Bord Bia has announced a comprehensive global programme of promotional and trade activities across 13 countries in celebration of St Patrick’s Day.
Throughout March, Bord Bia will be hosting over 40 St Patrick’s Day events across three continents, targeting both trade customers and consumers. These events, which span key international trading markets including the US, UK, Europe, and Nigeria, are designed to enhance Ireland’s reputation as a supplier of high-quality, sustainably produced food and beverages.
Bord Bia CEO Jim O’Toole will visit Washington for trade engagements and meetings with senior representatives from the Irish food and drink industry.
Speaking today Jim O’Toole said: “For Bord Bia, St Patrick’s Day serves as an important commercial opportunity to leverage international goodwill towards Ireland. It allows us to showcase the best of Ireland's food and drink exports globally, which were valued at €17 billion last year. Bord Bia’s global programme of activity aims to drive growth in established markets while raising awareness of Ireland’s food and drink offerings in new and emerging markets. The planned events and promotions place Ireland prominently on the global stage during a time of increased international focus on our nation.”
The 2025 calendar of activities include senior-level trade engagements; digital campaigns; retail and restaurant promotions; in-store tastings; cookery demonstrations; and on-the-ground Irish food festivals, all with an aim of increasing the global footprint of Ireland’s sustainable food and drink industry.
Key St Patrick’s Day events in Ireland’s major exporting markets
In the UK[1], 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 in London.
In the US, Bord Bia will exhibit at the Annual Meat Conference in Orlando, Florida, the US’ largest gathering of meat industry professionals. Irish meat will be positioned as a premium offering in the US market, emphasising its distinctive qualities in terms of production and taste.
Bord Bia’s focus in Europe
In Italy, campaigns promoting Irish beef will take place in 20 leading Milan restaurants from March 9th to 17th. Alongside this, Bord Bia’s Irish grass-fed beef outdoor advertising campaign will run from March 10th to 23rd, displayed on 200 billboards and at 79 underground stations. The campaign will highlight the Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) for Irish beef and will be part of 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 Beef and Lamb campaign.
In Nigeria, Bord Bia’s team is launching the fourth annual Irish Cocktail Week in Lagos, featuring a mixologist competition. Premium restaurants and bars will be leveraging St Patrick’s celebrations by creating unique cocktails using Irish drinks.
In Vietnam, Bord Bia will host Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Noel Grealish, where he will meet key customers of Irish food and drink in Hanoi.
Concluding, Jim O’Toole added, “As these exciting plans unfold, the weeks ahead promise to be a whirlwind of activity for Bord Bia's extensive network of international offices. From coordinating high-profile events and trade engagements to managing comprehensive promotional campaigns across various continents, the dedicated teams will be working tirelessly to strengthen Ireland’s reputation globally. This year’s strategic and energetic programme of activity underscores Bord Bia's unwavering commitment to showcasing the quality, diversity, and sustainability of Irish produce to the world, reaffirming Ireland’s standing as a leading player in the global food and drink industry.”
