TRALEE-based Kerry Foods has secured a contract with Asda to supply its range of fresh on-the-go product, Coleraine snack packs, to all of its stores in Northern Ireland.
The two new chilled lines are the first adult food-on-the-go snack packs to be produced in the north, pairing Coleraine mature cheddar with crackers and a ‘Chunky Country Relish’ or ‘Sticky Chilli Chutney’.
David Neill, Kerry Foods' national account manager, said that snacking is one of the fastest growing consumer trends in the market.
"Our new product development team recognised this gap in the market and took the opportunity to use one of our core products – Coleraine cheddar – to develop a new healthier snacking product - targeted towards adults," he said.
"Using Northern Ireland’s favourite cheese, our new snack packs offer consumers an option, which is high in protein and calcium."
Brian Conway, Asda’s buying manager for Northern Ireland (where it has 17 stores), said the need for such products is driven by consumer appetite.
"Asda is committed to providing its customers with a wide variety of products which meet their needs,”" he said.
"We have seen that options for healthy snacking are increasingly more important to our shoppers - and not just for children, which is why we’re delighted to continue our relationship with Kerry Foods and bring its new innovation to Asda."
Kerry Group owns six facilities in Northern Ireland including Henry Denny & Sons in Portadown, Dairy Producer Packers in Coleraine and Golden Cow in Craigavon.
