As part of their national Food & Drink Month celebrations for the month of June, Guaranteed Irish welcomed over 50 food and drink producers, retailers, and industry leaders to its inaugural Food & Drink Forum on Wednesday, 11th June at The Dean Hotel, Cork. The event marked a key moment in the campaign, celebrating Irish-made excellence, trends in the industry and pressing issues such as tariffs.
Panellists included Alan Russell, Head of IT & AI at Musgrave Group who spoke about their ability to re-focus on the customer and community whilst AI takes over other mundane tasks and increases efficiencies. He also shared a fun fact - The son of a dairy farmer from Kerry is the founding father of AI! We need to embrace it in Ireland.
Leanne Purcell, General Manager of Uber Eats Ireland shared her insights into how consumer shopping habits are moving away from larger weekly shops to smaller quantities and can now get delivery within 45 minutes from a SuperValu store via Uber Eats in many parts of the country. The delivery of shopping is in its infancy in Ireland but growing fast.
Dara Higgins, Irish & International Tax Lawyer, Matheson was on hand to give practical advice to exporters in the Food & Drink sector, he spoke about diversification of supply chains and how important this is if US tariffs become a problem.
Two Guaranteed Irish members and producers made up the rest of the educational panel. Aisling McGann, COO of SiSú who produce wholesome beverages said that consumer's are becoming a lot more aware of what's in their food, innovation is key as its about combining taste with functionality to satisfy consumer needs.
Mary Sadlier, CEO of Coole Swan discusses Coole Swan’s export performance, noting that 80% of their exports go to the U.S. She emphasises that successful international growth is built on strong, trust-based relationships. She also highlights the importance of having the right mindset – staying curious, open, and committed to continuous progress.
As part of the event, Guaranteed Irish and SuperValu officially launched the €50,000 Media Bursary – a major opportunity for one Guaranteed Irish food or drink member to grow their brand visibility through in-store and digital media campaigns with SuperValu and Centra.
The event, which showcasing member products from Rivesci, Sisu, Cow and Gate, Wilde Irish Chocolates, Kinsale Mead Co. And Ahascaragh Distillery. It also highlighted Guaranteed Irish’s commitment to supporting regional businesses — with Cork being home to some of the country’s best-known food brands.
The Guaranteed Irish Food & Drink Month continues throughout June with digital campaigns, social media promotions, and member collaborations.
