First Food & Beverage Power House Puts All-island Business on the Menu

Caribbean cuisine, a funky new snack food for kids, a Fermanagh mineral water and a traceability solution were just some of the products on show at the first Food & Beverage Power House.

Nearly 60 companies from North and South attended the InterTradeIreland event in Limerick on May 28 and 29 to learn more about all-island business to business opportunities.

The event was aimed at growing food businesses producing dairy, meat, speciality goods, artisan products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, seafood, organics foodstuffs and pre-packaged foods.

Among the keynote speakers were John Hickey of Musgrave EI, Michael Carey of Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and artisan food producer Peter Ward of County Choice Café and Deli, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

In addition to networking opportunities with other food/beverage businesses in pre-arranged meetings, attendees also had the chance to meet buyers, distributors, and key suppliers and support organisations to the sector.

Speakers shared their experience from two perspectives: leading multiple retailers outlined how food businesses could get onto shelves North and South, while local producers revealed how they made the breakthrough to all-island sales.

Breanndan Casey, InterTradeIreland’s MicroTrade programme manager, said: “We are thrilled at the success of our first Power House. Micro enterprises in the food and beverage sector have a tough job to get their products on the shelves on an all-island basis and that’s where our event, and the expertise of InterTradeIreland, can provide invaluable help.”

Una Fitzgibbon, Director of Marketing Services, Bord Bia, spoke on the development of the organisation’s strategy to positively influence attitudes towards Irish food and drink.

“Power House is hugely beneficial to smaller firms as a means of developing routes to market and providing producers with access to revenue streams through a network approach,” she said.

“The cross-border dimension of this event gives micro enterprises opportunities to build cross border alliances with companies producing complementary products. Allied companies benefit from cross-selling and the sharing of customers, thus building sales for both companies.”

Sean Hanifin an IFEC Ltd consultant for Glenview Foods, Ballycastle, Co Antrim, also shared his expertise. He said: “The requirements for dealing with the multiples on an all-island basis can be complex and demanding. The Power House offered producers insights into the dos and don’ts of working with multiples by giving them the opportunity to meet people who have literally done the business.”

Local food champion Diarmuid Crowley of Wild Orchard smoothies and fresh juices, Co Limerick, thought the Power House was a great way to make contact with other people in the food industry who you would not normally get a chance to meet under the one roof.

“It’s very important for small producers like myself to make the most of opportunities like these, because they are few and far between,” he said.

Another speaker was Galway man Michael Keogh, who founded The Bite Group in Enniskillen and sourced 150 new outlets in one fell sweep after clinching a contract with Dunnes Stores.

His sandwich, snack and fresh food business is currently undergoiong a £3m investment programme and has depots in Belfast, Tipperary, Dublin and Galway.

“It was the all-island dimension that really made the event work,” said Michael. “It enables a small company in Coleraine to get their product on a shelf in Galway without the need to build up a distribution network on their own. They can concentrate on making the best product they can and still have access to all 32 counties.”