Football Special and Corveen Glen Meet Company receive Kickstart from Lidl Ireland

Lidl Ireland is set to give a ‘Kickstart’ to a new batch of 48 Irish producers from across the country who successfully earned a place on the retailer’s coveted Kickstart Supplier Development Programme – an initiative that the retailer has invested more than €30 million in supporting over 250 Irish producers to date.

Following a competitive Dragon’s Den style pitch process to find this year’s most innovative products, 48 suppliers across 20 different counties were selected as the cream of the crop after an intensive application process which saw producers put through their paces with a business pitch to Lidl’s buying team and a taste test to select the best in category. This included Football Special Ltd from Ramelton and Corveen Glen Meat Company from Letterkenny.

Since the 1940s, McDaids, the family behind Football Special, has been developing soft drinks to go with any occasion. The soft drinks are made from their original recipes from the 1940s and 1950s, come in a recyclable glass bottle and contain no artificial sweeteners.

Corveen Glen Meat Company, is a family run meat company that produces locally sourced fresh farm fed meat that are reared with passion, matured to perfection and prepared with pride.

Successful producers will now see their artisan offerings on sale on Lidl shelves across its 220 stores across the island of Ireland from September 19th for a limited time, while stocks last. This includes Sweetcure Maple Dry Cured Back Bacon from the Corveen Glen Meat Company and Irish soft drinks from Football special, which will be available in Lidl stores nationwide.

Before the products hit the shelves, this six-month development programme offers suppliers dedicated business support from Lidl’s in-house experts, advancing their product, brand and business with practical guidance on how to scale production, drive production efficiency, as well as product development and packaging support, allowing them to optimise on-shelf opportunities in the Autumn and scale for success.

Now in its eighth year, and supported by Bord Bia, this year’s programme saw a record number of applicants from every province in Ireland.

Kate O’Driscoll, Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said: “Lidl’s Kickstart Supplier Development programme allows us to support Irish producers building their businesses while providing our customers with a great range of new and innovative Irish products. Since 2016, Lidl has invested more than €30 million in growing and supporting small local producers – an investment which has seen huge success over the years with several Kickstart products getting fully listed and now being part of Lidl’s everyday product range. Other products have benefited from the expansive international store network, reaching the shores of the UK, Europe and even the USA over the eight years of the programme.

This year there was phenomenal interest in participating in the Kickstart programme, attending our Pitch Day at Lidl HQ and great excitement for both the producers to show off their products and for my colleagues on the Lidl buying team to collaborate and plan for success”.

With 112 new products listed for this year’s Kickstart programme, the retailer will add significantly to its annual goods and services procurement spend of €1.6 billion in Ireland

Since its launch in 2016, Lidl has invested €30 million in supporting over 250 Irish businesses through the Kickstart programme. Many Kickstart suppliers have also benefited from having their products exported across Lidl’s international network of stores. 

Commenting on the partnership, Fiona Twomey, Global Retail Specialist at Bord Bia said:

“Bord Bia is proud to support the Lidl Kickstart programme. We recognise the opportunity a global retailer like Lidl presents to Irish food and drink companies to get their products on shelf in Lidl stores around the world, while the Kickstart programme itself offers a multitude of business development learnings. On behalf of Bord Bia, I wish each of the participants every success on the first phase of this programme.” 

Lidl’s Kickstart Supplier Development Programme is just one of the many ways in which the retailer supports the Irish agri-food industry. 

 A recent Supplier Impact Report commissioned by the retailer found that, in 2023, Lidl procured €1.1 billion worth of goods from Irish food and drink suppliers. Of this, €800 million stayed within Lidl Ireland’s operations to be sold through its local store network and more than €300 million was exported internationally through Lidl’s expansive network of stores showcasing the best of Irish produce on the global stage. Lidl continues to give Irish producers unrivalled access to local and international markets supporting the growth and success of Irish produce worldwide.