The latest edition of Grow with ALDI has seen over 29 finalists have their products stocked on shelves across 164 stores, all of which have their own stories on how they were created. But few Irish businesses can claim they started from a cuisine more than 8,000km away.
Garnacha was born out of a couple's passion for salsa. Founded by Andrea Bustos and Andrew Brady, their products were their way of bringing the vibrant authentic flavours of Mexico to homes across Ireland.
The brand originated from Irishman Andrew’s attempts to impress Andrea, who is originally from Mexico, by showcasing his knowledge of Mexican cuisine.
"Andy was trying to impress me with his knowledge of Mole but I had never heard of an Irish person who knew about Mole," said Andrea. "He was impressing me with his knowledge of Mexican cuisine and we shared a love and passion for food."
They bonded over their love of Mexican cuisine and the idea for the business came from Andrea having fresh salsa in her fridge. As Andy learnt that salsa is more than just a dip, the idea gained legs
"As we were dating he saw that I always had fresh salsa in my fridge, and he learnt that salsa was not just a nacho dip, which I think people relegated to that. You can put it on everything so that’s how we started."
To help develop the product, they quit their jobs and travelled across Mexico for six months, from the Yucatan Peninsula in the north east to Puerto Vallarta in the west. They also got married while travelling and trying out different local dishes across the country.
Each region has its own dishes like in Yucatan, where habanero chilies are widely used. Their thoughts on what ingredients to use sparked their business idea.
"We came up with this idea where we have to bring the true flavour of Mexico because you cannot find real salsa here. There are lots of hot sauces but they are more vinegar based and the other sauces I’ve tried here are not a good representation of Mexico."
From there, they created Garnacha, which has been in business for almost three years. As part of the Grow with ALDI initiative, they are selling their signature Chipotle Salsa and Mild Salsa which is created using traditional recipes and natural ingredients.
Being a finalist means they have met with other business owners like themselves.
"We’re all small producers doing our best.. It’s great, that sense of community."
Another finalist is Nik’s Tea, which creates organic, herbal teas in warm delicious flavours. Sparking from a light bulb moment of founder Nicola Kearns, she started it after realising that speciality teas weren’t really available in the country.
The business grew from there and has advanced so much that Nicola has to remind herself of how far it has come.
"I've got people around me like family and friends which is really important, but honestly, today [at the Grow with ALDI launch] would be one of those moments."
"I love when people say, 'oh, I got your tea somewhere’, you know, and, ‘I really like trying your tea’ like that to me means a lot."
Another supplier taking part in this year's Grow with ALDI programme is OatCo Superfuel, which creates oat-based, nutrient-packed energy balls. Founded by Laura Murphy from Tyrone, who has a background in hospitality.
Her advice to those considering starting up their own business is to give it a go.
"You have nothing really to lose," she added. Lean on people in the industry. Don't be afraid to reach out and connect with people and maybe ask for advice, because that's what I find now from being in the industry as well. Everyone wants to help each other and it's really great to have that."
Grow with ALDI is in its eighth year and is a leading developmental platform for Irish suppliers, fostering the growth and development of small to medium sized Irish businesses.
This year's finalists cover a wide range of products from battered sausages to butter fudge and chicken bone broth.
Since it began in 2018, ALDI has invested over €10 million into the programme, providing invaluable industry mentorship and retail guidance.
