Builín Blasta Café, DK Connemara Oysters, Flexi Nutrition and Connemara Brewing Company are among 48 Irish suppliers selected for this year’s Kickstart supplier development programme which will showcase 112 new products instore this September
Following a competitive Dragon’s Den-style pitch process to find this year’s most innovative products, 48 suppliers across 20 different counties were selected after an intensive application process which saw producers put through their paces with a business pitch to Lidl’s buying team and a taste test to select the best in category. This included Irish language café Builín Blasta in Spiddal; Oranmore’s Flexi Nutrition, Connemara-based DK Connemara Oysters and Connemara Brewing Company.
Based at Ballinakill Bay David Keane and his team at DK Connemara Oysters have a long history of producing oysters of the highest quality.
The team at Connemara Brewing Company is focused on making a small number of beers really well - consistently producing high-quality beers made from scratch using traditional recipes and the best possible local ingredients.
Flexi Nutrition is the number one Irish-owned nutrition company using 100 per cent Irish ingredients, offering consumers the best supplements in the market.
An English and Irish bilingual café, bakery and wine bar, over the years Builín Blasta has built a reputation thanks to its quality homemade produce, amazing atmosphere and award winning retail products.
These successful producers will now see their artisan offerings on sale in Lidl's 220 stores across the island of Ireland from September 19 for a limited time, while stocks last. This includes Builín Blasta’s home-made artisan salad dressings and smoked onion salsa, a dozen Connemara oysters from DK Connemara Oysters, Flexi Nutrition’s Energy Shot, and a choice of Connemara Brewing Company’s refreshing lager or juicy ale.
Before the products hit the shelves, this six-month development programme offers suppliers dedicated business support from Lidl’s in-house experts, advancing their product, brand and business with practical guidance on how to scale production, and drive production efficiency, as well as product development and packaging support, allowing them to optimise on-shelf opportunities in the autumn and scale for success.
Now in its eighth year, and supported by Bord Bia, this year’s programme saw a record number of applicants from every province in Ireland.
“Lidl’s Kickstart Supplier Development programme allows us to support Irish producers building their businesses while providing our customers with a great range of new and innovative Irish products," said Kate O’Driscoll, supplier development manager at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland. "Since 2016, Lidl has invested more than €30 million in growing and supporting small local producers – an investment which has seen huge success over the years with several Kickstart products getting fully listed and now being part of Lidl’s everyday product range. Other products have benefited from the expansive international store network, reaching the shores of the UK, Europe and even the USA over the eight years of the programme."
With 112 new products listed for this year’s Kickstart programme, the retailer will add significantly to its annual goods and services procurement spend of €1.6 billion in Ireland.
Since its launch in 2016, Lidl has invested €30 million in supporting over 250 Irish businesses through the Kickstart programme. Many Kickstart suppliers have also benefitted from having their products exported across Lidl’s international network of stores.
“Bord Bia is proud to support the Lidl Kickstart programme," said Fiona Twomey, global retail specialist at Bord Bia. "We recognise the opportunity a global retailer like Lidl presents to Irish food and drink companies to get their products on shelf in Lidl stores around the world, while the Kickstart programme itself offers a multitude of business development learnings. On behalf of Bord Bia, I wish each of the participants every success on the first phase of this programme.”
