The iconic Donegal soft drink, Football Special, will hit the shelves of supermarket chain Lidl across Ireland from next week. They are one of two local companies selected to take part in the Lidl Ireland Kickstart Supplier Development Programme with Corveen Glen Meat Company in Letterkenny also taking part with their Sweetcure Maple Dry Cured Back Bacon. Since the 1940s, McDaids soft drinks are made from their original recipes and come in a recyclable glass bottle and contain no artificial sweeteners. Corveen Glen Meat Company, is a family run meat company that produces locally sourced fresh farm fed meat. More than 100 artisan products from over 45 Irish producers participating in Lidl Ireland’s Kickstart Supplier Development Programme will land on shelves across Lidl’s 222 stores nationwide from next Thursday while stocks last. Now run by Seamus McDaid, this fourth-generation family soft drinks business produces craft soft drinks and ice creams. Speaking as the products hit Lidl’s shelves, Kate O’Driscoll, Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said: “It is a very exciting and proud day for our Kickstart suppliers as they see their range of 107 products land on Lidl shelves in every one of our 222 stores across the island of Ireland. This is the cumulation of six months of hard work, collaborating with our in-house experts and receiving practical guidance on how to scale production, drive production efficiency, as well as product development, branding and packaging support, allowing these suppliers to optimise this opportunity and scale for success. We’re looking forward to seeing our customers’ response to these new innovative products.”
