Get ready to grow with Homegrown at Maxol

For any food or drink business in Ireland looking to flourish, Homegrown at Maxol should be their next step. This is an initiative that gives local food and drink businesses the chance for their products to be distributed throughout the network of Maxol stores around the Republic of Ireland. The programme is now in its second year, is open to small and medium-sized companies from all over the country and more details can be found at maxol.ie/homegrown.

Maxol itself is an Irish, family-owned company that has been serving communities around the country for 104 years, so the team know a thing or two about local business. The company has partnered with Champion Green, the national body that promotes local businesses, for a second year and in addition to distribution, winners will also receive priceless marketing support and mentorship to help further their journey. This year, the judging panel will choose four winners from the submitted entries, and one of those winners will be named the Homegrown at Maxol Champion for 2024, as selected by Maxol’s retailers.

The Homegrown at Maxol initiative is a way for the company to empower food businesses in their growth. Having started last year, there were 100 brilliant companies for the judges to choose from and six products were chosen as winners, including independent craft brewery The White Hag Brewing Company from Sligo, Aunty Nellie’s from The Luxury Confectionery Company, makers of premium chocolate bars produced in Cork, and functional snack company Good 4 U from Sligo. Jo’s Protein Balls from Absolute Nutrition, whose range includes convenient, “functional” protein and energy snacks, produced in Dublin, and chef Kevin Aherne’s SAGE Meal Solutions, based in Cork, were also winners.

The Homegrown Champion for 2023 was All About Kombucha from Galway, which produces freshly fermented sparkling tea made from organic ingredients. The company was selected as champion after 200 retailers cast their vote at last year’s Maxol Retailer Conference. Now, the initiative has announced its return for a second year, with the team at Maxol ready to offer incredible support to Irish food and drink businesses. Speaking about the 2024 Homegrown at Maxol programme, Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group, said that he can’t wait to see which entrants are crowned this year’s four winners.

“Our aim is to empower small and medium-sized businesses, offering them a platform to flourish and thrive,” said Brian Donaldson. “By securing prime shelf space in our company-owned stores across the Republic of Ireland, supported by innovative marketing materials, strategic advertising, and invaluable mentoring from our experienced retailers, we hope we can again help four fantastic indigenous businesses to scale up, reach new audiences right across the country and pave the way for their long-term growth.

While supplying our network might seem like a significant leap for some businesses, we recognise that smaller steps can also lead to success. So as long as the product is made in Ireland, we want to see it and can support the winning producers with shelf space in 20, 50 or even 70 of our stores. Our doors are wide open and we encourage any food or drinks business not yet on our shelves to seize this chance and apply today.”

Entry couldn’t be easier and food and drinks companies are invited to complete a short application form online by 9 June 2024. All details are at maxol.ie/homegrown