Grow with Aldi calls on creative Irish producers to try something new in 2022
Now in its fifth year, Grow with Aldi entries are now open until 21 January
Print11 January 2022
The Grow with Aldi programme is back for 2022 offering more brand-building opportunities for Ireland’s small and medium suppliers. This year, Aldi says the group is looking for business innovators; “the bold, the brave, the fearless and the future thinkers who want to get to the next level”.
The mentor scheme is undertaken in conjunction with Bord Bia, and Aldi wants to “champion those game changing, risk taking creatives and trendsetters that produce top-notch Irish products and make them accessible for all”.
Following strong success in recent years, the programme is now entering its fifth year where food and non-food applicants can enter their product in January, face a judging panel in February and if successful, have their product launched in all 149 Aldi stores nationwide in May as part of the Grow with Aldi Specialbuy promotion. The adventure doesn’t stop there though as from the Specialbuy bunch, up to six winners will be chosen and offered further opportunities with Aldi. This will include mentoring and development through a number of workshops such as Buying Process, Supply Chain Management and Social Media Marketing, followed by a number of individual mentoring sessions with the Aldi buying team, the Aldi marketing team and Bord Bia technical experts.
“We are now in year five of the Grow with Aldi programme, supported over 200 Irish producers on this journey and invested over €5.5 million to make these long-term partnerships a reality,” said John Curtin, Aldi Ireland group buying director. “We are inviting producers to enter and demonstrate their innovation and creativity in product development for an opportunity to win a 12 -month listing in all 149 stores nationwide. We can’t wait to see what amazing products we discover during this year’s programme.”
In 2021, 117 products from 63 Irish suppliers went on sale as part of the Grow with Aldi Specialbuys events in June and November. Having been highly commended by the judging panel, six producers secured the opportunity to become a core or seasonal range listing in Aldi stores nationwide, these included:
- Cookie Dó (Tallaght, Co. Dublin)
- ChanChan (Firhouse, Co. Dublin)
- Woodfire & Green (Sandyford, Co. Dublin)
- Vanilla Bean Patisserie (Ballinagh, Co. Cavan)
- Blackcastle Farm (Blackcastle, Co. Tipperary)
- The Fig Tree (High Street, Co. Kilkenny)
Gillian Willis, Bord Bia small Business manager, describes the success of the programme as “a testament to the fantastic quality of food and drink products being created by local Irish suppliers”.
“Recent research from the Bord Bia Thinking House has shown that more and more Irish consumers are making conscious decisions to buy locally sourced products,” she said, “so having the Grow with Aldi programme support some long-term success stories plays an important role in showcasing the innovative products that we as a small nation can create. Bord Bia is proud to partner with a programme that provides new development and growth opportunities for its suppliers each year.”
To register or find out more about the Grow with Aldi programme 2022, visit www.aldi.ie/grow
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