The Irish Exporters Association’s Channel Clusters programme for 2009/10 includes one cluster dedicated to foodservice. In La Rousse Foods, we have found the perfect channel partner, given their openness to engage

with the programme, and to trade with the food suppliers, if quality and pricing conditions are met.

Pictured at the Channel Clusters "Meet the Buyer" event on 24th November 2009 are Nikki & Thea Murphy, Silver Pail Dairy, Stuart Campbell, La Rousse Foods, Ronan Gillespie,  Next Step International, Marc Ammand, La Rousse Foods, Don Walshe, Don Walshe Ltd, Anthony Creswell, Ummera Smoked Products, Godfrey Lydon, IEA, Pat Clarke, A Growing Pleasure and Marie Kennedy, Dawn Fresh Foods.

The 5 companies in the foodservice cluster, which is delivered by Ronan Gillespie of Next Step International, are:

A Growing Pleasure

Dawn Fresh Foods

Don Walshe Ltd. t/a Dromoland Game Sports

Silver Pail Dairy

Ummera Smoked Products

Each of these companies has its own individual motivation for participating on the programme, which reflects the wide variety of benefits the programme has to offer.

In addition to the one-to-one mentoring that will continue throughout 2010, group workshops will be held on i) Finance, ii) NPD & Innovation, iii) Distributor Selection & Buyer Presentations, iv) BRC and Branding, and v) exporting to the UK.

“It’s great to see these 5 companies addressing the new business environment in such a proactive way,” commented Ronan Gillespie of Next Step International at the meet-the-buyer event in November 2009. “They’re not waiting for things to happen, they’re going to make them happen. Our objective is to help each company, on a one-to-one basis, to identify and exploit business opportunities in export markets. We will work with one of the companies to open up a distribution channel in the U.S. for a new product launch, and with another on added-value product development to tap into the British market”.

"In terms of their overall business development, other issues we will address on the programme are branding, cost control and buyer presentations."