Four SuperValu stores in Westmeath: Buckley’s SuperValu Moate and Mullingar, Smith’s SuperValu Monksland, and Fennell’s SuperValu Kinnegad were recently presented with the Supreme Excellence Ireland Quality Award by Martin Kelleher, managing director, SuperValu and Irene Collins, managing director, Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA ) at the 2014 SuperValu Quality Awards ceremony held in Killarney.
These leading SuperValu stores completed the SuperValu National Hygiene and Food Safety programme which is independently audited by Joe Comerford, with the Supreme Hygiene Award identifying and rewarding retailers that have performed to a consistently high level over a three year period.
Commenting at the awards, Martin Kelleher, managing director, SuperValu, said; “This is a fantastic endorsement for SuperValu retailers in Westmeath and a real testament to the efforts of their management team and staff. The Quality Awards recognise continued commitment to maintaining excellent hygiene and food safety standards. Year-on-year these entrepreneurial food retailers continue to push out the boundaries of excellence, with three quarters of the SuperValu stores audited receiving the much sought after Supreme Hygiene Award.”
Martin Kelleher went onto say that: “Quality is at the heart of everything we do and the record number of SuperValu stores that have achieved this quality award is a real testament to this. The hygiene ethos is embedded in daily standards and is maintained throughout our food chain, from production right through to the supermarket shelf. Hygiene and quality is not an add-on to what we do, it is very much part of our everyday retailing regime.”
According to Irene Collins from Excellence Ireland Quality Association, “The commitment to Hygiene Excellence demonstrated by SuperValu stores in Westmeath and nationwide should be commended. The EIQA National Hygiene mark is a well-recognised programme which incorporates all codes of good hygiene practice, ensuring robust standards and excellence in hygiene and food safety. SuperValu has a well-deserved reputation in implementing and maintaining meticulous quality and food safety standards and SuperValu should be very proud to receive this highly distinguished accreditation.”
SuperValu stores across Ireland are committed to local employment and supporting local suppliers. Some 75 per cent of everything on SuperValu’s shelves is sourced or produced in Ireland, contributing over €1.6 billion to the Irish economy and helping to sustain almost 30,000 Irish jobs in the farm, food, and retail sector.
