Laois Chamber Alliance CEO, Caroline Hofman, caught up with Mimo and Seamus O’Flynn of O’Mimo’s Good Globe Pantry, based in Portarlington…
Tell us a bit about The Good Globe Pantry and why you decided to set up your business?
O’Mimo’s Good Globe Pantry came into being in March 2020. Seamus and I are based in Portarlington and we love all things Chilli. Our mission is to tantalise taste buds in Ireland with the best Chilli sauces and jam in the world.
We produce from our purpose-built home kitchen. We are small batch producers with naturally vegan sauces that are delicious, bold and full of flavour. A must in every cupboard. The sauces and jams are very versatile and can be consumed on their own or in a myriad of recipes.
What sauces and jams do you currently have in your range, and which are your most popular?
At O’Mimo’s all our sauces and jam are made from the best and freshest ingredients we can find. During the season we use apples, chillies and sage from our garden and orchard. Our original sauces are the same spices with different combinations of chillies and peppers, and they are the ‘Not So Hot Sauce’, ‘Hot Hot Sauce’ and ‘Head Exploder Sauce’.
The different heat levels ensure that there is something for everyone. ‘The Apple Chilli Sage Jam’ was made as a thanks to our local stockists as we had a glut of bramley apples in our orchard and a friend of ours had a glut of chillies. Our stockists loved, loved, loved the jam and on their insistence, we made some more, to sell and it has become our bestseller. We, very recently, have added ‘Chilli Mango Mania Sauce’ which is proving to be a big hit with all our chilli loving aficionados.
Can you highlight some of the key achievements at The Good Globe Pantry?
We are thrilled to give tastings to the public at the many festivals we take part in locally. Our customer base is from 7 years old to 80 plus years old. The Irish palate is loving our delicious, fiery, flavourful awesome sauces and jam. Our sauces are a big hit and people are embracing the many ways they can be used.
We are also thrilled and think it is a great achievement that we are being endorsed by Darina Allen, Sally and John McKenna and Rachel Allen to name a few of the people, who are loving our sauces and jam.
We are delighted to be part of Laois Taste. We are one of 25 plus local producers, producing premium local products. It is great that there is a local food presence in Laois. We have some excellent products and producers, and we are proud to be part of this local food movement.
Any other news or expansion plans you can share with us?
Seamus and I, through the support of LEO and James Burke and Associates have recently completed The Food Academy, sponsored by Bord Bia and SuperValu.
We are thrilled to be in the trials and will be in 8 to 10 local SuperValu stores with our ‘Hot Hot Sauce’ and ‘Apple Chilli Sage Jam’. Keep a lookout for our products and support local! Our ethos is to keep it local, keep it sustainable and keep it circular.
What are some of the biggest challenges your business has faced, and how have you overcome these?
We have felt the pain of Brexit, Covid and Inflationary challenges since we started the O’Mimo’s journey. We have had to adapt; plan ahead and unfortunately increase prices when it has been absolutely necessary. It has been challenging and the market is always ever-changing and we have to be vigilant and be prepared.
For any business considering locating in Laois, what would you say are the best things about being located here?
Seamus and I love living in Portarlington. Laois is so central to everywhere in Ireland. As food producers we have found great support with the Laois Local Enterprise Office and the Laois Chamber Alliance. The support being given to small producers is amazing and greatly appreciated. We all need to be more local, sustainable and circular.
Visit www.omimos.ie to find out more.
Business News
Congratulations to Laois Chamber Alliance member, Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery, winners of the Laois County Enterprise Award 2023. They will now represent Local Enterprise Office Laois at the 23rd National Enterprise Awards at the Round Room in the Mansion House in Dublin on the 1st June.
Stradbally brewery named winner of the Laois County Enterprise Award for 2023 – Laois Today
The Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, brought to Cabinet a new government initiative aimed at supporting SME participation in public procurement. This initiative will act as an update to previous guidance, which introduced a number of measures aimed at assisting SMEs to access public procurement opportunities. Find out more here:
Laois County Council are inviting interested parties to a public consultation on the development of a seasonal garden festival in County Laois. Plant, flower, fruit and food producers are invited to attend to provide their input and ideas. This will take place on Wednesday, 12th April from 6pm-7.30pm in the Chambers of Laois County Council.
The official opening of The CUBE by Minister Simon Coveney, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment took place recently. The 10,000 square foot Low Carbon Centre of Excellence, a dedicated centre for the development of new business and economic activity, will in turn support and assist a transition to a low carbon economy.
The CUBE Low Carbon Centre of Excellence officially opened in Portlaoise – Laois Today
Dunamaise Arts Centre is currently hosting a stunning new collection of photographs of Ireland’s finest archaeological monuments until April 30th. Read more here:
Business Supports
The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment (DETE) has launched a further call for Online Retail Scheme aiming to encourage the retail sector in Ireland to develop a more competitive online offer that will enable an increase in their customer base and build a more resilient business in the domestic and global marketplace both online and offline. This is a Competitive Fund which will be administered by Enterprise Ireland on behalf of DETE with a total fund size of €3.4m. Find out more here:
Online Retail Scheme – Enterprise Ireland (enterprise-ireland.com)
A new Enterprise Ireland initiative to help Irish companies impacted by Brexit to avail of consultancy support for new market growth has been launched. The grant will be provided at a rate of 80% subject to a maximum grant of €36,000. Find out more here:
Upcoming Events and Training
Local Enterprise Office Laois, in collaboration with Laois Chamber Alliance are hosting a lunch and learn on “Tools to increase Sales and Leads” in the Maldron Hotel Portlaoise, on Thursday 27th April 2023 from 12.30pm to 2pm. Book your free place here:
Have you registered to exhibit at this year’s Shine in Emo event, taking place on Saturday 27th May 2023 in the historic surroundings of Emo Court and Parklands? With up to 5,000 attendees expected over the course of the day, it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase your business, products and services. E-mail caroline@laoischamber.ie to register!
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is organising a series of Building Better Business events across the country to help your business navigate the green journey and boost your business performance through digital transformation. The next Building Better Business event will be hosted on Thursday, 27 April 2023, in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise and is open to businesses based in Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath. Find out more and register here:
Building Better Business in the Midlands Tickets, Thu 27 Apr 2023 at 08:30 | Eventbrite
The “Living Well” Expo takes place on Thursday 13th April, from 4 to 8pm in Portlaoise College, Mountrath Road Portlaoise, and will be opened by Anna Mai McHugh. This event is a joint collaboration between Healthy Laois and Age Friendly Laois, which aims to showcase the supports available to all ages in Co Laois and help people Live Well. There will be a main expo area, with over 70 exhibitors attending on the day, including sports and community groups, health services and technology providers. In addition to this there will be a Live Stage Area, with presentations, talks and demonstrations on mental and physical health issues, cooking and nutrition, staying safe and more.
SEE ALSO – Check out previous interviews on our Business Briefing here
