Don’t get left in the dark

From September 2023, the EU will phase out fluorescent lighting. This may directly affect your business, so why not beat the rush and apply for a fully funded lighting upgrade from Energia? You can get your old fluorescent lighting replaced, while also reducing your lighting consumption by up to 80%. We’ll make it easy by managing the entire process from start to finish.

Find out more at energia.ie/lighting

Nescafé partners with Aero for new frothy coffee

NESCAFÉ Gold has teamed up with one of the best-loved confectionery brands, Aero, to create the brand new, limitededition Nescafé Gold Golden Honeycomb Aero Mocha. Inspired by the Aero Golden Honeycomb sharing block, this delicious coffee shop style mocha is made using fresh milk with smooth drinking chocolate and notes of golden honeycomb and has 79 calories per mug. “We are beyond excited to announce this partnership between two of our most beloved brands, Nescafé Gold and Aero,” noted Sinead Duffin, Country Category Manager for Coffee at Nestlé Ireland. “The Nescafé Gold Frothy Coffee and Aero collaboration combines the products we know Irish fans love, quality frothy coffee and a delicious golden honeycomb flavour chocolate, to create a bubbly and indulgent coffee treat. This delicious new Golden Honeycomb Mocha is bound to be a crowd-pleaser and we can’t wait for everyone to try it!”

M&S and Applegreen unveil pilot Click and Collect service

MARKS & Spencer and Applegreen have announced a pilot of M&S Click & Collect in four Applegreen stores, in Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Kinsealy, Co. Dublin, Mountgorry, Co. Dublin, and at the M11 service at Cullenmore, Co. Wicklow. Shoppers will now have the option to collect orders placed online at M&S.ie free of charge at any one of the four trial Applegreen locations, following the successful launch in recent months of M&S food at five Applegreen stores across Ireland. Applegreen Ireland Managing Director Fiona Mathews said: “This is the next phase of our partnership with M&S, which has been well received by our customers to date. Constantly offering more choice is key to Applegreen’ s operations, and we are confident that this new Click and Collect service will provide something new to the market that customers from both Applegreen and M&S will really love.” Pictured are Eddie Murphy, M&S Trading Director; Seamus Stapleton, Applegreen ROI Commercial Director; and Fiona Matthews, Applegreen ROI Managing Director; at Applegreen Mountgorry in Swords, Co. Dublin.

Tesco Ireland trial new fresh meat packaging

TESCO Ireland have unveiled plans to trial new meat packaging on their mince products which will help reduce plastic use by 68%. The retailer will replace their existing Tesco own-brand mince packaging with a flow wrap alternative known as a ‘pillow pack’, which ensures the product is kept intact without compromising on quality or taste. It will replace the current plastic tray and film lid, starting with the Tesco Irish lean Steak Mince 5% fat, 470g. “This new pillow pack packaging uses 68% less plastic and guarantees the same high-quality look, taste and feel that our customers know and expect from us,” revealed John Brennan, Tesco Ireland Fresh Food Category Director. “The new packs will hit the shelves in July and will be used on minced meat products. The plastic reduction element is significant and has the potential to save around 100 tonnes of plastic each year, if the trial is rolled out across all mince product lines.”

Ten years of a good tipple

GRAHAM Norton and Invivo are celebrating 10 years of a partnership that has produced an award winning wine and spirits range. With more than 15 million bottles of Graham Norton wine sold over the past decade and 153 glasses of Graham Norton wines enjoyed every minute around the world (that’s nearly three glasses every second), the renowned wine and spirits brand is a true Irish-Kiwi success story. This year, Graham and the Invivo team, along with SuperValu’s wine expert Kevin O’Callaghan, village of Ahakista, near Graham’s

Sandwich still a school lunchbox staple

IT’S confirmed; the trusty sandwich is a staple in the school lunchbox right across Ireland. According to new research as part of the national Healthy Heroes School Programme in association with the Irish Bread Bakers Association (IBBA), 42% of adults with children in primary or secondary school include a sandwich in their child’s lunchbox every single day, with a third (33%) making it a ham and cheese. With a previous study from the IBBA showing that a toasted ham and cheese is the nation’s favourite sandwich, it’s clear that the love affair continues for this ingredient combo! Developed by teachers and dieticians, Healthy Heroes is one of Ireland’s most popular school nutrition programmes. Not only is the ritual of the lunchbox sandwich alive and well, the findings also show that almost a quarter (23%) of adults with school-aged children add an extra sandwich to their child's lunchbox on days that are particularly busy with physical activities. For more information, visit www.healthyheroes.ie