocking

27 We profile the brands guaranteed to fly from your shelves this summer across Spirits, Wines, Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks, Bottled Water, Beer, Cider and BBQ.

Good Food Ireland Awards

50 The winners of the Good Food Ireland Awards were announced in a high profile business lunch at The K Club in County Kildare, attended by Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, and some 300 guests, including Irish and international chefs, buyers, food and drink writers, media and industry leaders.

Cyber Security

54 Ali Vaziri, Partner at Lewis Silkin specialising in Data, Privacy & Cyber, outlines how retailers are a rich source of sensitive data that cyber criminals find tempting and explains the importance of cyber security in your business.

Regulars & Reports

8 Industry News

27 Summer Stocking: Spirits

32 Summer Stocking: Wines

40 Summer Stocking: Soft Drinks

44 Summer Stocking: Beer & Cider

48 Summer Stocking: BBQ

56 What's New

Summertime, but the living ain’t easy…

Will luck run out for bookies

THE Government is waiting for legal advice on legislation that will ban bookmakers from allowing customers to take bets on National Lottery draws. RGDATA has received a letter from the office of Paschal Donohoe TD, Minister for Public Expenditure, which outlines the Minister’s interest in the National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021, which would prohibit the use of the National Lottery or its product in betting shops. The Minister stressed that the Bill must be able to withstand any legal challenge that may arise and noted that his Department is currently awaiting legal advice on this matter. “Once this has been received,” the letter states, “[the Minister] will consider this advice, its implications for the National Lottery (Amendment) Bill, as well as any appropriate follow-up.”

Tara Buckley, RGDATA Director General, welcomed the Minister’s intervention. The Bill reached fourth state at Seanad Éireann in summer 2022 before stalling.

“I feel that this letter from Paschal Donohoe acknowledges there are issues that need to be considered with regard to the retail agent and the good causes generated by National Lottery sales,” she said. “If there are concerns at Governmental level, the best way of addressing this is to do a proper consultation process; put all the issues on the table.”

In Ireland, most high street bookmakers offer Lottery betting among their suite of services to customers. According to National Lottery research, in 2022, approximately 900,000 people, or 26% of the adult population in Ireland, played lottery games through a lottery betting operator. “In all instances, the companies offer more favourable terms than playing the National Lottery games,” a National Lottery spokesperson told Retail News, “whether that be expressed in larger pay-outs, cheaper tickets or other promotions. These more favourable terms are possible because the companies neither contribute to the good causes fund, nor pay commission to local retailers.”

RGDATA believe this practice contributes to a €20 million loss in retail agent fees per annum. Kevin Herlihy runs seven Centra stores in Cork and says that his customers are attracted to Lottery bets in bookmakers “because they have more options and gains. In our stores, the regular Lotto player has a choice of either doing a Quick Pick, or choosing his or her own six or seven numbers. With the bookie, they can bet on one or two numbers.”

Bookmakers, however, are not bound by the same rules as retailers. These

outlets profit entirely from National Lottery bets, whereas retailers make only 7% margin from ticket sales.

“Furthermore, they are free to operate outside regulatory constraints, which apply to the National Lottery, particularly with regard to discount and loyalty schemes,” said the spokesperson.

Herlihy told Retail News: “We have to get a licence. We have to do an annual compliance training module with the National Lottery. There are a lot of regulations that we have to follow. I don’t think the bookies have a level playing pitch with us.”

The National Lottery spokesperson continued: “These companies are directly undermining the brand, operations, proposition, and perception of value of the National Lottery, both for the current operator PLI [Premier Lotteries], but more widely for the many stakeholders impacted by the operation of the National Lottery, including consumers, charities, retailers and ultimately the State.”

Tara Buckley, RGDATA Director General.

Kevin Herlihy, Centra store owner.

RGDATA argue that if bookmakers want to have bets on a lottery, they should develop their own lottery and do it themselves.

over National Lottery bets?

is going straight back into the profits of the bookmakers.”

Tara Buckley said people betting on Lottery draws in bookmakers are “hoodwinked” into thinking they are supporting good causes. “It’s not what the National Lottery was devised for,” she said. “If the bookmakers want to have bets on a lottery, [they should] develop their own lottery and do it themselves.”

But lottery betting has been banned in other EU countries and the National Lottery in Ireland insist the legislation will bring Irish laws in line with the European norm. The rationale behind the Bill, the spokesperson told Retail News , is not just monetary.

The letter from Paschal Donohoe’s office outlined the Minister’s interest in protecting the National Lottery, in light of its chartable fundraising. The licence required to operate the Lottery states that Premier Lotteries must allocate 65% of its gross revenue to good causes. According to the Lottery, in 2021, €304 million from National Lottery games were allocated to community groups, charities, sports clubs and other institutions.

Retailers claim they can see the benefits in their local areas. “We’re quite happy to sell the Lotto at a low margin,” said Herlihy. “We’re only making 7%. But we’re quite happy to sell Lotto, because we know the profits made by the National Lottery are pumped back into good causes. I have a summer home in Ballybunion, Kerry, and the local theatre and leisure centre there were funded by the National Lottery. All the money being spent in bookies, by people playing Lotto,

Customers have been able to place bets on Lotto draws in bookmakers since the formation of the National Lottery in the 1980s. However, Kevin Herlihy believes the proliferation of online betting smartphone apps, through companies such as Paddy Power and BoyleSports, has exacerbated the problem. Bookmakers claim that if they are prevented from allowing bets on Lottery draws, customers are unlikely to revert to licenced outlets.

“I don’t think that’s the case,” said Herlihy. “I think if a customer was going to a bookie to do Lotto, and then all of a sudden it wasn’t legal to do so, they would attend a National Lottery agent and purchase a ticket there.”

According to RGDATA, Ossian Smyth TD, Donohoe’s predecessor at the Department of Public Expenditure, “didn’t accept” the National Lottery (Amendment) Bill when it went into committee stage last year “and in the end the Government decided not to pursue it”. Buckley believes “there was a lot of push-back about the impact on bookies”.

“Preventing player harm from problem gambling is a key reason for the practice being banned across Europe,” the spokesperson explained. “The National Lottery is heavily regulated. The gambling industry is not. National Lottery products have, as per regulation, inbuilt player protection measures, including mandatory age verification, mandatory spend limits, an online curfew, regulator approved products only, no incentives offered to spend more, a dedicated advertising code and the refusal of large customer balances online. No such controls exist for lottery betting in bookmakers and this is exposing people to unregulated gambling products. This lead-in effect, where people are introduced to gambling on the back of the National Lottery’s brand, is harmful.”

The National Lottery has undertaken consultations in which they urged retailers to “contact their local TD to try and get the amendment put through,” said Herlihy.

According to the letter from the Minister’s office, once legal advice has been received, the Minister will consider its implications for the Bill “as well as any appropriate follow-up”.

Lidl extend Mullingar Regional Distribution Centre

LIDL have opened their newly extended Mullingar Regional Distribution Centre following an €80 million investment, creating 100 new permanent jobs. The facility is now one of the largest distribution centres on the island of Ireland and one of the Lidl Group’s largest in the world. Having invested €1 million in a footballpitch-sized rooftop solar panel array consisting of almost 3,000 panels, the centre has reduced its carbon output by some 220 tonnes annually, enough to power more than 218 homes each year. This

investment demonstrates Lidl’s commitment to sustainability, allowing the retailer to generate more than 20% of the new facility's energy requirement by solar power, making Lidl’s Mullingar distribution centre one of the most sustainable logistics facilities in Europe.

Peter Burke TD, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, who was born in Mullingar and represents the people of Longford-Westmeath, officially opened the facility, along with a host of local representatives, suppliers, business partners, and Lidl employees. Minister Burke described it as “a momentous occasion for Mullingar and the Irish food industry” and one which will “make a significant contribution towards a more sustainable future by harnessing solar power to meet a substantial portion of its energy requirements”.

Speaking at the official opening in Mullingar, Alan Barry, Chief Development Officer at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland, said that the newly expanded distribution centre “will now be Lidl’s largest distribution centre on the island, equivalent in size to approximately nine Aviva stadiums”.

Paschal Donohoe TD, Minister for Public Expenditure.

Pictured at the official opening of Lidl’s Regional Distribution Centre in Mullingar are Peter Burke TD, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, and Alan Barry, Chief Development Officer, Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland.

Grocery price inflation dips for first time in almost two years

TAKE-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 10.9% in the four weeks to April 16, 2023, as the average price per pack increased, according to the latest data from Kantar. Shopper visits to stores were up 10.6% in April, making an additional two trips compared to last year.

“Although grocery price inflation remains high, it is now lower than the level seen last month, having dropped from 16.8% to 16.6% in the 12 weeks to April 16,” noted Emer Healy, Senior Retail Analyst at Kantar. “This is the first dip seen in almost two years, which will be welcome news for Irish consumers.”

In the 12 weeks to April 16, 2023, take-home grocery sales increased 11.5%, the highest growth rate seen since February 2021. Consumers are turning to shopping little and often to help manage household budgets. They are also returning to store more often, with visits up 10.2%, which contributed an additional €278.4 million to the overall market’s performance, alongside a significant increase in average price per pack, up 14% year-onyear.

“Irish shoppers enjoyed more celebrations in April, with Easter Sunday and a bank holiday weekend, along with President Biden’s much publicised visit to Ireland,” adds Emer Healy.

With many households catering for Easter Sunday dinner, sales of wine, vegetables, lamb and chilled desserts soared by an additional €3.4 million, €5.1 million, €1.5 million and €1.3 million respectively. Irish shoppers indulged this holiday as sales of Easter chocolate confectionery soared 13%, with shoppers spending an additional €3.7 million year-on-year. Sales of own label Easter eggs rose by 28.1%, with branded eggs seeing slower growth at 13.9% year-on-year. However, 93% of all Easter eggs sold were still branded products and 37.7% were bought on promotion, up 15.4% compared to last year.

Despite a spell of bad weather, spring is definitely in the air. Irish shoppers took full advantage of this to start their spring cleaning, spending an additional €5.3 million on household and cleaning products, with sales up 10.4% compared to last year.

The market saw much stronger own label growth (15.6%) compared to brands (8%), as shoppers look for ways to save

money. Value own label had the strongest growth, up 33.4%, with shoppers spending €18 million more on these ranges. Brands hold 47.5% of the market, with own label holding 46.9%.

Online sales remained strong over the 12-week period, up 4%, with shoppers spending an additional €6.5 million online year-onyear. Unlike the total grocery market, shoppers returned to the online platform less often, down 3.5% year-on-year and continue to buy less volume compared to last year (-13.5%). However, online attracted new shoppers who contributed an additional €6.9 million to its performance, with 16.5% of Irish households purchasing online.

With frequency driving sales growth, Tesco, SuperValu, Lidl and Aldi all saw growth ahead of the total market during this period. Dunnes hold the highest share amongst all retailers at 23.2%, with growth of 15.3% year-on-year. This stems from an influx of new shoppers to store, up 1.4%, and shoppers returning more often, up 6.9%.

Tesco hold 22.4% of the market, with growth of 14.9% year-onyear. With the strongest frequency growth amongst all retailers (+13.2% year-on-year), Tesco also saw an increase in new shoppers in store, up 1.7 percentage points.

SuperValu hold 20.7% of the market, with growth of 5.7%. SuperValu shoppers make the most trips in-store when compared to all retailers, an average of 23 trips over the 12-week period, which is up 12.6% year-on-year.

Lidl hold 13.3% share and growth of 14.4% year-on-year. An influx of new shoppers and more frequent trips contributed an additional €43.9 million to overall performance. Aldi hold 12.1%, with growth of 11.4%. A strong boost in new shoppers and more frequent trips contributed an additional €55.2 million to overall performance.

New food features revealed for Bloom 2023

VISITORS to Bord Bia Bloom 2023 will be treated to a host of exciting new food features, including a redesign of the Food Village. Ireland’s favourite festival of flowers, food and fun, returns to the Phoenix Park, Dublin, this June bank holiday weekend (June 1-5), where improving air quality, tackling food waste and highlighting how children benefit from outdoor play in the natural world are among the many themes which will be explored, with another vibrant mix of thought-provoking show gardens, delicious local food and interactive entertainment for visitors of all ages.

Bord Bia expect to welcome more than 100,000 visitors to the show over five action-packed days. “Bord Bia Bloom was created to offer a world-class, uplifting and engaging showcase for Irish horticulture, food and drink,” noted Jim O’Toole, CEO, Bord Bia. “Now in its 17th year, the show provides an invaluable platform to highlight important societal issues, such as climate change, sustainable production and health and wellbeing. We are proud to see how Bloom has evolved into a unique festival experience, with nature and sustainable living at its heart, while also continuing to offer our horticulture, food and drink clients the opportunity to showcase their latest products and innovations.”

According to Laura Douglas, Head of Bord Bia Bloom, “This year's festival will be a truly immersive experience, designed to inspire, educate and entertain visitors in equal measure. Bord Bia Bloom continues to adapt and evolve, and we are delighted to introduce a number of new and exciting features for 2023, including a redesign of the popular Food Village. Meanwhile, we have an increased focus on sustainability content with a larger-than-ever Conservation Area and a new ‘Sustainable Living’ stage, with five days of talks planned to cover everything from food waste and beekeeping to biodiversity and GIY. We look forward to warmly welcoming visitors in just a few weeks' time!”

New to the event this year is the introduction of the Funky Food Fleet, which will bring a collection of Ireland’s tastiest food trucks to the festival for the first time.

The Quality Kitchen Stage at the centre of the Food Village will once again host live cookery demonstrations from some of Ireland’s leading chefs, including Neven Maguire, Catherine Fulvio, Rory O’Connell, Fiona Uyema, JP McMahon, Edward Hayden, Brian McDermott and Shane Smith, along with interviews with more than 40 Irish food producers.

In the redesigned Food Hall and the popular Bloom Inn, over 100 Irish food and drink companies will showcase their produce and

New CFO at Carbery Group

many companies will use the opportunity to launch new and exciting food and drink products.

This year Food Cloud, the social enterprise dedicated to tackling food waste, will have a notable presence across the event. The Food Cloud Food Truck will serve dishes made from food waste and chefs on the Bord Bia Quality Kitchen stage will highlight some of the key measures people can take to avoid food waste in our homes. Food Cloud will also send a group of volunteers on the final day of the festival to collect all food waste from the exhibitor stands within the Food Village.

Also new for 2023, Bord Bia will be presenting a stage solely dedicated to sustainable living goals. The stage will be hosted by Mick Kelly, Founder and CEO of GIY, and Irish food writers Caroline Hennessy, Aoife Carrigy and Dee Laffan. Contributors will cover topics ranging from food waste and home composting to the importance of garden ponds for biodiversity and why bees matter.

At the heart of Bord Bia Bloom, 22 small, medium, and large show gardens will provide inspiration for visitors. Among these, the National Dairy Council will host the ‘Embracing the Elements’ garden which pays homage to the Irish climate.

For more information, visit BordBiaBloom.com.

CARBERY Group, the international dairy, flavours and nutritional ingredients company, have announced the appointment of Liam Hughes as Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director.

Originally from Fermoy, Co. Cork, Liam joins Carbery from Kerry Group, where he has held several senior finance positions and global senior leadership positions in Europe and the US.

“I am really pleased to welcome Liam to Carbery, after an extensive global search to find the right person for us,” noted Jason Hawkins, Carbery Group CEO. “Liam joins at a crucial stage for our

organisation, as we seek to build on 50 years of evolution and propel the company into the next phase of success. The Group CFO is a pivotal role to achieve this, and I look forward to working with Liam and drawing on his extensive financial management and commercial experience, and also his strength in driving growth supported by innovation, commercial expertise and new approaches.”

Meanwhile, Carbery Group reported a positive financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2022, with group turnover increasing by 31% to just under €700.8m.

Liam Hughes, Group Chief Financial Officer, Carbery Group.

Jim O’Toole, CEO, Bord Bia; Laura Douglas, Head of Bord Bia Bloom; Niall Sabongi, The Salty Buoy Food Truck; and musician Kylabelle McKinney are pictured at the launch of Bord Bia Bloom.

Musgrave reappointed Sustainable Development Goal Champion

MUSGRAVE have been named as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Champion by Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, for the 2023-2024 period.

Musgrave were the first retailer to be named an SDG Champion in 2019 when the programme first began, due to their ongoing commitment to operating as a sustainable business, and one of the first companies globally to align the SDGs to their day to day business activities. Musgrave’s sustainability strategy is about Protecting the Planet and Benefitting our Communities. This vision has three pillars, Caring for our Planet; Creating Vibrant Communities and Sourcing for Good, which are all about reducing their emissions to reach net zero carbon by 2040, working with their retail partners to make every community a sustainable community and working with suppliers to provide consumers with more sustainable shopping choices.

Musgrave are making great strides in their sustainability agenda: a key highlight is the introduction of a first of its kind €25m Sustainability Fund in 2022. The Fund is helping to achieve a carbon reduction of 12% across SuperValu and Centra stores by the end of 2024. The 12% carbon reduction is equivalent to removing over 10,000 tonnes of carbon or planting 380,380 trees across the island of Ireland or powering 5,054 homes.

Other recent highlights include the fact that 96% of all fruit and veg, own brand and in-store packaging in SuperValu and Centra is now recyclable, reusable or compostable, while over 90% of their stores now are equipped with LED lighting, and this year will see the group installing 10,000 solar panels across SuperValu and Centra stores as well as their Distribution Centres.

“At Musgrave, we are committed to creating vibrant, sustainable communities that leave a positive and lasting impact for generations to come,” noted Owen

Keogh, Head of

Sustainability, Musgrave. “In 2019, it was a huge honour for Musgrave to be the first retailer in Ireland appointed to be a Sustainable Development Goal Champion and we are delighted to be reappointed this year. Over the next 12 months, we will be working with other SDG Champions to collectively tackle global challenges, including climate change, poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. As a family business steeped in local communities, Musgrave are focused on protecting the planet and benefitting our communities. We look forward to working closely with our retail partners, suppliers, colleagues and local communities to build sustainable places to work and live.”

Ornua turnover up 36.7% to €3.4 billion

ORNUA, Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, published their operating and financial results for the 12 months ending December 31, 2022, with Group Turnover reaching a record €3.4 billion.

Group EBITDA and Operating Profit, pre Ornua Value Payment, were €157 million and €127.2 million respectively, as Ornua sought to balance high product prices, which were paid to their Member Co-operatives, while also maintaining and growing market share.

Ornua export to over 110 countries and are the proud owner of the iconic Kerrygold brand, which celebrates 60 years and sells over 11 million packets of butter and cheese each week.

“Ornua continued to build on its strong and consistent growth trajectory, delivering a robust performance in what was a uniquely challenging year with factors such as rising inflation impacting the entire supply chain,” John Jordan, CEO, Ornua, said. “Ornua responded to these shifting market dynamics by remaining focused on our strategy and committed in our efforts to deliver for customers, consumers and our Member Co-operatives. This is reflected in the exceptional sales performance, underpinned by the hard work and commitment of our 3,000-strong global team.”

Ornua CEO, John Jordan.

Pictured are Edel Clancy, Director of Corporate Affairs, and Owen Keogh, Head of Sustainability, Musgrave Group.

XL open ‘greenfield site’ store in Offaly

XL have opened a new service station and store in Cloghan, Co. Offaly, the group’s first ‘greenfield site’ opening. Indeed, XL’s long-established strapline has been to provide “a great deal more at your local store”, which is very much the case in Cloghan.

RTE’s Marty Morrissey was the Master of Ceremonies at the recent opening of XL Cloghan on Thursday, April 13, when retailer Martin Grogan invited members of the local community to share in the celebrations. There was plenty to keep the whole family entertained at the launch, including balloon modelling, stilt walkers, glitter tattoos and a host of tasty treats on offer.

XL Cloghan provides employment to 21 people locally and XL’s newest retailer, Martin Grogan, was delighted with the turnout on the day.

“We are very excited to provide this valuable service to the people of Cloghan,” said Martin. “We are offering a large selection of ‘food to go’ and dinner options, including O’Reilly’s award-winning fish and chips, and the feedback we have received since opening has been brilliant.”

XL is Ireland’s fastest growing retail symbol brand and offers retailers a flexible, market leading package, which enables them to tailor their shop to consumer needs and react quickly to changing market conditions and help grow their business.

Commenting at the launch, Paul Bealin, BWG Cash & Carry Sales Director, said, “I am thrilled to welcome Martin and his team into the XL family. XL retailers are passionate about providing value to their customers and this is something that Martin also recognises and delivers on for his customers. Working closely with our innovation and fresh food teams, this

New Country Manager at PJ Carroll

PJ CARROLL, part of the BAT Group, have announced the appointment of David Melinn as Country Manager. The Malahide native succeeds Simon Carroll, who has stepped down after 21 years of service with BAT, including nine years as Country Manager for PJ Carroll, where he oversaw the introduction of BAT’s vapour product Vuse (originally named Vype) to the Irish market in 2018. Carroll also served a valued member of BAT’s UK & Ireland leadership team during his tenure as Country Manager.

New Country Manager David Melinn has been part of the PJ Carroll team for 10 years, and is newly promoted from his previous role as Head of Key Accounts.

Melinn began his early career as a Trade Marketing Representative for PJ Carroll and rose through the ranks to become a National Account Manager in 2012, an Area Sales Manager in 2018 and in his most recent role as Head of Key Accounts, in

store's offering is second to none. We have worked hard over the last number of months and years to grow the XL brand and our ambition is manifesting in this first ever ‘greenfield site’ addition to the XL family. XL Cloghan Service Station will deliver great value, choice, service and exciting consumer promotions to the local community and customers.”

which he has served since 2019.

Melinn brings nearly two decades of experience in the Irish combustibles market to the role, and a deep understanding of the changing market. This includes BAT’s increased priorities on the trade of vapour, part of an emerging products category that carry reduced risks to adults who wish to quit smoking, and a core part of the company’s mission to build A Better Tomorrow and reduce the health impact of its business.

“I am delighted to assume the role of Country Manager for PJ Carroll, part of the BAT Group, and I look forward to growing our strong customer base, deepening relationships in the Irish market and promoting our category of reduced risk products,” David said. “I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Simon Carroll for his service and leadership to the company over the course of nearly 21 years, and to wish him the very best for the future.’’

Pictured at the official opening of XL Cloghan Service Station are Marty Morrissey, Daniela and Martin Grogan, Paul Bealin, Pat and Annie-Jo Grogan, and Leanne Campbell.

David Melinn, Country Manager, PJ Carroll.

IGBF announce summer fundraiser at Leopardstown

THE Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund (IGBF) have announced an exciting day of racing, music and food at Leopardstown Racecourse on Thursday, June 22. “We’re really looking forward to bringing all our supporters together for this summer gathering,” noted IGBF chairperson, Frances Higgins. “As part of our calendar of events, this event will go a long way towards our goal of raising funds to help support the individuals and families who need us.” The event is an ideal way to reward your teams for their hard work and will kick off from 4pm with a street-food and drinks event. Guest can then enjoy an exciting evening of racing, followed by some great party tunes from Maniac 2000 DJ Mark McCabe. President of Appeals, Joe Manning, Tesco Ireland, stated, “I’m delighted to bring this fun event to the grocery industry calendar to raise funds to support the IGBF. Our hardworking members will have the chance to enjoy some great music, food and racing, while catching up with friends and colleagues. I look forward to it raising much needed funds to continue to support the families and individuals who need

the IGBF’s help.” A small number of sponsorship packages are available – with opportunities for the food and grocery industry to showcase the latest brand and product innovations. To buy tickets or for more information visit www.igbfsummerfundraiser.ie.

Fyffes finds Ireland’s fittest school in Oldcastle, Co. Meath

GILSON National School, in Oldcastle, Co. Meath, has been chosen as Ireland’s Fittest School 2023, following a six-month competition in which schools from all over Ireland, north and south, took part. Supported by Irish fruit importer Fyffes and tracked online, the purpose of the competition, now in its second year, was to promote the importance of exercise, fitness and healthy eating amongst young people. Launched last autumn, the competition coincided with the resumption, following Covid, of the popular Fyffes Fit Squad children’s fitness programme of live school visits, fronted by well-known Irish Olympians, athletes Phil Healy and David Gillick. For more information, visit www.fyffesfitsquad.ie.

Mace extend partnership with Johnny Sexton

MACE have extended their official partnership with Brand Ambassador, Johnny Sexton, into 2025. The Ireland rugby captain has been a Mace Brand Ambassador since 2018 and has engaged in a number of exciting community initiatives in that time. The announcement of this exciting extension was made to Mace retailers recently by newly appointed Sales Director, Keith Crawford, who said, “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with Johnny beyond this year’s World Cup. Mace retailers are very proud of how they contribute positively to the communities they serve, and Johnny is one of the most respected role models for young people throughout Ireland. Having one of the greatest Irish players of all time associated with a dynamic brand like Mace is a real win-win for us all.” Pictured at the announcement were Keith Crawford, Mace Sales Director, and Irish rugby captain Johnny Sexton.

Six National Lottery wins at News4U in Maynooth

A LOCAL newsagents in Co. Kildare has experienced its sixth big National Lottery win after they sold the winning ticket worth €500,000 in the Daily Millions Plus draw on Wednesday, April 12. News4U in the Glenroyal Shopping Centre in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, sold the winning quick pick ticket worth half a million euro on the day of the draw. This is the sixth time News4U has sold a big win on National Lottery tickets since 2005, which comes to an amazing, combined total of over €2.8 million. Store

M&S Food on the ball for Munster Women’s Rugby

IGBF Grocers Fun Run

THIS year’s IGBF Grocers Fun Run will be held in a new amazing location, taking place at Leopardstown Racecourse on Saturday, June 17. The new venue will facilitate lots more space for this fun event and the later start time of 11.30am will make the event more accessible and family orientated. The organisers promise family fun, goodie bags, medals, raffles and much more entertainment for all the family, as well as a corporate team event, which is an opportunity to pit your best against other teams. The IGBF Grocers Fun Run is sponsored by Keelings, The National Lottery and Yoplait. Please see popupraces.ie to register.

Londis bring Davy Fitz home to Clare

MARKS & Spencer have announced a partnership with the Munster Rugby Senior Women’s team, as part of their Eat Well campaign. As part of the sponsorship, M&S will be providing players with nutritious produce pre-match and during training throughout the 2023/2024 season. The partnership will also involve a collaborative programme of free educational online resources for people across Ireland to support healthy eating and living. The Partnership will launch the ‘Eat Well, Play Well’ campaign, which will link the eating habits of the much-loved women’s rugby squad to how they play, promoting positive healthy eating messages. Pictured at the launch at Thomond Park are Munster players Róisín Ormond, Stephanie Nunan, Chloe Pearse, Nicole Cronin (team captain) and Claire Bennett.

LONDIS recently brought Ireland’s Fittest Family coach and hurling legend Davy Fitzgerald back to his roots to host a unique training session for 30 lucky students at Cooraclare National School in Kilrush, Co. Clare. The school won the Londis sponsored competition to win a training day with the Clare All-Ireland winning player (1995 and 1997) and manager (2013) as part of Londis’ sponsorship of hit television show, Ireland’s Fittest Family. Londis have been sponsor to Ireland’s Fittest Family for the last four seasons and Sales Director, Conor Hayes, was delighted with the day: “It was great to have Davy involved on the day and that our local Clare Londis retailers, Kevin and Michelle McNamee, were able to enjoy watching the session. Promoting health

and fitness is very important to Londis, which is reflected in our sponsoring initiatives like Ireland’s Fittest Family.”

Musgrave MarketPlace surpasses 1.2 million meals donated via FoodCloud

MUSGRAVE MarketPlace recently announced that since 2016, they have donated over 1.2 million meals to 350 local charities and community groups in Ireland through their partnership with FoodCloud. This donation equates to 520 tonnes of food and a saving of €1.5 million to Irish charities. “At Musgrave MarketPlace, we are committed to doing everything possible to build a more sustainable future and our partnership with FoodCloud is a key focus for the business,” said Desi Derby, Marketing Director at Musgrave MarketPlace, pictured with Sheena Forde, Partnerships Director at FoodCloud, at Musgrave Central Distribution Centre in Blanchardstown.

Tipperary Spar store sells Daily Millions winner

CELEBRATIONS are ongoing in one small town in Co. Tipperary after it was revealed as the selling location for the April 15 2pm Daily Millions top prize ticket worth €1,000,000. Spar in Borrisokane sold the all-important winning ticket, and store owner Michael O’Brien was delighted with the news: “It’s created great buzz in the town altogether. It’s nice to get some good positive news for a change and we’re absolutely delighted to be part of it. We’re delighted for the winner and wish them the very best of luck with their nice windfall and hope they spend it wisely!” Michael and Sarah O’Brien are pictured celebrating the win.

Circle K launch own brand range of EV chargers Getaway with Gala Retail

this

summer

GALA Retail are offering €40,000 of staycation gift vouchers to lucky customers this spring with their Gala Getaways promotion, which is live in stores now. Teaming up with IrelandHotels.com for the in-store promotion, the Gala Getaways giveaway invites Gala customers who spend over €10 in participating stores to enter a draw in-store to win a €250 ‘Go Anywhere’ gift card to put towards a staycation at one of the hundreds of Irish hotels and guesthouses partnered with IrelandHotels.com. A winner will be picked from every participating Gala store. “We're thrilled to launch Gala Getaways, our spring initiative that gives Gala Retailers the chance to reward their loyal customers for their support, awarding €40,000 of ‘Go Anywhere’ gift cards to Gala shoppers to create unforgettable memories at some of Ireland’s top hotels and guest houses,” noted Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail, pictured with radio and TV personality Lucy Kennedy, and Denyse Campbell, President of the Irish Hotels Federation.

Chew for Change is back

CIRCLE K are launching a new range of own brand electric vehicle (EV) chargers across their network over the next two years. Circle K will invest a total of €7 million to install EV chargers at over 30 Circle K forecourts across Ireland by 2025. Circle K’s first two own brand EV charge points have opened at Circle K Junction 5, M9, Rathcrogue, Co. Carlow, and Circle K Junction 14, M8, Gortore, Fermoy, Co. Cork. “We are delighted to be launching our new network of Circle K EV chargers, which will add to our existing EV charging offering provided through our partnerships with the ESB, Ionity and Tesla,” noted

Aldi open new Cabra store

ALDI’s nationwide expansion continued with the recent opening of their new store in Cabra, Dublin 7, creating 30 new permanent jobs in the local area. The spacious new 1,219 square metre store features Aldi’s award winning Project Fresh layout and features wide aisles and hi-spec fixtures and fittings, 66 car parking spaces, four electric vehicle charging spaces and 10 bike parking spaces.

“This new €2.8 million store in Cabra is the latest step in Aldi’s expansion programme and I’m delighted to open our 26th store in Dublin today. This new store, and the 30 new jobs created, will

support our ambition to deliver value to the people of Ireland at the locations most convenient to them,” noted store manager Jamie Stephens, pictured with some of the staff at the official opening.

Shorter working week at Kellogg Ireland

MARS Wrigley Ireland have announced the return of the ‘Chew for Change’ initiative for its second year through the Mars Extra chewing gum line. The campaign is run in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages and runs for 10 weeks from May 1 to July 9 across all major retailers nationwide. Mars will donate a minimum of €40,000, a portion of Extra Chewing gum sales, in that time period. “Mars Wrigley Ireland are delighted to kick off this year’s Chew for Change campaign and continue our work with SOS Children’s Villages,” said Anne Sheeran, Corporate Affairs Specialist at Mars Multisales Ireland. “Poor dental hygiene can have a serious impact on a person’s health and wellbeing, which is why Chew for Change is such an important campaign, and one that we are proud to support.”

AS the days get longer, Kellogg’s Summer Hours scheme is returning. The scheme runs annually from May to September, offering office-based and field sales colleagues the chance to finish work from midday on a Friday, provided they have completed a full week’s hours and have met all customer commitments where relevant. “We’ve been offering Summer Hours for years now because we know it works,” said Sarah Ferguson, General Manager, Kellogg Ireland. “By giving our people half a day for themselves each week, it

allows them to recharge and unwind. Not only is this great for people’s mental and physical wellbeing, but it also leads to increased productivity and motivation.”

Gordon Lawlor, Managing Director of Circle K Ireland. Gordon is pictured at the launch at Circle K, Junction 5 M9, Co. Carlow, with Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport.

Retail’s voice at the top table

Neale Richmond TD, Ireland’s recently appointed Minister of State with responsibility for Employment Affairs & Retail Businesses, discusses the value of the Retail Forum, and assesses the challenges and opportunities facing Ireland’s retailers in 2023, from the potential impact of new legislation to the importance of getting more Gardaí on the streets.

JANUARY 2023 saw the appointment of Neale Richmond TD as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Business and the Department of Social Protection, following the resignation of Damien English from the same position.

A Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown, Neale is a former member of Seanad Éireann, where he was the Fine Gael Spokesperson on European Affairs, and he also served for seven years on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Born and raised in Ballinteer, Neale was educated at Wesley College before graduating from UCD with a BA in History and an MA in Politics. A keen sportsman, Neale is heavily involved in a number of local clubs and community groups; he is a playing member of Old Wesley RFC and has competed in a number of charity boxing matches.

In a wide-ranging interview, Minister Redmond discusses the issues facing the retail sector in the months ahead, from

soaring inflation to insurance reform, the potential impact of new labour legislation and the harassment of retail staff in the workplace.

What are your main priorities as Minister for Retail?

Retail is the biggest private sector employer in the State; it is vital to our continued economic and community growth. My priorities as Minister are absolutely helping our retail sector perform to the best of its ability. Ensuring the retail sector is strong, performing well and maintaining its high levels of employment for workers across the country is a huge priority of mine.

You have been heavily involved, as was your predecessor, in the Retail Forum. How valuable is the forum in terms of allowing all stakeholders to have their voice heard at Government level?

I have found the Retail Forum to be a very positive outlet to allow myself, officials, including retailers and representative

bodies, to come together to discuss the issues the sector is facing in an open and productive manner. Keeping dialogue open and promoting frank discussions on the issues the sector is facing, what is working and what is not, is crucial. Hearing from stakeholders on the issues that are impacting them is hugely valuable. This is something I am doing both on the ground, meeting business people across the country, but also to have it in an official forum as well is hugely valuable.

You recently held a meeting of the Retail Forum focused on rising inflation, particularly the fact that food prices have grown ahead of general inflation. How productive was that meeting?

I had an open and frank conversation with members of the Retail Forum where we discussed the factors driving inflation for grocery goods, which is higher than the general rate of inflation. We have seen cuts to the price of butter, milk and bread in recent weeks, which are absolutely to be welcomed. I am pleased to say that I

received assurances from retailers that where reductions in input costs filter through to products, consumers will benefit from this.

How important is the issue of sustainability going forward and what can Government do to help retail businesses make the transition to a low-carbon economy? Sustainability is hugely important for every sector of society and the economy, and the retail sector is no different. Sustainability and decarbonisation are obviously vital in meeting our climate action responsibilities, but it is increasingly a huge commercial consideration. Customers are moving the market on this; it is economically prudent for retailers to adapt.

I firmly believe that as the largest private sector employer in the country, retail is uniquely placed to lead on the sustainability agenda for business to drive change throughout the country.

There are so many supports available for retailers to support them on this transition. From the Local Enterprise Office, which provides supports and schemes, to smaller businesses such as the Green for Micro programme, to Enterprise Ireland, which supports larger organisations to fund the transition and to work with consultants on decarbonisation. There is also a huge role for the SEAI here. The SEAI have a full guide on energy efficiency for retailers to help them save money and become greener in the process.

Decarbonisation is something we have discussed at the Retail Forum and I am confident that Irish retailers are well placed and have the enthusiasm to take on this transition.

The issue of insurance has been a bugbear for years. Despite the drop in insurance awards in recent years, anecdotal evidence suggests that retailers’ insurance premiums, including public liability insurance and employers’ insurance, haven’t decreased accordingly – the Alliance for Insurance Reform have quoted premiums rising by an average of 14% in the last year. What can be done on this? Recent legislative changes have had some impact as we see pay-outs coming down, but premiums aren’t coming down enough, or they are not coming down for every area.

The cost of insurance is impacting retailers of all sizes, and there is a whole of Government commitment to addressing these costs. I will be working closely with my colleague, Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who has dedicated responsibility for insurance, in bringing down insurance

costs. I am also working with my departmental colleague, Minister Dara Calleary on this, as he has responsibility for PIAB and is working to keep personal injury cases out of court and settled through mediation. There is no one solution to keeping insurance costs down but this is something that Government are committed to addressing.

Consumer confidence has a huge impact on retail performance. What can the Government do to help consumers with the cost-of-living crisis and thus help to increase confidence?

Government have done a huge amount of help people with the cost-of-living crisis. The cost-of-living package announced in February had €1.2 billion worth of supports to help put money back into people’s pockets and help with their rising bills. From a bonus Child Benefit payment of €100 per child, a €100 increase to the Backto-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and a €200 lump sum payment for lone parents, low-income families, carers, pensioners and those on disability payment, there were a huge number of supports here. This lump sum payment was made recently to 1.3 million people; this is real and tangible support for people who may be struggling.

Government will absolutely keep monitoring the cost-of-living crisis, there is the potential to bring in another €200 energy credit later in the year, of which there have already been three since September.

What difference do you think the Windsor Agreement will make in terms of our grocery supply chain (will it make it easier to do business with UK suppliers, for example)?

At the minute we have a very hard Brexit but if we can conclude this part of the implementation of Brexit, we can start to rebuild the economic and political relationships between the UK and the EU. The past seven years have seen Brexit be top of the list of concerns for Irish businesses and retailers. The Windsor Agreement should bring stability and clarity to Irish businesses and allow them to trade more easily with the United Kingdom. Though many businesses did pivot away from the UK market due to Brexit, it is still hugely valuable to Irish retailers and businesses. We did see an initial move away, but exports to the UK have started to rise again as retailers and businesses learn how to navigate the new normal.

Retailers fear that there is a raft of legislation coming at them all at once, particularly in relation to labour costs, and have asked for legislative changes to be implemented in a managed way across a realistic timeline. What advice can you give them on this?

While Minister for Enterprise, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar made workers’ rights a priority and introduced some important steps forward to ensure their protection. From paid sick leave, the move towards a living wage, minimum wage increases to an additional bank holiday, a lot has been done to benefit workers.

I am fully aware that while these new rights for workers are very important, they are onerous on businesses and retailers, particularly smaller ones. There is absolutely a balance to be found here in supporting retailers through these changes, which is why they will not happen overnight. The move towards a living wage is happening over several years, as is the gradual move towards 10 days of paid sick leave, as opposed to in one fell swoop, when it would undoubtedly do damage to businesses.

In my engagements with retailers, I have heard their concerns on these supports, and this is something Government can look at to ensure businesses are supported through this transition. More supports such as this will also help retailers

I firmly believe that high visibility policing is the strongest tool to keeping our communities, retailers and workers strong and safe. I agree with retailers completely; having more Gardaí on the streets rather than behind a desk is crucial.

and the wider sector in improving worker morale and retention levels, so this is something that should also be considered when we are discussing these issues.

Another big worry and one highlighted in the media and the Dáil recently, is the growing concern around retail crime and harassment of store owners and their staff, which has become a huge problem for many retailers. One of the big asks is for more Gardaí on the ground. Will this happen in a meaningful way and what else can be done to protect our workers? This is a hugely important issue that I have engaged with both with the Retail Forum and with retailers and business owners directly. I firmly believe that high visibility policing is the strongest tool to keeping our communities, retailers and workers strong and safe.

I agree with retailers completely; having more Gardaí on the streets rather than behind a desk is crucial. With 1,000 additional Gardaí coming onstream as per Budget 2023 and a Garda recruitment campaign currently live, we are on our way to achieving this. We are also recruiting 400 civilian staff to allow Gardaí to get out from behind their desks and onto the beat.

Operation Citizen is the current highvisibility policing strategy which has been very effective in Dublin. Having more Gardaí on the beat helps prevent crime, and most importantly it helps people to feel safe when at work or out in our streets.

There is a role to play here for sentencing and punishments for those who commit these crimes, but high visibility policing can help prevent them from occurring in the first instance.

What other challenges and opportunities face retailers in the months and year ahead?

High energy costs and accessing and retaining staff are key issues facing the retail sector. The revamped TBESS scheme should be a major help with energy costs, with businesses now eligible to receive up to €15,000 per month on their energy bills with a 30% increase in their bills, rather than a previous 50% increase.

On staffing issues, we are working to make retail a more attractive sector for employees to make their careers in; increasing the minimum wage and more workers’ rights helps to encourage workers into the sector. I have also called

for a review of the current banded hours system to ensure that those working in the sector are, where possible and feasible, able to work the number of hours that suits them and their employer.

How do you see the Irish economy and the retail sector in particular performing over the rest of the year?

The retail sector is hugely resilient. Over the past four years alone, Irish retailers have dealt with Brexit, the pandemic, rising energy costs and inflation. That Irish retailers have risen to these challenges is a testament to the high calibre of Irish retailers. It gives me great confidence for the retail sector’s performance over the rest of the year. While there are certainly challenges to be met, I believe the sector is well placed to have a very strong year.

Our economy is in rude health; we are on track to be the fastest growing economy in the EU in 2023, with 4.9% growth. Our exports are really strong, our trading links around the world are growing and we are creating more jobs every day in every region. We certainly face challenges here in Ireland, but we are in the best position to address them, given our strong economy.

Minister Richmond, pictured with Tesco Ireland Communications Director, Rosemary Garth, at the recent launch of a Tesco Ireland community initiative that will see four community projects share €100,000 in funding from the special 25 Years Community Fund.

SuperValu unveil state-of-the-art store

SUPERVALU have launched a new state-of-the-art store in Newcastle, Co. Dublin, following a significant €15 million investment. The new store, which created 85 new jobs in the locality, will provide a wide range of high-quality produce in line with SuperValu’s new food experience offering, designed to offer customers an exciting, vibrant and simpler shopping experience with extensive sustainable choices on offer.

SuperValu Newcastle has an enhanced fresh-food range with a focus on artisan and vegan products, a premium fruit and veg offering, including loose products, which will inspire shoppers to make more sustainable choices, while giving greater choice in terms of seasonality, Irish and organic produce.

The store’s butchers, fishmongers and bakers are trained to the highest standard to ensure customers enjoy the best quality and service and are always on hand to offer expert advice, as well as cooking tips and inspiration. The new store provides delicious convenient choices from the Freshly Prepared and Donnybrook Fair ranges, with options including meals for one, meals for two, family and light sides and bites.

SuperValu Newcastle boasts an innovative delicatessen, bakery, and meal solution offering as part of the food experience programme, which will continue to be rolled out across more SuperValu stores this year. The store will be an exemplar of the future of retail, delivering customers a transformed and more sustainable food offering. Online shopping and delivery will also be available to the local community.

Supporting local suppliers

Supporting local producers and suppliers is of key importance to the team in SuperValu and the Newcastle store brings offerings to customers across the Taste of Local range, which contains over 30

products sourced directly from up-and-coming producers within the region. In addition, the store will offer a wide array of products from over 1,800 Irish suppliers around the country.

A new plaza connecting the site with Graydon Road will help create a vibrant new public space, with a focus on biodiversity and pollinator-friendly planting. More than 1,100 plants within the scheme will be pollinator-friendly, supporting the eco-system for bees and enabling them to thrive. This will help encourage engagement with environmental issues by visitors to the store from within the community and beyond.

The store operations also meet the highest sustainability standards, in line with SuperValu’s commitments in this area, using renewable energy heat pumps for heating, solar panels for electricity, as well as ultra-efficient LED lighting and refrigeration units.

A shining example of sustainability

SuperValu Managing Director Ian Allen officially opened the new store on April 26, noting: “SuperValu stores are at the heart of many communities around Ireland and through this investment, SuperValu Newcastle will provide the local community with great value and the highest-quality service and produce available. Our fantastic range of fresh meat, fish, fruit & veg, bakery and unrivalled local products in our Taste of Local range, will bring an unparalleled shopping experience to the locality.

“At SuperValu, we believe in making communities better by caring for our environment,” he added. “From a sustainability perspective, this new store is a shining example of the best that SuperValu has to offer and has been designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We are proud to be here today to open our new-look store to the community, and we look forward to serving the local community in the months and years ahead.”

SuperValu have launched a new stateof-the-art Newcastle store following a €15 million investment.

Pictured at the opening of the new state-of-the-art SuperValu store at Newcastle, Co. Dublin are (l-r): Bobby Heade, Store Manager; Breda Flaherty, Local Community Ambassador; Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu; and Micheal Morgan, Musgrave Operating Partners.

Ian Allen, SuperValu Managing Director: “From a sustainability perspective, this new store is a shining example of the best that SuperValu has to offer."

Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps

Kellogg’s Cúl Camps: making memories

Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps will return to make summer 2023 unforgettable.

memories. The sporting superstars were joined by future stars, Karson Butler aged 12, Issy Downey aged 12, Fortune Beta aged 12, Kasey Cromwell aged 11, Levi Hutch aged 9, and Patricia Grace Pop aged 7, who will be taking part in this year’s camps and listened in as the county players recalled their favourite memories.

“For me, I always looked forward to meeting up with my friends to play hurling on sunny summer days down at St Thomas’ GAA pitch,” remembered Galway GAA star David Burke. “A great chance to make new friends, develop my hurling skills and to participate in the mixed hurling leagues.”

Kerry footballer Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh added how some of her best friends are those whom she met at Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps in her younger days: “The Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps were always the perfect opportunity to develop and practice my skills for hours every day with my friends, to make new friends and we always had a lot of fun along the way too!”

Pictured at the launch of the 2023 Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps are (back row, l-r): Galway hurler David Burke, Wexford Camogie player Ciara Storey, Kellogg's Brand & Activation Manager Ann-Rose Eng, Kerry footballer Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh and Cavan footballer Raymond Galligan, with (front row,l-r): Fortune Beta, aged 12, Kasey Cromwell, aged 11, Issy Downey, aged 12, Karson Butler, aged 12, Levi Hutch, aged 9, and Patricia Grace Pop, aged 7.

KELLOGG and the GAA have announced the return of Ireland’s Cúl-est summer camps, Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps, for 2023. The camps will kick off in late June and will run up to the end of August, offering children aged 6-13 the unique opportunity to experience an actionpacked and fun-filled week of activity during the summer holidays, which revolves around sustaining participant involvement in Gaelic Games. Kellogg and the GAA are urging parents and guardians to act quickly to secure their spots and guarantee an unforgettable summer.

This year, Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps are recognising the important role that the camps play in creating unforgettable memories from a young age. At the heart of every meaningful experience is the creation of memories that last a lifetime.

Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps have long played a vital role in helping young people to explore new interests and stay active, as well as creating new and meaningful lifelong friendships. Every summer, Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps are at the heart of the community, bringing people together and celebrating diversity.

Sporting superstars: present and future On hand to launch this year’s camps were Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps ambassadors and sport superstars, Galway hurler David Burke, Kerry LGFA player Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Wexford Camogie player Ciara Storey and Cavan Footballer Raymond Galligan. Each one of these county players attended Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps as a child and credit the camps as a source of some of their most cherished

Sarah Ferguson, Kellogg Ireland General Manager, said, “At Kellogg, we are so proud to be involved in this partnership, which has health and exercise at its core, and that plays such a key role in young people’s lives each summer. Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps are all about making memories; memories give us a sense of identity, provide us with joy, and shape the way we see the world around us. Our goal is to provide young people with the opportunity to make life-long friends and unforgettable memories that they will treasure forever.”

Kellogg’s ongoing commitment

GAA Uachtarán CLG Larry McCarthy said: “It’s that time of the year when the evenings become brighter, the weather improves, midweek games begin, and it’s time for the launch of the Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps. We are very grateful to Kellogg’s for their ongoing commitment, now in its 12th year, to our Cúl Camps and, we are extremely proud of the work that goes on at the Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps. I’d like to acknowledge and thank the clubs, coaches and volunteers who make it all possible and create an action packed and fun-filled week of activity when children make long-lasting memories.”

As with previous years, the Assisted Needs Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps are back this summer, providing a calmer environment for those who need it, with the same level of fun.

For more information on Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps or to book in, visit www.gaa.ie/kelloggsculcamps

Consumers remain cautious amid cost-ofliving pressures

COST-of-living concerns continue to weigh heavily on Irish consumers. Inflation has been on the rise for the last year; however, it should drop in the coming months as already we have seen sharp falls in other parts of Europe. This will hopefully translate into an improved consumer outlook, but we’ve still some way to go as the recovery in consumer sentiment has stalled over the last couple of months.

The most recent Ibec Economic Outlook expects the domestic economy to grow by 3.6% in 2023 and inflation to fall to under 4% before the end of the year. This does not, however, mean that the year will be without its challenges. Interest rates rising and volatile energy markets carry risks for both financial stability and the broader economy throughout this year. While the period of accelerated hikes in inflation may be behind us, inflation will remain relatively high compared to the lows of the past decade

and price levels will remain high.

Consumers remain increasingly cautious about their household finances, resulting in a tightening of spending and consumers holding back on non-essential spending, including what they consider to be luxury goods. Having said that, the easing of rising energy prices helped ease spending pressures, which will continue for the coming months as we head into the summer season and a reduction in energy consumption.

For grocery retailers, prices of goods continue to see a steady increase. Similarly for consumers, grocery prices have risen by almost 17% over the past year, according to recent CSO figures. As a result, consumer behaviour is shifting, with people choosing retailers’ own brand products over larger brands at a higher price point. Consumers are also increasingly shopping around for retailers offering better value and better promotions on their products.

Harassment of retail workers a major concern

RETAIL workers have been experiencing increased levels of harassment from customers, varying from verbal abuse to physical assault. Alongside this, there have also been reports of an increase in shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in stores. The consequences of this for staff are very real, including mental health issues, burnout and increased absence. At a time when there are labour shortages in many parts of the sector, this poses an additional challenge for employees.

Retailers nationwide are increasingly looking at new ways they can ensure the safety of their staff and continue to make retail an attractive career choice.

Retail Ireland has been engaging with members and raising this issue with Government, highlighting the issues being experienced on the ground by retail staff members and looking at ways that Government and the Gardaí can support the sector through these challenges.

We are currently working with other groups across the island of Ireland, looking at what legal changes can be made to facilitate the better detection of crime and a sharing of knowledge between retailers on the issue. At the same time, we are looking at how we can better support HR departments when it comes to supporting employees that have been adversely affected by retail crime and harassment. This will be a major priority for the sector over the coming months.

Tel: 01-6051558 | www.retailireland.ie

Need more?

For more information about Retail Ireland and details of how your retail business can benefit from our unique services and supports, please visit us at www.retailireland.ie

NEW MINI NICOTINE POUCHES

SAME FLAVOUR, SMALLER POUCH

AVAILABLE IN SPEARMINT REGULAR

THE MINI WAY TO NICOTINE

FSAI and Healthy Ireland host food reformulation event

Food Reformulation in Ireland: A Workshop for Food Businesses was the title of an event held recently in Cork by the Food Reformulation Taskforce.

THE Food Reformulation Task Force, a partnership between the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and Healthy Ireland, recently hosted a workshop in Cork on food reformulation for food manufacturers, retailers and the out-of-home foodservice sector.

Attendees at ‘Food Reformulation in Ireland: A Workshop for Food Businesses’ heard opening remarks from Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, before presentations focusing on policy from the Department of Health, an insight into the National Prepared Consumer Food Centre by Teagasc, and an explanation of technical supports available for food businesses as they work on food reformulation.

The workshop also featured case studies from Kerry Dairy Ireland and Saltwell, as well as a presentation from Technological University Dublin on the role of industry and university collaboration in supporting food reformulation.

Food reformulation means improving the nutritional content of commonly consumed processed foods and drinks by reducing calories and target nutrients, such as saturated fat, salt and sugar. The goal of reformulation is to reduce target nutrients without increasing the energy content or nutrients of concern, to ensure foods with an improved nutrient profile are available to Irish consumers. The Food Reformulation Task Force is responsible for

implementing a Reformulation Roadmap with specific targets which will continue to be tracked until 2025.

Progress so far

The Food Reformulation Taskforce has also recently published its 2022 Progress Report, which details activities of the Task Force during its first year:

After extensive analysis of food consumed by people living in Ireland, 40 priority food categories for overall food reformulation were defined;

• Over 70 stakeholder meetings with food industry, retailers, foodservice sector, government bodies and agencies, universities, charities and professional organisations took place in 2022, discussing targets for the reduction of the levels of calories, saturated fats, sugar and salt in commonly eaten processed food and drinks;

• The Food Reformulation Task Force have created a Food Reformulation Research Paper Library on the FSAI website, capturing many relevant scientific research papers on food reformulation globally to support the food industry and researchers.

A great opportunity

Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO, FSAI, described the Cork workshop as “A great opportunity for food businesses to come together and hear what other businesses are doing to achieve food reformulation targets”.

Great advancements have been made in food reformulation throughout 2022, Dr Byrne explained: “As a food island, Ireland is a globally recognised leader in the safety and integrity of food, and this is thanks to how committed food businesses are to consumers and how agile they are in adapting to changing needs. We look forward to continuing to work with food businesses to ensure key targets are met, which ultimately result in the availability of food with an improved nutritional composition for health.”

Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton TD, described the collaboration between the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) Reformulation Task Force and the food industry as “fundamental in the reduction of saturated fat, sugar, and salt in commonly consumed processed food products in Ireland”.

Minister Naughton welcomed the progress made by the Task Force in the past year, working with industry and other stakeholders to deliver on the ambition of the Food Reformulation Roadmap. “The Roadmap and the Task Force are key elements of the Government’s policy ‘A Healthy Weight for Ireland, Ireland’s Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025’,” she noted, stressing how the Cork workshop will “pave the way for Irish consumers to access better quality food and assist people to live healthier lives and in particular, to reduce the levels of obesity in the population”.

Pictured at the reformulation workshop are Nuala Collins, Food Reformulation Task Force Lead; Fiona Ward, National Policy Advisor for Nutrition and Obesity, Healthy Ireland; Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO, FSAI; and Andrew Arbuthnott, International Key Account Manager, Saltwell.

Winners announced of Brand Development Award

Oliver Carty & Family were revealed as the winners of the €150,000 Love Irish Food Brand Development Award, which includes a creative bursary, product development package and business ‘healthcheck’.

OLIVER Carty & Family have been named the winner of the Love Irish Food Brand Development Award for 2023, a prize worth €150,000. The award is run in partnership with Global, one of the country’s leading outdoor advertising companies, and Owensddb for creative content and Marketing Network for digital support.

Based in Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Oliver Carty & Family is an award-winning producer of pork and bacon products. Led by Ted Carty, the family-owned business has been running for 70 years. The Oliver Carty main range is sourced exclusively from a single farm in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, the Little River Pig Farm. The pork is cured using Irish Atlantic Sea Salt harvested on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork. In 2021, the company held its firstever brand launch to grow awareness of the company and put the family name on a range of specially cured products. These also include a range of turkey medallions and lardons.

Since 2012, the Brand Development Award has been providing Love Irish Food member brands, with the chance to win a fully funded national outdoor advertising campaign from Global through its strong retail network, as well as receive support from Owensddb and Marketing Network.

The Business Development Award will provide Oliver Carty with €150,000 to put toward a campaign in 2023 to optimise their business objectives. The

main element of the campaign includes three bursts of advertising across Global’s PurchasePoint and dPod Retail network.

Building brand awareness

“The Love Irish Food Brand Development Award is a unique Irish food industry award,” noted Kieran Rumley, Executive Director, Love Irish Food. “We launched these awards 11 years ago to provide Irish SME brand producers with the opportunity to advertise to Irish consumers on a national level, giving them a huge opportunity to build brand awareness and connect with their target audience.

“Oliver Carty & Family is a developing Irish food brand, with very good retailer distribution network. This award will give the brand the assurance that it will be able to carry out an impactful business and advertising campaign in 2023 and reach its target consumers nationwide. It will also give the brand a greater opportunity to engage with retail buyers and planners. We look forward to helping to promote and support them in their branding goals

throughout 2023 and seeing their story reach Irish consumers on a national level.”

Embracing the opportunity

Accepting the Brand Development Award, Ted Carty, founder of Oliver Carty & Family, said: “It’s a fantastic achievement to win the 2023 Love Irish Food Brand Development Award. Aligning our brand with Love Irish Food and the work they do to support local Irish food brands is very important for us as a family-owned Irish business. With this award, we are looking forward to sharing the Oliver Carty family story with our customers and further promote our wonderful product within the Irish market.”

Antoinette O’Callaghan, Marketing Manager, Global, described the award as “a fantastic opportunity for an Irish brand to drive both brand awareness and purchase activation. Oliver Carty & Family have an incredible story to share and we are excited to see the campaign come to life across our retail network throughout this year.”

Pictured are (l-r): professional rugby player and Irish international Jack Carty, Aoife Carty; Antoinette O’Callaghan, Marketing Manager, Global; and Kieran Rumley, Executive Director, Love Irish Food.

MyWaste offers guide to waste segregation for businesses

GUIDANCE designed to take the uncertainty out of waste segregation for businesses is now available from MyWaste, Ireland’s official guide to waste. This Government-funded initiative provides a free and extensive suite of signage and training materials to help workforces make accurate recycling decisions.

This will assist Irish businesses achieve greater circular economy performance through increased recycling and composting rates. A waste characterisation study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that almost 70% of materials being placed in the general commercial waste bins is waste that should be placed in the recycling or food waste bins. Targeted materials (those suitable for recycling) accounted for only 60% of the materials in the mixed dry recycling bins, with food waste among the contaminants.

The study found that by improving waste segregation practices, businesses could divert significant amounts of waste from the general waste stream annually.

Speaking on behalf of the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, Kevin Swift, Connacht Ulster Region Waste Office, said, “This initiative will empower small and medium size businesses, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing and corporate sectors, to further improve how their waste is managed. With clear language and visuals, the materials will make it easy for staff to quickly understand what waste goes in what bin. This should help significantly increase the amount of recyclables and food waste diverted from the general bin and correctly placed in the recycling and food waste bins.”

The toolkit is free to download or order from www.mywaste.ie/business.

TFI Leap Card services exclusive to PostPoint agents

TFI Leap Services have moved to PostPoint retail outlets nationwide. TFI Leap cards and retail top-ups are now exclusively available over-the-counter in PostPoint stores. The service is also rolling out to all Post Offices nationwide.

TFI Leap is an integrated ticketing scheme that can be used on multiple transport operators and travel modes throughout Ireland. TFI Leap is not exclusive to Dublin public transport; it is widely used on all Bus Eireann routes, City and Town Bus Services and the TFI Local Rural Link Network. TFI Leap cards offer customers up to 30% discounts on cash prices.

As Ireland’s largest retail network, An Post/PostPoint will ensure that TFI Leap cards and top-ups are available nationwide in line with the NTA’s connecting Ireland Mobility Plan.

Grow footfall with multiple services

Becoming a PostPoint agent not only allows retailers to offer TFI Leap Services, but is also a fantastic opportunity to grow footfall with a variety of popular services.

PostPoint agents can accept parcels for customer pick-up and return, as well as a host of bill payments, including Local Property Tax and TV Licence renewal. Agents can sell stamps and One4all gift cards, with comprehensive marketing support throughout the year.

If you wish to offer TFI Leap services in your store, please contact PostPoint directly by email aprs.leap@anpost.ie, or call 1800 300 150 to arrange installation of a PostPoint terminal in your store.

Welcome to Ireland’s new drinking culture…

GARY O’Donovan grew up in the retail business. His late father, Joe, was a pioneer of the grocery trade, opening his first supermarket in Cork in the late 1960s, when the entire concept of self-service grocery was a novel one. Joe had a number of supermarkets around Cork City and opened his first dedicated off-licence in 1982 in Douglas village.

As a teenager, Gary cut his teeth during the summers, working part-time behind the counter, and then when he qualified from UCC with a Degree in Economics and Sociology in 1991, he joined the family-business full-time. The business expanded hugely throughout the 1990s, adding more off-licences around the greater Cork area, and moving their headquarters to a bonded warehouse in Little Island in the early 2000s, from where they now serve nine off-licences and employ upwards of 60 people.

While there is a perception that the off-trade made hay during Covid, when the hospitality sector was closed down and customers fully engaged in at-home entertaining, Gary maintains that the gains of the last couple of years are only really a re-balancing after the tough two decades that preceded the pandemic.

“For the 20 years leading up to that, we had nothing but turmoil in the off-trade, since the repeal of the Groceries Order,” he explains. “Going right back to the Ben Dunne days, multiples have always loved using alcohol as a footfall driver, and since the Groceries Order was repealed back in 2006, it has been a free-for-all, where the big multiples threw big budgets at promotions to the point where alcohol was being sold dangerously cheaply at different times of the year.

Gary O’Donovan, NOffLA Chair and MD of O’Donovan’s Off-Licence Group, discusses the biggest issues facing the Irish drinks industry, from punitive excise duties to spiralling costs, and explains why the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing has levelled the playing field for independent off-licences.

“In the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA), we class ourselves as the original route to market for alcohol products, but the last 20 years have been very difficult, given the amount of money thrown around by the multiples, who gave the impression that the multiple supermarkets were the only gig in town. During lockdown, when people had to

think and shop locally, our members were open throughout the pandemic, and it was positive for the off-trade in terms of figures. But it also resulted in a sea-change in the consumption of alcohol in Ireland.”

Many customers who perhaps hadn’t utilised their local independent off-licence before the pandemic suddenly realised the benefits in terms of range, staff knowledge, customer service, convenience and all the other areas where independent stores excel.

“It reinforced the principles which NOffLA members base our business on, which include good staff training, customer service, comprehensive range etc, so people rediscovered their local offlicence,” Gary notes.

The impact of MUP

The introduction of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act has been a welcome relief for the beleaguered independent off-licence owner, particularly due to the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol, Gary stresses: “The Alcohol Act was 11 years in the making but it has changed the goal-posts. MUP has evened the playing field, putting a floor of €1.60 below which a can of beer cannot be sold, while a bottle of wine has a minimum price of just under €8 and a bottle of spirits around €20.”

Gary O’Donovan: “In the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA), we class ourselves as the original route to market for alcohol products, but the last 20 years have been very difficult.”

Gary feels that the two years of the pandemic have changed the way Irish people drink alcohol, with socialising and entertaining at home far more popular now than pre-pandemic.

“People have got into the habit of consuming alcohol at home, and there is also the cost factor involved in drinking in the pub,” Gary admits. “The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Brexit have all meant that prices have increased. Ukraine is the bread basket of Europe for a lot of raw materials for many sectors, including the drinks industry, so there has been a price increase there. The price of glass has risen exponentially and the cost of logistics has also increased hugely and these all have knock-on effects. Across every category, we saw unprecedented cost increases across the board last year and the drinks industry was not spared.”

Spiralling costs

Spiralling energy costs have been well documented in these pages in recent months, and off-licences are particularly affected, especially in terms of refrigeration.

“In our own group, we have 100-

200 refrigerated doors around the shop network,” Gary explains. “We invested heavily in refrigeration because we know that many consumers want to buy a bottle of wine or a beer to consume immediately, but there is a huge cost to that. When the energy crisis really kicked off, we removed some fridges, as we are trying to be clever about our energy usage, to rethink how we use energy, to ensure we use it efficiently.”

Since the end of the pandemic, Gary feels that the off-trade has managed to hold onto some of the customers gained during lockdowns, but perhaps one of the biggest benefits of both lockdowns and MUP has been in consumers’ perception of the off-trade, Gary maintains, as they became aware of the range, value and customer service that is par for the course in the independent trade.

“It’s about resetting the clock now,” he says. “This year, there is a bit of normality in the business and we need to ensure we get back to the things we do well. We need to ensure we re-train our staff, which has always been a huge thing for NOffLA and for our own stores in particular. We put a heavy emphasis on education because we

We’ve seen a major change in drinking culture and drinking volumes in Ireland. It is a much smaller market now, so it’s all about trying to maintain any gains we made during the pandemic, because we were battered and bruised for two decades.

❝

Off-Trade Focus

understand that to truly sell a product, you have to know and understand that product. We made some gains during the lockdown of the hospitality sector and it’s up to us to hold onto customers.”

Gary has been a wine educator for the WSET for over 26 years and has seen renewed interest in the courses this year, with participation levels high: “Off-licence owners and staff want to upskill, which is good for the trade and the customers.”

Staffing remains a key issue for offlicence owners. “By the nature of the off-licence trade, with a lot of night-time and weekend work, it attracts a lot of thirdlevel students and part-timers, and some of them move on after a few years. To attract good staff is a real issue for the trade at the moment,” the NOffLA Chair admits.

Punitive excise duties

Ireland’s punitive excise duties are another huge concern for the drinks industry, both on- and off-trade. Ireland has the second highest excise levels on alcohol overall within the EU, with the highest excise duties on wine, the second highest on beer, and the third highest on spirits, and the NOffLA Chair feels that it is time for the Irish Government to act.

“Since the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing, we feel that it over-rides the argument that the Government always had for high excise duties being there to prevent misuse of alcohol,” he stresses. “We believe it is a good time for the Government to bring our excise duties in line with the rest of the EU. The drinks industry is crying out for the Government to look at excise levels, as the current rates mean that Ireland is a very expensive place for both our own consumers and for tourists too. The hotel, restaurant and pub industry are saying the same thing: this is making Ireland an expensive place to visit.”

The drinks market is changing, from the growth of craft beer to the “gin revolution”, as Gary calls it, the explosion in popularity of Irish whiskey and now “rum is coming in the rear-view mirror”. But this is all against the backdrop of falling alcohol consumption in general, with a drop of almost 30% since the peak in 2001.

“20 years ago, the pub was the place to be on a Friday night, but for younger people the gym is now often the place to be,” he muses. “We’ve seen a major change in drinking culture and drinking volumes in Ireland. It is a much smaller

Gary

believe it is a good time for the Government to bring our excise duties in line with the rest of the EU.”

market now, so it’s all about trying to maintain any gains we made during the pandemic, because we were battered and bruised for two decades.”

There has also been a lot of media attention in recent weeks on increases in shoplifting and abuse of staff in the retail sector. “Theft was always an issue in the alcohol industry and it has got a lot worse in the last two years and is more noticeable than it has been ever,” Gary notes. “The cost-of-living crisis is having

an effect, and we are seeing a rise in attempted thefts.”

Despite the challenges ahead, however, Gary is optimistic for the future. “I think we have seen a change in culture in terms of people’s drinking habits, with a lot more home entertaining. The drinking culture from pre-Covid has changed since lockdowns, so I would be optimistic for the future of our trade. It’s up to us, as offlicence owners, to continue to deliver for our customers.”

O’Donovan: “We

Summer spirit soaring high

THE Irish spirits category has performed well over the last few years, as consumers embrace cocktail culture like never before. Even during the pandemic, spirits sales remained high thanks to the cocktail-making trend. Indeed, cocktails had been trending prior to the pandemic, as they are popular with millennials for their sweet tastes and have high Instagram-appeal, according to the latest report into the sector from Euromonitor International. Premiumisation has been a notable trend in spirits for some time, but the shift to home drinking has given it another boost, according to Euromonitor. After the major focus on gin, attention is shifting to the potential of other categories such as rum and tequila to drive volume growth, according to the report, as these are both traditionally seen as party spirits, widely drunk amongst millennials and the younger generations.

Non-alcoholic spirits have also witnessed strong growth in recent years, driven by the health and wellness trend, notably amongst young consumers but also older consumers trying to cut back on their alcohol consumption, Euromonitor reveal. The healthconscious are more aware than ever of the negative consequences of drinking too much alcohol, partly due to recent government initiatives in Ireland to reduce drinking.

BuzzBallz Cocktails

The Slattery Group recently launched the American sensation BuzzBallz Cocktails into the Irish market.

The consumer response has been amazing in both the ontrade and off-trade.

According to Karl Slattery, Managing Director of Michael Slattery Wines & Spirits, BuzzBallz have brought fun, novelty and much needed excitement into the entire drinks trade: “This is something different from the other brands. The liquid tastes

brilliant, the variety is amazing, and I think consumers appreciate that they are getting a quality cocktail in a unique package at a great price”.

BuzzBallz Cocktails are available in six flavours: Strawberry Rita, Tequila Rita, Espresso Martini, Choc Tease, Chili Mango and Lotta Colada. All are produced with premium spirits, real fruit juices, natural flavours and ingredients. Unlike most pre-mixed ready-to-drink brands, BuzzBallz are produced at bar-strength (13.5% ABV).

BuzzBallz are retailing at €5 per ball and are situated beside the other ready-to-drink premised alcoholic drinks in-store. Ideally,

BuzzBallz Cocktails are available in six flavours: Strawberry Rita, Tequila Rita, Espresso Martini, Choc Tease, Chili Mango and Lotta Colada.

Cocktail culture has really taken hold in Ireland, as consumers embrace their inner mixologist for home entertaining.

Summer Stocking: Spirits

BuzzBallz Cocktails, produced with premium spirits, real fruit juices, natural flavours and ingredients, have been creating a stir in the off-trade.

they are situated in the store fridge so they can be enjoyed cold for optimal refreshment.

Passoã

Passoã, distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam, is a passion fruit liqueur with a full-bodied sweetness that brings a twist and burst of zest to the palate. Made with real passion fruit from Brazil, Passoã is unmistakably tickled red with an intensely stimulating flavour.

It is the ideal ingredient for simple mixes; easy to make, drink and share. It is the perfect way to add a little passion to your favourite classic and frozen cocktails; with Passoã, there are no boundaries to the delicious drinks you can make.

Passoã was created over 30 years ago. Since then, the distinguishing black bottle has become a household name amongst the cocktail lovers. Cocktail parties at home are not complete without it. With an ABV of 20%, Passoã is a great low alcohol option, also when served with tonic water or ginger ale, or as part of the hero cocktail, the original Porn Star Martini!

Bols Ready To Enjoy Cocktails

Passoã is a passion fruit liqueur with an intensely stimulating flavour.

The Lucas Bols Company is a leading global cocktail and spirits player in the worldwide cocktail market and one of the oldest Dutch companies still active. Their mission is to create great cocktail experiences around the globe. Lucas Bols have now launched Bols RTE (Ready To Enjoy), crafted according to true bartending recipes, with premium eye-catching packaging for an easy serve – all one has to do is ‘chill, shake, pour, garnish’. They are made with all natural ingredients, no preservatives, and are available in 700ml bottles, which serves six to seven cocktails. Proudly distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

There are currently three cocktails available as Bols RTE: Bols Margarita Azul, Bols Espresso Martini and Bols Pornstar Martini. The Bols Margarita Azul can have even more aromatic oranges by adding the signature Blue Curaçao liqueur. The Bols Espresso Martini is rich and creamy with a hint of dark roast. The Bols Pornstar Martini is fruity and exotic and likely to liven up any party.

There are currently three cocktails available as Bols RTE: Bols Margarita Azul, Bols Espresso Martini and Bols Pornstar Martini.

Fercullen Single Malt Whiskey

The Powerscourt Distillery is proud to announce its latest release, a Single Malt whiskey that is the first distilled whiskey from Co. Wicklow in over 100 years. Fercullen Single Malt is available since April 28 with an RRP of €55.

“Our First Fercullen Single Malt release takes authentic inspiration from our unique location,” reveals John Cashman, the head of New Product Development for The Powerscourt Distillery and local Wicklow man from Rathdrum. “It is a great honour to be involved in the inaugural release of a whiskey which was completely distilled here in Powerscourt Distillery.”

Glendalough Irish Gin

Glendalough Distillery, and its parent company Mark Anthony Brands International, have announced the international launch of an elegant new bottle design for Glendalough Irish Gin. Glendalough

Fercullen Single Malt is the first distilled whiskey from Co. Wicklow in over 100 years.

Irish Gin is progressively crafted with fresh, wild botanicals, handpicked by the distillery’s full-time forager, Geraldine Kavanagh, to capture the purest expression of the rich land of Glendalough. The new bottle design takes inspiration from this unique story of people and place and pays homage to the bountiful, ancient valley of Glendalough.

The new bottle design features St Kevin, the founder of Glendalough’s monastery, standing as a strong but gentle guardian, instilling his legacy of reverence for the land he discovered.

Summer Stocking: Spirits

Geraldine Kavanagh’s considerate approach to foraging and care for the land is preserved in the new bottle design, with an embossed woven pattern sitting at the base, representing the handwoven basket with which she forages.

From the foot of the bottle, the wild botanicals that Geraldine forages are embossed around the bottle, reflecting the ingredients such as sorrel, elderflower and fir that create the distinct notes of Glendalough Wild Botanical Irish Gin. Amongst the bottle’s embossed features, nods to Glendalough’s ancient past can also be found, including the Monastery Archway, Seven Churches and Deer Stone.

“At Glendalough Distillery, we are passionate about crafting liquids with a profound sense of place and we aim to capture the purest expression of Glendalough in our luxury Irish gins,” noted Enda O’Sullivan, Vice President of Spirits at Mark Anthony Brands International.

The new bottles of Glendalough Wild Botanical Irish Gin and Glendalough Wild Rose Irish Gin are now available nationwide in SuperValu, O'Briens, Tesco, Celtic Whiskey Shop, CarryOut, Molloys, and all good independent off-licences (RRP €44).

Jack

Daniel’s

JACK Daniel’s and Coca-Cola have officially announced the launch of Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola readyto-drink (RTD) in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

and Coca-Cola RTD launches

Tanqueray 0.0%

Ireland is the fastest growing alcohol-free market globally (KAM Media, June 2022), with the alcohol-free sector expected to more than double in size over the next three years. Capturing this growing trend, Tanqueray 0.0%, an alcohol-free spirit alternative to Tanqueray London Dry gin, was officially launched recently by Amy Huberman.

Tanqueray 0.0% has been crafted and perfectly balanced using the same distinct blend of four quality botanicals used in the making of Tanqueray London Dry gin, resulting in a citrus style and juniper led profile, with a delicate botanical complexity behind it. Tanqueray’s four quality botanicals (piney juniper, peppery coriander, aromatic angelica and sweet liquorice) are individually immersed in water, heated, and then distilled to give a complex, delicious flavour, yet zero-alcohol.

Last year, Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola announced that they would be teaming up to provide fans with the option to enjoy the drink inspired by one of the world’s most popular branded “bar calls”, a cocktail ordered with specific brand names, in a convenient, ready-to-drink format.

The product resulting from this global agreement between the two iconic brands will hit shelves in Ireland and Northern Ireland, alongside other markets in Europe, before expanding to other global markets in Latin America and Asia throughout 2023. The product debuted in Mexico in November 2022.

“Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola is a number one bar call in the world and now, we are delighted to be able to bring it to consumers in a new ready-to-drink offering,” noted Johnny Scott, Coffee & Premium Spirits Business Director, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Marshall Farrer, EVP, Chief Strategic Growth Officer and President Europe, from Brown-Forman, the owner of Jack Daniel’s, commented: “We are thrilled that Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola RTD is expanding to new markets, delivering the unique taste that was made to set the standard for bar calls around the world to our fans in Europe.”

The packaging boldly integrates iconic qualities of both brands – the red Coca-Cola logo written in its classic Spencerian script, combined with the elegant, black Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 design. A Coca-Cola Zero Sugar version will also be available in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

New Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola ready-to-drink (RTD) is set to be a huge hit in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Amy Huberman is the Brand Ambassador for new Tanqueray 0.0%.

Glendalough Irish Gin has an elegant new bottle design which pays homage to the bountiful, ancient valley of Glendalough.

“We know from research that eight out of 10 Irish adults say it would be helpful to have an alcohol-free alternative readily available for social occasions, with 78% likely to try an alcoholfree alternative of a brand they know and love (Diageo Pulse Survey, October),” noted Hilary Quinn, Marketing Director, Diageo Ireland. “Consumers don’t want to sacrifice taste and overall experience when they’re not consuming alcohol, and by using the same distinct blend of quality botanicals, Tanqueray 0.0% offers an elevated and exciting option, with the same citrus style and juniper led profile that Tanqueray consumers know and love.”

Irish actor and writer, Amy Huberman is the Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray 0.0%: “I’m a huge fan of Tanqueray, and I was so happy to work with the team to launch Tanqueray 0.0% in Ireland. It’s great to have an alcohol-free option on hand, especially from a brand that we trust for its wonderful flavour profile.”

Bushmills

In celebration of the 415th anniversary of their licence to distil, Bushmills Irish Whiskey have revealed two new rare, aged whiskeys which have been created as permanent additions to their core range – a 25 Year Old and a 30 Year Old Single Malt.

Drawn from the greatest reserve of aged Irish single malt whiskey in the world, and among the rarest small batch whiskeys ever produced at the distillery in County Antrim, the 25 and 30 Year Old mark Bushmills’ bold entry into the ultra-prestige single malt segment. Both are superb whiskeys, distinctively Irish, with deep triple distilled smoothness and are wholly complex and utterly unique.

The Bushmills 25 Year Old is a 46% ABV, non chill-filtered, Irish single malt that has been matured at the Old Bushmills Distillery for between four and six years before being finished in ruby port pipes for up to 21 years.

The 30 Year Old, distilled in 1992, is the oldest expression released as part of the Bushmills core range to date. Bottled at 46% ABV and non chill-filtered, this sublime whiskey has been matured for 14 years before being finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for 16 years.

The launch coincides with the opening of the new Stg£37 million state-of-the-art Causeway Distillery. The cutting-edge 39,000 square feet facility, situated on the same site as the Old Bushmills Distillery, will blend high tech with ancient craft.

Writers’ Tears sponsors Bloomsday Film Festival

WRITERS’ Tears are the new sponsor of the Bloomsday Film Festival, which celebrates film and literature in celebration of James Joyce’s relationship with cinema. The film festival is run in partnership with the Bloomsday Festival and the James Joyce Centre and proudly showcases innovative filmmakers who seek to push the craft forward, as Joyce did so greatly within his own craft, literature.

Writers’ Tears Irish Whiskeys is inspired by the golden era of Irish whiskey, pot still distillation and the creative thinkers and artists, such as James Joyce, that define Irish culture.

As part of the new sponsorship agreement, Writers’ Tears will provide a cash prize of €1,000 to the winner of the Best Overall Short Film in addition to a limited-edition bottle of Writers’ Tears Ulysses Centenary edition whiskey.

The limited, collector’s edition bottle was launched to commemorate the centenary of one of the world’s most renowned literary works – James Joyce’s Ulysses. Designed by Studio Minerva of London, the bottle features a striking screenprint and line drawing of Sweny’s Pharmacy, which Joyce himself visited in 1904 and features in Episode 5 of Ulysses.

Winners in all other categories will also receive a Writers' Tears gift in addition to the Bloomsday Film Festival special award.

For more information, see filmfreeway.com/ BloomsdayFilmFestival

The Bushmills 30 Year Old, distilled in 1992, is the oldest expression released as part of the Bushmills core range to date.

Writers’ Tears Ulysses Centenary edition whiskey was launched to commemorate the centenary of one of the world’s most renowned literary works, James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Fine outlook for wine

Jean Smullen looks at the wine styles and brands set to soar this summer.

DURING the summer months, lighter style of wines will be very much in demand, especially those with a low ABV. White and rosé sales are strong all year round but in summer even more so. Sales of lighter fruiter styles of red wines are also strong, but the fastest growing wine category are No and Low alcohol.

Those of us of a certain age working in the wine trade have had to learn a whole new vocabulary in recent years. 30 years ago, the descriptive words we learned did not include ‘sober curious’, ‘damp’ or ‘mindful drinking’. Today, moderate drinking is a more reasonable route toward building a healthy and a more sustainable relationship with alcohol. The ‘damp’ lifestyle movement is now being embraced by all age groups. To meet the demand, many of the alcohol companies have invested heavily in the introduction of innovative new products, and many established brands have developed Low/No alcohol versions of their beer, wines and spirits. Drinks manufacturers have finally woken up to the idea that there is real consumer demand for quality non-alcoholic products, and the current range of wines available in this category are the best they have ever been.

The quality of de-alcoholised wine has improved dramatically in recent years, although it must be remembered the alcohol knits it all together and is what gives the wine structure and affects how we perceive the taste of a wine. You should always remember, wines with naturally low ABV are also widely available. Riesling from Germany or Alsace are two examples, or Vinho Verde from the Portuguese region of Minho, which usually has an ABV of 11.5%; all are great recommendations for customers looking for a lower alcohol choice. The IWSR, who monitor global alcoholic beverage trends, predict the coming decade will see sales in the Low/No alcohol category grow 10 times faster than normal alcoholic drinks. The annual growth rate

for Low/No, will be +8% for the period 2022 and 2025, against expected growth of +0.7% for standard alcoholic beverages.

The following wine brands are sure to prove popular this summer, including a host of Low and No alcohol wines.

Villa Maria Blush (Barry & Fitzwilliam)

Villa Maria’s fresh new take on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has landed in Ireland. Is it a rosé? Is it a Sauvignon Blanc? Villa Maria has created the best of both worlds with a New Zealand Blush Sauvignon. 90% sauvignon blanc, with just a touch of merlot (10%), Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon delivers the taste experience of New Zealand’s favourite white wine with a beautiful pale pink twist.

“It feels like everyone is drinking pink these days,” says Villa Maria Head of Marketing and Communications, Sarah Szegota. “Instagram feeds and social occasions are dominated by the fun-factor pale rosés and pink spirits offer, and data highlights this rapid

Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon delivers the taste experience of New Zealand’s favourite white wine with a beautiful pale pink twist.

Summer Stocking: Wines

growth in rosé. Yet despite all the noise, growth and ‘Grams’, the Rosé category remains dwarfed by Sauvignon Blanc. Villa Maria Sauvignon Blush gives you the best of both. We’ve taken the cool, fresh, leap-from- the-glass energy of our world-renowned Sauvignon Blanc and added a splash of merlot to make a wine with a delicate pink hue, bursting with fresh flavours of passionfruit and cranberry.”

The Villa Maria range is distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Kylie’s Zero % Sparkling Rosé (Barry & Fitzwilliam)

In December 2022, Kylie Minogue Wines launched their first 0% alcohol sparkling rosé in the UK. The wine is made from organic European grapes blended with Chinese green tea extract. The addition of green tea adds acidity and tannin and gives the 0% alcohol wine a more structured mouth-feel. Kylie Minogue Alcohol-Free Sparkling Rosé (RRP €9.95) comes in at just 22 calories, about 80 calories less than a standard glass of Prosecco, great for those watching their calorie intake. Since they were first launched in 2020, Kylie Minogue’s range of wines have achieved remarkable success. The Zero Sparkling Rosé is part of the portfolio of nine wines that includes Kylie’s best-selling wine range with alcohol, including her Rosé and Prosecco Rosé, both of which are guaranteed to be in great demand this summer.

McGuigan Alcohol Free Range (Barry & Fitzwilliam)

McGuigan Wines, the fourth-generation Australian winemaker and one of the world’s most awarded wineries, have boosted

their range of new products in the Irish market with their Zero Alcohol range. The McGuigan family tradition of winemaking started back in 1869 in the Hunter Valley and today McGuigan is the number one Australian wine brand on the Irish market, with a range of unique wines that embody their true Australian style. McGuigan have over 15 years' experience in low and no alcohol wine production and use the spinning cone column technology. Their McGuigan Zero Range contains 0.5% alcohol and the range includes the McGuigan Alcohol Free Sauvignon Blanc, McGuigan Alcohol Free Shiraz, and McGuigan Alcohol Free Rosé: all are on offer this summer at €5.90 (down from €7).

Barefoot (Comans Beverages)

Barefoot, the number one wine brand in the USA, is also the top selling Californian brand on this market. Last year, they were in sixth place in the Retail News Top 20 Wine Brands. Their range includes Barefoot Moscato, Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon, Barefoot Malbec, Barefoot Chardonnay, Barefoot Pink Pinot Grigio and Barefoot Pink Moscato, alongside Barefoot Pinot Grigio, Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc, Barefoot Merlot, and Barefoot White Zinfandel.

The McGuigan Zero Range contains 0.5% alcohol and the range includes the McGuigan Alcohol Free Sauvignon Blanc, McGuigan Alcohol Free Shiraz, and McGuigan Alcohol Free Rosé.

Barefoot: the top selling Californian wine brand in Ireland.

Last Autumn, the 2021 Barefoot Buttery Chardonnay hit Irish shelves and has been selling strongly since its launch. With pronounced aromas of pineapple and a hint of butter, the melon fruit flavours are complemented by the flavours of vanilla and spice. With an RRP of €10.50 for this and all the other wines in the range, make sure you stock it this summer.

This summer on July 4, the Barefoot White Zinfandel Frozé will be served at the Summer Party in the US Ambassador’s Residence in the Phoenix Park. Barefoot will also celebrate Pride Week with a striking rainbow label on their White Zinfandel Pride Edition bottle. Also this summer, Sea Sessions, Ireland's only festival to feature beach sports, is sponsored by Barefoot Wine. Featuring volleyball, soccer, rugby, frisbee and yoga, beach sports fanatics are set to join headliners Kasabian, Becky Hill and The Coronas at the biggest beach party weekend of the year, taking place from June 16-18 in Bundoran, Co. Donegal.

Kylie Minogue Alcohol-Free Sparkling Rosé is made from organic European grapes blended with Chinese green tea extract.

Summer Stocking: Wines

Graham Norton Frizzante Prosecco (Barry & Fitzwilliam)

A decade on from their initial launch, the Graham Norton range has captured the heart of the Irish wine consumer. Graham first joined the illustrious ranks of the global Irish wine diaspora in 2014 with the release of the first vintage of Graham Norton’s Own Sauvignon Blanc. For his first vintage, New Zealand winery Invivo flew fresh-picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes from Marlborough to London to be squashed by Graham’s feet. That first wine was only available in New Zealand and sold out 14,000 bottles in a few days. Since those first 14,000 bottles in 2014, the Graham Norton's Own Wine and Spirits range has grown so much that it now achieves sales of over 15 million bottles per annum, with a range of 11 products.

“It’s surreal to think that our little collaboration, that started out all those years ago is now sold all over the world,” said Graham. “I am amazed, and proud of it too. I don’t just put my name to the wines; I’m involved and I love being part of the process.”

Last year, the GN Wine range was 14th Retail News

on the skins. This Rosé has lovely stone fruit aromas. Because it is slightly sweeter, it has a more full-bodied sensation when you taste it, as well as lots of ripe summer fruit flavours of strawberry and cherry. With an RRP of €13, this will be available in independent off licences and offers great value at this price.

Casal de Ventozela (Cassidy Wines)

Casal de Ventozela is a family winery in Minho, whose vineyards are situated in the heart of the Vinho Verde region. This wine is made from a white native grape called Arinto and has balanced acidity and flavours of lemon and pineapple. Vinho Verde wines are bottled with a certain amount of carbon dioxide, meaning they are lightly sparkling. 2021 Casal de Ventozela Arinto is on offer in independent off licences for €13.99, down from €15.99.

2021 Casal de Ventozela

Alvarinho is a premium white wine made from 100%

Alvarinho in

Look

Top 20 Wine Brands. The GN New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is now the third most popular Sauvignon Blanc on the Irish market. Look out this summer for the Graham Norton Frizzante Prosecco on offer at €11.49, reduced from €13.

Blue Fish Organic Riesling (Comans Beverages)

Look out for this brand-new wine in Comans’ portfolio. This modern German wine brand is produced in the Pfalz (Palatinate) region of Germany. The Palatinate is Germany ‘s second largest wine producing region, located close to the French border. It is the largest single Riesling growing appellation in the world. Blue Fish Organic Riesling is an organically produced bone-dry Riesling with an ABV of 12% and an RRP of €13. Make sure to be well ahead of the curve this summer as the demand for German Riesling starts to increase.

Cantine Maschio Prosecco Rosé (Comans Beverages)

Prosecco is a light fresh sparkling wine, low in alcohol and intensely aromatic (this one has 11% ABV). The Cantine Maschio Prosecco Rosé is made from 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Nero fermented

crisp wines

high acidity. The wine has lovely aromas on the nose, but is surprisingly full bodied when you taste it with lovely stone fruit. On offer in independents at €15.99 this spring, down from an RRP of €19.99.

Alvarinho is a premium white wine made from 100% Albariño, known as Alvarinho in Portugal.

Concha y Toro

Look out for Concha y Toro’s brand-new Sauvignon Blanc. This summer, Concha y Toro will introduce two brand new white wines from Concha y Toro’s bolder and more disruptive brand, Diablo. Made from fruit grown in in Chile’s Valle de Curicó, the Diablo Crystal Sauvignon Blanc is fresh, with delicate aromas of white peach. With fresh acidity and pronounced citrus flavours, this versatile wine is a perfect recommendation to serve with fresh grilled fish, shellfish and a range of soft cheese.

Blue Fish Organic Riesling is an organically produced bone-dry German Riesling with an ABV of 12%.

2021 Casal de Ventozela

New Diablo Crystal Sauvignon Blanc is made from fruit grown in in Chile’s Valle de Curicó.

out this summer for the Graham Norton Frizzante Prosecco on special offer.

Summer Stocking: Wines

Diablo Crystal Sauvignon Blanc will have an RRP of €14.

Diablo’s second Sauvignon Blanc is the 2022 Casillero del Diablo Reserva Especial Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is a level up from their well-known Reserva range. The grapes are sourced from vineyards located a few kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, in the horse-shoe shaped Colchagua Valley. Here, the granite and clay soils combine with the proximity to the coast to create a fresh Sauvignon Blanc style. This wine has tropical fruit aromas and, on the palate, an expressive freshness with citrus and grapefruit flavours. On offer this summer with an RRP of €14.

Santa Rita (Bibendum Ireland)

With two in every five wine drinkers globally reducing their alcohol consumption, Santa Rita continues to beat the drum for this category with their de-alcoholised wine. The 2021 Santa Rita ‘De-Alcoholised’ Sauvignon Blanc has an ABV of 0.4% alcohol and has white peach aromas and a refreshing acidity. The 2021 Santa Rita 120 ‘De-Alcoholised’ Cabernet Sauvignon has lots of red fruit flavours and an 0.4% alcohol. Both have an RRP of €5 and will be widely available in supermarkets this summer.

Wolf Blass (Findlater & Co)

One of Australia’s most famous wines, Wolf Blass has teamed up with Secret Escapes to offer the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime trip to Venice, with a five-night break in the Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani Venice and €500 spending money. “We are delighted to partner with Secret Escapes to offer this fantastic opportunity for travellers to experience an extraordinary escape,” said Tony Ashton, Global Marketing Director of Wolf Blass. “Our wines are crafted to offer a premium experience, and we wanted to extend that same level of luxury to our customers with this promotion.” Consumers can enter the competition via the Wolf Blass special promotional bottles.

Blossom Hill (Findlater & Co)

Another very popular wine brand from California is Blossom Hill, whose range includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, White Grenache and of course the muchloved White Zinfandel, as well as the newest addition, Sparkling Zinfandel. Blossom Hill has 17 wines in its portfolio and enjoys strong brand awareness, especially with younger shoppers, thanks to its positioning as an easy-drinking, fruit-forward wine to share with friends and its brand new packaging reflects this. This summer Blossom Hill will be running a giveaway competition, offering the wine consumer the chance to win book bundles featuring this summer's hottest reads. This competition is ideal for book club friends who want to create memories, share stories and celebrate the power of friendship.

[yellowtail] (Bibendum Ireland)

[yellowtail], Ireland’s favourite Australian wine brand, has a range of affordable wines suitable for the summer months, from bold reds to pair with sizzling BBQ’s and refreshing whites to sip on while soaking in the sun. You can spot these distinctive wine bottles in any retail store by their eye-catching coloured labels and new gold medals. These gold labels showcase that the brand has won over 550 awards, including ‘The World’s Most Loved Wine Brand’.

In 1957, founders Filippo and Maria Casella migrated from Sicily and arrived on Australian shores. They began making

[yellowtail] Sauvignon

Blanc is a crisp and refreshing wine bursting with zingy passionfruit and grapefruit flavours.

Santa Rita ‘De-Alcoholised’ Sauvignon Blanc and Santa Rita 120 ‘De-Alcoholised’ Cabernet Sauvignon are proving hugely popular in Ireland.

wine with the family’s winemaking philosophy at its heart; to bring family and friends together on any occasion. This approach inspired John Casella’s vision for [yellow tail] to demonstrate that wine could be fun, easy to choose, easy to drink and easy to understand. [yellowtail] Sauvignon Blanc is best known for its drinkability. It is a crisp and refreshing wine bursting with zingy passionfruit and grapefruit flavours.

Bottega 0 White (Bibendum Ireland)

Sparkling Zero White Bottega is a non-alcoholic Prosecco-style wine. Zero Sparkling wines are very much on-trend and are currently in great demand, especially with Generation

Z. Bottega is a premium Prosecco house with a strong brand visibility thanks to their premium range of Prosecco. Bottega O White contains 0.5% alcohol. Perfect for summer parties; make sure you stock it.

Bodegas Ramón Bilbao (Bibendum Ireland)

Bodegas Ramón Bilbao is one of Spain’s best-selling wines, originally founded in 1924. In 1999, the winery was purchased by Diego Zamora, who have extensively modernised it.

Summer Stocking: Wines

a significantly warmer climate than the other maritime regions. Most of Bierzo’s vineyards are planted at a high altitude of 600 metres (1,900 feet), mostly alongside the river Sil. The whites are predominantly made from local grapes but the best are those made from the rarer Godello. Godello is a high quality, aromatic grape, native to the Galicia region. It makes wines that are not dis-similar to Albariño, with ripe peach notes. Godello tends to have more acidity than Albariño, so is the perfect recommendation for customers who like acidic white wines. This is one of the few Bierzo whites aged on its lees, so it has more rounded citrus fruit showing through. 2022 Bodega Godelia (RRP €19) is a blend of 80% Godello and 20% Doña Blanca.

19 Crimes’ new rebel campaign

AWARD-winning global wine brand 19 Crimes, distributed by Findlater & Co, has solidified its reputation as an industry innovator with the launch of a disruptive new brand campaign. Designed to recruit new consumers into wine, the campaign invites a new generation of curious rebels to experience 19 Crimes and challenge the status quo while being true to themselves.

Created by leading LA-based agency Observatory and shot in Slovenia by acclaimed Director Malia James, famous for her work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, this campaign is gritty and spontaneous, pushing the boundaries of creativity in wine marketing.

The Ramón Bilbao Reserva is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo and is aged for 20 months in American oak casks.

Ramón Bilbao makes wines that are fresh, elegant, and fruity. In 2020 Ramón Bilbao was voted as the number one Rioja brand in ‘World’s Most Admired Wine Brands’. The wines are produced in their winery in Haro and all are certified vegan.

Ramón Bilbao currently owns 240 ha. of their own vines, most of which are over 40 years old. In addition, they cultivate a further 900 ha. of vines through working with growers with whom they have a very close relationship. The Ramón Bilbao Reserva is made from 40-year-old vines grown in the Rioja Alto region. The wine is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo and is aged for 20 months in American oak casks. A Silver Medal winner at the 2020 IWC Award, this wine was also awarded 92 Peñín Guide Points.

Bodegas Godeila (Febvre & Co)

The Bierzo DO lies to the east of Rías Baixas near the border between Galicia and Castilla y León and has

Godelia

is

This innovative wine brand defies convention to tell the authentic story of more than 160,000 exiled men and women - the rebels who forged a new culture and national spirit in Australia. Celebrating rebellion and individuality, 19 Crimes has been a standout success for global wine producer Treasury Wine Estates since it launched in Canada in 2011.

19 Crimes' new campaign invites a new generation of curious rebels to experience 19 Crimes and challenge the status quo while being true to themselves, with the tagline ‘Or don’t’.

Godello

made with Godello, a high quality, aromatic grape, native to the Galicia region.

Summer Stocking: Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks & Water

off-trade sales. A fundamental growth driver for bottled water is expected to be the improved health-consciousness of Irish consumers and the focus on preventative health. As seen in other soft drinks categories, consumers are therefore increasingly looking for functional beverages to meet their needs.

Red Bull

SoftSells

As the days grow longer and Ireland gears up for all the pleasures of warm weather, Red Bull unveils this year’s Red Bull Summer Edition, Juneberry. This limitedtime offering is available from mid-May.

The market remains buoyant for the soft drinks, energy drinks and bottled water categories, particularly in the impulse channel.

SALES of soft drinks have been very high in recent years, particularly during the pandemic when the on-trade was closed for a considerable period of time.

However, the latest report into the Irish soft drinks category from Euromonitor International argues that as Irish consumers’ budgets have been squeezed in 2022, many have sought cheaper alternatives to the more expensive branded offerings, with own brand soft drinks growing their share of off-trade volume.

Interestingly, given the move to smaller, on-the-go formats, arising from increased mobility in Ireland, some retailers have been benefiting more than others, according to Euromonitor. For example, given more impulse purchases, smaller, local retailers such as convenience stores and small local grocers are expected to continue to enjoy higher

distribution volume shares than in the past.

In the off-trade channel, nearly all soft drinks categories are expected to continue to see volume and current value growth at the top level in the coming years, according to Euromonitor. The exception to this is carbonates, which is set to experience a negative off-trade volume CAGR, yet the rate of decline is set to slow, as an increasing number of its products align with the demand for health and wellness offerings.

When it comes to energy drinks, reduced sugar variants remain key for the continued development of the category, Euromonitor note, as public concern over health as part of nutrition continues to grow.

Bottled water is expected to perform well in the coming years, according to Euromonitor. Hybrid working will continue to generate more consumption occasions in the home, maintaining high and rising

New limited edition Red Bull Juneberry, available from mid-May.

In May and June, Red Bull are hosting two Red Bull Conquer the Castle events –each with its own unique challenges, taking place in Castle Irvine, Co. Fermanagh on May 6, and Cashel, Co. Tipperary, on June 10. The testing course will stress test the body and mind to their limits.

The Cashel course will differ from the 2022 version, with additional features and an extended course. This sprint course will be 2.5km in length, with approximately 20 obstacles to overcome. The Castle Irvine course is 3.5km in length, with upwards of 25 obstacles. There’s no point pacing yourself –this will be full-tilt from start to finish!

Summer Stocking: Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks & Water

Club Mixers

Changes continue to evolve for the better at the number one Irish mixer brand, Club, as the brand unveils its new bold and vibrant design.

The new design sees the brand move closer to the Club master brand, with the energy from the Club brand mark echoed and built on by illustrations from their past that radiate out in a fun, playful and ownable style.

“We are very excited about our new Club Mixers’ design, as it is very important for us to keep such an iconic Irish brand contemporary and relevant to the modern consumer,” said Brian Greer, Marketing Manager, Britvic Ireland. “Not only has our focus over the years been on delivering a unique and superior taste experience, we want everyone to know we share a purpose of savouring every moment and living life to the full along with Club.

Mixers ensure relevance across many drinking opportunities. The portfolio offers a wide range of flavours, best enjoyed chilled over ice with a garnish of choice. Club Mixers are the perfect accompaniment to spirits, expertly designed to blend deliciously with gins, vodkas and whiskeys.

Deep RiverRock

Deep RiverRock is the number one impulse water brand on the island of Ireland, as verified by NielsenIQ February Value Sales Report (Source: NielsenIQ Total Island of Ireland Value Sales, 4-weeks sales to 25/02/23). After 22 consecutive months of growth in the market, Deep RiverRock, which is sourced beneath the glacial hill of Co. Antrim, has become the number one goto brand for on-the-go consumption.

Introduced to the market in 1994, Deep RiverRock is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, all naturally occurring within the source. In 2021, Deep RiverRock embarked on a new strategic direction with the launch of its Nice One! campaign reflecting the brand’s positive, feel good and irreverent tone of voice with the support of its brand ambassador, comedian Tony Cantwell.

In 2022, Deep RiverRock Vital was launched, giving consumers a refreshing new vitamin enhanced water and juice drink packed full of deliciousness to support the mind and body. The juicy vitamin boost contains important vitamins and minerals that support mental performance, cognitive function and energy boost throughout the day. The campaign, ‘Skip to the Vital Stuff’, set out to cut through the noise for a time-poor Gen Z audience and deliver only the ‘Vital’ information that Deep RiverRock Vital is the juicy vitamin boost!

“Today marks a significant milestone for Deep RiverRock in claiming the number one spot as the most popular impulse water brand on the island of Ireland,” noted Shane McQuaid, Brands Marketing Manager. “Since launching in 1994, the brand has transformed the market, leading the way in sustainability with the first 100% recycled bottles in 2019 and the launch of new flavours and our new vitamin enhanced water and juice drink, Vital, in 2022. Deep RiverRock reflects a modern, optimistic and changing Ireland, one where sustainability and health are key to the consumer. 2023 will present another exciting year for the brand with a lot more to come!”

Ballygowan

Britvic Ireland and Flogas Enterprise have announced a new Customer Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) to the value of €2.5 million, which will ensure that Ballygowan is produced using 100% renewable electricity harnessed from wind energy.

Club Mixers have unveiled a new bold and vibrant design.

“We know Irish consumers are eager to buy local brands, especially ones that matter more to them,” he added. “Our new modern Irish design, built on by illustrations of our rich and iconic history, is intended to appeal to a broader, younger audience, focusing on the attributes of heritage, quality and reliability. We have big growth ambitions over the next five years and this next evolution of the brand has been designed to transform how we engage with consumers, while emphasising our Irish values through our unique history.”

Available as 6 x 330ml can pack and 850ml PET for the grocery channel, Club

Charlie Bornemann, Key Account Executive at Flogas Enterprise; Sian Young, Director of Sustainable Business at Britvic Ireland; and Orlagh Geraghty, Head of Planet at Britvic Ireland, pictured at the announcement of Britvic Ireland’s € 2.5 million Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) with Flogas Enterprise at Sonnagh Old Wind Farm in Co. Galway.

Britvic is the first soft drinks brand in Ireland to sign a CPPA. It will allow the company to purchase renewable electricity from the Sonnagh Old Wind Farm in Moneylea, Co. Galway, producing enough electricity on an annual basis to power their production facility in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, and 75% of the company’s total electricity requirements. Newcastle West is the home of Ballygowan Natural Mineral Water and has the highest level of renewable energy use by any Britvic factory worldwide.

Brand ambassador and star of the Nice One! campaign, comedian Tony Cantwell celebrates the news that Deep RiverRock has become the most popular impulse water brand on the island of Ireland.

Summer Stocking: Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks & Water

announced a four-year deal to become the Official Hydration Partner of the Football Association of Ireland.

The deal will see Energise Sport and Ballygowan Water supporting both the Ireland Men’s and Women’s national teams. As part of this partnership deal, Energise will ensure the Ireland national team players are supplied with the optimal balance of water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes to hydrate faster for training and match endurance. Ballygowan will be supporting the partnership with 190,000 bottles of Ballygowan water each year to ensure players have the optimal water intake to maintain a normal water balance during training and matches.

“We are proud to collaborate with the FAI and to support our national soccer teams, men and women, with Energise and Ballygowan, trusted quality brands made in Ireland, delivering hydration and energy in fully recyclable packaging,” said Kevin Donnelly, Managing Director of Britvic Ireland.

Classic Mineral Water

Ireland’s oldest water bottling company, Classic Mineral Water, recently signed a €4.4 million deal with Aldi Ireland. The Armaghbased company will supply all of Aldi’s 155 Irish stores with its wide-range of refreshing drinks over the next year.

Classic Mineral Water have been working with Aldi for the past three and half years. Based in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, Classic Mineral Water employ 70 staff full-time staff members. Produced and packaged in Ireland, Classic Mineral Water produce a suite of water products for Aldi’s stores in Ireland under the Comeragh brand name, including Still Water 5l, Still Water Spring 6x2l, Water Sportscap 24x500ml and Sparkling Spring Water 6x2l.

“Ballygowan, Ireland’s iconic water brand, has a long history of harnessing the best of Ireland’s natural resources to deliver sustainable, locally produced, Irish natural mineral water,” noted Sian Young, Director of Sustainable Business at Britvic Ireland. “This new Corporate Power Purchase Agreement with Flogas Enterprise, valued at €2.5 million, will produce renewable electricity for our production facility in Newcastle West and is a significant investment in our long-term strategy to ensure 100% sustainability across Britvic Ireland’s business operations.”

Energise Sport

Energise Sport, the number one Irish-produced sports drink, and Ballygowan Mineral Water, both owned by Britvic Ireland, recently

The new contract will enable Classic Mineral Water to invest in upgrading their facilities, including the installation of a new pasteurisation system. This latest technology will have the capability to produce isotonic products in both 500ml and 750ml bottle sizes, delivering a variety of flavours, including orange, raspberry, cherry, tropical and tropical blue. This new investment will allow Classic Mineral Water to upgrade their current syrup room facilities and move to using tethered caps immediately, which will help reduce the amount of plastic and cardboard used in the production process.

Pictured are Laurence Kelly, Buying Director at Aldi Ireland, and Liam Duffy, CEO, Classic Mineral Water.

Pictured at the announcement that Energise Sport and Ballygowan Mineral Water are the Official Hydration Partner of the Football Association of Ireland are Irish stars Jamie McGrath and Jason Knight with Republic of Ireland manager, Stephen Kenny.

All Ballygowan bottles are now made from 100% recycled plastic, and are 100% recyclable.

Liquid gold

Beer and cider sales are expected to surge in the summer months.

AS outdoor entertaining rises during the warm summer months, retailers are gearing up for a surge in beer and cider sales, as barbecues become the norm and consumers stock up on their favourite tipples for home consumption.

The growth of non-alcoholic beer remains a key focus for the category, according to Euromonitor International, who note growing consumer interest in the category and a corresponding rise in new product development from some of the biggest names in beer and cider.

While the Covid-19 pandemic naturally prompted a significant shift to home beer consumption, there was a general move in this direction even before 2020. Now that consumers have experienced the benefits of at-home socialising, particularly the money saved, this could lead to an acceleration in the shift towards retail in the longer term, according to Euromonitor, a view echoed by NOffLA Chair Gary O’Donovan in our interview on Page 24.

Summer is traditionally a key selling period for cider and this year should prove no different, particularly with the biggest player in the market engaging in a high profile campaign to ensure that cider remains top-of-mind with consumers in the coming months.

Bulmers

Bulmers, Ireland’s number one cider, have announced the launch of their latest campaign, Bulmers Secret Orchard, aimed at supporting Irish homegrown talent. As part of the campaign, a series of gigs will be held across the country in local venues, bringing the magic of the Clonmel orchards to the masses, featuring headline performances by some of the hottest up-andcoming artists in Ireland. The final gig of the summer will take place in home of Bulmers in their orchards in Clonmel.

The campaign is supported with through-the-line marketing communications, including a VOD film with backing track by emerging Irish artist, Shiv. The campaign will also be supported with digital, social, media partnerships and on and off trade point of sale.

The first Secret Orchard event took place on April 26 in Whelan's, Dublin, headlined by the talented Dublin-born artist, Kojaque. The gig was an unforgettable experience for Bulmers consumers and music lovers, showcasing some of the best emerging talent Ireland has to offer.

Consumers can get tickets for each event by signing up at secretorchard. bulmers.ie. To get to the ultimate Secret Orchard gig in Clonmel, consumers simply pick up a limited edition pack of Bulmers in-store, scan the QR code on pack and enter the competition to win.

“As the original Irish cider, we’re thrilled to be supporting Irish homegrown talent through the Bulmers Secret Orchard campaign,” revealed Karl Donnelly, IOI Marketing Director. “It's a fantastic platform for emerging artists to showcase their talent, and we can't wait to see what they have in store for us. We encourage everyone to get involved to experience the best of Irish music over a delicious pint of Bulmers and engage in the moment ‘When Time Bears Fruit’.”

Bulmers and Bulmers Light have announced a new campaign, Bulmers Secret Orchard, supported with through-the-line marketing communications.

CLONMEL

Bulmers Secret Orchard is a summer-long, nationwide series of gigs showcasing some of the best emerging talent Ireland has to offer. Climaxing with the ultimate Secret Orchard experience, taking place in our orchards in Clonmel,

Summer Stocking: Beer & Cider

Diageo support lifelong learning with TU Dublin donation

DIAGEO have announced their support for Transforming Tomorrow, TU Dublin’s campaign to deliver state-ofthe-art learning facilities for culinary, beverage and hospitality students. The partnership, which includes a €200,000 donation over 10 years, will also enable greater access to learning opportunities in hospitality at TU Dublin for individuals from marginalised groups, including access to a Certificate in Hospitality Studies. Commencing in September, this 13-week, full-time programme will also provide an opportunity for students to do a three-month work placement upon completion.

In appreciation of Diageo’s partnership, the University also opened the Arthur Guinness Learning for Life Bar, a training facility located in the Central Quad in Grangegorman, which is used by students in the Schools of Tourism & Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts & Food Technology.

Obolon

Pictured launching Diageo’s partnership with TU Dublin are: Dr Orla McDonagh, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities; Geraldine Joanes, HR Director, Diageo; Constance Balsamo, Head of Public Policy; Dr Denise O’Leary, Head, School of Culinary Arts & Technology; and Dr Dominic Dillane, Head, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Obolon Beer, the largest domestic Ukrainian beverage producer, have partnered with Ireland’s leading independent drinks distributor, Barry & Fitzwilliam.

Obolon was the first privatised brewery in a post-soviet Ukraine. It became the nation’s household beer, synonymous with freedom and independence, two things that were taken away from all Ukrainians the night their country was invaded.

The last Obolon brewed in peacetime holds an unmeasurable

Irish Distillers and Heineken join forces for sustainability

TWO of Ireland’s leading drinks companies have joined forces to promote regenerative agricultural practices in barley farming. Irish Distillers and Heineken Ireland’s three-year collaboration will support malting barley farmers in adopting regenerative agricultural practices on their farms.

This pilot project is part of a global collaboration initiated by Heineken and Pernod Ricard on the resilience of agricultural raw materials. Ireland has been selected as the pilot market for the project, which will be delivered in conjunction with 15 participating farmers and partners Earthworm Foundation and Boortmalt. Learnings from the Irish study, including information on the environmental impact of the measures adopted, will be shared and leveraged by both companies to inform sustainability strategies for other raw materials.

symbolic value, especially to those who have a personal connection to Ukraine. But more than that, it offers a way to donate money, help millions of Ukrainians in need of water and to keep this unrighteous war into the spotlight. Many of the world’s wealthiest people, celebrities, companies and philanthropists have donated amounts far exceeding $1 million to Ukraine and are still looking for ways to keep supporting the stricken nation. The Last Obolon helps them do just that.

Barry & Fitzwilliam will be donating to Obolon’s noble mission on the first Monday of each month in aid of the humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine based on the case sales for the previous month.

“We are very proud to be associated with this venture and we look forward to a successful long-term relationship with Obolon,” noted Michael Barry, Managing Director, Barry & Fitzwilliam. “We are delighted to be able to help the Ukrainian community indirectly.’

Guinness Live & Rising

Obolon, the Ukrainian beer is now available in Ireland.

GUINNESS Live & Rising is a new initiative celebrating Irish pubs across the country, showcasing the role they play as homes and hosts of incredible experiences in music, food, sport and the arts. Guinness Live & Rising launches with an initial 12-month programme of pop-up music, food and sports events in pubs across the country. The programme has been specially designed to showcase the unique creativity, culture and craic that can only be found in an Irish pub. Guinness Live & Rising was launched in spectacular style by global superstar Dermot Kennedy –who became the first person to perform on the roof of the Guinness Storehouse.

Dermot Kennedy became the first artist to perform on the roof of the Guinness Storehouse.

Pictured are (l-r): Avril Collins, Corporate Affairs Director Heineken Ireland; Kathryn D’Arcy, Communications and Corporate Affairs Director, Irish Distillers; David Walsh-Kemmis, Ballykilcavan Farm; and Clara Labaste, Earthworm.

Summer Stocking: BBQ

BBQ season heats up

Irish people have really embraced barbecue culture, with the summer expected to prove the busiest yet.

SUMMER is finally on our doorsteps and consumers all across the country are dusting down their barbecues for a season of outdoor dining. Irish people have really embraced the barbecue, with ‘al fresco’ dining a regular occurrence throughout the warmer months.

We are also becoming more experimental with what we cook outdoors, with fish, kebabs and different meats joining the traditional sausages and burgers on the outdoor grill.

Ireland plays host to Europe’s biggest BBQ & Food Festival, The Big Grill, which runs in Herbert Park in Ballsbridge is back on August 17-20, for four days of fire, food and fun (biggrillfestival.com).

Of course, when planning a barbecue, it’s vital that you have the fuel to power your tasty creations.

Flogas

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors, whether consumers are planning a weekend getaway in a caravan or simply hosting a backyard barbecue with friends and family. With Flogas, you can make the most of your time outside without worrying about running out of fuel.

Flogas offers a range of Gaslight cylinders that are ideal for outdoor activities such as boating, caravanning and camping.

These cylinders are designed to be lightweight and easy to transport so users can take them along wherever they go. They are incredibly easy to connect, and the semi translucent cylinder means that users can always see how much gas they have.

Flogas Gaslight cylinders are also a great choice for those who want to host outdoor gatherings at home. With their compact, rustproof design and easy-to-use features, they are perfect for powering a

barbecue, patio heater, or other outdoor appliances.

The Flogas website, www.flogas.ie, allows consumers to find a distributor using their handy ‘locate your nearest supplier’ function. They can also learn more about the benefits of using Flogas Gaslight cylinders, including their highperformance, long-lasting design. Get ready to make the most of this summer outdoors with Flogas.

Flogas Gaslight cylinders boast a compact, rustproof design and easyto-use features.

Flogas Gaslight cylinders are perfect for powering a barbecue.

Calor

As thoughts move to spending more time outdoors, Calor is launching a summer BBQ campaign which includes showcasing the 6kg patio gas cylinder, which will sit alongside the existing 11kg patio cylinder already in the market, expanding the available range and providing consumers with additional choice.

Available nationwide from authorised outlets, the patio gas cylinders contain a blend of BioLPG, Calor’s renewable fuel, with conventional LPG, ideal for consumers looking to make a more sustainable choice. The Patio Gas cylinder range, the only gas cylinder that contains renewable gas in the Irish market, extends Calor’s Futuria range of sustainable products, strengthening Calor’s commitment to their sustainability journey.

Calor’s renewable gas, BioLPG, is made from a mix of sustainably sourced vegetable oils and wastes and residues. Using the globally recognised mass balance, supply chain approach for renewable energy, all Calor 6kg and 11kg propane patio gas cylinders include a blend of 20% BioLPG renewable energy.

As preparations for summer and BBQs begin, the cylinder range is the perfect solution for outdoor cooking thanks to instant and controllable heat, the ease of use and with proven results.

“As we move closer to the summer, we are always delighted to be a part of one of Ireland’s favourite summer pastimes, BBQs,” noted Larry Smith, Regional Sales Manager, Calor Ireland. “The 6kg cylinder, which sits alongside the 11kg cylinder, gives consumers added choice as an ideal solution for BBQs and patio heaters, either at home or on the move. We have already had great feedback on the new look and feel and we know customers will enjoy the benefits during the summer season.

“Our patio range was developed specifically for outdoor use and recently, a steady increase in demand has been seen, with more home entertaining and barbequing. We’re all hoping for an improvement in the weather soon and looking forward to getting into summer mode where we believe the Calor 6kg cylinder will become synonymous with barbecues.”

For more information on the leisure patio gas cylinder range, visit www.calorgas.ie and see the full range of options for all your BBQ needs this summer.

THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE

Calor cylinders with renewable gas are a kinder choice for the environment. The 11kg cylinder is perfect for patio heaters. While the 6kg cylinder is ideal for summer BBQs. So, find the right fit for you, and the planet. And take another step on your road to sustainability. Find out more about Calor Futuria renewable gas at calorgas.ie With our

Calor’s summer BBQ campaign will showcase the 6kg patio gas cylinder, which sits alongside the existing 11kg patio cylinder, providing consumers with additional choice.

Celebrating Irish excellence

The winners of the Good Food Ireland Awards were announced at a high profile lunch event in The K Club recently.

THE winners of the Good Food Ireland Awards were announced in a high profile business lunch at The K Club in County Kildare, attended by Guest of Honour Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, and some 300 guests, including Irish and international chefs, buyers, food and drink writers, media and industry leaders.

The awards are unique in their cross-sector approach and core criteria around commitment to local Irish produce. They aim to enhance links between

agriculture and tourism and present significant opportunities for stimulating local production, retaining tourism earnings in the local area, and improving the distribution of economic benefits of tourism to the four corners of the island. County Cork took home the most awards of the afternoon. The iconic Ballymaloe House Hotel was named Culinary Haven of the Year and won the Excellence in Food Tourism award for its Cookery School Organic Farm & Gardens. Five Farms Irish Cream won Drinks

Producer of the Year and The Europe Hotel & Resort in County Kerry received Supreme Award of The Year.

Former chef, manager and hotel owner, Declan Ryan, who earned Ireland’s first Michelin star in 1974 alongside his wife Patsy at Arbutus Lodge, was presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his remarkable lifelong achievement across both the tourism hospitality sector and the food production sector.

Celebrating food producers

The country’s food producers are a key focus of the Good Food Ireland Awards. Recognising producers for their premium produce and commitment to Irish provenance, and acknowledging those with a focus on environmental sustainability, preservation and collaboration with the local community.

The Apple Farm in Tipperary was named the overall Producer of the Year, whilst Eamon Sheehan from Bawnlusk Dairy Farm in Kilkenny was recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Food Production.

The Producer Awards recognise producers for their premium produce and commitment to Irish provenance,

Pictured are (l-r): Paul Heery, General Manager and CEO of The K Club; Margaret Jeffares, Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland; Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and James O'Shea of O'Shea Farms.

leading the field in their production ethos, cultivation and catch practices and the top-quality produce it results in. This year, the judges acknowledged producers with a focus on environmental sustainability, preservation and collaboration with the local community. The winners included:

Meat Producer of the Year (sponsored by IFAC): Market House, Ennistymon, Co. Clare

Fruit & Vegetable Producer of the Year (sponsored by IFAC): The Apple Farm, Tipperary

Fish & Seafood Producer of the Year (Sponsored by Roe & Co): Realt na Mara Shellfish, Co. Kerry

Drinks Producer of the Year (sponsored by The K Club): Five Farms Irish Cream, Cork

Dairy Producer of the Year (sponsored by The K Club): Killowen Farm, Co. Wexford

Jams & Savoury Producer of the Year (Sponsored by Roe & Co): Wild Irish Foragers and Preservers, Co. Offaly

Bakery & Chocolate Producer of the Year (Sponsored by Roe & Co): Jinny’s Bakery & Tea Rooms, Co. Leitrim

Overall Producer of the Year (sponsored by IFA): The Apple Farm, Tipperary

Good Food Ireland Awards

Mystery inspections

Award winners were selected through mystery inspections and assessments of those businesses approved by Good Food Ireland and shortlisted by an independent panel of Irish and international leaders, including founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland, Margaret Jeffares, along with journalists John Wilson and Amii McKeever, IFAC Consultant Stephanie Walsh, and Executive Chairman and Owner of Odyssey International, Kevin Shannon.

Eamon Sheenah from Bawnlusk Dairy Farm, Kilkenny, took home the Outstanding Contribution to Food Production Award,

sponsored by the National Dairy Council (NDC). This honorary award is in recognition and celebration of the thousands of farmers, for their steadfast contribution to food production on our island and the measures being put in place to farm more sustainably. It highlights the importance of farming not just economically, but its generational legacy and cultural contribution to Irish tourism and the wider community.

Firecastle in Kildare Town won the Shop of the Year award (sponsored by IrishCentral), with the judges noting how Firecastle is “a shop offering a selection of quality Irish food and/or drink that shares the stories of the people and places behind it; a shop that celebrates Irish biodiversity and creates a better environment for cooking, eating and beyond”.

Tim Cullinan, President of the IFA, presents the Producer of the Year Award for 2023 to Con Traas of The Apple Farm.

Five Farms Irish Cream won Drinks Producer of the Year.

Killowen Farm, Co. Wexford, won the Dairy Producer of the Year Award.

Good Food Ireland Awards

Dublin Winner: Keogh’s Farm Crisps, Dublin

Northern Ireland Winner: Bushmills Inn, Antrim

Returning for the first time since pre-Covid, the awards - sponsored by Kerrygold, Irish Farmers Association, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and the National Dairy Council - were opened by guest of honour, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, while Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, delivered the afternoon’s key-note speech.

Food Lovers Choice Awards

The Good Food Ireland Food Lovers Choice Awards (sponsored by FBD Insurance) gave the public an opportunity to vote for their favourite business across the island of Ireland. The winners were:

Wild Atlantic Way Winner: The Lifeboat Inn, Cork Ireland’s Ancient East Winner: Brogan’s Butchers, Co. Meath Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands Winner: Wilde Irish Chocolates, Co. Clare

"There has been great excitement around the return of the Good Food Ireland Awards this year,” revealed Margaret Jeffares, Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland. “Each of those wonderful businesses who made the shortlist are a committed collection of passionate and driven people who genuinely capture the essence of Ireland's food and drink. All the judges would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to today’s winners, who we feel really do go above and beyond to inspire travellers, international consumers and locals to seek out real authenticity and Irish provenance.”

For further details about the awards and Good Food Ireland, visit goodfoodireland.ie

O’Shea Farms, Kilkenny, took home the Food Production Sustainability Award (sponsored by Kerrygold). Through the Good Food Ireland philosophy, every approved business contributes to economic sustainability, benefiting local communities and safeguarding the future livelihoods of local people. This Award goes even further, recognising businesses for their environmental or social sustainability, businesses that have developed and implemented clean production initiatives and sustainable practices, demonstrating how they are helping to protect Ireland’s environment and greater wellbeing for the long-term benefit of all.

Wilde Irish Chocolates won the Good Food Ireland Food Lovers Choice Awards for Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.

Tom Keogh of Keogh’s Crisps, winner of the Good Food Ireland Food Lovers Choice Award for Dublin.

Sharon Sugrue of Realt na Mara Shellfish, who won the Seafood Producer of the Year 2023.

Retail under attack!

RETAIL continues to be under attack.

Threats are everywhere, lurking in pointof-sale terminals, insiders, supply chains and beyond. Retailers are a rich source of sensitive data that cyber criminals find tempting. No surprise then that there has been a spate of high-profile cyber attacks affecting retailers so far in 2023. The year started with JD Sports reporting in January that attackers had accessed the historic order information of up to 10 million customers. WH Smith did the same in March in relation to an unspecified number of its current and former employees.

These incidents point to the retail sector as continuing to be an attractive target for cyber criminals. The combination of payment card information and personal data remains a draw. These troves of data held by retailers can be used by bad actors looking to facilitate various types of financial fraud.

Protecting your reputation and relationships

Indeed, trend statistics have in recent years consistently featured the retail sector as

having one of the highest proportions of incidents reported to the data protection regulator. But whilst the prospect of a GDPR-sized fine for breaching the requirement to have appropriate security is enough to send a chill down any retailer’s spine, there is something far greater at stake, especially for retailers: their reputation and relationship with customers. These are hard won, and easily lost. Any data breach has the potential to put them on the line.

A recent data breach investigations report by Verizon found that phishing and ransomware, which is introduced by an attacker for a quick pay-out without even needing to take the data (though many often will do that as well in order later to extort their victims), are key threats to the retail sector. As are stolen credentials that are fuelling automated and large-scale fraud in the sector through ‘credential stuffing’.

What is ‘credential stuffing’?

Credential stuffing is a type of cyber attack where valid usernames and password

combinations for one website’s online login are obtained by attackers and then used across other websites to try to gain access to accounts. The credentials are typically sourced from data breaches at organisations and end up being traded by criminals on underground forums.

In recent years, the retail sector has been repeatedly targeted with these attacks, including against points-based loyalty schemes to steal accumulated points and successfully redeem their monetary value. They are effective because they take advantage of people’s tendency to re-use the same username and password combinations. Since the stolen credentials are legitimate, the unauthorised access to accounts is not the result of a retailer’s system being compromised.

Credential stuffing is why (amongst other protections, such as two-factor authentication) strong and separate passwords for accounts are recommended, as well as a password manager to help handle them. But even password managers are fallible. Users of such services provided

Ali Vaziri, Partner at Lewis Silkin specialising in Data, Privacy & Cyber, outlines why cyber security is vital for the retail sector.

by

Norton LifeLock

and

LastPass

learnt this to their detriment in recent months, following incidents at those providers. Ironically, the Norton LifeLock incident was itself the result of a credential stuffing attack.

Given their frequency, the reality is that these days, data breaches might be added as a certainty to the ‘death and taxes’ idiom. Hence commentators in the cyber community speaking of ‘when’, not ‘if’. That being so, organisations are now more often than not judged in the court of public opinion just as much by their response to a data breach as the fact that one happened in the first place. The effect of an attack on an unprepared business can be brutal, bringing trading to a grinding halt. The recovery effort can, therefore, be a matter of survival for those affected. In the case of ransomware attacks, for example, that recovery process can take months.

Detecting security incidents

Having a capability to detect security incidents is key, from the employee selling their employer’s sensitive data to the highest bidder, to the sophisticated attacker who maintains a foothold on a network for an extended period after gaining initial access, with a view to stealing secrets or mounting a debilitating ransomware attack. After promptly escalating incidents, investigating and responding to them through the implementation of (wellrehearsed) incident response plans will often involve external support. Just as the response will vary depending on the nature and severity of the incident, so will the relevant authorities that victim

organisations engage with: these might include the data protection regulator (if personal data are affected), as well as law enforcement and the NCSC who can also provide technical assistance.

An indicator of how much of a priority cyber security is for an organisation is how often senior management are provided with updates on it. A 2022 government survey found that in the retail sector, at least 20% never update their senior managers on cyber security actions. Cyber security training and awareness-building for staff, which is a vital control, given that they are at the front line, has also been notoriously bad for retail. But the report also found that there has been an improvement, with one in five firms now taking such initiatives

as opposed to one in 10 the previous year. So there is progress. But with the expansion of attack surfaces through retailers harnessing the latest data-fuelled technologies to help drive growth, more needs to be done to help secure them from the increased risk of cyber attacks.

About the author:

FOR further information on this topic, please contact Ali Vaziri, Partner in the Data, Privacy & Cyber team at Lewis Silkin (ali.vaziri@lewissilkin.com). This article is for general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Legal advice should be sought in any given set of circumstances.

The effect of a cyber attack on an unprepared business can be brutal, bringing trading to a grinding halt.

The retail sector is an attractive target for cyber criminals, thanks to the dual draw of payment card information and personal data.

What’s New

FYFFES UNVEIL NEW ‘FRUIT-MOBILE’ DISPLAY UNIT

IN support of their many sponsorships and events taking place around Ireland this summer, fruit distributor Fyffes have introduced the ‘Fyffes Fruitmobile’, an all-new towable banana and pineapple station and display unit. Attractively finished in warm colours of sunshine and painted with ‘fruitlicously-succulent’ banana and pineapple illustrations, the unit is ‘fridged-‘n-fitted’, and ready to receive the many who will meet it on its travels. Encouraging the public to “call and ‘say hi to Fyffes’ wherever they may meet it”, Fyffes Head of Marketing, Emma Hunt-Duffy, said, “Our intention is to bring the unit to many places at which Fyffes will have a presence, including our popular Fit Squad programme of primary school visits, festivals and pop-up events.”

AVONMORE FIBRE PLUS MILK LAUNCHES IN-STORE

AVONMORE, the number one milk brand in Ireland, have introduced Avonmore Fibre Plus Milk, with added fibre and vitamins, to their range of value-added milks. Avonmore Fibre Plus Milk is high in fibre, which is beneficial for digestive health, and is also enriched with vitamin C and vitamin D, to help support the immune system. “We are really excited to bring Avonmore Fibre Plus Milk to the market,” noted Gráinne Murray, Senior Brand Manager, Tirlán. “Digestive health is a key area of concern for consumers and with this product launch, we hope to provide an easy and convenient solution for consumers to increase their fibre intake, whilst the addition of vitamins C and D will also help to address consumers' growing desire for products that support the immune system.”

NORDIC SPIRIT SPEARMINT NOW AVAILABLE IN SMALLER SIZE

FOR adults who are looking for an even more discreet way to enjoy nicotine, new Nordic Spirit Spearmint Regular Mini offers a smaller pouch for a more discreet and convenient way to enjoy nicotine, with the same great flavour, in a smaller pouch. A slimmed down can for the smaller pouches makes new Mini even easier to take with you on-the-go. Less hassle, more choice. Stock up now to discover the ‘Mini Way to Nicotine’! 18+. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance.

Avonmore Fibre Plus Milk is available in a 1 litre carton in retailers nationwide.

FAN FAVOURITE YORKIE HONEYCOMB BACK ON SHELVES

AFTER an absence of eight years, Yorkie Honeycomb is returning to stores. Featuring solid chunks of smooth honeycomb flavour milk chocolate and crunchy pieces of sweet honeycomb, the 42g limited-edition bar is a delicious twist on the classic chunky Yorkie. “Yorkie fans are a passionate bunch, especially when it comes to honeycomb,” noted Maria McKenna, Marketing Manager, Nestlé Confectionery. “We’ve had more requests for this than for any other flavour, so it’s great to see it returning in 2023. However, as it’s a limited edition, it won’t be around for long, so retailers need to order it while they can.”

DONEGAL brand Nomadic has marked its 25th anniversary with a bold new look and an ambitious growth plan in Ireland and in the UK. It follows an impressive 12 months for the company, with continued double-digit growth. The news also comes alongside the launch of the company’s first non-yogurt products, two protein puddings, which are now on shelves across Ireland. The new look features a bolder logo and simplified visual approach. The variety of coloured chevrons not only indicate the flavour, but also add a sense of momentum - while enhancing its iconic ‘nomad’ striding figure. The redesign reinforces Nomadic’s positioning of ‘Nourishing convenience food for people who need to get the job done’.

NOMADIC CELEBRATES 25TH BIRTHDAY WITH NEW PACKAGING

It’s your Call…

You

At the IGBF we assist the families of over 300 of your colleagues every month. These f amilies are more unfortuna te than ourselv es and without y our support such assistanc e would not be possible... But we still need your help to

continue making the difference.

To Donate: ww.igbf. l

For Assistance: ww.igbf.ie/help/our_help.html

VA P IN G I S AB O U T T O

MOOV

F O R W AR D

A new vaping sensation is on the way, with intelligence you can truly feel