Carol’s Stock Market
Company background:
Carol’s Stock Market is an Irish producer of a premium range of multi-award winning all-natural bone broths, stocks and gravies which are manufactured in house using organic ingredients.
Challenge:
After the successful launch of the broth range, the company developed a range of gravy products. However, on scale up of the chicken gravy and due to the key natural elements of the recipe make up, the product separated after settling in the jar after cooking and packing.
Solution:
In order to overcome this issue, Carol’s Stock Market, made contact with North West Regional College (NWRC) Business Support Centre (BSC) who supported them through the InnovateUs programme which is funded by the Department for the Economy.
This provided 30 hours of 1:1 mentoring support from NWRC Culinary Technical Consultant, Rita O’Kane, who provided upskilling in recipe reformulation, understanding and use of functional ingredients but in particular with upskilling in HACCP assessment and production method when introducing functional ingredients.
Impact:
On completion of the project, the company successfully developed a plan to allow them to reformulate the chicken gravy as well as an updated HACCP system to aid re development of their current products in the future. In addition, upon completion of the programme, the company received Council approval for operation of the business at a fully EU approved premises.
Carol Banahan, Owner of Carol’s Stock Market described the benefits of working with NWRC’s Business Support Centre via the InnovateUs programme:
‘’The business is really growing and the support I have received from NWRC and the InnovateUs programme has been a significant contributor to this success.’’
