Retail giant eyes up seven TOC producers

At least seven of the 120-plus exhibitors who packed out Taste of Cavan are now in serious discussions with major retailers - four of which are understood to be at an advanced stage of negotiations.

Taste of Cavan continued to deliver for the local economy, attracting tens of thousands to the region, while setting itself apart as a showcase for local food producers hoping to snag the interest of major distributors.
One of the businesses to have been handpicked by an interested distributor is a newly arrived company to the Cavan food market and the move is seen as a significant boost for the fledging firm.
Other businesses exhibiting their wares meanwhile reported steady sales across the two day culinary celebration, Friday-Saturday August 11-12.

Despite a slight dip in attendance figures for 2017 - in the region of five per cent- in line with other festivals nationwide, TOC organisers remain satisfied they hit their primary goals.

'We are happy to have reached our targets this year, having exceeded them in 2016. We also had an increase in the number of children and young families attending, which is welcome as we seek to introduce a new generation to the delights of local food,' Conor Harrington of the TOC team at Cavan County Council told The Anglo-Celt.

'There were times, particularly on Saturday morning and afternoon, when our venue; one of the largest in the country; was at maximum capacity. In addition, the news that at least seven of our exhibitors are in serious discussions with major distributors is particularly welcome, given job creation and enterprise development are two of the primary goals of Taste of Cavan and Cavan County Council.'

Thousands of people thronged to see demonstrations from star chefs Neven Maguire, The Happy Pear, Catherine Fulvio, Richard Corrigan, Gearoid Lynch, Eddie Attwell, Shane Smith Adrian Martin and many more in the Ulster Bank Chefs' Kitchen.

Once again event sponsor Supervalu brought its Food Academy, which includes several notable Cavan success stories such as Drummully Boxty, Scott's Cider and Moran's Mega Jam.

Speaking following the event, John McDermott, senior manager with principal event sponsor Ulster Bank, said: 'The entire event is such a resounding success and I'd like to thank all those involved in making such a fantastic programme this year.'

Partnered too by Fáilte Ireland, the IFA, the ICA, and Bord Bia, council chief executive Tommy Ryan paid tribute to the huge effort by the many volunteers in organising TOC, and said it was a cast-iron testament to the positivity and can-do attitude that exists in the county.

'Cavan County Council has just launched a five-year food strategy and we are committed to further developing the county's already thriving agri-food sector, by building upon the great work that has been done at Taste of Cavan over the past five years.' said Mr Ryan.