ARTISAN FOODS DAY 1 - It's getting a little easier to taste success

Start-up firms can now place products in SuperValu thanks to the new Food Academy, writes John Daly.

MORE than 300 jobs are being created in food business start-ups as a result of the Food Academy Start programme, a collaborative initiative between the Local Enterprise Offices, Bord Bia and SuperValu.

More than 200 food business start-ups and producers who participated in Food Academy Start will supply SuperValu retailers for the first time, generating sales worth €5m and significant employment this year. As the stores are independently owned and operated, retailers are able to source directly from local suppliers on a one-to-one basis, enabling these start-up food businesses to gain their first retail listings in shops in their local communities.