Armagh retailers showcase benefits of locally sourced fresh food to schools and shoppers
JD Hunter & Co. Supermarket in Markethill, Co. Armagh, recently held a Local Supplier Showcase in-store, exhibiting the best of Northern Ireland’s local food producers for shoppers and local schoolchildren.
Among those sampling and demonstrating their tasty fayre in-store were Gilfresh Produce from Armagh, Simply Fruit from Craigavon, Milgro Onions from Limavady, Dale Farm, PRM and Ireland’s largest fruit and vegetable distributor, Keelings. All producers gave shoppers the opportunity to sample their products and speak directly to them about the journey of their food from field to fork, while enjoying exclusive promotions on the products instore from 25th – 28th April.
JD Hunter & Co. continues to show support to their local community and beyond, with 75% of fresh foods supplied by Henderson Wholesale to independent SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers across Northern Ireland sourced from local suppliers. The showcase not only highlighted the offering available to shoppers in store, but also the range of local suppliers and quality produce available across the island of Ireland.
As part of the showcase, Lynsey Evans, Commercial Manager of Produce & Horticulture at Henderson Group, Chris McClure, Store Manager at JD Hunter & Co. and Susie Moran from Keelings all paid a visit to Markethill Primary School and St. Teresa’s Primary School to give a presentation on the health benefits of fruit and vegetables, how food is harvested and information on local suppliers. Each pupil also received a supply of local produce to take home and extend the healthy eating message from the classroom to home.
JD Hunter & Co. have always been passionate about providing locally sourced produce to the community and the store was awarded Independent Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year at the Retail Industry Awards in 2022 for their expansive range and fresh offering for shoppers.
The store was acquired by South Belfast retailer and family-run business, Creightons, in 2022 and employs 145 people from the local community. The Creighton Group have three other stores across South Belfast, EUROSPAR Finaghy, EUROSPAR Balmoral and SPAR Blacks Rd.
Chris McClure, store manager at JD Hunter & Co. commented, “We have amazing suppliers in Northern Ireland, and it’s always been important to us to support local. The instore showcase was a great opportunity for our shoppers to speak to the suppliers directly and hear more about where their produce is coming from.
“Being part of the community, it’s important to have an impact on our shoppers but also on the younger children in our local schools, encouraging them to think about healthy eating and where their food is coming from. The support from our suppliers has been amazing and I want to thank them for such an engaging and informative showcase.”
