Bohermeen bakery boosted by food mentoring scheme
SuperValu is celebrating 10 years of local food produce success by revealing over €230m of Food Academy products has been sold in its stores over the last decade. Food Academy producers are continuing to perform strongly, supporting 1,500 jobs through the programme which offers considerable benefits to both local communities and the national economy.
Local Meath business, Baska Bakery took part in the 2023 Food Academy programme, which is a tailored business development programme for early to mid-stage producers, supported by SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office. Baska Bakery specialises in producing leavened sourdough bread using only three ingredients – flour, water and salt, from their bakery in Bohermeen.
More than 1,000 local food producers have completed the Food Academy programme since its inception, with over 300 Food Academy producers regularly stocked in SuperValu stores across the country, including Baska Bakery, across 52 weeks of the year.
Speaking on the 10th anniversary of Food Academy, Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu said: “The Food Academy is a fantastic collaboration between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office which has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years, enhancing and supporting the growth of Ireland’s food and drink sector. The Food Academy programme is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses to gain direct access to leading expertise to help them on every step of their journey - from start-up producer to securing their products on supermarket shelves.
Over the last 10 years, SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office have fostered a superb relationship through this programme and have been heartened and inspired by the innovation and leadership shown by over 1,000 Irish food producers who have participated in the programme since 2013. We are immensely proud of the success these brands have achieved in the last 10 years - some of whom include names like Lily’s Tea and Janet’s Just Delicious. At SuperValu, we are committed to supporting local communities and the €230m sales of Food Academy products in SuperValu stores in the last 10 years is not only remarkable, but it is a testament to the calibre and quality of Irish producers who have gone through the programme.”
John Mallon, founder of Baska Bakery, says; “Working with SuperValu and the Food Academy program has been a fantastic help and support to our business. The knowledge gained has been invaluable and will help Baska to grow, with our aim being to create jobs and serve the community with delicious, nutritious and healthy sourdough bread.”
Jim O’Toole, Bord Bia Chief Executive said: “Bord Bia has supported Food Academy since its inception and is pleased to work in partnership with SuperValu and the Local Enterprise Office to nurture innovative food and drink businesses. Food Academy plays an important role in serving the needs of Irish consumers, with recent Bord Bia research proving the importance to consumers of being able to choose locally produced food, drink and horticulture.”
Greg Swift, Head of Local Enterprise Office, Dublin added: “The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) work with a broad range of businesses. The food sector is an important sector and there are exciting and new innovations emerging linked to the changing demands of the consumer.
“The Food Academy programme addresses the challenge of product innovation, business planning, health regulation and the ultimate placing of product on SuperValu shelves.
“The LEOs have worked closely on the programme over 10 years with the strong support of Bord Bia and the SuperValu team. This is a productive relationship with the sole objective of delivering new Irish food businesses to the market, increasing sales, additional employment, and strong growth ambitions to the successful businesses.