Preparing your food business now for after the Coronavirus pandemic

The College of Food, Agriculture and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) and Invest NI have embarked on a series of online sessions aimed at preparing food businesses for the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.

The initiative was launched last autumn but has now obviously taken on a much more significant presence in the midst of the global emergency.

The Coronavirus pandemic has presented many unforeseen challenges to the food and drink sector here. The economic impact of the lockdown has been felt across the food supply chain in terms of staffing pressures, the availability of ingredients, packaging, and equipment having a major effect on processors.

Yet to their great credit, with the virtual closure of the food service sector, Northern Ireland businesses have been innovative in their response with measures such as streamlining production and investigating new ways of delivering their products to consumers.

With some light appearing at the end of the tunnel, CAFRE and Invest NI have pinpointed some steps that food and drink businesses can do right now in preparation for the relaxation of lockdown restrictions and the return to ‘normal’ trading patterns.

By providing both business and technical advice, Invest NI and CAFRE are keen to help you find ways of exploiting new opportunities that this unprecedented pandemic may have inadvertently created.

To adapt to the guidelines on social distancing the monthly Market Intelligence Clinics, which are normally held in person at Loughry Campus, are now going to be delivered via Skype. The sessions will last for one hour with staff from Invest NI’s Business Information Centre and Consumer Insights team on the call.

The advisors will use online access to market databases, industry journals and latest consumer data to help companies understand the changing food environment and how innovation may flourish through this time.

John Hood, Director of Food & Drink at Invest Northern Ireland said: “At Invest NI, we appreciate the daily challenges the food and drink sector is facing in this unprecedented situation and we are working hard to help. We are delighted that our Market Intelligence Clinics can be delivered as virtual one-to-one sessions via skype.

“They enable staff from our Consumer Insights and Business Information Centre to continue to provide Food and Drink companies with the latest data on changing market patterns and trends to help them react to the rapidly evolving consumer landscape and preparing them as best we can for the challenges ahead.” 

With Loughry Campus currently remaining closed for students and for businesses, Head of Food Technology, Peter Simpson, is keen to stress that despite the lockdown it’s business as usual for his busy team of Food Technologists.

He said: “We have been busy providing advice on the practical application of scientific guidelines on Covid-19. Increasingly, we are beginning to see the green shoots of innovation amongst our clients, with many wishing to plan new product development projects, sensory evaluation trials and shelf-life studies. After gaining vital consumer insight information from Invest NI, the ground work for these can be begin right now”.

Here’s a brief summary of what you can do now in preparation

• Research your market
  • What is the size and growth rate of the category?
  • Who is the target consumer?
  • Do you know what consumers want?
  • Is there already a similar product in the market?
  • How do you expect to reach consumers with your product?
  • How will your product stand out from the crowd on a supermarket shelf?
  • What new innovations and trends are there in the category?
• Discuss projects and apply for funding
  • Invest NI has a range of financial assistance schemes and advisory support for market research and planning for eligible projects and businesses.  Contact your Invest NI Client Executive to discuss.
• Seek technical advice and plan for development – contact CAFRE Food Technologists
• Contact your CAFRE Food Technologist as usual or on 0300 200 7846 to book a place at the next monthly clinic call Invest NI Business Information Centre on 02890698135 or email BIC@investni.com

Notes to editors: 

1. Photo caption: Lucy McDonagh-White of Wilson’s Country pictured along with Mandy Mills and Thelma Fitzgerald, Invest NI and Christine Haydock from CAFRE. This picture was taken at the launch of the initiative in September 2019 prior to the introduction of social distancing guidance.    
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