Some 18 Irish small food and drinks companies travelled to the UK last week to discuss listing opportunities with Tesco stores, as part of supplier development programme Taste Bud, run in partnership with Bord Bia.
The trip involved one-to-one meetings with Tesco UK grocery buyers, as well as the chance to showcase products to the wider Tesco UK team.
The Tesco Taste Bud programme was set up in 2012 to help Irish companies secure, grow and maintain listings with Tesco in Ireland and overseas, with previous participants collectively listed in over 1,000 Tesco stores.
Nearly 70 Irish companies have joined the development programme to date, reporting over €30 million in sales to Tesco, with €7.5 million of this revenue coming from the UK.
A range of Irish specialty foods were represented at this years UK trip, including Connacht Gold Butter, Keohane’s Seafood, Green Saffron, Broderick's and O’Donnell Crisps.
John Paul O’Reilly, commercial director of Tesco Ireland commented, “The Irish food and drink companies that visited the UK this week have been handpicked by the Taste Bud team in Bord Bia and Tesco Ireland as having high export growth potential.
“We are seeing an increased demand for quality Irish produce in the UK, and through our Taste Bud programme we continue to give Irish producers the opportunity to export to the UK and our other international markets.”
Chief executive of Bord Bia, Aidan Cotter added, “This trade trip is an opportunity for some of the most influential buyers in the UK grocery market to experience the best in Irish food and drink produce, and it is an excellent opportunity for Irish food and drink companies to secure an international listing in Tesco and begin exporting quality Irish produce to the UK.”
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan
