Expressions of Interest for Meet the Buyer on the Street at LIT, 23 May 2019

The event will see small food and drink producers, supported by the Local Enterprise Offices, showcase their best products, giving buyers the unique opportunity to taste excellence in Irish food and drink.

Expressions of interest from Offaly companies are invited to participate in this event. Stands are heavily subsidised at only €100 per business. 

The exhibitors will display their produce along The Street of the Limerick Institute of Technology, allowing buyers attending to taste delicious products from up and down the country.

During the day food producers will have the chance to  pitch their products to the top buyers from Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK who are expected to attend.  The event is trade only, so it is open only to buyers from across the food industry such as supermarket groups, food wholesalers, retailers, independent fine food shops, foodservice, development chefs, restaurant chefs and more. Buyers will be able to sample a huge range of the finest Irish produce and also meet the passionate, talented producers behind it.

Eamon Ryan, Head of Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office, Limerick, stated: “The Irish Quality Food Awards Meet the Buyer event provides an excellent opportunity for the Local Enterprise Offices National Network to assist new producers in Ireland to meet influential buyers, and not only to achieve sales but also to learn from the buyers what they need to do to be successful in the long term.

“This could be the most important event of the year for new food producers in Ireland.”

Dr Liam Brown, Vice President Research, Development & Innovation, Limerick Institute of Technology, commented: “LIT and food@LIT is delighted to be hosting this important event. Food, food production, food preparation backed by scientific and sensory analysis is critically important to society.

“We are particularly proud to engage with the LEO network and all of their client companies and contributing to further development of Irish companies in the domestic, as well as international, markets that they serve.”

Meet the Buyer at The Street follows the success of last year’s Local Producer Showcase, which brought together the best of the Mid-West Irish food and drink, sponsored by the Local Enterprise Offices of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.

Exhibitors to last year’s event included Meere’s Pork Products, Emerald Oils, Burren Smokehouse, Treaty City Brewing and it was attended by members of the University of Limerick, Lidl Ireland, Aldi Ireland, Tesco Ireland, Urban CoOp and Jane Milton Consultancy, among others.

This year’s Meet the Buyer showcase is bringing together food and drink producers from the LEOs, with a number of panel sessions at the Millennium Theatre also in the pipeline.

If you would like to get involved and take a stand contact us before Wednesday 10th April as a maximum of 3 businesses will be allocated spaces. Please submit your name, contact details and type of product as well as a short Bio and a print quality picture with your application.