Almost €400,000 in LEADER grant aid has recently been approved for eleven niche food and beverage businesses located in County Wexford.  This is the first allocation of money from the current EU & Exchequer funded LEADER Programme in the county.

According to Councillor Kathleen Codd-Nolan, chairperson of Wexford Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), the grant aid is anticipated to result in the creation of up to twenty five new full time jobs and fourteen part time jobs in the county during the next three years.

The businesses to benefit from the grant aid are as follows:

Simon Lambert & Sons Ltd trading as Yellow Belly Beer – a recently established micro brewery in Wexford town which has already gained national recognition for craft beer quality, innovation and branding.

Greenhill Fruit Farm Ltd – based in Davidstown near Enniscorthy, is among the few remaining fruit production sites where fruit continues to be grown in the soil using a direct feed system responsible for the unique flavour.

Fresh Today Catering Ltd – operating from Enniscorthy, the business supplies approximately 8,000 school lunches to over forty schools in the south east region on a daily basis.

Wexford Home Preserves – based in New Ross, this award winning producer of handmade jams, marmalades, fruit and savoury preserves supplies many of the large supermarket outlets nationwide.

Naturally Cordial Ltd – located near Enniscorthy is an award winning producer of a range of whole fruit cordial drinks with no artificial sweeteners, flavorings or enhancers.

Cluain Ard Meats Ltd – trading as “The Saucy Butcher”, this long established Wexford business produces niche high protein, extra lean meat products and ready meals in the “Gluten Free” and “Free From” sector.

Wild About Food Ltd – produce multi-award winning preserves, pesto’s, salad dressings and snacks from native, seasonal ingredients sourced locally in the wild and from their own permaculture garden in Monamolin.

Liam Byrne – trading as Macamore Buffalo, meat from Wexford’s first herd of water buffalo located in Ballygarrett will soon be a new and unique addition to the county’s food industry.

 JOLK Ltd – a new company based in Blackwater is examining the feasibility of producing hand cooked crisps from Wexford potatoes.

Ciara’s Artisan Foods Ltd – trading as Ciara’s Pantry produces a range of salad dressings, jellies and chutneys from its base near Inch, Co Wexford.

The Tasty Parlour – from a base in Campile, this artisan food business uses special blends of gluten free ingredients to create the ultimate food experience for those who have gluten and wheat intolerance.

Wexford LCDC in partnership with Wexford Local Development (WLD) has responsibility for LEADER under the remit of the new Department of Community & Rural Development. The LCDC is the decision making body for all LEADER funding allocations.  During the next three years, a further €7.5m in grant aid will be allocated to innovative businesses and community groups throughout the county.