Focus Friday: De Roiste Puddings

This year Focus Friday is teaming up with the SuperValu Food Academy to bring you the best new Irish food producers, and tell you all about their products. Today, we chat to Jim Allen of De Roiste Puddings.

Can you tell us a bit about De Roiste Puddings?
We produce Artisan Black & White Puddings made by traditional methods with a recipe handed down through generations in a modern facility. We have recently developed a Breakfast Time Terrine which will be available shortly in SuperValu and Centra stores.

What inspired you to create your product?
We run a shop in Ballyvourney and made our puddings there. As demand grew from the public and to keep my sons from emigrating I decided to lease a factory and produce our puddings on a larger scale to satisfy demand. It’s been a fulfilling journey and our time at SuperValu Food Academy has made it even more enjoyable.

How has De Roiste Puddings evolved since it launched?
The product has evolved from a single size pudding to various sizes of puddings. We have also branched out to supplying rashers and Breakfast Time Terrines. We contacted the SuperValu Food Academy at an early stage and they have been very helpful and encouraging since.

Who is your customer?
Our end customer is Mr. & Mrs. Joe Public. We sell our products through Centra and SuperValu stores. It’s been great to see our product on shelves thanks to SuperValu.

What tips would you give to someone who is starting out and wants to launch a food-related product/business?
Don’t be afraid of setbacks. If you believe in your product then stick with it. Contact the SuperValu Food Academy with your idea and plan. The SuperValu Food Academy of which we were part of gives small businesses like ours a better understanding and experience of running a food business on large scale. The SuperValu Food Academy is very helpful in developing our business.

Where can you buy your puddings and how much will they cost?
Our puddings retail at €2.20 each and can be bought in most SuperValus and Centras in Munster. We are also growing our sales in the Leinster area. Without having been part of the Food Academy Program this would not have been possible.

What does the future hold for your business?
We are looking to distribute nationally in the very near future and internationally by mid-2016, with the help of the SuperValu Food Academy Program. We are also looking to expand our product range.