In 2009 a group of Irish brands making everything from porridge to orange squash came together to set up a new organisation called Love Irish Food. Over the course of the last 4 years the organisation has grown from 29 members to over 110 and along the way has witnessed some stunning successes by its members as they continue to battle tough economic conditions through innovation, collaboration and dedication. We want to tell you a little bit more about Love Irish Food.
Love Irish Food aims to help shoppers make informed choices about buying Irish manufactured food and drinks. The group’s overall aim is to safeguard the future of food and drink manufacturing in Ireland.
It’s hard to imagine it while pushing your trolley round the supermarket but behind every Irish product on the shelves is a real home-grown story about people working from farm to factory to supermarket, to bring you your great quality Irish product. And it’s those people that our friends at Love Irish Food want you to think about when you’re doing the weekly shop, you can make a real difference to their livelihoods.
It’s simple, buying more Irish made products helps Irish businesses survive and protects Irish jobs. That’s something that we can all be proud of and all make a real difference to. Research, however, shows that Irish shoppers are unsure as to what constitutes a truly Irish brand.
The Love Irish Food logo aims to let shoppers know which brands are truly Irish brands, by guaranteeing that the product is manufactured in the Republic of Ireland and also that the brand uses ingredients from Ireland where these are available.
Not all Food and Drink brands are eligible to join Love Irish Food. When you see this Love Irish Food Logo on a product you know that it is: Made in the Republic of Ireland using local ingredients where they are available.
Take your chocolate bar for example. Now, the cocoa can’t be grown in Cavan, but the milk used can certainly come from cows in Kerry! So look out for the new Love Irish Food logo on your next trip to the shops and buy Irish!
In recognition of the significant impact food and drink manufacturers make to the Irish economy, Love Irish Food has announced details of the Love Irish Food Brand Development Award 2013. This will see one Irish food and drink manufacturer benefit from a €200,000 advertising campaign. Speaking at the launch Kieran Rumley, Executive Director of Love Irish Food said “There are inspirational stories of grit, determination and success coming from brands within the agri-food sector in Ireland today. This award recognizes that all across the Irish food and drink industry there are wonderful brands employing local people and directly contributing to Ireland’s economic recovery, we hope that the considerable advertising campaign offered by Independent Newspapers can help bring one of these brands to the next level”.
