7 December 2023
By David Lynch
david@TheCork.ie
Tesco set to increase its annual spend to €17m.
Tesco Ireland, and Cork-based cheese company Bandon Vale, have together announced a major extension to their partnership, which will see the value of the contract grow from €12m to €17m.
Pictured is Aisling Pearce, Senior Buying Manager of Chilled and Frozen Foods, Tesco Ireland; and Eilis Mahon, Bandon Vale, Managing Director.
Pictured is Eilis Mahon, Bandon Vale, Managing Director, and Aisling Pearce, Senior Buying Manager of Chilled and Frozen Foods, Tesco Ireland.
The ambitious plan will see Tesco significantly expand its range of cheese products with the West Cork based company. Bandon Vale operate a purpose-built packing facility in the heart of the dairy-rich area of Cork. The latest extension to the deal will see the producer provide a number of new products into their stores across Ireland.
The retailer has been working with Bandon Vale for over three years, and all the ranges will be available in Tesco’s stores across Ireland. Bandon Vale, founded in 1994, has won numerous accolades, amongst them a Blas na Éireann award last year for its Tesco Finest Vintage cheddar. The company will supply its full range of cheddar cheese blocks, slices, and grated products, as well as Dutch sliced cheese and grated mozzarella to 170 stores across Ireland.
Commenting on the new investment, Aisling Pearce, Senior Buying Manager of Chilled and Frozen Foods, at Tesco Ireland said: “Tesco has had a strong relationship with Bandon Vale, who has provided the majority of Tesco’s own-label cheddar, for the past three years. This latest chapter will see Bandon Vale provide more than 20 new products, including sliced and grated cheese, to Tesco. These products are firm favourites with our customers who will enjoy the expanded range from this Irish producer.
As the leading buyer of Irish food and drink in the world, our partnership with Bandon Vale reflects the ongoing and long-standing partnerships we have with Irish agrifood sector. As a proud Cork woman, I’m particularly proud that products coming from West Cork will be available in our stores across the length and breadth of the country.”
Eilis Mahon, Managing Director, Bandon Vale has also welcomed the partnership extension, “We are delighted to work with Tesco to bring more of our products to their customers around Ireland. We pride ourselves on providing a trusted quality product and we are committed to ensuring that all activities of the business are carried out with specific regard to their environmental impact. Bandon Vale is dedicated to continuous improvement in service and quality. We continue to invest in equipment, production facilities and our people to ensure we exceed customer requirements and expectations. The deepening of the relationship with Tesco in Ireland allows us to continue to do this, helping us to support more than 200 jobs in our communities here in Cork.”
As members of Origin Green, Ireland’s national food and drink sustainability programme, Tesco and Bandon Vale uphold stringent standards in protecting the environment and communities, with target, measures and actions undertaken to act on their commitments to responsible practices in the industry.
Tesco is the leading retail buyer of Irish food and drink in the world, with purchases totalling €1.6 Billion a year and the company is now a bigger buyer of Irish produce than any country in the European Union, according to Indecon Economic Consultants. Tesco works with over 500 food and drink companies around Ireland, and in turn supports over 13,000 farming families. Indecon estimates that almost three-quarters of Tesco’s 500 Irish suppliers are small and medium enterprises, with fewer than 250 employees.
About Bandon Vale Cheese Limited
Founded in 1994 by Andy and Margaret Mahon, Bandon Vale was initially set-up to revive the art of cheese making in the traditional style with the manufacture, sale, and establishment of a brand of territorial hard cheese. The business soon diversified and expanded, with an increased focus on customer service, quality, and innovation to become a major player in supplying food wholesalers, distributors, retail markets and independent customers both in Ireland and internationally.