Feast on St Patrick's Day
Bord Bia is marking St Patrick’s Day with a suite of global activities to promote Irish food and drink
The St Patrick’s themed global programme will include events for consumers, retailers, trade and foodservice operators to highlight the range, quality and supply capability of Irish food and drink.
World class food and drink
Customers worldwide recognise that Irish food and drink is world class: that it is high quality, distinctive, and made by a diverse range of creative producers from a unique and fortuitous island location.
Sustainable production
Our producers set the global standard in sustainable production – meeting the responsibility we all have to the planet, to society, and to future generations.
In an environment of ongoing uncertainty, it is more important than ever for Irish food, drink and horticulture exporters to remain focused on anticipating consumer needs and offer agile solutions to customers.
Food, drink and horticulture exports
Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture worldwide exports exceed €17 billion for the first time in 2024.
Highlights from Bord Bia St Patrick's Day Programme
In the UK, Bord Bia will sponsor the Lord Mayor of London’s official St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Trafalgar Square, which attracts over 50,000 visitors. Celebrity Irish chef Anna Haugh will also be showcasing Irish beef, farmhouse cheese and oysters at Myrtle restaurant’s menu in London.
In the US, Bord Bia will have a stand at the Annual Meat Conference in Orlando, positioning Irish meat as a premium offering in the US market, emphasising its distinctive qualities in terms of grass-fed production and taste.
Beef is the focus in Italy with campaigns running in 20 leading Milan restaurants serving Irish beef from March 9th to 17th. To coincide with this, Bord Bia’s Irish grass-fed beef outdoor advertising campaign will run from March 10th to 23rd, featured in 200 billboards and 79 underground stations. The focus here will be on the Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) for Irish beef, which will feature in a three-week in store and online promotion with supermarket retailer Esselunga from March 13th to 23rd in over 190 stores across Italy.
France will see one of Bord Bia’s largest initiatives: a two-week shopper marketing promotion at 250 Carrefour hypermarkets around the country. This campaign will showcase a wide array of Irish products, including beverages, seafood, beef, and more. For drinks, Bord Bia will run a Spirit of Ireland training session on the merits of Irish whiskey for retail staff at drinks chain, Intercaves (80 stores in France), at its annual training convention.
In Belgium, Bord Bia will promote organic Irish beef and lamb, targeting media, chefs, and key customers through a restaurant event as part of the EU Organic Meat Academy.
In Nigeria, Bord Bia’s team is launching the fourth annual Irish Cocktail Week in Lagos, featuring a mixologist competition. To showcase Irish drinks brands to consumers, premium restaurants and bars will be leveraging St Patrick’s celebrations by creating unique cocktails using Irish drinks.
Why Ireland for food exports?
Agri-food is Ireland’s most important indigenous sector, accounting for approximately 173,000 jobs in the country. 80% of Ireland’s agricultural land is devoted to grasslands, with a yearly grass growth rate that exceeds the European average by more than a third.
Ireland is a country with a population of 5 million, which produces enough food to feed 30 million people. This means that Irish manufacturers have a strong export focus. Working with the latest food trends across multiple markets is second nature to a huge number of progressive companies throughout Ireland.
Facts about Irish food and drink
- Irish food and drink is enjoyed in 187 markets worldwide
- Ireland exports around 90% of its food and drink production
- Ireland is home to some of the world’s most iconic brands such as Bailey’s Cream Liqueur, Kerrygold Butter and Guinness
- As of 2025, Origin Green, Ireland's national food and drink sustainability programme, collaborates with over 61,000 farmers and more than 300 companies.
- This initiative represents over 90% of Irish food and drink exports and 70% of domestic retailers. This is the only sustainability programme in the world operating on a national scale throughout the entire supply chain.
Find a supplier
Ireland is a clean, green, high quality and innovative producer of excellent food and drink products.
This reputation which has been earned from many years of supplying international markets.
Natural resources
The hugely valuable natural resources of Ireland have been harnessed to develop a world class agricultural industry.
Food and drink from Ireland
With 14+ supplier categories the depth and reach of food and drink products from Ireland has risen substantially in the last number of years and Irish food and drink products are now available all over the world.