As number of Irish in Australia grows, so too does demand for Irish food treats this Christmas

Dec. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Irish food importer Taste Ireland (www.tasteireland.com.au) has launched its range of Christmas hampers to provide the Irish community in Australia with well-known brands from home, such as Tayto, Club drinks, Barry’s Tea, McDonnell’s Curry, and over 200 other products.

Gift-wrapped Christmas hampers of Irish products can be purchased online at www.tasteireland.com.au  and sent to family and friends. The advantage of the online service is that it saves time, issues with quarantine, delayed postage and spoiled packaging, as may be encountered through sending regular care packages.

With an increasing number of Irish residing temporarily or permanently in Australia, Taste Ireland has seen a surge in demand for Irish products on all sides of the business: wholesale to Irish bars, retail stores and restaurants; and the online retail service, delivering groceries directly to customers’ doors or through their warehouse open to the public in Sydney.

Now, major supermarket chains such as Woolworths are paying particular interest in Irish grocery exports; the major supermarket chain has recently brokered a deal to stock Tayto crisps in 185 of its stores nationwide, other products currently ranging include: Barry’s Tea, Club Orange and Bisto Gravy. The aim is increase the number of Irish foods to the International aisle of major stores in nationwide.

Taste Ireland owner Eamon Eastwood said: “I arrived in Australia initially as a backpacker in 1999 just in time to experience the Sydney Olympics, I found that so many Irish expats really missed the basic groceries – the first comment everyone makes out here is that the tea just isn’t the same!

“So I originally set about importing Tayto crisps and other iconic Irish foods that my friends and I really missed and it has grown from there. The number of Irish moving to this country since the GFC is astounding and while many used to see Australia as a year of travel, the Irish who are now coming here are here to find work and sponsorship and are looking for a more permanent life. I think the fact that Woolworths has approached us about supplying Irish foods in the International aisle, is testament to the fact that Australians are aware that there is going to be another cultural shift in this country.”

According to the Irish Embassy, Canberra, around 60,000 Irish-born citizens are permanent residents of Australia. In addition, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship stated in their most recent report that by June this year, just under 13,000 Irish were in Australia on working holiday visas and between July 2010 and June 2011, 26,636 Irish temporary resident arrived in Australia.

Orders to be placed before the following deadlines to ensure delivery before Christmas

New Zealand, Northern Territory & Country Western Australia - 6th December
Perth, Country NSW, South Australia, Victoria & Queensland - 10th December
Adelaide - 18th December
Brisbane, Melbourne, and Canberra Metro Areas – 19th December
Sydney Metro- 19th December
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Notes to Editor
Statistics taken from the (Australian) Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s report: ‘Immigration Update 2010–2011’ www.immi.gov.au
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For more information or for a phone interview with Managing Director, Eamon Eastwood, please contact:

Mary Hickey
MCH Consulting
Email:    mary@mchconsulting.com.au
Tel:   +61 414 652 442

Please note: Sydney is currently at a timezone of GMT + 11 hours.