Matthew Brownie (The Kiwi Culchie) Releases a New Pork Crunch Snack Range
Eight years on from an idea Matthew Brownie had from CIT in Cork, to winning the Best Business Plan for The CIT Innovation Award 2013, The Skibbereen Food Company (TSFC) goes from strength to strength from National coverage in Ireland to international markets in the UK with his successful Scratch My Pork range.
Now Matthew – The Kiwi Culchie brings out another new Pork Crunch range to hit both markets to offer something different to consumers while continuing the natural snack meat trends with No MSG and High in Protein.
What Are the Pork Crunch Snacks?
The Pork Crunch range are puffed up pieces of pork back rind skin that has been doubled cooked in its own juices with no oils added. It’s different from the Scratch My Pork – Pork Crackling Range where it offers a lighter tasty crispy texture like prawn crackers but is not a processed snack. There will be three flavours of Pork Crunch (Cheese & Onion, Bacon Flavour, and Sweet Chilli).
The Skibbereen Food Company’s Amazon UK Market
Last year TSFC entered the Amazon online UK market which has proven to be a big success brand wise and sales adding a 300% increase. The introduction of bulk bags of both rangers of products along with new flavours have proven a success as the offering is different to what’s available on the Amazon platform within the meat snack category.
The Welsh
Keith Adie from Upton Farm Pembrokeshire Wales has continued to grow the brand and the Scratch My Pork Range is a well-known product within the region. The new Pork Crunch range should really add to the range that’s already liked by the welsh consumer.
The Irish Market
The last two years Matthew has teamed up with Tony Henchy (Elite Home Products) who have looked after The Skibbereen Food Company’s Products who have done an amazing job distributing the rangers into the Supervalu’s and Centra stores.
The Skibbereen Food Company is part of the Musgraves Food Academy and Matthew can’t thank them enough for the early stages of local support and getting to where he is now.
“When you start off running your food business you think you’re product is the greatest in the world and you become a very excited little boy. My mistakes have been key to the success of my business and putting my family first. The gain for me is not just financial but the people I have met on the way and the knowledge and how I think about things and adapt quickly to problems that need solving.”
Matthew also has his online website www.skibbereenfoodco.com that is doing well along with 70 independent stores that is looked after by a fulfilment company in Dublin.
Funding Opportunities
SECAD Partnership / LEADER / Cork County Council has been a big part of TSFC moving forward with funding that has helped bring the new products onto the Irish and UK market.
Matthew explains
“The ongoing support has been outstanding and really couldn’t ask for more from SCEAD. The relationship has been excellent and they continue to be a help for advice and further support”.
Matthew Brownie with the Scratch My Pork Range
“In more recent times and I think we all will agree the Local West Cork Enterprise board needs to be congratulated. The paramedic has proven very tough for so many businesses small and large and the offering from online vouchers, continuity voucher etc. has been a great help not only just to me but all companies”.
Over two years ago Matthew was approached by The BUCAINER Project (Building Clusters and Networks in Innovation Enterprise and Research) to join their cross boarder collaboration between wales and Ireland. BUCANIER’S has supported The Skibbereen Food Companies business with the help of lead partner Pembrokeshire County Council, Swansea University, Carmarthenshire Council in Wales and Institute of Technology Carlow, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Wexford County Council in Ireland.
BUCANIER has delivered innovation master-classes, offer business mentoring and create new networks between Wales and Ireland which are aimed at helping enterprises in the same sectors share knowledge, increase cross- border trade and create new jobs.
The Kiwi Culchie – Youtube Channel
With 26 years of being a professional chef, Matthew the chef behind the Pork snack brand has also started his own cooking channel under The Skibbereen Food Company know now as The Kiwi Culchie.
“It’s something I always wanted to create and with my strong social media presents it gives me another marketing tool to use to strengthen the brand along with giving people useful recipes and step by step video cooking skills. You can click on the description on each video and it will take you to my website where you can print out the recipe. All the recipes I have used all over the world in my chef career.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYFJwSLDJcEXOwKNl0K5J_A
The Future
Matthew explains that the structures and controls are all in place and he can’t wait for the future. There’s some big news materialising in the UK market and with Amazon growing every day it seems that The Skibbereen Food Company is moving closer to its goals.
Matthew says he’s working on new products but is in no rush.
“I’ll keep a close eye on what I have and what is about to come and always spend plenty of time with my family”.
If you would like to get in touch with Matthew or the Skibbereen Food Company please go to the following links.
www.facebook.com/thekiwiculchie
