Author Archives: Keith

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April 25, 2011

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video interviews

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Brock Lewin, Badger and Dodo

I get my kicks from artisan food producers and coffee entrepreneurs are probably the closest to turning me into a fanboy 🙂

This is Brock from Badger and Dodo. It’s a strong brand, only 2 years in existence but has made a disproportionate mark on the Irish coffee scene thanks to Brock’s passion and skills in the space.

This was shot during the foodcamp at the Waterford Festival of Food in Dungarvan and followed on from a great chat where we discussed brands and design, packaging and the Irish coffee scene.

Keith

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April 16, 2011

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Events, Marketing, Packaging

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Artisan Food Packaging – my talk at Foodcamp

This is the talk I gave at the Foodcamp in Dungarvan (part of the Waterford Festival of Food) yesterday.

Thanks to the people who attended for asking questions and making the session interesting – I enjoyed it and hope you did as well.

Keith

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April 7, 2011

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Events

Foodcamp Dungarvan Friday 15th April – some of the speakers

With a week to go here are some of the speakers who will be at Ireland’s second foodcamp – Friday 15th April – part of the Waterford Festival of Food. A number of demo’s there together with a number of talks which I hope are not scheduled against mine because I really want to see them.

If you have a food related topic you are passionate about please put yourself on the list – this is about sharing those passions, experience and ideas in an open way. Just send an email to Claire: foodcamp@waterfordfestivaloffood.com

– Earnán Ó Cleirigh who works for the OECD in the area of food security in developing countries, will be flying in from Tanzania that week
– Lucy Johnstone of Bread and Butter marketing wants to give a presentation on innovative ways for small producers to use online marketing
– Caitlín Uí Aodha is secretary of the Irish Fisherman’s Association and wants to question why there isn’t a sustainable fish market in Ireland, what can be done to promote fish, raise awareness and respect for the fishing industry in Ireland etc
– Demos / tutored tastings from Imen McDonnell, Brock Lewin (Badger and Dodo coffee) and Cormac O’Dwyer (Dungarvan Brewing Company)
– Eunice Power will be discussing the benefit of community collaboration with local food suppliers
– Keith Bohanna is discussing artisan food branding….

Keith

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March 30, 2011

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Events

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Food Festivals coming up – April and June

These festivals are a great place to meet the producers of artisan and local food products in one place – and also (as a foodie) to mix as an equal with food producers and food businesses.

Waterford Festival of Food – 14th to 17th April, Dungarvan

Part of the festival (check out their site for all the details) is Irelands second foodcamp – a talk of talks and workshops given by food producers, food bloggers, chefs and whoever else wants to share their ideas, passions and lessons learned. Its free and contains a 1.5 hour community picnic lunch. Check it out here foodcamp2 link.

Totally Tipperary – 25th and 26th June, Cloughjordan


So new it does not have a website yet. This post from Pat Whelan (of James Whelan Butchers, a client of mine) outlines their approach. For the first time in Ireland they are bringing in a concept pioneered in France, from Pat’s post:

“Seomra Blog Bia which is based on the Salon de Blog format, a food blogger event hosted annually in Paris. Seomra Blog Bia will be the first event of it’s kind in Ireland and will give amateur and celebrity food bloggers alike, the opportunity to demonstrate their favourite dishes, utilizing the best of local Irish food. These cooking demonstrations will be photographed, videoed, blogged and tweeted about in realtime on the day, sharing the event with a global audience through the web.”

I am really looking forward to both!

Keith

 

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March 30, 2011

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Great brands and producers, Packaging

Artisan and local food packaging examples No.7

Couple of nice “Before and After” examples here from dieline

Freedom by Yello Brands

became

From the designers: “The identity is a daisy chain illustration of their process and the care they take in growing and handling ingredients to delivering great quality with the benefits of eating and feeling better.”

A great example of a product which in its previous version you would classify as a medicine – don’t purchase unless you have to – moving to a cheerful and desirable product catering for a specific consumer niche.

via Dieline

Camino by Karacters, illustrations by Chris Haughton

From the designers: “the brand idea “a joyful food revolution” captures Camino’s belief that through the joy of eating great tasting food made from quality ingredients, people will be encouraged to think differently about their food – where it came from, who made it and what’s in it.”

This idea of celebration and joyfulness comes up a lot in my work with artisan brands – connecting people with the food they eat in a way which compromises neither taste nor the process which produces the brand.

via dieline

Keith

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March 20, 2011

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Awards Winners, Great brands and producers

The artisan brands featured in the SFA Small Business Awards 2011

Awards sometimes pass me by – especially with the sheer variety of them which are kicking around.

I read the Indo supplement today for the SFA awards and was impressed by the quality of the food businesses which were featured. These winners were announced at the beginning of March – I am behind on this one.

Emerging New Businesses – McEvoy Family Foods

This one is interesting because they do not have a brand of their own. Why do they feature here? Because contract manufacturers are an essential part of the infrastructure to support artisan and local food brands as they allow manufacturing to be outsourced when scale and demonstrable compliance with established standards are important. This business does soups, salads and garlic breads.

They do not have a website – this link does give more information. Jane McEvoy is in the above photo.

Food Sector – Belvelly Smokehouse

Frank Hederman runs the longest running smokehouse in Ireland and his business exports nearly 50% of what they produce. The foods they smoke are everything from butter and salt through eels, haddock and mussels with porridge oats in there too!

Nice website here.

Food Sector – Clonakilty Pudding

I know this product is well respected by those who have eaten it and they are comfortable with interesting marketing initiatives like their “Clonakilty by Candlelight” series of evenings in Dublin recently.

Colette Twomey, their MD, won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year so she is no stranger to awards. See more on the their website.

Food Sector – Dee’s Wholefoods

In contrast to the last brand this one can actually be eaten by me :-). Deirdre Collins started this business in 2008 (and McEvoys only began in 2009 so 2 new companies in this award winning list) and she produces a range of burgers for vegetarians.

I am currently awaiting a delivery of some new products from her – she asked on Facebook for a group to help her with testing new products :-). Her website is here.

Food Sector – Glenilen Farm

Have mentioned Alan and Valarie here before (and must also say that they are a client of mine right now). This dairy business moved from farmers markets in 2002 to producing for mainstream distribution and are now exporting to the UK.

More on their nicely designed website.

Food Sector – Cashel Blue

1984 was the year in which this company was registered and now they are recognised as one of the classic Irish farmhouse cheeses. Another husband and wife business – this time Jane and Louis Grubb.

Their website is here – overdue a helping of tender loving care.

Congrats to all those businesses – awards are not the point of any of those enterprises but the recognition is nice to get and the PR always helps.

Keith


 

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March 16, 2011

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Great brands and producers

Foodspotting treats @ 16th March 2011

Some brands which caught my eye recently which I captured while Foodspotting.

Brodericks Handmade Caramel Slice (Website)

Brand with attitude – from the Broderick Brothers. Thats Bernie and Barry. Would be seriously disappointed if they do not exist.

Blue Haven Food Co Chocolate Chip Cookies (website)

I had come across Brodericks before but not this brand. Looking at their site they do a range of sweet and savory products. Must look some more at them 🙂

Keith

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March 15, 2011

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video interviews

Video Clips – A Slice of Heaven and some San Francisco Producers too

A Slice of Heaven – Kilkenny (website)

While they do cakes of the traditional kind Mary McEvoy also makes and distributes branded products from her business.

10 Food Producers at a Foodbuzz Blog Event (website)

Foodzie is an American site where you can buy artisan and local food products. They shot this video at a Foodbuzz food blogger event in San Francisco in 2009.

Always enjoy seeing interviews with producers 🙂

keith

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March 13, 2011

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Awards Winners, Great brands and producers

Irish Food Writers Awards 2011

These are an annual event and do not always get a lot of coverage. However their selection of artisan producers in each category of awards cannot be argued. This years branded product winners were:

Janet’s County Fayre – Beetroot Blush

I have seen these a couple of times in various deli’s and specialist retailers so must purchase some next time – chutneys and associated foods not my thing but I know someone who will appreciate this! Their website is here.

This is a Marmalade from them which I saw in the Shortis Wong Deli in Kilkenny

Flahavans

This long running business won this awards for their dedication to sourcing their oats from farmers in the local towns and villages around their mills. Their website is here.

I covered them on Biabeag previously when they were part of Waterfords Harvest festival last Autumn.

You can see full details of the awards on the Irish Food Writers site.

Keith

 

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March 8, 2011

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Events

Foodcamp2 in Dungarvan – wonder could we get something like this?

From the TED conference last week came a glimpse of a very simple project aimed at educating consumers on their coffee:

So various coffee brands came together and co-operated to put on a celebration of coffee. We already saw a hint of this at foodcamp1 where Karl from the Coffee Angel very happily worked to educate attendees on the fine art of coffee brewing.

How about it? Coffee Angel, Badger and Dodo and whomever else – give us a Coffee Commons in Dungarvan on the 15th April 🙂

Keith