Longford bakery takes part in Cross-Border Trade Mission to Northern Ireland

The Longford based Goodness Grains Gluten Free Bakery took part in the two-day Cross-Border Trade Mission to Northern Ireland this week.

The event offered the Longford company, as well as 12 other businesses from across Ireland, the opportunity to foster cross-border connections and grow their business across the island. 

Goodness Grains is a family owned and run company which was established in 2013 to bring high quality gluten free bakery products to what was initially a Coeliac consumer base. In recent years, their products have increasingly grown in popularity among mainstream markets in Ireland, the UK and Europe. 

Their 30,000 sq. ft purpose built, dedicated gluten free facility is one of the largest gluten free bakeries in Ireland and the UK.

The Cross-Border Trade Mission forms part of InterTradeIreland’s new 'Trade Missions @Home' initiative, which aims to facilitate connections and accelerate sales growth for businesses in the cross-border market.

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Since 2021, InterTradeIreland has supported over 450 businesses in the Food and Drink sector, contributing to the growth of cross-border trade from €2.6 billion to €3.8 billion.

Commenting on their participation in the event, Commercial & NPD Manager at Goodness Grains, Geraldine O’Shea, said: "Goodness Grains is currently the Number one gluten free bakery provider to the foodservice sector on the island of Ireland. A key component of our current growth phase is to expand this business model to include the retail sector in Northern Ireland."

Trade Manager at InterTradeIreland, Ann-Marie McAteer, said: "The importance of all-island trade to the Food and Drink sector has never been more apparent. Close to a quarter of goods going from Ireland to Northern Ireland are in the food and beverages category, while 27% of all goods exported from Northern Ireland are in the sector. The numbers speak for themselves. 

"We’re pleased to be supporting these businesses to develop partnerships and grow their exports and we wish them continued success on their export journey."

The twelve other businesses participating in this Trade Mission are Brady’s Coffee Company from Wicklow, Couverture Desserts from Kildare, Filligans Limited from Donegal, Grá chocolates and Solaris Tea from Galway, O’Flynns Gourmet Sausage Company from Cork, Rosie and Jim, Raw Juice Company and Thanks Plants Ltd from Dublin, The Chocolate Garden of Ireland from Carlow, Wexford Home Preserves and The White Hag Brewing Company from Sligo.

The ‘Trade Missions @Home’ initiative gives these businesses the opportunity to connect with key industry representatives and develop new sales opportunities in the cross-border market.