In the same day, two disturbing stories hit my ears, both in the treat world. I have reported before how many companies brag about being Irish or British etc when, with a little investigation, they are simply packing their products there. This is a big problem in our countries as meat is cheaper grown and dried and packaged in other countries, particularly those outside of the EU, welfare be damned. I’ve harassed a number of companies to find all sorts of nonsense going on, mostly their dried crap is coming from at best Poland (where tracing from there is impossible) and at worst Asia (treats from Asia are among the top pet killers in the US).
Today, I heard a major mover of natural “UK” pet treats admitted to a very major pet food manufacturer that their “ethically sourced” rabbit ears are from the French intensively reared rabbit sector. A proper caged horror show (you don’t need the links). Their defence? They weren’t the smallest cages permitted. All wrapped up with enough Union Jacks to convince the shortest of sighted punters and away you go. Where do you think their deer meat is coming from? Is it dried / dehydrated or is that bone cooked?! On and on.
That was this morning.
Then, this afternoon I dropped in to a pal of mine, Sara Hannon, a treat manufacturer in Ireland (RiRaw). A harder worker you have not met. What were you doing last weekend during the heat? Sara was in the whole weekend, loading ovens, drying treats, so they would be ready by Monday. Her loyal staff by her side (who wouldn’t be driving around in a Lamborgini either). Two friends determined not to fail. Working every hour available to them. Battling to stay afloat. Constant stress. Constant pressure. And you know what? I don’t think has paid herself a dime in six years. Honest to God. SIX YEARS. Instead, she has poured her own money in as our banks stopped a long time lending to actual businesses (AIB “we back brave!”. Sure you do lads.).
Show me another person in any other industry willing to do that?
Unless you’ve ever been in the business (and I mean food manufacturing, pet or otherwise) then it’s very hard for you to understand just how hard it is to make a good quality food product attractive to at least the Irish market. Like it or not, and most will take umbrage at this, very few of us understand the true cost of good food. We used to spend 40% of our budget on great food, now we spent 10% on poorly produced food. We’re all guilty of it, God knows, I am too.
It’s relentless work producing a high-quality food item, particularly in Ireland. Your ingredients cost so much more. Your cost of manufacturing is so much higher than other countries and your overlords, in our case the Department of Agriculture, are nothing short of a relentless impediment. I have never met a group that are so CONSTANTLY unhappy with your efforts. You are never clean enough. You are never systematic enough. You are never big enough. You never have enough paperwork. Your premises is never right. Until you look like a hospital or one of the behemoth meat companies with zillions to spend, you are an annoying little shit to be bullied and repressed until you go away. And most do (speaking from experience).
[This is why, when I’m asked, I say do not get into food manufacturing in Ireland. I have already sent two companies north of the border now and their experience from the UK Dept of Agriculture is very, very different.]
And all the while these food manufacturers have to be inventive enough to convince the market that your slightly more expensive treats are WORTH the punters attention. You need unbelievable wrapping. You need great social media and images. You need to hit the shops. You need brilliant margins so the shops bite. On and on.
I believe Sara has done as much as she can to convince the Irish market that she is making them their best (and still only) source of high-quality meat treats and she is putting them out an insanely good value. And still, they are not the dominant force they deserve to be. “It’s just so hard to compete with the imported stuff”.
We are today completely spoiled by cheap food, cheap ingredients, cheap, imported food products. We compare everything to the price in the chains. We talk a mean game but honestly, how many of us walk the walk?
I urge you tonight, please, show how much you care, how much you love Irish business, take a trip over to her site and pick up some treats now.
Sara has a crazy selection of Irish made, Irish treats, including:
– 500g of dried chicken hearts for just €20
– 500g of dried kidney crunchies for just €20
– Totally unique natural meat lickimats €4.36
– A tempting beef crumble (excellent topper for dry food) for just €3.85
– Various pieces of dried beef including paddywhack, trachea and hairy cow tail tips (a brilliant alternative to imported rabbit ears) for as little as €2
€50 gets you free delivery!
EDIT: Sad to say this company is no longer in operation.
