Sysco Ireland, in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland, has announced the six successful food and drink businesses selected to take part in its inaugural Scale with Sysco supplier development programme, a pioneering initiative designed to help local producers accelerate growth, build capability and access new opportunities within the foodservice sector.
Following a competitive application and selection process, the successful businesses are:
- Glens of Antrim
- Moocha Kombucha
- Loada Balls
- Fibre Up
- Mussenden Sea Salt
- Irish Black Butter
The businesses will now embark on a comprehensive 12-week development programme delivered by Sysco with support from Invest NI. Designed to help emerging food and drink brands become foodservice-ready and future-ready, the programme will provide practical support, commercial insight and industry expertise to help participants scale sustainably while maintaining the authenticity that makes their brands unique.
Participants will receive expert guidance across a range of key areas including onboarding to foodservice systems and supplier expectations, finance, food safety and quality assurance, supply chain management, marketing and e-commerce, sales engagement, and sustainability. The programme will equip businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to strengthen pricing strategies, improve operational resilience, engage effectively with buyers, navigate compliance requirements and identify opportunities for growth across hospitality, healthcare, education and other foodservice sectors.
Joanne Cunningham, Merchandising Director at Sysco Ireland, said:
“The calibre of applications we received was outstanding and demonstrated the strength, innovation and ambition that exists within Northern Ireland’s food and drink sector. The six businesses selected for the inaugural Scale with Sysco programme all have significant growth potential and products that align strongly with evolving customer demand.
“Through this programme, we want to provide practical support, commercial knowledge and industry connections that will help them scale sustainably and confidently, while retaining the qualities that make their brands unique.”
Scale with Sysco was launched earlier this year as part of Sysco Ireland’s commitment to championing local suppliers and strengthen local supply chains. The initiative was developed in response to growing demand for locally produced food and drink and aims to support producers in reaching new markets while driving long-term growth across Northern Ireland’s food and drink sector.
Curtis Sloan, Loada Balls, commented:
‘We are delighted that Loada Balls has been selected as a finalist for Scale with Sysco. What an amazing opportunity for our business at such an early stage. The competition was a great experience and we can’t wait to see where this relationship with Sysco will take our Protein Balls & Bars!’
Ruchira Rangaprasad, FibreUp, said:
“We’re delighted to be a finalist in the Scale with Sysco programme, supported by Invest NI. As a small NI producer, the support from the Sysco team and access to their customer network will help us rapidly grow our presence across the island of Ireland.”
Gráinne Moody, Director of Food and Drink, Invest Northern Ireland, said:
“Invest NI is delighted to be collaborating with Sysco on its inaugural Scale with Sysco Programme. After a rigorous selection process this initiative now offers six of our NI suppliers an excellent platform to avail of new opportunities within the food service sector. Our support is focused on a tailored programme which will build the capability of these suppliers and assist in further sales growth”
Over the coming months, participants will work closely with experts from across Sysco Ireland’s commercial, technical and operational teams, gaining first-hand insight into the requirements of supplying the foodservice industry at scale. Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be better positioned to accelerate growth, expand market access and build resilient businesses capable of meeting increasing demand across the sector.
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