Carol’s Stock Market to double sales from deal with top Irish food retailer

Carol’s Stock Market in Londonderry, a leading producer of natural and preservative-free stocks and nutrient and collagen-rich bone broths for chefs and home cooks, expects to double sales revenue next year as a result of a major partnership in the Republic of Ireland.

The small food company was formed by talented chef and experienced business woman Carol Banahan in 2016 on the back of her longstanding passion for cooking and shortly after her return to Ireland from a hugely successful career in high finance in Canada.

The growth that Carol expects next year will be shaped by a partnership with Dunnes Stores in Dublin for a premium range of natural stocks which she signed at the end of November.

“We are delighted to be working with the Dunnes Stores Simply Better team on the creation of a premium stocks for stores across the island. We’ve created three products in the current Simply Better range - Irish Made Angus Beef Stock; Irish Free Range Chicken Stock and a Roasted Bone Broth,” Carol explains.

“The range is the result of many months of working closely with the Simply Better team on the products and packaging. It was a tremendous experience that I found very helpful as I seek to grow my business throughout the island and further afield."

The company’s natural stocks have won widespread acclaim from food experts and gained major awards including two from Blas na hEireann, the Irish National Food Awards in Dingle, Co Kerry, for its beef and chicken stock and from UK Great Taste.

In addition, Carol’s Stock Market won ‘Best in Ireland’ this from highly influential Irish food and restaurant experts John and Sally McKenna for the 3rd year in a row.

“The partnership with Dunnes Stores is an immensely important development for us,” Carol continues. “We had been growing sales in the Republic, mostly with smaller food stores and butcheries over the past few years. Inclusion in Dunnes prestigious Simply Better range is a very exciting collaboration that lifts us to a whole new and higher level of business. It gives us respected and successful outlets in every part of the island for the range of natural products.”

Carol’s Stock Market products are now available across the retailer’s 275-strong network of stores in Ireland including 15 in Northern Ireland.

Dunnes, a family business, diversified into food and drink in 1960 and has since become the leading and most respected retailer in these products including hundreds sourced from across the island. Ongoing investment in food and drink by the chain has seen a sharp focus on local products including hundreds from artisans like Carol’s Stock Market.

The chain, which now operate some of the biggest and most modern food halls within its stores, has an annual turnover of more than £3 billion, making it Ireland’s biggest retailer.

Carol, a former stock trader working in global financial markets from a base in Vancouver, saw the popularity of natural stocks during her time in Canada, which also shaped her passion for a healthy lifestyle.

She brought this experience and knowledge home with her to Northern Ireland, where she found that natural stocks and bone broth were not readily available. Friends and family, who had tasted the delicious food that Carol prepared using her home made stocks, encouraged her think about setting up a small business producing them for others to enjoy.

Carol uses traditional methods which have been handed down through the generations and using natural, locally sourced ingredients which she simmers for hours to create the base for soups, gravies, stews, sauces and much more.

A passion for promoting a healthy lifestyle also provided the motivation to launch Carol’s Stock Market, sharing her knowledge of the benefits to health and happiness of creating tasty food using a range of delicious, hand-made, all-natural products.

Carol approached the Foodovation team at the North West Regional College in Londonderry for advice on all aspects of food production, recipes, packaging and marketing.

The team there included experienced chef Brian McDermott, now the owner of the historic Foyle Hotel in Moville, Co. Donegal.

Carol subsequently met another of Ireland’s most successful and leading-edge chefs, Neven Maguire, the chef/owner of the highly acclaimed MacNean House restaurant at Blacklion, Co Cavan. Both chefs helped in the development and promotion of Carol’s range of products. Northern Ireland celebrity chef Paula McIntyre also helped with the creation of original recipes using the stocks.