A Meath handmade pastry brand is one of five producers chosen to go nationwide by SuperValu’s Taste of Local Initiative launches this week.
Mairéad Finnegan the ambitious Crossakiel based entrepreneur is delighted her product Roll It Pastry will be available in all Supervalu Stores nationwide from this Thursday. Having been successful in being selected along with four other producers.
The SuperValu programme provides support network and unrivalled industry know-how to aid local producers’ success like Meath based Roll It Pastry
Its been a challenge that Mairead has enjoyed.
She told Meath Live, ‘You work for yourself and the time flies I have worked in corporate business but this is my own venture and I truly enjoy it.
‘Maybe its the fact that I’ve come up with a concept in producing an all Irish butter base pastry that people are buying into.
‘I had to have everything ready for last Thursday and was able to meet the deadline on time. Of course there was pressure but I was enjoying
the challenge.’
The frozen product will be available from this week and I have dome some test sampling in Supervalu shops in O’Briens in Kells and Smiths in Johnstown Navan.
Hopefully the concept can catch on and the customers take to it. She does have some regular contracts built up so all fingers crossed for the product.
There is still a lot hand rolling involved in the product based on traditional rolling methods.
The news comes following Roll It Pastry’s participation in Food Academy, a unique food business development programme run by SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices. The programme provides invaluable guidance to producers on branding and marketing, food safety and other essential business knowledge and is exclusively for Irish producers.
Roll it Pastry are also celebrating after winning big at Ireland’s biggest food awards, Blas na hÉireann last week. They won two prestigious Chef’s Larder awards as well as the best in county award.
The five companies chosen as Guest Stars for nationwide distribution this year are Thanks Plants, Co. Dublin; My Apricot Kitchen, Co. Dublin; Le Paysan, Co. Wicklow; Roll It Pastry, Co. Meath; and Irish Hedgerow, Co. Tipperary. Their products will be available in the Taste of Local section in-store, which highlights quality local Irish food and drink products all year round, showcases the producers who have gone through the Food Academy Programme as well as promoting hyperlocal products that are unique to local stores.
Roll It Pastry is a frozen pastry brand offering all-butter, ready to roll handmade pastry for baking tarts, pies, biscuits and more. Their all-butter puff pastry was chosen as their Hero product and is soon set to feature in SuperValu stores across Ireland.
Speaking about the Food Academy Programme Mairead added,“I am honoured to be chosen as a Guest Star. Receiving this kind of recognition for my product is truly amazing, and I am so excited at the prospect of expanding to even more SuperValu stores, as not every small business gets this opportunity, so I am very grateful to the Food Academy team.
“I have always enjoyed baking at home, and family and friends made such frequent requests for my pastry that I realised there is a market for handcrafted pastry products using only natural Irish ingredients. To ensure a homemade taste, my pastry product is made with Irish butter, which is renowned as the best in the world. I joined Food Academy in 2014 shortly after setting up Roll It Pastry, and my business has gone from strength to strength since then.
“As someone with no professional experience in the food industry, the Food Academy team provided excellent support and training for me in all aspects of food business. Apart from the practical side, I was drawn to Food Academy as SuperValu is known for maintaining great relationships with small producers and local communities in Ireland. This personal feel was certainly reflected in the trust and belief I have always received from the Food Academy team, and I’m very proud to have taken home the best in County award and two Prestigious Chef’s Larder Award and at the 2022 Blás na hÉireann Awards.”
The Food Academy programme supports 1,500 jobs in local communities nationwide, with a survey of Food Academy members finding that 98% of participants feel that Food Academy has been “very beneficial” to developing their business, and 85% of participants expect to employ new staff over the next 12 months.
Commenting on the nationwide launch of the five Guest Stars’ products, Carmel Biggane, Food Academy Manager, SuperValu, said: “Supporting local Irish producers is at the heart of Supervalu’s ethos, and we are really proud of our five Guest Stars’ products chosen for nationwide distribution.
“Our Food Academy programme aims to provide the greatest support possible to producers, and the Taste of Local Guest Star initiative demonstrates our dedication to looking after sustainable, local Irish businesses. Each of the five Guest Stars are passionate about creating high-quality, Irish-made produce, and we at SuperValu are thrilled to be a part of their stories of growth and success.”
This year’s five Taste of Local Guest Star Hero Products are available at over 150 SuperValu stores nationwide from October 12th until November 2nd .
