Irish lamb wins European retail listing
Luxembourg retailer Cactus will now exclusively stock Irish lamb from its self-service and butcher counters. Cactus is the number one premium grocery retailer in Luxembourg with a market share of 43%. In 2016, sales reached €948 million, of which 80% was food.
The new business relationship was marked by a visit to Cactus by the Irish ambassador to Luxembourg Peadar Carpenter, Bernadette Byrne of Bord Bía, Alexandre Dupont, managing director of A Lonhienne, and meat category manager of Cactus Group Luxembourg Yannick De Mesmaeker,.
Commenting on the decision, Yannick De Mesmaeker said: “Irish lamb has won us over and we have decided to promote it to our customers who value quality first and foremost. Our contact with Irish sheep producers facilitated by Bord Bía, has been very successful and we are delighted to offer this excellent meat to our customers.”
Joe Hyland, managing director of Irish Country Meats added: “Irish Country Meats is delighted to become the exclusive supplier of quality Irish lamb to Cactus. Our business in Belgium, A Lonhienne, has a longstanding relationship with the Cactus Group and we are pleased with their decision to endorse and promote Irish lamb in their stores. We look forward to working with Cactus and Bord Bía in growing Irish lamb’s market share in Luxembourg.”
Bernadette Byrne, Bord Bía’s meat marketing specialist in Paris, said: “We are very pleased with this decision by Cactus to prioritise Irish lamb. This is a clear endorsement of the quality of Irish lamb and positive news for Irish sheep farmers. Luxembourg remains a strategic market for premium Irish lamb and Bord Bía will continue to work towards increasing the market share for Irish meat in the Benelux region.”
