Irishfood: Tell us about the concept behind, and creation of, Do Me A Flavour? 

TC: The company was established in 2013. It is a sister company of Oliver Carty & Family, which is a pork-and-bacon company that also creates value-added products across all proteins. I saw a gap in sourcing natural ingredients and organic ingredients for my products, so I decided to start my own ingredients company.  

 

Irishfood: Tell us about how the company learned the craft of spice blending?

TC: When the company was founded, I recognised a need for expertise in spice blending and ingredient sourcing. So I established a team of highly specialised culinary product developers and employed a master spice blender, Matteusz. He combines his innate knowledge and appreciation of spice blending with years of culinary experience. His talent lies in creating bespoke custom blends that tell their own unique food story. Matteusz believes choosing the right spices and seasonings can elevate even the simplest recipe into something truly memorable.

 

Irishfood: Do Me A Flavour is 'the preferred partner for some of the largest retail, wholesale and foodservice brands in Ireland, Europe and the UAE'. Can you tell us about some of these partnerships? 

TC: We work closely with the Musgrave Group across Ireland and abroad. We supply the majority of ingredients for their ‘Prepared by Our Butcher’ range, we provide training and consulting, and work in partnership to develop new recipes and ingredient flavours. We have been supplying Alosra in the Kingdom of Bahrain for over six years. Oliver Carty & Family is also a partner company. We provide the value-add ingredients – butters, sauces, marinades, spices and flavourings for their value-added products. We work with many protein companies as their new-product-development (NPD) partners across poultry, beef and lamb, and fish.

 

Irishfood: Can you tell us about the research and development (R&D) aspect of the business and how R&D has directed its path?

TC: Sarah heads up the NPD team and works alongside Matteusz and our development chefs, Oles and Danny, in our state-of-the-art innovation kitchen, at our Athlone-based headquarters. This creative hub provides the perfect environment for developing concepts that are on trend and future focused. Having freedom to experiment is a key part of the creative process. However, our team makes sure that every idea is anchored in sound market analysis and strategic consumer insights. Knowing the origins of spices and herbs, and how they are grown, are key parts of the creative process. Our team works closely with farmers and artisan producers from around the world to get a deeper understanding of every single ingredient. That way they can create even more exciting flavour fusions.

 

Irishfood: Please, give us a flavour of some of your favourite products!

TC: Our award-winning flavoured butters are hugely popular with continued sales growth in all regions. They are made using deliciously creamy, pure Irish butter, and an array of aromatic herbs and spices are blended to create moreish flavours. They come ready to use and are so flexible and versatile – perfect for steaks, fish, chicken, pasta, and vegetables. Some popular flavours are dill and Sicilian lemon butter; sundried tomato and basil butter; and smoked garlic and parsley butter.

Our stuffings and crumbs add a luxurious dimension to seasonal favourites and everyday dishes – spread, topped, or stuffed. We offer divine fruit- and spice-based creations to our rich traditional butter and breadcrumb-based recipes. Recipes include apple, apricot and ginger; shuwa spiced; rogan josh spiced; Moroccan style fruit; or apple and fennel. Our stuffings and crumbs can be used to stuff or top meat, fish and vegetables, or to add the finishing touch to pies and tarts. They are ready to cook and packed full of plump fruits and piquant herbs and spices. We are constantly adding to our diverse range of marinades and sauces. Our recipes are a true celebration of international cuisine, from Mexican street food to French classics.  Some popular recipes are spicy Piri Piri marinade; sweet and sticky honey and mustard marinade; and ginger, chilli and lemon marinade.

 

Irishfood: Why is it important for your company to be present at Gulfood this year?

TC: We attend Gulfood to engage with our existing customers and share our new products and initiatives, and to hear what they are up to and interested in. We also meet with potential customers from around the region.  It is important for us to attend Gulfood to stay relevant and showcase our expanding product range. 

 

Irishfood: Where are you exporting to and what new export markets are in the pipeline? 

TC: We are currently exporting to the UK and the United Arab Emirates. We are actively exploring the Middle East region and hope to gain customers across the region in 2025.

 

Irishfood: Can you outline your sustainability targets and achievements? 

TC: Last year, the company became a verified member of Origin Green (Ireland’s national food and drink sustainability programme). The family business believes that its comprehensive approach and collective efforts on social, environmental and economic stewardship ensure that the business is making positive contributions to enduring change and safeguarding a sustainable future. See above for more on the company's Origin Green targets.

 

Visit Do Me A Flavour at Gulfood: Shk Saeed Hall 3, S3-C26