SuperValu is putting 21 new Irish food and drink products onto shelves after the latest round of Food Academy graduates completed the business-development programme, with the items set to remain in store for 52 weeks. The rollout gives a fresh cohort of small producers a longer retail runway than a typical seasonal listing, and reflects the retailer's continuing emphasis on local sourcing.

The Food Academy, now in its 13th year, is run by SuperValu with the Local Enterprise Offices and is described as the only accredited producer development programme in Ireland from TU Dublin. Over the years, the initiative has become a significant route into mainstream grocery for smaller suppliers, combining formal training with mentoring, retail guidance and practical support designed to help founders bridge the gap between product idea and supermarket availability.

SuperValu said the programme has already generated substantial commercial results, with its own figures showing more than €230 million in sales over the first decade and more than 1,000 producers supported since launch. The retailer has also said that more than 300 Food Academy products are stocked regularly across its stores nationwide, underlining how the scheme has developed from an entry-level incubator into a meaningful pipeline for Irish grocery.

Consumer interest appears to support that strategy. In a 2023 survey, SuperValu said nearly 73% of Irish shoppers felt a stronger sense of loyalty to locally produced food, a sentiment that helps explain the appeal of regional brands in a market where provenance and traceability carry growing weight. The retailer argues that programmes such as Food Academy are important not just for product discovery, but for building resilient businesses that can cope with the demands of national retail.

Among the new arrivals is Solatni, whose founders said the Food Academy helped turn their concept for Irish-made Himalayan salt electrolytes into a retail-ready business. Speaking about the programme, the company's founders said the workshops, deadlines and mentoring helped them move from idea to launch, while SuperValu's commercial director, Finbar McCarthy, said small producers are central to a diverse Irish food culture and deserve support as they scale. Oisín Geoghegan, head of the food sector at the network of Local Enterprise Offices, said the programme gives innovative small producers a practical chance to gain traction on SuperValu shelves.

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