Food Academy

“Our business stemmed from a passion for coffee after moving home from Washington DC and realising we couldn’t find our favourite icy cold brew coffee in stores in Ireland. GoodBrew represents the next generation of cold brew coffee, offering sweet and creamy blends enriched with beneficial ingredients such as gut-friendly prebiotic fibre, immune-boosting vitamins, and 60% less sugar than the current market leader. The Food Academy programme has been instrumental in turning our coffee vision into reality, providing invaluable knowledge and support during the development of our initial products. We were thrilled when our coffee creations were made available in SuperValu stores nationwide last year marking a significant milestone for our business."

“Being chosen for the Food Academy programme has truly been a career-defining moment for me! My innovative take on Nancy's classic bakes, featuring delights like raspberry & white chocolate blondies and hazelnut cream brownies, are all about pure homemade goodness – no preservatives or chemicals, just deliciousness. Crafting these gems in small batches in Cahir, adds that extra touch of authenticity. Baking has always been my passion, instilled in me by my grandmother Nancy, to whom I am eternally grateful. The Food Academy programme has been incredibly helpful in elevating my brand, offering valuable guidance every step of the way. Seeing Nancy’s Fancies on my local SuperValu shelves for the first time was an unforgettable moment.”

"At Homespun, our mission is to create healthier alternatives to foods we all know and love, and SuperValu has played a significant role in our product innovation journey. The Food Academy has significantly elevated my entrepreneurial skills, securing national listings and exposure for our Quinoa-based granolas and low-sugar Chicory Syrup. Our latest creation, a range of Irish-made oat bars, are now available in SuperValu stores nationwide. These bars offer a contemporary twist on traditional flapjacks, free from excess sugar, wheat, or dairy. We're delighted to have the support of SuperValu once again for our new products. I wholeheartedly recommend the Food Academy to any aspiring food and drink startups; it's been a game-changer for us."

“We started off our business with a beer bottle, meaning a bottle opener was needed by customers. We carried out in-store tastings and from this, we decided to start producing the bottles with a twist-off crown cap. We then looked further into the lunchtime grab-and-go market, and this showed us that people prefer cans to glass, so we then started producing our product range in cans. The Food Academy has enabled us to research and gain a better understanding of our customers’ needs. As a result, the programme led us to develop new packaging formats which are now an integral part of our product range.”