MEMBERSHIP of Love Irish Food, formed in 2009, is helping to safeguard the future of the country’s food and drink manufacturing sector.
The logo that its members display is equally helping consumers in a big way to make informed choices about buying Irish.
But the brands that came together to form the association are not just confined to the traditional food and beverage products whose raw materials come from the land where dairy and beef cattle graze on nutrient rich grass and crops grow on fertile tillage fields.
They also now include gluten free food products that are essential for the strict diets required by people with coeliac disease. Over 47,000 people in Ireland are believed to have the condition. Many more are undiagnosed.
There are an estimated three million Americans with the condition, which is triggered when they eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains.
A growing demand for gluten free products is therefore reflected in the increasing range of products to be seen in Irish supermarkets and on the menu offerings in hotels, restaurants and other food outlets.
Love Irish Food members such as Tadhg Long Catering (TLC), in Ballinhassig, Co Cork, which specialises in private, retail, corporate and sporting food services, have also responded to the demand by including gluten free food in their range of products and menu offerings.
The company is headed by Ballincollig born Tadhg Long, who has 25 years of experience in the catering and food service sector at home and abroad. Recently, the TLC chefs, working in their dedicated gluten kitchen, examined their recipes.
They discovered how adaptable their dishes were and that by making a few small tweaks the range would be accessible to people with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance. The dishes were sent for labora
testing. All were classified as gluten free.
With the logistics of the manufacturing base it was feasible to divide the workspace into two separate units. A dedicated gluten free kitchen was added. And that is where Tadhg, executive chef Dave Kelly and chef de partie Mark Howley now spend much of their time.
“People are really happy with the quality of the food, the taste of the food and in particular the vast range they can choose from. The desserts are particularly popular but also the TLC brown bread remains one of the more popular choices,” he said.
TLC, which employs 12 full time people, intends to grow this side of the business. The vision is to extend to more urban areas across Cork city and county.
It recently opened a gluten-free shop next door to the company’s dedicated gluten free kitchen in Ballinhassig. The inspiration came from the fact that Tadhg Long was himself put on a gluten restricted diet.
Over the years, he has seen many changes in the food service sector generally with a growing trend of people catering at home, with baby showers, graduation parties, 21st birthday parties and pre and postwedding parties.
“People like to stay at home. Children can run freely and not have to leave the premises at 9 pm. People like to have an input into menu types and service times and they can do this by using a catering company.
“Couples are also thinking out of the box when it comes to getting married and are becoming adventurous when choosing wedding venues. Again, this can become a reality when using a catering company.
“We have catered not only for weddings but other celebrations in many venues, bars, clubs and homes in Cork city and county,” he said.
With private catering, sports catering and glutenfree options, TLC aims to provide healthy food with the minimum effort on the consumers part, so they are able to enjoy the occasion stress- and worry-free.
A growing business which is small enough to ensure that the customer is the focal point of its offerings, Tadhg Long said this allows personalisation of all menu offerings, ensuring customer delight.
“Our private catering offerings include full service or drop off service to a home or venue. Our offerings even include a mobile pizza oven for Artisan pizza parties. We can also offer people a Spanish paella evening in the comfort of their own home.
“We also specialise in protory viding healthy and nutritious meals to sports teams both pre and post games and training sessions and for bus journeys to and from matches. We have worked with Cork County and intercounty GAA teams as well as rugby and athletics clubs for over five years now.
“We work closely with team nutritionists to provide them with the best menus, which are personalised to their team’s requirements.
“This has allowed us to gain a fantastic insight into what it takes to fuel the body for the demands of today’s athletes,” he said.
Tadhg, who is passionate about catering and food service, said TLC caters for people in their private home, local hall, rugby club or pub and also provides a collection and drop off service from its headquarters in Ballinhassig.
Having started his own catering business, after travelling abroad for a period, he said his customers are very pleased that he is affiliated with the Love Irish Food brand as it guarantees them that the products are made in Cork, using fresh local produce when available.
“When you make small changes in your shopping trolley by purchasing TLC Foods, not only are you buying healthy tasty delicious meals for you and your family, you are ticking off many boxes.
“You are also being kinder to the environment by reducing imports, you are keeping jobs in your locality and you are finally doing what you set out to do – just trying to do your little bit,” he said.
■ www.tadhglongcatering.ie
Agriland
Research: 75% of Irish food businesses expect revenue growth in year ahead
Author: Stella Meehan
Date: 27th April 20201
Small and medium-sized Irish food businesses (SMEs) are optimistic about their growth prospects, according to new research by Love Irish Food and PwC, which found that 75% of companies operating in the sector are anticipating their revenues to increase in the year ahead.
The 2021 Irish SME Food Barometer reveals that this optimism is echoed by a favourable outlook for the Irish economy with 65% of companies confident the economy will improve over the next 12 months.
This is despite challenges related to Covid-19 and Brexit, up from just 16% in late 2019.
However, some caution is in the air as these positive economic growth forecasts are tempered by 22% of companies who believe economic growth will decline in the year ahead.
Speaking at the survey launch, Owen McFeely, director, PwC retail and consumer practice, said: “With the prospects of the reopening for our economy over the coming months, the research reveals cautious optimism for business prospects for Irish food SMEs.
Executive director of Love Irish Food, Kieran Rumley, said: “Notwithstanding a difficult trading environment, it is encouraging to see evidence of optimism amongst food sector SMEs regarding the potential for their own company’s performance in the sector, reflecting factors they feel a greater degree of control over.
“However, volatile commodity prices now clearly pose a new and significant threat to companies, especially in the context of Covid-19 related costs imposed on such businesses more recently,” he added.
“It is unlikely that SMEs will be able to shoulder the burden of these additional costs for long and may eventually be forced to pass these on as consumer price increases.”
Positive sentiment from SMEs
Separately, the positive sentiment expressed in the new research findings indicates that there will be a significant uplift in the levels of capital investment made by food and beverage companies, following a significant stall during the pandemic.
69% of respondents stated that they will not delay investment over the coming 12 months, compared to 62% who said they did delay such investment in the last 12 months, representing a dramatic turnaround. Furthermore, 20% of respondents confirmed that they are planning to launch new products or services to drive business growth in 2021.
A total of 11% will enter new markets. Other activities to drive business growth include implementing operational efficiencies (19%) with a further (11%) aiming to achieve growth by investing in digital strategies.
Potential price increases
Almost one in ten (8%) will seek price increases, up from 6% last year, highlighting the ongoing challenge for many Irish companies who are grappling with tight margins and cost competitiveness.
The growth of volume at the expense of value, continues to place huge pressure on the food manufacturing sector. The impact of Covid-19 (58%) is the greatest threat for the food and beverage sector, according to the SMEs surveyed, fuelled by economic uncertainty, and associated labour issues.
Volatile commodity prices (43%) are also a significant threat for food and drink SMEs. The research indicates that this is likely a reflection of uncertainties in global and local supply chains. Almost one in four (24%) are concerned about Brexit.UK market.
Despite the varied challenges posed to the sector by Brexit, the UK is the most important export market for Irish food businesses, followed by the European Union, according to Love Irish Food.26% of respondents to the survey said that the UK continues to be their most important market.
Notably, almost a quarter (24%) stated that more than one-fifth of their company’s revenues in 2021 will come from trade with the UK compared to 19% in 2019.69% consider the Republic of Ireland their most important territory for growth.
Sustainability
Environmental sustainability remains high on the agenda for Irish food and drink SMEs with 60% of those surveyed stating that the importance of having an environmental sustainability strategy in place has increased this year. In addition, over half (57%) of companies confirmed that they have a sustainability plan in place to make improvements throughout 2021.
Key areas of investment include energy consumption (22%), packaging reduction (18%) and water usage (16%).Recent PwC global research indicated that 55% of consumers agreed that they buy from companies that are conscious of protecting the planet, and agreed 54% agreed that they buy products with eco-friendly packaging.
For grocery shopping, in particular, consumers across the board say that they’re willing to pay a price premium for healthier options (55%), local produce (50%) and sustainable packaging (46%), regardless of shopping online or in-store.
Owen McFeely concluded: “A key opportunity for the sector is the area of sustainability. Consumers have become far more sophisticated when it comes to sustainable choices. “Irish Food SMEs are and will be dealing with customers who want to know what they are doing to play their part to protect our environment. Building a sustainable business is not a passing fad.”
“Knowing what consumers now value and changing the business model will define their long-term sustainability and growth.”
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