Irish retailers Spar and BWG Foods have been named as finalists in the European Private Label Awards 2024, it was announced today.
The retailer’s Inishella rib-eye steak is nominated in the Meat and Seafood category among supermarket giants such as Austria’s Billa and Denmark’s Rema 1000.
The steak is among 68 product innovations across 17 categories that include supermarket products from all across Europe named as finalists today.
Spar Ireland previously won the European Private Label Award for Dairy products in 2023 with its Spar select vintage Irish cheddar.
Quality Irish
Inishella was launched by BWG Foods in July 2023, with a mission to provide high quality Irish meats to be enjoyed at home. All Inishella trays and labels are also fully recyclable.
The name comes from the Irish ‘Inis eile’, meaning ‘other island’.
The label was launched with Irish rugby star Hugo Keenan as a brand ambassador.
Speaking at the launch, Keenan said Inishella was “an exciting new brand that offers customers a wide variety of quality Irish meat products that are Bord Bia approved and fully traceable from farm to fork, giving customers confidence in their selection.”
The nomination is a positive step for the new brand.
The Awards
Speaking on the finalist announcement, editor of ESM: European Supermarket Magazine Stephen Wynne-Jones said, “With consumers feeling the pinch last year, retailer private labels have stepped up to the plate, offering products that are on a par with – or in some cases outmatch – their branded counterparts.”
The European Private Label Awards were launched by ESM: European Supermarket Magazine in 2017, to determine the most impactful and innovative private-label brands on sale in Europe’s supermarkets.
The Awards, which are open to both retailers and suppliers, acknowledge the best of store brand development on a pan-European level.
Read More: Finalists Named In 2024 European Private Label Awards
