Mama Bear Foods Expands Distribution
18th December 2024
Mama Bear Foods, which produces a range of healthy ketchups, is now stocked in over 230 supermarkets across Ireland, comprising Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Tesco.
In the initial phase of the company’s growth, Mama Bear Foods was available in shops and supermarkets in the Cork area only, so the nationwide expansion marks a significant milestone for the Irish company.
In 2023 Mama Bear Foods was bought by Ballymaloe Foods. That deal marked the first acquisition by the Cork company, famous for its relishes and award winning condiments. The deal was finalised by sisters Maxine and Rosaleen Hyde of Ballymaloe Foods, and Loretta Kennedy, the founder of Mama Bear Foods. Since then, the three mums have been working together to grow the business and bring the production of Mama Bear ketchups in-house to the Ballymaloe Foods production premises.
Loretta Kennedy (pictured) said: “My hope and dream for Mama Bear was that it would become a brand synonymous with trustworthy, healthy, nutritious family food, and that we would be creating products that added value to a family’s enjoyment of food, and to children’s lunchboxes.
As a company, we see ourselves as both responsive and responsible when it comes to the needs of mothers and caregivers, and that was one of the great things about aligning with Ballymaloe Foods – we have shared values around sustainability, sourcing of ingredients and never compromising on quality.”
Maxine Hyde, co-director of Ballymaloe Foods said: “We were delighted to bring Mama Bear into our business; a company that is hugely aligned with our own values in terms of creating tasty, healthy and sustainable products using the best Irish ingredients.
As mums with young families, we are passionate about expanding the range of Irish-made, healthy snack and food options for young children.
It’s wonderful to see the success of Loretta and Mama Bear Foods and to know that her vision is being realised.”
In a further boost for Mama Bear Foods, the products have received the thumbs up from Irish nutritionist and entrepreneur Sophie Morris, who has gained considerable traction on social media by assessing food labels in supermarkets. In a video on her Instagram page, she applauded the company’s ketchup for its low sugar content and use of natural ingredients.
