Barista Bar, which marked its 10-year anniversary last year, will be an official CIYMS Rugby Club sponsor for 2026 supporting the club with the junior team’s kit sponsorship, alongside branded post-pads bringing high quality equipment to the pitch, plus an investment in pitch-side advertising.

The sponsorship, which kicked off at the start of January, is part of Barista Bar’s ongoing commitment to giving back to the local community.

Barista Bar coffee-to-go is widely available in over 460 SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland, many of which are often the hub of local communities and Barista Bar aims to continue these relationships, being part of many local initiatives and providing sponsorships for a number of local events and clubs.

CIYMS has been part of the east Belfast community since 1974, after moving from its city-centre home of 50 years, and has grown to provide a hub for team sports and inspiring the future sports stars from Northern Ireland.

A number of CIYMS players have gone on to play for their country at international level, playing for Ulster and Ireland, with three going on to play for the British & Irish Lions. The most recent CIYMS star, Conor McKee began his rugby career at the Club and made his debut at Ulster just last year as a scrum half.

Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale, National Brand and Business Development Manager at Barista Bar said the new 2026 sponsorship of CIYMS Rugby Club is an important next step in their community presence, “Being rooted in community stores, it is so important to us at Barista Bar to continue and develop those relationships with shoppers, local community groups, charities and clubs and give back to those who show us so much support.”

Mark Stewart Maunder, Commercial & Development Director at Henderson Foodservice, added, “It’s great to see Barista Bar supporting CIYMS Rugby Club, particularly at junior level, where investment can make a real difference in local communities.”

David Peden, president of CIYMS commented, “CI is an ambitious family club and Barista Bar is a strong, vibrant and community focussed brand that aligns well with our club. Sponsorship is the lifeblood of any club, and we believe our partnership is an exciting move that can really benefit both parties. We are hugely grateful for Barista Bar’s support, and we are looking forward to seeing what the partnership brings in the year ahead.”

Barista Bar’s community support has been growing rapidly in recent years. The brand is a partner of Walk NI and is committed to keeping Northern Ireland beautiful and free of litter. Many of the stores that Barista Bar is available in are central in communities that are residential, urban, by the sea and in areas of outstanding beauty, and Barista Bar is committed to keeping these areas clean for all to enjoy them.

The coffee to go brand has been an official partner of the Eco Rangers since 2021, fuelling their volunteers with Barista Bar beverages during their litter picks throughout Northern Ireland, organising and taking part in numerous litter picks across Northern Ireland to date,  supporting broader efforts to reduce environmental waste and encourage more sustainable habits.

The Mallusk 5-Mile Road Race back in August saw the third year of sponsorship from Barista Bar, with the team fueling runners on the day with a complimentary drink and a Barista Bar sports bag, as well as an exciting Barista Bar Team Challenge with a hamper for the fastest team.

Last year, Barista Bar also sponsored NIPANC’s PedalThePeriphery for the third annual event, created by award-winning sisters Andrea Harrower and Cathy Booth. As well as a Barista Bar team taking part in the event, Barista Bar stations throughout NI were used to raise awareness and inspire donations, as well as ensuring the cyclists for the event had accessible pitstops to fuel up with some Barista Bar coffee.

Keavy added, “We are looking forward to seeing this partnership with CIYMS Rugby Club develop over the year and can’t wait to support the club from the sidelines.”

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One Closure Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• The Shamrock Lodge (Closed area: The kitchen only) (Public House), Seamus Ennis Road, Finglas, Dublin 11

Three Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

• O’Connell’s Foodstore (Closed activities – Holding of all foods labelled with ‘use by’ dates for the purpose of sale or supply. [Note: This notice does not restrict the sale or supply of foods labelled with a ‘best before’ date]) (Retailer), Main Street, Bansha, Tipperary
• White Sands Hotel (Closed area: the small kitchen ground floor), Coast Road, Portmarnock, County Dublin
• Chillers Restaurant and Lounge, Unit 1, Liffey Valley Complex, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in January include: rodent activity was found in a kitchen ground floor; an accumulation of grease deposits that had formed on the ceiling tiles above a utensil wash sink; a bucket full of brown unidentifiable liquid containing white pipes beneath the sink in a bar area; walls, wall floor junctions and doors in a main kitchen area spattered with food and dirty throughout; a major leak from the ceiling in a kitchen area requiring a number of buckets placed on the floor and on surfaces where food was being prepared; unsafe food placed on the market that was past its ‘use by’ dates.

Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, highlighted the need for food businesses to implement a rigorous food safety management system with their business.

“Inspectors are finding recurring incidents of unhygienic practices and rodent infestations in food businesses. Implementing and maintaining a food safety management system is a basic requirement and should be of the highest importance for food businesses. Maintaining a clean premises is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is a basic legal requirement. All food businesses have a duty of care to their customers to serve food that is prepared in a clean premises and is safe to eat. There is no excuse for bad practice.”

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.

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The transition has been completed with minimal disruption to store operations, ensuring continuity for both employees and customers. Across the seven sites, all 142 existing roles have been retained, reinforcing Circle K’s position as a significant local employer. Each store continues to be managed by its existing store manager and team, while customers will now benefit from Circle K’s expanded convenience offering alongside the same local service they know and trust.

The official opening was marked at an event at the Airside location by Ciara Foxton, Managing Director of Circle K Ireland, members of the Circle K team, and local Republic of Ireland international footballer Jamie Finn. The event recognised the importance of the investment and Circle K’s ongoing commitment to the local community.

Ciara Foxton, Managing Director of Circle K Ireland said: “Today’s official opening marks an important milestone for Circle K as we continue to invest in our retail network across Ireland. Retaining experienced local teams and ensuring a smooth transition for customers have been central to this process, and we are delighted to officially welcome these seven new locations to the Circle K network.”

To celebrate the opening, Circle K is running a Grand Opening Week across its seven newly rebranded locations, featuring Extra Hero loyalty offers alongside a range of promotions available to all customers. Across the full week, €6,000 worth of free product will be given away as prizes across participating Circle K locations.

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While shoppers made slightly more trips to stores compared to the corresponding period last year, they purchased 1.9% fewer packs year on year, highlighting continued caution among Irish consumers as grocery inflation rose to 6.82%, up from 6.25% over the 12 weeks.

Commenting on the latest figures, Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Worldpanel by Numerator, said: “January is typically the time when shoppers reset their household budgets, and this year was no different. While grocery sales continued to grow, rising inflation meant that value remained front of mind for consumers.

“Our latest pressure group study reveals that more shoppers in Ireland are finding the current economic climate tough, with 31% feeling that they are struggling to make ends meet. This is no surprise: rising grocery inflation means that consumers are increasingly feeling the pinch.”

After grocery spending hit a record high in December, shoppers have looked to rein in costs in January, a trend that would typically boost the share of own label products. Grocery spending and the volume sold on promotion over the latest 12-week period remained at a record low of just 19.6%, suggesting that shoppers are managing their budgets through everyday choices rather than increased promotional purchasing.

Own label products accounted for 43.4% of total grocery spend, up 0.7 percentage points on the previous month, with shoppers spending more than €1.7 billion on own label goods over the latest 12-week period. The strong performance of premium own label goods also continued, with growth standing at 5%, while branded products remained resilient, growing 7.3% and ahead of the total market, which grew at 5.2%.

Shoppers prioritise health after indulgent festive period

In January, Irish shoppers spent an additional €454k on low- and no-alcoholic beverages, amid greater participation in Dry January. Spending on fresh fruit, chilled smoothies, juices and yoghurts was also on the rise, increasing by more than €8.1 million, while healthcare sales increased 6.8% year on year, with consumers ploughing an additional €1.8 million into the category as they stocked up in time for the start of flu season.

Emer Healy added: “As shoppers refocus on health after the indulgence of the festive period and the onset of flu season, we’re seeing growing demand for everyday staples that support their wellbeing goals, such as products rich in protein and fibre. The wettest January in eight years also drove demand for ‘comfort food’ options to be enjoyed at home.

“Rather than following short-term, diet-driven trends, consumers are opting for a more balanced, sustainable approach to healthy eating built around familiar, accessible foods that fit naturally into their daily routines. With more shoppers exploring plant-based choices through Veganuary, meat alternative products experienced an uplift during the period, with shoppers spending an additional €838,000 on meat substitutes versus last year.”

Online grocery outperforms the market

Online grocery sales continued their strong march, rising 7% year on year to take 5.8% value share. Shoppers spent an additional €15 million online, driven by larger trips, with nearly 20% of Irish households purchasing groceries online during the latest 12-week period.

Among the retailers, Dunnes holds 24.8% market share, up on the previous 12-week period and with sales growth of 4.5% year on year. Larger trips and new shopper recruits contributed an additional €29.8 million to its overall performance.

Tesco holds just under a quarter of the market, at 24.4%, with value growth of 6.5% year on year. An influx of new shoppers contributed an additional €27.9 million to the grocer’s overall performance.

SuperValu holds 19.4% market share, with growth of 0.4%. It remains the most frequently visited grocer, averaging 22 trips per shopper, while new shopper recruits over the 12-week period contributed an additional €36.7 million to its overall performance.

Lidl was once again the fastest-growing grocer, up 12.2% and holding 13.2% of the market. Alongside recruiting new shoppers in-store, existing shoppers picked up more volume in store, with both groups combined contributing an additional €29.9 million to overall performance.

Aldi holds 10.4% market share, up 1.7%, driven by an influx of new shoppers who drove an additional €13.8 million in sales.

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Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, launching the exhibition said : “Food-related ill-health is an escalating problem, putting our future health at real risk. With one in five children now living with overweight or obesity, we see every day how hard it is for families to make healthy choices in a food environment full of constant, aggressive marketing.

This Safefood exhibition illustrates a powerful call for change from communities across Ireland. Their ideas and experiences will help guide us to make the bold changes needed to transform our food system and give every child the chance of a healthier future.”

The series of 24 illustrations, created by award-winning artist Steve Doogan, bring to life the insights of people across the island who participated in Safefood’s Citizen Engagement workshops in late 2025. These visuals highlight a landscape currently “overflowing” with cheap, heavily marketed unhealthy options and contrast it with a community-led vision for change.

Speaking at the exhibition in Dublin, Joanne Uí Chrualaoich, newly Appointed CEO at Safefood, said: “The single most important thing we want people to take from these illustrations is that there is a real, collective appetite for change. Our food environment is everything around us, from the shops on our high street to the digital ads on our phones, and currently, it means making a healthy choice is often much harder to make.

These illustrations show that people from diverse communities and backgrounds all want a system that supports their health rather than working against it, with more affordable, accessible, healthy food for everyone.”

Common themes identified by participants included a yearning for “main streets of the past” with local grocers and butchers, a call for stricter regulation on marketing to children, and a desire for supermarkets to be redesigned to make healthy food more visible.

The exhibition, which took place on Wednesday 4th February at the Chartered Accountants Ireland House on Pearse Street, marked the official conclusion of a year-long engagement programme with local communities. The event was hosted by broadcaster Philip Boucher-Hayes and featured a high-level expert panel discussion on the policy and societal changes required to achieve this vision. The panel included: Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation in the UK; Donal O’Shea, Specialist in Obesity; Denise Cahill, Healthy Cities Coordinator, Cork City; and Kathryn Walsh, Director of Policy & Advocacy, National Youth Council.

“By working together; government, communities, partners and citizens, can create a food environment that supports health, protects all especially children, and makes the healthy choice the easy choice.” Joanne continued.

The ‘Appetite for Change’ exhibition and accompanying report aim to stimulate wider conversations among the public and policymakers. By highlighting lived experiences and structural constraints, Safefood seeks to ensure that future policy discussions regarding Ireland’s food systems are rooted in the views of its citizens.

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