Why you should join Boyne Valley Flavours in 2025
There has never been a better time to join Boyne Valley Flavours, with the joint support of both Meath and Louth County Councils, their respective Local Enterprise Offices, and our dedicated Food Development Officer, Emma Gill. Become part of a successful regional food family, where friendships are forged, new ideas are spawned, and business advice and inspiration are shared among like-minded individuals.
Why Join Boyne Valley Flavours?
-
Collaborative Growth: Engage with a network of like-minded professionals, fostering partnerships that drive business development and innovation.
-
Training and Development: Access exclusive training sessions and workshops tailored to the food and drink industry, enhancing your business's capabilities.
-
Market Exposure: Benefit from our marketing initiatives, including participation in events like the Boyne Valley Food Series, which showcases members' offerings to a broader audience.
-
Advocacy and Support: Leverage the collective voice of Boyne Valley Flavours in advocating for the interests of local food and drink businesses at regional and national levels.
Highlights from 2024:
-
January: We showcased a range of Boyne Valley Flavours produce to a group of Michelin-starred chefs visiting Carlingford Oyster Company from the UK. Additionally, we conducted a free member training webinar on planning a month of social media content in one hour.
-
March: A free member training webinar on TikTok for food businesses was held, equipping members with insights into leveraging this platform for growth.
-
May: Participation in the Sea Louth workshops aimed at chefs, business owners, producers, and front-of-house staff led to several new restaurants joining the initiative.
-
June: The launch of our Boyne Valley Food Development Strategy 2024–2028 at Slane Castle was a significant milestone. The event featured a producer showcase with 20 members presenting their products.
-
September: We initiated informal member meet-ups, the first of which was hosted at Bread with Benefits HQ, fostering stronger community ties.
-
October: Our representation at the Eat the Island section of the Blas na hÉireann food awards highlighted our members' excellence. We also facilitated a delegation of food and drink producers to the SIAL trade show in Paris as part of the Innovate Accelerate programme.
-
November: The Samhain Festival of Food & Culture in Kells saw a dedicated Boyne Valley Flavours tent with 21 producers exhibiting. The festival attracted over 5,000 visitors, marking a 316% increase from 2023, with 60% attending for the first time.
Looking Ahead to 2025
We are committed to building on our successes with plans to:
-
Implement the 2024–2028 Strategy: Continuing to work through the actions outlined in our development strategy.
-
Brand Refresh and New Website: Enhancing our brand identity and launching a new website to better serve our members and audience.
-
Expanded Training Programs: Offering more member trainings, with producer training on supplying the foodservice market commencing in March.
-
Increased Member Engagement: Hosting more member meet-ups to strengthen our community.
-
Enhanced Boyne Valley Food Series: Placing greater emphasis on the Boyne Valley Food Series to showcase our members' offerings.
-
Boyne Valley Bites Expansion: More towns, more education and exploring a distributor trial to broaden the reach of our local products.