All the latest news from Bord Bia

EARLY SALAD VEGETABLES – BEST IN SEASON

Building on the success of the 2020 Best in Season Campaign, Bord Bia’s fresh produce
promotions are leveraging the growing demand for fruit and vegetables by driving consumer preference of Irish fresh produce in order to deliver growth for the domestic horticultural sector. The campaign aims to inform and inspire shoppers to consume fresh produce by demonstrating its seasonality, freshness, quality, and health benefits; along with clearly signposting when local fresh produce is in season.

The first stage of the campaign is focused on early salad vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces) which are grown under glass house protection which requires highly-skilled care and attention. The months of April and May marked the beginning of the Irish harvesting season, and Bord Bia has been urging consumers to look for locally-grown fresh produce for freshness and high-quality throughout the summer season.

The second stage of the campaign highlights seasonal Irish fruit and vegetables, while celebrating the UN International Year of Fruit and Vegetables. It encourages consumers to simply ‘add one more’ vegetable or fruit to meals throughout the day and supports local communities and the horticultural industry.

Through a mix of media relations, and digital communications activity, Bord Bia is promoting the benefits of seasonal produce and a number of local growers and campaign spokespersons across national, regional and online media outlets to raise awareness of the availability of locally grown fruit and vegetables. ✽

SUSTAINABLE EUROPEAN MUSHROOMS

After successfully completing the three year Mushrooms Complement Everything
campaign in January, a fresh application to carry out another three years of mushroom EU co-sponsored promotion was made in May. If successful, the three year ‘Mix it up with sustainable mushrooms from Europe’ will have a €1,000,000 budget annually for 2022 to 2024 to promote mushrooms in the UK. It is an information and advertising campaign targeting consumers in the UK. Sustainability is an important issue for consumers, and the campaign will highlight the sustainable credentials of Irish and European mushrooms. They will help to further establish EU products as world leaders in sustainable food production, quality and traceability.

Analysis of UK consumers shows that women 25-45 are the most important sector to target because their mushroom consumption is lower than older age groups and they also have a high interest in sustainability. The overall objective is to increase the cumulative sales of mushrooms in the UK by 14,200 tonnes over the three years of the campaign. The campaign sets specific targets for increases in penetration and frequency of purchase in the target age group. The activities selected to achieve this increase are digital advertising, public relations and social media, and website and search engine optimisation. The outcome of the application will be made known in October. ✽

CELEBRATE STRAWBERRY SEASON

The ‘Celebrate Strawberry Season’ campaign is an ongoing initiative, organised by Bord Bia in partnership with the Irish Soft Fruit Growers Association and the IFA, which aims to encourage the public to enjoy and purchase and enjoy strawberries during the long Irish growing season from May to November. The campaign provides inspiration on how to incorporate strawberries into daily eating habits as a naturally sweet and healthy fruit. Bord Bia research undertaken in July 2020 found strong data to support the health and lifestyle benefits of strawberries and aims to educate consumers through a digitally focussed campaign and supporting media relations activity. ✽ 

THE JOY OF BLOOM AT HOME IN JUNE 

Bord Bia Bloom 2021 was celebrated at home for the second year, over the June bank
holiday weekend, and encouraged the public to embrace their gardens and outdoor spaces this summer. The public took part in #BloomAtHome via a series of virtual initiatives and events providing gardening advice and inspiration. New for 2021, Bord Bia shared seven easy to follow garden designs and planting plans to help people create a dream garden at home.

Tara McCarthy, CEO, Bord Bia said, “Bord Bia Bloom is our annual showcase for horticulture and gardening in Ireland, and while we cannot be physically together in the Phoenix Park, we are delighted to bring the joy of Bloom directly to people’s homes. The garden has experienced a renewed sense of importance over the last year as a result of the restrictions we have all had to adhere to. Connecting with the outdoors and nature
has also been increasingly recognised for the role it plays in mental health and well-being. We are delighted to be able to offer Irish gardeners, from beginners to those with more established green spaces, with inspiration and guidance on how to create a garden
they can enjoy across all seasons as we celebrate the 15th annual Bord Bia Bloom.”

EASY STEPS TO DREAM GARDENS

Designed by award-winning Bloom show garden designers, Bord Bia shared seven garden designs to be re-created either in full, or in part, at home, according to the time, space and budget available. From an easy-to-maintain family friendly garden to an outdoor space perfect for entertaining, the garden plans feature a range of Irish grown plants that are available to purchase in garden centres and retailers nationwide. Each of
the seven design packs in the series feature a detailed planting plan and planting list that can be downloaded from BordBiaBloom.com. (please see full length feature
Easy Steps to Dream Gardens on pg 34 for full details).

LIVE TALK SERIES & Q&A’S

Hosted by RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan, the live talk series provided inspiration and advice on how to design and maintain your outdoor space, as well as exploring the physical and mental benefits of gardening. The line-up included a host of names who have embraced gardening over the last year including Irish rugby star, Peter O’Mahony
and actress and wellness expert, Aoibhín Garrihy.

BLOOM BBQ IDEAS

As it would not be Bloom without the best of Irish food, some of Ireland’s best loved chefs and foodies including Catherine Fulvio and Rory O’Connell offered tasty BBQ recipes, tips and tricks as part of a series of #QualityKitchenCookAlongs.

COMPETITION WITH RTÉ

Following the success of Bloom with RTÉ last year, Bord Bia was delighted to join forces with RTÉ once again for a new fun competition which invited the public to share their gardening efforts on social media over the June Bank Holiday weekend.

To view the live talk series, get tips on BBQ recipes and to access the garden designs and plant lists visit bordbiabloom.com. ✽