Kerry Food Hub, a food innovation centre, has officially opened its 10 new 1,000sq ft food grade production units and launched of the artisanmarket.ie, a multi-vendor online marketplace linking artisan food producers and professional buyers.

ARTISAN FOOD: Minister for Education Norma Foley TD pictured at the opening of The Kerry Food Hub new food production units and the launch of the Artisanmarket.ie with from left: Kelly O’Halloran Kiera Fell Rosalyn O’Connor (Murphy’s Ice Cream) Michael Brosnan Niamh Kennedy (Murphy’s Ice Cream) and Lisa O’Halloran in Firies on Friday. Photo: Michelle Cooper Galvin

FAB FOOD: Jessica Clinton of Ballyhar Foods pictured with Minister for Education Norma Foley TD who opened The Kerry Food Hub new food production units and launched the Artisanmarket.ie on Friday. Photo: Michelle Cooper Galvin

OFFICIAL OPENING: Minister for Education Norma Foley TD cutting the tape to open The Kerry Food Hub new food production units and launch of the Artisanmarket.ie with David Gleeson (Chairman) Martin Brosnan (Project Manager) Anne O’Donoghue (Secretary) Morgan McMahon (Tres) Denis Dwyer Donal Spring and Mike McKenna (Directors) Cllr Jimmy Moloney Mayor of Kerry Sean Linnane (NEWKD) Jerry Moloney (Regional Manager Mid West Enterprise Ireland) Deputies Michael Healy Rae Sean Kelly (MEP) and food producers and entrepreneurs in Firies on Friday. Photo: Michelle Cooper Galvin

The 10 new spaces are part of the ongoing expansion of a community project comprising of four existing production units, which employ 40 people across four local food producers. This expansion will allow new food entrepreneurs to enter the market and facilitate established brands to scale up, delivering 162 local jobs and contributing an estimated €3 million in new income to the Kerry economy.

The online Artisan Market re-imagines the role of digital technology in the local food business. The platform enables local food producers to drive new value and leverage all elements of their unique brand and products, to grow and reshape the local food ecosystem across traditional industry borders. At the heart of this digital transformation strategy is sales and information exchange between the local food producer and professional buyers in the retail and hospitality sectors.

The Artisan Market facilitates an excellent opportunity to create more innovative business models and bring a new era of collaboration and partnership to all stakeholders.

The Kerry Food Hub is a not-for-profit community project located in Firies. It was the vision of local farmer David Gleeson who assembled a group of local social entrepreneurs to enhance employment opportunities in the region and make the community it serves a "better place to live".

"This considerable investment in the local economy and the online platform signifies confidence within Ireland's indigenous food artisan industry," David Gleeson, The Kerry Food Hub Chairman and Founder, said.

"The €2m investment ensures that The Kerry Food Hub will be a crucial source of employment within our local community. The platform offers the opportunity to re-think how we support our local food producers, providing a sharper focus on what consumers and visitors want to experience, great local food.

Without the investment from Enterprise Ireland, the Local community, North East West Kerry Development, Kerry County Council, Kerry Group, and Clann Credo, we would not be here today. We are truly grateful for their unwavering trust and belief in the project."

The Kerry Food Hub was established in 2016 and has enjoyed a one hundred percent uninterrupted occupancy since opening. While the activities over the past number of years have worked as a very successful proof of concept, the future is exceptionally bright. Through the extensive expansion of the existing premises and the development of the Artisan Market Platform, the board of local volunteers will aim to achieve their goal of encouraging and supporting local culinary talent.