Love Irish Food members will showcase the positive stories of local and community investment at their ‘Meet the Makers’ marquee at the Bord Bia Bloom festival which takes place in the Phoenix Park in Dublin from June 2-6, 2022.
Love Irish Food brands employ over 12,000 people in the food, drink and support industries, throughout the Republic of Ireland.
At a time of challenge due to inflationary and supply issues, Irish food producers are providing employment in local communities and developing sustainable business solutions, according to Love Irish Food.
Irish food brands at Bloom
At the ‘Meet the Makers’ marquee, Love Irish Food will host some of Ireland’s best-known food brands, with household names including Glenisk, Cuisine de France, Britvic Ireland’s Ballygowan, Club and MiWadi.
The exhibition will also promote other mid-sized brands such as Cork’s Spice O’Life and Folláin, as well as many new brands that are providing employment and helping the economy and environment across Ireland.
The 14 food producers at ‘Meet the Makers’ are all drivers of sustainable business models, from Glenisk and Britvic’s local production in substitution of imports, to O’Donnell’s crisps made with Irish-grown potatoes and Killowen measuring their products’ travel journeys in meters not miles.
While 90% of biscuits in Ireland are imported, East Coast Bakehouse produces a local product. Cork’s Spice O’Life is investing in being carbon neutral; Plant-It is planting trees as part of its company’s mission; and the oilseed rape grown by Wicklow’s Sussed puts nutrients back in the soil and encourages diverse wildlife.
Kieran Rumley, executive director, Love Irish Food said: “Irish food businesses are driving sustainability at a time when it is ever more critical.
“The Love Irish Food member companies at Bloom each have a sustainability story to tell, through investing in both the environment and community.
“At a time when Irish food business are facing a host of challenges including rising input costs and inflationary pressures, these businesses showcase not alone the strength and resilience in the Irish food sector but also the commitment to Ireland’s environment and community development.”