The Cork food company hitting more supermarket shelves

The Sibly Food Co, which started off in a college student's kitchen, will be selling its products nationwide from Thursday as part of the Grow with Aldi programme

Matthew Collins began The Sibly Food Co while he was studying to become a PE teacher and working in his local SuperValu.

A Cork-based food company that started in a college student’s kitchen will be selling its products in Aldi stores nationwide over the next week.

The Sibly Food Co was founded by Matthew Collins in 2018 while the Ballydesmond native was studying at the University of Limerick. What first started off as a way to share snacks with classmates soon led to an inter-county business with a 15-strong team.

“I was always interested in food and once I got to college I started making snacks for my housemates and bringing them into lectures. People told me I could sell them and I got a notion to join a local Christmas market,” Matthew said.

I intended for the business to be all health food but not many people are looking for that in December so I turned to cheesecakes, brownies, and things like that. 

"Soon there were orders coming every week and we went into our very first shop in June 2019.” 

Matthew began supplying multiple health food stores, markets, and shops across West Cork and Killarney and has been working on the business full time since last summer.

The Sibly Food Co currently supplies over 100 shops and cafes in Cork and Kerry and, from Thursday, will have its range of energy balls available in Aldi’s 150 Irish stores.

The arrangement is part of the retailer's Grow with Aldi programme, which selected The Sibly Food Co, alongside 23 other small businesses, to sell their products on Aldi’s shelves from May 19 to 26. 

“When this started out I was still in college and working part-time in SuperValu. I literally went into the first shop with a tray of brownies and protein balls wrapped in little plastic cups with rubber bands,” Matthew said.

“I’m thrilled to have been selected for this. We heard the news in February so we’ve been gearing up for it for months.” 

Matthew hasn’t put too much thought into what will happen if the company gets offered a contract with Aldi, choosing instead to focus on how to grow the business further. Social media has been one of his most important tools.

Social media has been huge for us. We try to do things a bit differently, we don’t pay for marketing or run any ads. 

"I think lockdown also helped us because people were looking for new things to try. Now, everyone wants to eat healthily so we’re focused on the energy balls.

“There is no great master plan. The main goal is to feed as many people as possible and keep growing the range. We’ll take it one step at a time.”