Asda goes local with NI Rapeseed Oil
Asda NI has teamed up with local rapeseed oil supplier, Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil to supply its 16 stores across the province.
The new contract is the result of a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event in Strabane last spring, where Asda met with a range of food companies from across the North West as part of its commitment to support the local agri-food sector. This is the first time that Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil has supplied a supermarket and initial sales are expected to exceed £25k within the first 12 months.
Endorsed by celebrity chefs and nutritionists, rapeseed oil is renowned for its health benefits and versatility and is increasingly regarded as an alternative to olive and other cooking oils.
100% of the oilseed rape used by the Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil is grown by arable farmers across the province where the weather and soil conditions are perfectly suited to the crop. The harvested crops are dried, cold pressed and packaged at the company’s facility near Castlederg in County Tyrone.
Stephen Allen, owner and Production Manager of NI Rapeseed Oil said:”From the start we identified a gap in the market for a healthier alternative to cooking and dipping oils. The fact that our products are 100% local, and support the farming community across NI, is a huge bonus.
“Asda’s ‘Meet the Buyer’ event was the perfect opportunity to present our product range to the buying team and to discuss how this would best fit the needs of their customers. We’re delighted and very proud to see our oils on the shelves at Asda and look forward to developing our relationship with the supermarket.”
Susanna Lloyd, local buyer for Asda NI, commented: “At Asda, we’re totally committed to delivering the finest locally sourced ingredients and products to our customers, and also to supporting the agri-food sector. We’re always keen to expand our product ranges to meet customer demands and satisfaction, and we’re really delighted to now be working in partnership with the team from Northern Ireland Rapeseed.”
The new rapeseed range, including garlic and chilli infusions, is available in each of Asda’s 16 stores across NI.
Caption: Caroline Allen of Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil and Asda Regional Buyer Susanna Lloyd celebrate the new partnership between Asda and Northern Ireland Rapeseed Oil. Asda NI has teamed up with the local rapeseed oil supplier to supply its 16 stores across the province with a variety of flavours.
