Local food companies are making huge strides by securing shelf space in major supermarket chains.

Heavenly Tasty Organics, an organic baby and toddler snacking company based in Clogher has announced a £2 million per year deal with Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose. 

It recently secured a deal with the 150 SuperValu stores in the Republic of Ireland. Meanwhile, Newtownbutler-based Cavanagh Free Range Eggs has has won its first major supermarket deal which will see it supply its locally farmed free range eggs to the 16 Asda stores across Northern Ireland.

Managing Director of Heavenly Tasty Organics, Shauna McCarney-Blair stated: 
“Taking Heavenly from an idea at my kitchen table to now being stocked on the shelves of three of the UK’s leading supermarket chains is simply a dream come true and makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
The deal will see Heavenly’s award winning snacks including Yummy Wafer Wisps, Coconut Squishies and Crispy Veggie Waffles appearing on the shelves of over 1,000 stores across the UK from May and will enable further expansion for the rapidly growing company.
The organic snacks contain no added sugar and are low in natural sugars also contain high proportions of superfoods such as coconut milk, spinach, kale and pumpkin. 

Their new Crispy Veggie Waffles and Mini Italian Breadsticks “really caught the eye of the buyers” and are aiming at the older age group of over 12 months.
“We have been working hard over the last 12 months to bring products to the market which parents want for their babies and toddlers and which are offering an alternative to salty sugary snacks that are so widely available,” said mother-of-four, Shauna, adding: “We are absolutely overwhelmed and delighted with the new deals with Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose and are so grateful that these leading UK retailers can see our vision to provide healthy organics snacks and are so supportive of our products.”

Launched in 2011, the company now exports products to 14 countries around the world including Australia, the Middle East and throughout Europe.

The deal between Cavanagh Free Range Eggs and Asda is described by Eileen Hall as “a major development, marking a significant step forward for our small but very committed team.”

She stated: “Over the last four years we’ve focused our efforts on building the brand and developing our product range to ensure we’re ideally positioned to supply major supermarkets. We know that contented hens produce the best quality, tasty eggs, and we’re delighted that Asda has also recognised this. We believe the move will also be appreciated by their NI customers.”

The deal was announced at the Balmoral Show, where Eileen had approached Asda a number of years ago to discuss supply opportunities.
The company also took part in last year’s ‘Meet the Buyer’ event held in Asda’s Enniskillen store and has since followed guidance provided by Asda’s local sourcing team, including achieving Lion Accreditation, the recognised quality and traceability guarantee.

Eileen is also currently part of Asda’s Supplier Development Academy which seeks to help local food producers boost their business potential with the retailer.

Cavanagh Free Range Eggs is run by Eileen and John Hall. The company holds the prestigious ‘Great Taste’ and the ‘Irish Food Quality’ awards and its eggs are used by chefs across Northern Ireland, including those from The Lough Erne Resort and The Merchant Hotel. 
It produces 12 million free range eggs per year and employs seven people at its onsite packing centre outside Newtownbutler.

Brian Conway from Asda NI’s Local Sourcing Team added: 
“It’s great to see Cavanagh Free Range joining our growing list of local suppliers an another top quality, fresh product range taking pride of place on our shelves. 
“This is yet another example of our commitment to NI Year of Food and it also shows how initiatives such as our Supplier Development Academy are delivering positive business results for local producers.”