Food firms’ recipe for success

Innovative companies are driving Ireland’s near-€8bn foodservice sector, writes Ruth Doris

Ireland’s foodservice industry, which includes meals served in hotels and pubs, was worth €7.5bn last year, according to figures from Bord Bia. There is a growing demand for convenience, with about 40% of this figure including fast food, food-to-go, coffee shops and cafés.

Irish start-ups are shaking up the sector with innovative solutions for food service providers and time-poor consumers. For instance, busy young professionals can skip the lunch queue at their local coffee shop or salad bar using the Bamboo app. The platform, started by Luke Mackey and Alan Haverty, soft-launched in February this year, and has 70 partner food outlets signed up so far.