Just Soup, Just Food

I met Deidre Hillard and her husband Kevin from the Just Food Company a couple of times recently, and the story of the growth of their business is as warming as their soup.

I met them at the SHOP trade and retail event in the RDS, and at the Dingle Peninsula Food and Wine Festival. At both events, Just Food scooped awards.

They received an incredible 5 Medals in 4 categories for their products at the inaugural National Irish Food Awards, Blas na hEireann, which were part of the Dingle event.

This included both the Gold and Silver Medals in the Soup Category, as well as awards in the sauces and dressings, healthier options and speciality meats categories.

A commended award was received by the company for their organic chicken liver Pate at SHOP, in the best frozen/chilled product.

Like so many other businesses, they found that their first farmers� market was the classic business incubation unit: Just Food was just available in Midelton farmers� market back in 2004 - today, 50 outlets stock their produce.

Now based in a dedicated unit in Cobh they employ six extra staff in the business. Despite expanding, they have tried to maintain a quality focus: �We believe that food cooked in small batches tastes better and is better. Smaller batches also cook quicker and closer to the time of consumption which has taste, nutritional and food safety benefits, and allows us to respond to natural differences in ingredients� according to Deirdre.

Their product range effortlessly spans the spectrum from healthy to gourmet � a difficult trick at the best of times.

In fact, it was their spicy lentil soup got the highest of their five Bl�s na hEireann awards, and that was in the soup rather than healthy foods category.

Believe me, it is no mean feat to convince a tablefull of food critics and chefs that lentils are tasty.

They are constantly listening to their customers: �Our restaurant customers and regular customers at Midleton farmers market provide us with very valuable direct feedback on the products we produce, allowing us to fine tune recipes and develop new products.�

Local organic has been important to them: �We have always tried to source our ingredients from local suppliers when possible. As Just Food has grown we have found this easier as we are buying larger quantities and are able to use our own product distribution network to collect ingredients from Irish suppliers�.

Just Food suppliers� list is like a who�s who of the quality organic food sector:
Dan and Ann Ahern supply the chicken livers for their pate. When Deirdre started selling at the Midleton Farmers market she shared a stall with Dan and Ann, and she has continued to use their organic chicken livers ever since. They also use the produce of Colum O�Regan in Kinsale.

Slightly further a field, their basil pesto is supplied bv Padraig Fahy and �na N� Bhroin of Beechlawn organic farm and Green Earth Organics, both from Galway.

Deidre was quick to point out how important the retailers are in all of this: �our retailers and distributors, who agree drop off points where we can collect our growers� ingredients, on our way home, having dropping off our own prepared produce.�

She was particularly complementary towards Tommy Grimes, manager of the Midelton Supervalu store adjacent to farmers� market. They were the first store to stock her produce: �the reputation of the Midleton Supervalu store and its manager has been of great assistance in helping us when we approached other retailers and restaurants� says Deidre.

�We�re expanding, and are looking for more local ingredients again� Deidre tells me.

On what was a blue sky day that Sunday in Dingle, I asked Kevin about the effect the economic downturn has been having on their business.

He thought for a while, and couldn�t really come up with anything. �We�ll we�re growing all the time, and I can�t say I�ve noticed any real change, even in recent times. People will always come back for good, simple, honest ingredients in food�

more: deirdreh@justfood.ie or 021 4812367