Lidl Northern Ireland has secured a supply deal worth more than £500,000 with SlumberJack Coffee in a 12 month contract to supply its premium Italian Espresso whole bean and ground coffee across 209 Lidl stores on the island of Ireland.
Based in Antrim, SlumberJack Coffee is a family-run business roasting the freshest, highest quality coffee beans at its state-of-the-art roastery for an intense, luxurious flavour.
Established in 2014, the artisan business sources coffee beans directly from a family farm in Brazil’s Alta Mogiana Mineira region.
Located 1,205 metres above sea level, the region is renowned for coffee bean production, with an unrivalled climate and perfect temperatures for growing coffee.
The farm is part of a cooperative ensuring 100 per cent traceability of beans, with each harvest meticulously tested for quality and taste.
Gary Murray, Head of Buying at Lidl Ireland and Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “SlumberJack Coffee is an innovative company dedicated to producing the very highest quality coffee direct from farm for a truly authentic taste.
“As a family-owned business the Walkers take great pride in honing their roasting recipe and are continually driving forward with innovative new blends and flavours.
“As a retailer committed to supporting local food producers, we’re delighted to establish a new relationship with such an exciting home-grown artisan producer and to open up opportunities for future growth.
“We’re delighted to add SlumberJack Coffee to our growing network of more than 50 local producers across Northern Ireland.
“This new partnership is also part of our commitment to provide shoppers with the best choice and value while also supporting ambitious local suppliers and quality produce.
“We’re confident customers will love the premium taste and quality at unbeatable value.”
The new products currently on sale across all 41 Lidl Northern Ireland stores include SlumberJack Italian Espresso Wholebean 500g (£3.99) and SlumberJack Italian Espresso Ground 220g (£2.49).
Alf Walker, Business Development Manager at SlumberJack Coffee, said: “We have spent the last number of years refining our roasting technique and creating the perfect packaging to ensure freshness and quality of both our whole bean and ground coffee products.
“We’re thrilled to now secure a major deal with Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket and to see our products stocked on shelves across all Lidl stores in the island of Ireland.
“Through this contract, not only have we been able to avail of export opportunities and reach new markets, but we’ve grown the business to upscale production to meet customer demand.
“Since hitting shelves last month, we’ve seen incredibly strong demand for our products and we look forward to adding to our product offering with a number of new lines currently in development.”
The announcement comes as Lidl Northern Ireland launches a selection of coffee makers and barista accessories, due to hit stores from June 10, including the Silvercrest 500W Milk Frother (£19.99), Ernesto Insulated Glasses Set (£6.99) and Ernesto Moka Pot Espresso Maker (£7.99).
n Lidl Northern Ireland is a major supporter of local food suppliers.
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