Matthew Collins: 'From a small food stall in Kanturk to sponsoring my local GAA club'

Whether you are setting a small business goal or planning a huge career change in 2024, the Cork man has a blueprint and work ethic to inspire you, writes Emily Crowley

Founder of The Sibly Food Co Matthew Collins in his boutique coffee trailer, Seventy7 by Sibly, at Ballydesmond GAA grounds. Picture: Denis Minihane

In doing my research for my chat with Matthew Collins, I listened to his conversation on Fahd Baig’s The Fahdcast. He mentioned that his attitude towards aspects of his work life is one of hope. “I’d live by: 'It might turn out better than you can imagine’,” he said.

And it is clear that it is this attitude and mindset that has seen him enjoy well-deserved success over the past number of years.

It all kicked off for Collins when, as a college student, he began cooking and baking quality healthy snacks to bring to lectures.

While studying to be a PE and English teacher at University of Limerick, friends suggested he sell his bakes and treats.

And so, a flame ignited — one which now more resembles a controlled fire that spreading across the country as his energy balls and products are popping up on more and more shelves across Ireland.

The Sibly Food Company (coming from “eat responsibly”) was born when Collins set up a stall at a 2018 Christmas market in Kanturk, Co Cork.

“There was no masterplan behind the whole thing,” he says, explaining that his joy for cooking happened naturally at home.

“I never considered it as a business or a career, it just kind of evolved.” And evolve it did. Collins left the classroom for the kitchen, and now has a team of staff working with him across his production units, delivery team, and office; his company is the main sponsor of the local GAA club; and his energy balls are in stock in Aldi stores nationwide.

“I love what I’m doing now. I haven’t complained about getting up for work in, honestly, years … I really enjoyed teaching, and it’s something I would go back to no problem, but I love everything different about [running The Sibly]. There’s no structure — which is probably a good thing and a bad thing — you meet such interesting people who have done crazy things.” 

Local focus 

A clear principle for the Ballydesmond native in his company is sourcing his ingredients as locally as he can.

“We use — the last couple of weeks — just under 500kg of Flahavan’s oats every week. That’s our one non-negotiable: Our oats have to be Irish,” he says.

With honey sourced in Tipperary (he concedes that some ingredients such as the peanut butter, chocolate, and coconut are made in bulk abroad, but sourced and bought through Irish companies), there are other aspects to the company that support Irish businesses.

Matthew Collins at his boutique coffee trailer, Seventy7 by Sibly, at Ballydesmond GAA grounds. Picture: Denis Minihane.

“All of our transport is done by Irish companies, all of our fuel, all of our packaging is Irish — whether it’s boxes, lids, pots — all Irish. All of our labelling is done by a company in Limerick. All of our tape we wrap all of the boxes in comes from a crowd in Cork,” he explains.

Inflation 

By now, it’s no secret that companies large and small are being barraged by soaring costs. However, some — The Sibly among them — maintain that keeping prices for the consumer as low as possible is the right step forward.

“We’ve taken huge hit over the last number of years, every cost has gone up and I know every business is saying that, so it’s boring at this stage,” he says, “but when I started, I found a big issue was getting healthy snacks at a reasonable price as a college student… so we’ll take the hits.

“I’m a consumer as well, and we’re not big-business people, so if we can keep it as straight and narrow, we’ll take the hit, I’m sure things will pick up again.” 

‘Can’t watch villages get quieter’ 

The heat will crank up a notch for Collins as his latest project, Seventy7, launched just last month — exactly five years to the day after that first Christmas market.

Named after the house number his grandparents lived at in Dublin where he spent a lot of time growing up, Seventy7 is a coffee trailer with community at the heart of it.

“We’re from Ballydesmond, which is a quiet village. There’s a lot of young people, but there are even more young people leaving, so [Seventy7] is like a rural regeneration thing in the smallest way possible,” Collins explains, adding that with the right-quality products and service “it might stop people heading to Killarney or heading to Cork for the day”.

However, he is realistic about the market and the business journey ahead.

“It might not work — I don’t know will it? I think it will, but I don’t know, because at the end of the day, it’s a quiet village, but I do think we can generate a bit of [footfall].

“We can’t just sit back and watch local villages get quieter, quieter, and quieter. I hope this is going to help in some way.” With coffee from Cork-based roasters, Velo, hot chocolate from Ó Conaill Chocolate, and plans to have a range of tasty quality treats, snacks, and food, Collins’s aim will be to “bring a bit of life to villages — there are so many young people around the village” with few places for them to meet and socialise that is not “drink-orientated”.

And his ethos of working alongside (rather than in competition with) local suppliers, businesses, and companies follows through on this passion project of his.

“We’ll do the odd few events here and there. I don’t want to step on other people’s toes, because I know a lot of people set up coffee trailers here and there and I don’t want to be like, ‘Oh well we’re here now, so get rid of them’.” 

And with more the promise of “more healthy products coming” in the new year, it feels as if this fire won’t be extinguished anytime soon. Not bad for something with no masterplan.

Seventy7 by Sibly is open for business in Ballydesmond, Co Cork.