23 May 2020
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
SuperValu, the supermarket franchise headquartered in Cork, has announced that products from a new Cork food producer are going on sale in their stores.
Tex Mex Addict from Cork completed the SuperValu Food Academy programme, along with 14 others.
Tex-Mex Addict was started by Brendan Hedley, in 2020.
“Born and raised in the USA he grew a passion for Mexican inspired foods from a young age. After moving to Ireland, he eventually started a Tex-Mex food stall offering burritos to local farmers markets and festivals. He always enjoyed spicy food and as a chef.”
“May 2020 marks the launch of Tex-Mex Addict fajita kits. Tex-Mex Addict Fajita kits are bursting with Mexican flavours. They are delicious, wholesome, easily prepared and locally produced. I use traditional recipes with real spices, no flavourings or fillers and each pack is made with five different types of dried Mexican chillies to give customers a truly authentic flavour. ”
The 15 new producers from the SuperValu academy include
Katie’s Kombucha, Dublin
Thanks Plants, Dublin
Plantruption, Dublin
Maisha Coffee, Dublin
Lets Chaat, Dublin
Builin Blasta, Galway
Portmagee Whiskey, Kerry
Muckross Ice Cream, Kerry
Camos, Kerry
Lough Measc. Mayo
Kaffa Coffee, Mayo
Subh Fraoc Ban, Monaghan
Larkins Hill Farm, Tipperary
Rivesci, Tipperary
What is the SuperValu food academy?
Now in its 7th year, SuperValu Food Academy is a unique food business development programme between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). Participants in the programme receive training in market research and branding, food safety, marketing, finance and business development.
The programme helps early-stage Irish food and drink businesses to get their start in the food retail sector with their first, all-important supermarket listing in SuperValu. For the 15 food start-ups, today marks the culmination of a journey that began back in October 2019 when they started the SuperValu Food Academy training programme and completed a series of training and mentoring courses.
This support for local is all made possible by SuperValu’s independent retail model, whereby retailers can give SuperValu Food Academy members access to one or a small group of stores, allowing them to manage demand as they grow their operations.
Food Academy producers have sold a combined €140 million of produce in SuperValu since 2014, supporting 1,500 jobs in the economy. To date, 620 producers have come through the programme, with 272 producers currently enrolled in the programme.
Commenting on the Food Academy programme as products from 15 new producers go on sale in SuperValu stores, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu said “We have been supporters of local for 40 years and it’s part of our DNA. We started SuperValu Food Academy to support local food start-ups and the programme is more important than ever as we see consumers swing back to support our local food producers.
File photo of SuperValu MD Martin Kelleher
SuperValu’s network of independently owned and operated stores across Ireland means that we are best placed to support local food start-ups through SuperValu Food Academy. Our independent retailers can provide local producers with their all-important first supermarket listing, helping them to create employment in local communities, We believe in local business and Food Academy is great way for us to help new businesses to grow and get the support they need.”
The SuperValu Food Academy programme is now open for applications until Friday, June 26 2020. To apply, contact your Local Enterprise Office for an application form on www.localenterprise.ie
