Aldi seal of approval for Ballyvourney pudding

THE Ballyvourney pudding is going nationwide! The makers of the Ballyvourney black and white puddings are celebrating this week after winning an order from major retail chain Aldi which will see them supply stores all over Ireland with the Gaeltacht delicacy.

The order has seen the company based on the Údarás na Gaeltachta industrial estate in Baile Mhúirne double its output virtually overnight and plans are already being made to recruit additional staff and move to new larger premises in the same estate.

“We started off eight years ago with a grant for €1000 from Údarás na Gaeltachta and it was just myself, my wife Máire and Declan our son – now our other son Cathal is on board and we’ve got a staff of nine working with us – and we’re planning to grow,” said De Róiste Puddings founder Jimmy Allen.

The company participated in the Grow With Aldi Programme and was announced as one of the winners in the 2019 competition during the National Ploughing Championship in Co. Carlow last week.

The company was also supported by Cork County Council’s Local Enteprise Office along with Whitegate firm Wall’s Honest Chips and Mama Bear Foods, which makes reduced sugar products, who were also featured among the six companies listed by Aldi for 2019.

Seán Ó’Sullivan, the council’s Head of Enteprise, welcomed the news: “It is a credit to these companies’ hard work and innovation that they would be picked up by a nationwide retailer such as Aldi.

“We are proud to have supported Walls, Mama Bear, and De Róiste Goods, and look forward to seeing their continued success.”

Ballyvourney Pudding and Aldi began their relationship back in 2018 during the Grow with Aldi 2018 programme. The ‘Ballyvourney Pudding’ was introduced for two weeks and due to the popularity of the product they secured a seasonal listing with the retailer. Building on the relationship, the team at Ballyvourney Pudding applied again in 2019 and have been rewarded with their efforts with a year’s listing.“Our business is growing at a fantastic rate,” Jimmy told The Corkman. “Last week we sent out six pallets of produce, this week it’s four.”

Though he’s concerned about the knock-on impact of Brexit, this listing and the business that follows has come at an opportune time as the company gets ready to move from its incubator unit premises to a larger building in the same estate.

“Ballyvourney black and white pudding is made the old fashioned way, with fresh pigs’ blood, pork stock, Irish pork and bacon, and Irish oats,” said Cathal Allen.

The company, De Róiste’s Foods, which started off 15 years ago as Siopa de Róiste, prides itself on sourcing all Irish ingredients to make the best tasting pudding.