Seven Irish food and drink companies have joined a new Bord Bia and KSG Catering initiative that seeks to help smaller companies get their product ranges listed in the foodservice market. For the first time Bord Bia and KSG Catering have come together to form the In.gredients programme, aimed at providing these businesses with tailored support to assist them secure and grow business in some of the 110 outlets run by KSG Catering around the country.

KSG Catering, an Irish owned company, currently employs over 1,100 people and serves food to more than 12 million customers annually. Companies benefitting from the programme reflect the areas wher KSG is looking to grow their supply base and range from natural and healthy snacks, to indulgent hand cooked vegetable crisps, premium Irish charcuterie and award winning spices, sauces and chutneys. According to Sandra Burns from Joe’s Farm vegetable crisps who is participating on the programme, "This offers me invaluable access to the necessary people and insight into how companies such as KSG operate and choose suppliers. I am delighted to be taking part as foodservice is a sector I have not looked into supplying yet, so I hope I can open doors for the business and take it to the next level."

The foodservice or “out of home” market has grown to a record €7.5 billion in 2016, and is forecasted to grow to over €9 billion by 2020, according to Bord Bia. Foodservice describes all food consumed out of home, from restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and bars to workplace catering, hospitals, education and vending. This market has benefited from better than anticipated economic growth, buoyant consumer confidence, a strong domestic and international tourist market (including business tourism), an unemployment rate that is now less than 7%, and the continuation of 9% VAT for hospitality. Highlighting the sector’s prospects, Maureen Gahan, Bord Bias Foodservice Specialist said, "Foodservice in Ireland offers major opportunities for food and drink companies providing innovative products and solutions to meet changing consumer needs. Through programmes such as this, we are equipping companies with the necessary skillset to target this growing industry." 

The six-month long workshop based programme, coordinated by Bord Bia, will support companies at varying stages in their development. In addition, participants will receive bespoke mentoring and access to relevant KSG personnel and route to market partners in order to gain an understanding of the organisation’s processes and procedures. Clear objectives and targets are set for each company to help them achieve key opportunities identified for their business with KSG.

KSG provides bespoke contract catering solutions to a broad range of clients operating in the following industry sectors - professional offices, healthcare, education and travel. The company also operates a number of restaurants in shopping centres around the country including SoMa Burger, Noah & Co Bistro Cafe and Leopold Coffee Houses. The company has also partnered with Michelin-starred restaurateur, Patrick Guilbaud, on a premium hospitality focused catering offering for corporate clients. KSG was also awarded Ireland’s Sustainable Restauranteur of the Year 2016. Nick Andrews, Group Head of Culinary Operations, KSG, commented, "As a 100% Irish owned company, KSG is proud to partner with Bord Bia to support the development of local food producers. We are delighted that through this programme, Irish companies will have the opportunity to use KSG scale to grow their business and learn from our foodservice experience and consumer insight."

The participating companies include:
1. Forage&Cure, a Dublin based 4th generation Master Butcher, produce a range of locally cured Irish pork charcuterie. 
2. The Galway Food Company is a manufacturer of a range of shortbread biscuits that uses locally sourced ingredients including Galway Bay lavender and Connemara seaweed. 
3. Midleton based Green Saffron is a multi-award-winning family business producing spice blends, sauces and chutneys from spices sourced in India. 
4. Joe’s Farm Crisps for their vegetable crisps, grown and cooked on their own farm in East Cork. 
5. Natasha’s Living Food, suppliers of a vegan and raw food snack range 
6. Synerchi is a certified organic, naturally free from dairy and gluten range of refreshing effervescent Kombucha drinks with only 59Kcals per bottle. 
7. Urban Artisan, owners of the Cracked Nut food shop in Dublin, is a family owned business producing a range of 100% natural, dairy free, gluten free raw energy balls.