Artisan Food Business Mentoring and Training
Supporting food entrepreneurs. Developing businesses. Creating opportunities.
Everard Consulting provides practical mentoring and training for artisan food and drink producers at start-up, development and growth stages. Our support is commercially focused, tailored to the business and designed to turn ideas into achievable actions.
What we do
- Business start-up planning and development
- Business strategy, goal setting and growth plans
- Product positioning, branding and target customer definition
- Pricing, costing and commercial decision-making
- Sales development and routes to market
- Buyer preparation, exhibitions and trade-show readiness
- One-to-one mentoring, group workshops and tailored training programmes
Who we support
Aspiring food entrepreneurs, start-ups, established artisan producers, food networks and organisations delivering enterprise development programmes.
Mentoring approach
We begin with your business priorities, identify the most important opportunities and challenges, and develop practical next steps that fit your stage of growth.
Experience and Case Studies
Business Mentoring, Training and Enterprise Development
SPADE Enterprise Centre | Midlands Flavours | Local Enterprise Offices
Business Mentoring | Training | Enterprise Development | Route to Market | Business Growth
Overview
Bernie has extensive experience supporting artisan food and drink start-ups and small businesses through her roles as a mentor and trainer with SPADE Food Enterprise Hub, a business mentor for Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), and manager of the Midlands Flavours regional food network.
Working directly with entrepreneurs at different stages of their business journey, Bernie provides practical, commercially focused guidance to help turn food and drink ideas into viable businesses and support their ongoing growth.
Mentoring, Training and Business Development
Bernie’s work includes:
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Business Mentoring: Providing one-to-one support to start-ups and established producers on business planning, commercial challenges and growth opportunities.
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Training and Workshops: Delivering practical training to help entrepreneurs develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to establish and grow their businesses.
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Product and Brand Development: Advising on product positioning, branding, target markets and developing a compelling customer offering.
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Route to Market: Supporting businesses to explore opportunities in retail, foodservice, hospitality, farmers’ markets and direct-to-consumer channels.
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Networking and Collaboration: Connecting producers with industry contacts, potential customers and other businesses through the Midlands Flavours network.
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Market Access and Promotion: Creating opportunities for producers to showcase their products at major national events, including CATEX, the National Ploughing Championships, Gifted and Blas na hÉireann.
The Outcome
Through her combined experience with SPADE Food Enterprise Hub, Local Enterprise Offices and Midlands Flavours, Bernie has supported food and drink entrepreneurs in navigating the challenges of starting and growing a business.
Her approach combines practical mentoring and training with real industry experience, commercial insight and access to valuable networks and promotional opportunities.
From helping entrepreneurs refine an initial business idea to supporting established producers in accessing new markets, Bernie brings an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Ireland’s artisan food and drink sector.