A WEST Cork dairy company is featuring in the National Dairy Council ad campaign.
Jenny Rose and Toby Simmonds, owners of Toonsbridge Dairy in Macroom, will be part of a new advertising campaign for the National Dairy Council.
The campaign will support the foodservice industry in Ireland which has suffered considerably during the Covid-19 crisis.
The EU-funded campaign is supporting the sectors impacted in Ireland, France, Denmark, Belgium and Northern Ireland.
Bord Bia estimated that the food industry in Ireland contracted by almost half during the pandemic, after restaurants, pubs, hotels, coffee shops, workplace, hospitals and educational canteens were all forced to close.
The campaign will be a mix of outdoor, print and online media and is designed to reinforce the impact and to restore the consumer confidence in dairy products.
Interestingly, recent research undertaken by NDC showed a 48% increase in dairy consumption during the pandemic. Nearly one third of young adults without children indicate that their consumption of dairy products has increased since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. This increase is significantly higher for young adults with children, almost half (ie 48%) of these respondents says their milk consumption has increased by nearly 50%.
As part of the campaign, NDC specially selected seven high profile cafés and food producers across Ireland who were each photographed for the campaign by renowned food photographer Mike O’Toole.
Each photo showcases the proprietor and their food unique offering whether it’s the world-famous seafood chowder at Nancy’s Barn in Donegal or the famous all butter croissants from Bread 41 on Pearse Street, Dublin.
Cathy Curran, communications manager with the National Dairy Council said: ‘We are delighted to be launching this new EU campaign to support the foodservice and hospitality industries so badly impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Dairy products have a valuable place in cafes and foodservice due their accessible, nutritious and versatile use.
‘The companies chosen are geographically spread across each province and represent the cream of independent delis, cafes and food producers serving customers with the best Irish dairy produce on their menus every day,’ she added.
Toonsbridge Dairy in Macroom, run by the Simmonds, was chosen in Cork.
