This article is from page 37 of the 2009-12-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 37 JPG
SUPERQUINN announced today it has listed artisan producer Burren Smokehouse in several of its stores, following the highly successful Ar- tisans Festival run by the retailer in October.
During the festival Superquinn opened its doors to give small arti- san producers exposure to trading within a multiple retailer, while also showcasing their innovative products to 800,000 shoppers over a two week period. Some 100 artisans took part in the event over an eight day period hailing from all corners of Ireland including County Clare. Producers sampled their products for custom- ers, and all sales generated went d1- rectly to the artisans.
Burren Smokehouse, a family-run business founded by Birgitta and Pe- ter Curtin in north County Clare in 1989, is now supplying Superquinn’s Limerick and Blackrock stores with its delicious smoked Atlantic fish products. The company, which em- ploys 12 people, has won numerous awards for the quality of its products, including the high profile annual Great Taste Awards in the UK.
Birgitta Hedin-Curtin, co-owner of Burren Smokehouse, comments, “We at Burren Smokehouse are de- lighted to come on board with Super- quinn. It’s great to see Superquinn supporting 100 per cent Irish artisan producers and stocking our products
OD eTos Dam eA one
Commenting on the success of the Artisans Festival, James Wilson, Trading Director at Superquinn, says that it has provided a boost to small Irish food businesses during difficult trading times. “The objec- tive of the artisan festival was to give producers, who are not listed with Superquinn, a platform to showcase their products to customers in a Ssu- permarket environment. It also gave our team of buyers the opportunity to explore how some of their products
might have a more permanent role on our shelves.
“We’re delighted to have listed Burren Smokehouse whose products received a great reaction from our shoppers. Quality Irish food is what Superquinn is all about and these products demonstrate the fantastic quality available from dedicated small food businesses in Ireland. We look forward to working with them,” continues Wilson.
Glenilen Farm of County Cork, Surf Seeds of County Leitrim and
County Dublin, and Marine Har- vest of County Donegal have also achieved listings, and Superquinn is in ongoing discussions with several more artisans, which it hopes will lead to further listings.