Roscommon-based food producer, The Best Free From, has been selected to take part in this year’s Food Academy programme.
The Food Academy programme, a unique and tailored business development initiative for start-up and early-stage food and drink producers, was developed by SuperValu over a decade ago, in collaboration with the Local Enterprise Office.
Since its inception, more than 1,000 producers from all 26 counties of Ireland have successfully completed the Food Academy programme.
As a new Food Academy producer, ‘The Best Free From’ has been able to launch their products on the shelves of their local SuperValu stores.
Recent findings reveal that access to locally-sourced and produced food holds significant importance for nearly three-quarters (73%) of Irish people.
The Food Academy is a significant contributor to the overall growth and sustainability of the Irish food industry.
Speaking about the launch of this year’s Food Academy producers, Ciara McClafferty (Trading Director at SuperValu) said, “At SuperValu, we have supported the Food Academy programme for over a decade now, and it is wonderful to see that talent and innovation continues to grow in this industry”.
Speaking about her business journey and experience so far with the Food Academy, Tímea Kovacs (founder of The Best Free From) said: “I am originally from Hungary, but moved to Ireland in 2006. The original idea stemmed from my second pregnancy and dealing with gestational diabetes and other gut problems, when I had the necessity to find nutritious, natural and diabetic friendly products.
“We believe in all-natural and preservative-free, nutrient-dense goodies only. The SuperValu Food Academy has given us the opportunity to ensure our products reach everyone that can benefit from them”.
