Irish Food & Drink

What Irish Food & Drink does

Irish Food & Drink is a B2B supplier directory and trade facilitation platform operated by Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board), an Irish state agency established in 1994. The platform connects international food and drink buyers with 250+ verified Irish suppliers across 14 product categories (Bakery, Beverage, Chilled, Confectionery, Dairy, Drinks, Food Ingredients, Frozen, Grocery, Horticulture, Meat, Prepared Consumer Foods, Savoury Snacks, Seafood, and Value-Added Meats) and six distribution channels (Retail, Foodservice, Manufacturing, Online, Distributor, Importer). The technical layer centres on a searchable supplier database with filters for category, channel, export market, specialisation, and accreditation, integrated with Bord Bia's Origin Green sustainability verification system and quality assurance schemes covering 42,000+ farms and 150+ food processors.

The platform serves international food retailers, foodservice operators, food manufacturers, online retailers, and distributors as customer segments. Bord Bia's 14 international offices (Dublin, Amsterdam, Dubai, Düsseldorf, London, Madrid, Milan, New York, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, Warsaw) actively broker introductions between buyers and suppliers, supplemented by trade fair participation at Gulfood, Anuga, Biofach, ProWein, Seafood Expo Global and other events, plus the Spirit of Ireland immersive training programme for spirits buyers. Named end-user demand signals include ABP Ireland supplying beef to over 200 Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe via its patented Ultra-Tender process, McDonald's sourcing Irish beef via the verified supplier network, and Irish whiskey accounting for approximately 45% (~€930m) of the €2bn drinks export category.

Revenue is not generated directly from the platform; Bord Bia is funded by the Irish government to promote Irish agri-food exports, and the platform operates as a free-to-buyer, government-mandated trade facilitation tool. Commercial activity sits with the independent Irish suppliers listed on the directory, who operate their own pricing and distribution. The trade the platform facilitates reached €19 billion in export value in 2025 (+12% year-on-year) across 140+ countries.

Name

Irish Food & Drink

Legal name

Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board)

Website

https://irishfoodanddrink.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Irish Food & Drink is a state-funded B2B directory and trade facilitation platform operated by Bord Bia, connecting international buyers with 250+ Origin Green-verified Irish food and drink suppliers across 14 categories via 14 global offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Food Trade Platform

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cross-border B2B/Wholesale Trade Marketplaces (CRAFAJAC)

Keywords

• B2B supplier directory
• Trade facilitation services
• Sustainability verification
• Food export services
• Quality assurance schemes

Headquarters

HQ city

Schiphol

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Trade Facilitation Services: Bord Bia operates as an Irish state agency providing global business development services, connecting Irish food and drink suppliers with international buyers. Revenue is not generated directly from the platform; the agency is funded by the Irish government to promote Irish agri-food exports.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Irish Food & Drink is a B2B supplier directory and trade facilitation platform operated by Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board), connecting international buyers with 250+ verified Irish food and drink suppliers across 14 product categories including dairy, meat, seafood, bakery, beverages, and more. The platform integrates the Origin Green sustainability verification programme and Bord Bia's Q-Mark quality assurance schemes, accredited to EN45011/ISO international standards, to enable verified supplier-buyer matching. Bord Bia's network of 14 international offices provides direct trade facilitation and brokered introductions between Irish suppliers and global buyers across 140+ countries.

Product overview

Irish Food & Drink is a B2B digital marketplace and directory platform operated by Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board) that connects international food and drink buyers with over 250 verified Irish suppliers. The platform serves as a comprehensive sourcing tool allowing buyers to search and filter suppliers by 14 product categories (Bakery, Beverage, Chilled, Confectionery, Dairy, Drinks, Frozen, Grocery, Horticulture, Meat, PCF, Savoury Snacks, Seafood, Value-Added Meats) and 6 distribution channels (Retail, Foodservice, Manufacturing, Online, Distributor, Importer). The platform integrates the Origin Green sustainability verification program, enabling buyers to source from suppliers meeting independently audited environmental and quality standards. Supporting services include a Resources & Insights Hub with market research, a Trade Fairs & Events directory, Spirit of Ireland (spirits training program), and access to 14 international Bord Bia market manager offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Origin Green: Ireland's pioneering national food and drink sustainability programme launched in 2012 by Bord Bia
• Spirit of Ireland

Products and services

• Irish Food & Drink Supplier Directory An online B2B marketplace and directory platform operated by Bord Bia that connects international buyers with 250+ verified Irish food and drink suppliers across 14 product categories including bakery, beverage, chilled, confectionery, dairy, drinks, frozen, grocery, horticulture, meat, prepared consumer foods, savoury snacks, seafood, and value-added meats. Searchable by category, channel, export market, and accreditation.
• Origin Green Sustainability Programme A national sustainability verification programme run by Bord Bia providing independent third-party annual audits of Irish food and drink suppliers, covering sustainability, traceability, and quality assurance. Over 90% of Irish food and drink exports come from Origin Green participants, and over 53,000 farms and 324 leading Irish food and drink companies participate.
• Spirit of Ireland Training Programme An immersive training programme for beverage industry professionals about Irish spirits including whiskey, gin, and poitín, featuring videos, sensory experiences, and virtual reality distillery tours, led by drinks expert Susan Boyle.
• Market Manager Services Bord Bia's international market managers based in 14 global offices who help connect international buyers with suitable Irish food and drink suppliers, providing personalised introductions, market intelligence, and trade facilitation services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ireland's food, drink and horticulture sector achieved €19 billion in export value in 2025 (+12% year-on-year)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Origin Green Verified SupplierscoreOthersOver 250 Irish food and drink suppliers are verified members of the Origin Green programme, meaning they have met Bord Bia's rigorous sustainability criteria and undergo independent third-party annual audits. These suppliers form the core supplier base listed on IrishFoodAndDrink.com.
• Susan Boyle (Spirits Expert)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSusan Boyle serves as the lead expert for Bord Bia's Spirit of Ireland programme, an immersive training initiative that tells the story of Irish spirits to international trade professionals through videos, sensory experiences, and virtual reality distillery tours.
• Irish Food & Drink Producers & SupplierscoreOthersIrish Food & Drink serves as a platform connecting the full ecosystem of Irish food and drink producers and suppliers with international buyers. The platform lists 250+ suppliers across 14 product categories, all of whom are independent companies but benefit from Bord Bia's trade facilitation services.
• Trade Fair Organisers (Gulfood, Anuga, Biofach, Seafood Expo Global, PLMA, etc.)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBord Bia coordinates Irish pavilions and trade missions at major international food and drink trade fairs including Gulfood (Dubai), Anuga, Biofach, Seafood Expo Global, Seafood Expo North America, Food & Drink Expo UK, Internorga, ISM, Imbibe Live, ProWein, and Wine Paris – Be Spirits, providing market access and buyer connections for Irish suppliers.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Alibaba.com: Alibaba.com is the world's largest B2B cross-border marketplace, connecting international buyers with suppliers (including food and beverage) across categories. As a broad incumbent in B2B marketplace infrastructure, it represents the scaled commercial analogue to Irish Food & Drink's directory model.
• ThomasNet: ThomasNet is a long-established B2B industrial supplier directory with verified supplier listings and category filtering. It shares the verified-supplier directory and buyer-discovery model, though it focuses on industrial rather than food and beverage categories.

Emerging players

• Ankorstore: Ankorstore is a European B2B wholesale marketplace connecting independent retailers with brands across multiple categories including food and beverage. It shares the B2B buyer-supplier matching and category/channel filtering concept with Irish Food & Drink, with strong European geographic overlap.
• Faire: Faire is a B2B wholesale marketplace connecting independent retailers with brands and suppliers globally. While primarily focused on general merchandise rather than food, it shares the B2B supplier-discovery and buyer-supplier matching model with Irish Food & Drink.
• RangeMe: RangeMe is a B2B product discovery platform that connects retail buyers with emerging brands and suppliers, including food and beverage. It shares the verified-supplier directory and category-filter model that Irish Food & Drink uses, though it operates commercially rather than as a government programme.

Direct peers

• Enterprise Ireland: Enterprise Ireland is the Irish state agency responsible for helping Irish companies grow internationally, including food and drink exporters. As a sister agency within the same Irish government ecosystem, it shares the state-agency export-promotion mandate and buyer-facilitation infrastructure.
• Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM): BIM is Ireland's state agency for the seafood sector, providing trade development, sustainability verification, and buyer introductions for Irish seafood producers. It is a direct sector-specific peer operating within the same Irish state-agency ecosystem as Bord Bia.
• Sopexa / Business France: Sopexa (now integrated into Business France) is France's government-affiliated food and beverage export promotion agency. It runs comparable country-of-origin trade facilitation, sustainability verification programmes, and international offices connecting French suppliers with global buyers — directly analogous to Bord Bia's model for Ireland.
• UK Department for Business and Trade (Food & Drink): The UK's Department for Business and Trade (which absorbed Food from Britain) runs UK's food and drink export promotion programmes, including trade missions and buyer introductions. It is a directly comparable government-led food export facilitation entity, particularly relevant given Ireland's heavy UK trade exposure.
• FoodExport Association (Northeast USA): FoodExport Association is a US non-profit that helps Northeast US food suppliers develop export markets, providing trade facilitation, market research, and buyer introductions. Its non-profit trade-promotion mandate and B2B matchmaking focus make it directly comparable to Bord Bia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irish Food & Drink