Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Simon Coveney has announced the creation of 65 jobs at the Cork and Kerry Food Forum, which took place at Cork City Hall over the weekend.
The jobs are being created by food business start-ups, as a result of SuperValu’s Food Academy working with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices of Cork and Kerry, with producers from the region who participated in the supplier programme expected to generate sales worth €1.2 million in 2015.
Speaking at the Cork-Kerry Forum, Minister Coveney commented, “Confidence and self-belief as innovators in the food and drinks sector are critical success factors for start-up enterprises.
“Food Academy - a unique collaboration between Bord Bia, SuperValu and the Local Enterprise Offices - is helping start-ups to bring their innovative ideas to the market stage. The net effect will be the creation of 65 jobs in 2015. A collaborative approach is the key to building success,” he added.
The announcement was made at the trade conference attended by more than 400 food industry representatives and buyers, with 5,000 people attending the public market on Sunday.
Also speaking at the event, SuperValu Managing Director, Martin Kelleher, called the news “a real endorsement to the Food Academy initiative” and that by matching suppliers with their SuperValu stores in their regions, it provides a boost for local economies.
“As SuperValu stores are independently owned and operated, SuperValu retailers are able to source directly from local suppliers on a one-to-one basis, enabling these start-up food businesses to gain their first retail listings in stores in their community,” he explained.
The theme of this year’s event was Food Innovation, which according to Assistant Head of Enterprise of Cork LEO, Joe Burke, is a vital ingredient for the sustainability of any food business.
He added, “Creating the environment of bringing customers and producers together face-to-face gives life to food innovation to build sustainable food businesses and create more jobs in our communities.”
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
