'Putting local on our plates': Musgrave scales up community supplier partnerships and sales in £1.2billion boost to Northern Ireland economy

Musgrave is deepening its commitment to Northern Ireland’s food and retail sector, with trading director Julie Cherry leading a major push in local sourcing and community engagement.

Having joined Musgrave in 2011 and appointed trading director in 2021, Julie is responsible for shaping the company’s commercial strategy — with local suppliers and producers playing a central role in that mission.

Last year saw the launch of Good Food Locally Sourced, a new own-label range available exclusively in SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores. Backed by a £14 million investment in local producers, the range has flourished, with sales expected to surpass £15 million this year.

Julie believes the initiative has created new opportunities for collaboration while strengthening existing supplier relationships, all contributing to a more resilient supply chain.

“Collaborating with local suppliers to help them develop and grow is what my job is all about – and it is not just important to me, but the whole team at Musgrave.

“Our supply chain is dependent on the wide network of local food and drink suppliers that we are lucky to have here in Northern Ireland and our Good Food Locally Sourced range has allowed so many of those relationships, whether existing or new, to flourish. Over the past year, the brand has grown rapidly with sales set to pass £15 million this year. Working with local suppliers not only makes a significant economic contribution, but also ensures we have a robust supply chain.”

In a continued show of support for local businesses, Musgrave’s recent, ‘Love Local? So do we’, which highlighted the wide range of Northern Irish products available across its brands.

Julie continued: “Our recent campaign gave us the opportunity to profile some of our supplier network and also to communicate to our shoppers the wider impact we are making to the communities we serve.”

The campaign profiled several local businesses, including Warrenpoint-based food-to-go company Deli Lites, which now supplies Musgrave brands across the island of Ireland, and McAtamney’s Gourmet Kitchen, a key partner in the Good Food Locally Sourced range.

The ‘Love Local? So do we’ campaign also follows the recent publication of “Growing Good Business – an economic and social impact report for Musgrave and its brands in Northern Ireland.

The report was prepared by leading economists at Grant Thornton and sets out how critical the retail, wholesale and foodservice business is to Northern Ireland – supporting the employment of over 5,000 jobs, investing £240 million in local supply chain partnerships, working with 250 local suppliers and investing significantly in local communities, as well as in sustainability and affordability initiatives. All this culminating in an impact of £1.2 billion on the NI economy.

Julie also pointed to the company’s charitable achievements, including reaching a milestone of £4 million raised for long-standing charity partner Action Cancer. She said this achievement is a reflection of the company’s wider commitment to the communities it serves.

“Right across the board, we continue to deepen our investment in Northern Ireland whether that’s through local sourcing partnerships and impactful charity contributions or working with our independent retail partners to expand and develop our store network,” she explained.

"We are committed to continuing this journey and to remain a positive force in Northern Ireland’s economy, in support of the communities we’re part of.”

Looking ahead, Julie remains focused on innovation and growth across Musgrave’s product offering, with a firm emphasis on collaboration.

“We work with over 250 local food and drink suppliers and each one plays a significant role to ensure our customers can access a wide range of good quality, local products. We look forward to continuing with our commitment to growing good business across Northern Ireland.”