Retailers crop up at Ploughing Championships 2015
Tesco, SuperValu, Aldi and the NDC among the FMCG heavy-hitters making tracks to this year's Ploughing Championships 2015
Print22 September 2015
Leading retail brands appear keen to make their presence felt at this year’s Ploughing Championships, which kicked off today.
Tesco once again returns to the Championships held in Ratheniska, Co. Laois until Thursday, 24 September. Visitors to the Tesco tent will be treated to cookery demonstrations, where renowned chef Eugene McSweeney will serve up dishes with a focus on fresh, local ingredients. The supermarket is highlighting the fact that it expects to sell over 100,000 pumpkins this year with Irish pumpkins sourced from Keelings’ grower Oisin O’Gradaigh outside Castlebellingham in Louth.
Tesco says it will also be offering tempting treats including some of the Tesco own brand range products which scooped 32 awards at this year’s prestigious Great Taste Awards and 10 Irish Quality Food Awards.
A number of Tesco’s Taste Bud suppliers who participated the annual supplier development programme run by Tesco in partnership with Bord Bia, will also be attending over the three day event.
SuperValu will likewise feature at the Championships, with its Food Academy start-up food companies showcasing produce at the Supervalu tent. Through the Food Academy programme, SuperValu brings community based food start-ups to market. At the SuperValu tent [Block 3, Row 38, Stand 744], Food Academy participants will be demonstrating the value that Food Academy has made to farm families and local businesses across the country, while showcasing a selection of their innovative products. The retailer says 200 small food producers will secure retail listings worth €15 million with SuperValu in 2015.
A range of new suppliers that have started to work with SuperValu this year will likewise be in attendance, including SynerChi Kombucha of Gweedore, Co. Donegal; Ballyhoura Apple Farm of Ballyhoura, Co. Cork and Lily’s Tea Shop of Termonfeckin, Louth – to name just a few.
Meanwhile, Aldi is once again sponsoring The National Brown Bread Baking Competition, in association with the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA). Re-launched last year by the NPA, the event attracted entries from each of the 26 counties. The National Semi Finals and Final of the competition will be held at the Aldi marquee.
Another FMCG player with a strong presence at this year’s Championships is the National Dairy Council (NDC). Former Rugby International Alan Quinlan is with the NDC today from 11.00am-2.30pm. He is helping to highlight the NDC’s new ‘Win With Dairy,’ national campaign this autumn which celebrates the positive role that milk can play as part of a balanced diet in sports nutrition, at whatever level you play or enjoy sports. ‘
Visitors to the NDC dome today can also get the latest insights and news into what’s happening at the Rugby World Cup when Alan Quinlan connects for a live interview with Michael Corcoran, RTÉ Radio rugby commentator, direct from the Rugby World Cup media HQ. The NDC has taken exclusive sponsorship of RTÉ Radio One & RTÉ 2FM’s Rugby World Cup coverage, as part of its campaign, supported by ‘Win With Dairy’ radio and television advertising, with branding extending to televised highlights of the matches.
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