Centra leads the way introducing 100% compostable coffee cups.

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Frank and Honest are delighted to announce its commitment to become the first national coffee brand to move to 100% Compostable Coffee Cups.

Frank and Honest, available in selected SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores, will replace all non-recyclable single-use coffee cups with a new compostable cup and lid from September this year. This new initiative has the potential to divert millions of coffee cups from landfill annually.

The new compostable cups and lids can be organically recycled in the brown food waste bin and commercially composted locally, typically in a matter of weeks.

Fergal O’Kane, Musgrave, said: “Frank and Honest has a national geographical footprint with 630 locations across the island of Ireland, so this new initiative will help move towards a more sustainable Northern Ireland.

“Last month, Musgrave and our SuperValu and Centra brands, were named ‘Green Retailer of the Year’ for the development of our ambitious new three-year sustainability strategy.  So, by offering customers only compostable Frank and Honest cups, we are further building on our commitment to sustainability and improving the planet.”

Local business owner and passionate recycler, Nicola Bryce-Ward, said: “As a business owner, I realise how important recycling and composting is and I always encourage people at the gyms I own to be mindful of the planet and how our choices can adversely affect it.  To hear that a huge brand like Frank and Honest is doing the same thing is admirable and I would like to applaud them for their incredible move to offering only compostable cups to its customers.  It will certainly encourage me to drink only Frank and Honest and I will be telling all of my customers to do the same!”

The certified compostable coffee cups will be made from plant-based materials. After use, they can go in the brown bin and will biodegrade with food waste in under 12 weeks, creating nutrient-rich compost to feed Northern Ireland soils.

Photo by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

NEW MUSGRAVE TV AD CELEBRATES 35 YEARS OF LOVING LOCAL

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Musgrave, the name behind Northern Ireland’s leading wholesale and convenience retail brands, SuperValu, Centra, Mace and MarketPlace, is celebrating 35 years of business in Northern Ireland, with the release of a new television advert featuring local store workers, customers and well-known iconic places.

As part of the creative behind the ad, the grocery and convenience retailer carried out a search last month to find people from Northern Ireland to appear in a “top-secret project”. Though project details were not released at the time, over 50 people attended an open casting in Belfast to be in with a chance of landing a role.

It can now be revealed that the project was in fact a brand new 40 second TV advert, celebrating 35 years of Musgrave loving local in Northern Ireland.

The Musgrave business was founded in Cork by brothers Thomas and Stuart Musgrave in 1876. Both brothers later went on to marry the “Robert’s sisters” who came from Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. And in 1982, the business expanded into Northern Ireland with the opening of the Duncrue “Cash & Carry” – known today as Musgrave MarketPlace.

The TV ad, directed by top NI talent, Colin McIvor, follows the journey of food from farm to fork, and charts how Musgrave has been ‘loving everything local for 35 years’ and making a positive impact in communities right across Northern Ireland.

Desi Derby, Marketing Director, Musgrave, said: “We are celebrating loving everything local for 35 years and this includes our incredibly talented food and drink producers, our independent retailers, the dedicated people who work in our stores, our warehouse and office colleagues and of course our loyal customers who drive our ambition to always be the best. Supporting local is of paramount importance to Musgrave, that’s why we’ll spend £120 million on Northern Irish food and drink this year, continuing to work with over 140 local suppliers – selling more than 3,000 local products in-store.”

But it was the people of Northern Ireland who became the real stars, following an open casting call looking for homegrown talent, continued Desi.

“All five members of the Carter family from Bangor came along to the open casting and they were so talented that we gave all of them a starring role, including Dad, Steve (44), and his children Cameron (15), Ethan (13), Aaron (10) and Leah (8).  Andrea Trainor (39) and her son Finn (5) from Newtownabbey and sisters, Niamh (16) and Ciara Rogan (10) from north Belfast also impressed us and feature in our advert.

“Eagle-eyed viewers will also see the Titanic Hotel, who are a customer of Musgrave MarketPlace, and the stunning, Silent Valley, make appearances in our ad.  We hope everyone enjoys it and we are looking forward with optimism and confidence to loving everything local for the next 35 years and beyond”, Desi concluded.

The new Musgrave television advert, which will run for a number of weeks, will premiere on UTV on Saturday April 14, during Britain’s Got Talent and at the same time on SuperValu, Centra and Mace’s social media channels.

Centra offer Meal Solutions on a plate

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For some families, young professionals and many people in between, modern day life is incredibly fast-paced. There’s so much going on outside the home that, by the time we get through the front door in the evening, the last thing we want to do is cook a meal from scratch.

As a solution, leading convenience retailers, SuperValu and Centra have developed a range of convenient evening meal solutions that are leading the way in taste, price and choice, explained Ciara McClafferty, Trading Director, Musgrave.

“Consumers are savvier about food than ever, continually demanding innovation, value and variety but not wanting to lose out on quality and nowhere is this more evident than in the ready meals category”, said Ciara.

Centra’s ‘Make a Meal of It’ and SuperValu’s ‘Prepared for You’ ranges are already available in stores across Northern Ireland.

“We are delighted to be able to provide quality, market-leading on-trend ranges that give us real standout in the evening meal solutions marketplace. It is our ambition for SuperValu and Centra stores to become the number one destination for quick and easy meals that families, young professionals and the rest of Northern Ireland will love”, commented Ciara.

With increases in travel, customers are looking to introduce new tastes into their evening meals, whether that be a Spanish Paella or even a new twist to an old traditional favourite. Delivering what customers want is really important to SuperValu & Centra.

“We have benchmarked ourselves against market leaders in this category with a mission to expand our breadth of range, constantly review quality and bring innovation.

“The growing hunger for convenience will continue to drive the appetite for quick and easy meal solutions and our excellent family meals and meals for one are raising the bar across the category”, said Ciara.

The exciting new range was officially unveiled at an event at Harlem, Belfast in August. Guests were invited to the launch of a new menu ‘with a twist’ – the twist being that the meals served up were from the new SuperValu and Centra evening meal solutions ranges.

Over 90% of the those surveyed on the night said they would have been prepared to pay between £10-£15 for their main course; whilst 80% rated their meal as very good or excellent.

The Centra ‘Make a Meal of It’ and SuperValu ‘Prepared for You’ ranges cater for a wide range of tastes and there is really is something for everyone.

“Our meal solutions include a range of family meals like Chicken Pasta Bake, Chicken Korma, Chicken Jalfrezi, Paella and traditional meals such as Beef Lasagne, Meatball Pasta Bake and Cottage Pie.  All designed to meet the needs and missions of our target consumer segments: ‘Quality Cooks’ and ‘Quick and Easy Families’.

“New features include the addition of ‘Premium Family’ and ‘Healthy Meals’ to bolster our health credentials. The ‘Premium Family’ range includes SuperValu ‘Prepared for You’ Beef Brisket, Chicken Mozzarella and Turkey & Ham. Our low in fat, high in protein ‘Healthy Meals’ contain less than 450 calories and are one of your five-a-day vegetable portions.

“Our meal for one ranges in SuperValu and Centra include Beef Stew, Beef Teriyaki, Chicken Korma with Rice and Chicken Curry, to name a few”, said Ciara.

It isn’t just taste where the Centra and SuperValu meals are proving a hit with consumers, concluded Ciara.

“You can pick up two of our meals-for-one for only £7 and the family meal packs are only £6.50, so the value is great and hits the right tone with our customers who are just as concerned with quality as they are with price.”

Run Together to Raise funds for Action Cancer

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Northern Ireland’s leading convenience retailer Centra has launched its popular series of charity family fun runs for the second year, adding two brand new events to the line-up.

The Centra Run Together series is designed to feed the recent upsurge in ‘social runners’ across Northern Ireland, encouraging communities across Northern Ireland to get up and running together, whilst raising vital funds for Action Cancer.

Following the success of the inaugural Centra Run Together initiative in 2016 the series will now include six 5k runs between April and October. Two runs will take place in Belfast and further races will be held in Derry/Londonderry, Antrim and new for 2017 – Fermanagh and Tyrone.

This year the events are completely free to enter but participants are encouraged to make a donation to Action Cancer in lieu of an entry fee. They are designed for a variety of participants from walkers, first time runners to those using the 5k course as training for a marathon.

The first event will take place on Sunday 23rd April at Queen’s Dub playing fields in Belfast and is now open for registration.

Musgrave NI’s head of marketing, Desi Derby, said: “The Centra Run Together series is part of our Live Well initiative, which represents an investment of £1 million and is aimed at helping our customers make healthier choices, addressing the serious health issues associated with today’s society.

“We had a great response to our initial Run Together series, with many families running their first 5k together, capturing a great community atmosphere. We’re looking forward to building on this success and raising even more money for Action Cancer.”

 

Centra has signed up two time Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist, Johnny Davis as an ambassador for Centra’s Live Well programme. Over the course of 2017, Johnny will provide hints and tips to aspiring runners, providing the motivation to get them on track before, during and after the Centra Run Together events.

Commenting at the launch, event organiser, Johnny Davis said: “Running has proven to be very beneficial for helping people live healthy lifestyles.

“Run Together is a concept designed to let people run in pairs and we encourage all levels of runners to join in the fun – to pair up with their partner, son, daughter, a friend or neighbour and help raise money for Action Cancer.

“I am proud and excited to be an ambassador for Centra’s Live Well programme and I am looking forward to getting people across Northern Ireland healthy and active.”

Centra Run Together events will take place in six locations across Northern Ireland throughout 2017:

  • Queens Dub, Belfast – Sunday 23rd April, 10am
  • Quayside, Derry – Wednesday 14th June, 7pm
  • Parkanaur Forest, Co. Tyrone Saturday 18th June, 10am
  • Lakeland Forum, Enniskillen Sunday 20th August, 10am
  • Antrim Forum, Sunday 10th September, 10am
  • Ormeau Park, Belfast – Sunday 22nd October, 10am

The Centra Run Together series, a Live Well initiative, is sponsored by Deep RiverRock and Müller.

David Hearty from Deep RiverRock said: “With social running continuing to grow in popularity across Northern Ireland, these community events will encourage a spectrum of new and seasoned runners to get moving while supporting a good cause. Deep RiverRock is also passionate about supporting active communities, and proudly brings its ‘Think Straight, HYDRATE’ message to a number of local running events. With these existing synergies, the partnership with Centra and its Live Well programme is a perfect fit for us and we are delighted to be involved.”

 

Cathy Whyte from Müller said: “We’re delighted to sponsor Centra Run Together as part of the Live Well campaign. The inaugural Centra Run Together series saw hundreds of participants in each race and we are looking forward to this year’s series.  With our support, we hope to bring a positive healthy lifestyle message to even more families across Northern Ireland.”

 

All participants will receive a Centra Run Together T-shirt and bespoke medal as well as giveaways at the events.  For further information and details of how to register visit www.centra.co.uk/runtogether or the Eventbrite page https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/centra-run-together-queens-dub-playing-fields-tickets-32115958697

 

Northern Ireland to Live Well Every Day

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Leading convenience retailer Centra has teamed up with Carl Frampton’s award-winning and highly respected coach, Shane McGuigan, along with a top team of Ambassadors, to help inspire the people of Northern Ireland to Live Well Every Day.

Centra’s ‘Live Well’ strategy, which forms an integral part of the brand’s new ‘Live Every Day’ campaign, launching today (Tuesday 17th January), represents an investment of £1 million and has been designed to address serious health issues in today’s society.

Currently 60% of the adult population are overweight and obese, whilst 28% of adults do less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week and one in five showed signs of a possible mental health problem. *

The new Centra Live Well programme, which the Ambassadors are a key part of, aims to educate and inspire consumers to make healthier choices and encourage communities across Northern Ireland get active.

McGuigan, the youngest son of former world boxing champion Barry, is a top signing to a roster of four Ambassadors spanning nutrition, fitness and mindfulness. The 28-year-old, who also coaches boxing stars David Haye, George Groves and up and coming talent Josh Taylor, will be creating a fitness plan and tips for Centra’s customers, housed on the Centra NI Facebook page.

Joining McGuigan in the Centra ‘Live Well’ team, Centra Nutritionist, Jane McClenaghan will build on her work with the brand in 2016, designing a programme of healthy recipes and nutrition tips that will help people to make long-term positive lifestyle changes. Jane, who has a passion for good food and runs a busy nutrition clinic in Belfast, is committed to helping people avoid fad diets and making healthier choices every day.

With mental health very much on the agenda, Bridgeen Rea is Centra’s Mindfulness Ambassador. Bridgeen is a qualified Mindfulness Meditation and yoga teacher and a wellness expert. She is the only person in Northern Ireland to have a Masters in Mindfulness Based Approaches and will design a 10-week course, which will guide people through key tips on how to manage busy lives and associated stress and anxiety, including the importance of a regular digital detox.

Completing the four-strong team, two time Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion, Johnny Davis, has been revealed as Centra’s Run Together Ambassador. In 2016, Centra launched Run Together – a new running initiative that encourages people to get out and run in pairs, hosting a series of four events in Belfast, Antrim and Derry/Londonderry. The programme will expand in 2017, with running events coming to new locations in Tyrone and Fermanagh, driven forward under Johnny’s expert eye.

Alongside the Ambassador programme, Centra customers will see real and effective change in-store with over 200 new healthy lines introduced across a number of key areas. These include Healthy Hydration, Healthy Snacking, Health & Wellbeing and Chilled Convenience.

Speaking from Las Vegas, where he’s preparing Carl Frampton for his big World Title fight against Leo Santa Cruz, Shane McGuigan said: “I am very proud to be Centra’s Fitness Ambassador for 2017. For the next 12 months, we are going to work together to help get the people of Northern Ireland moving.

“I started getting into fitness and nutrition when I was 13 years of age, when I started putting on a little bit of weight and started to get a little bit self-conscious and felt like I needed to do something about it. I took up running and boxing to get my weight down, and a long time after that, at 28 years of age – now 15 years later – I am in the fitness industry training the likes of Carl Frampton, George Groves, David Haye, Josh Taylor – all big names in boxing,” he continued.

“Boxing is one of the toughest sports when it comes to fitness. It’s got both of the energy systems, the aerobic system and the anaerobic system. I am really excited to be part of the Centra Live Well campaign, getting the people of Northern Ireland up on their feet and healthy. Your health is so important you have to look after yourself; you only get one body and one life,” Shane added.

Commenting on the launch of Centra’s new brand repositioning and ‘Live Well’ campaign, Michael McCormack, Managing Director, Musgrave NI said: “Over the past few years, we have been on a journey of discovery with the Centra brand; we have taken the time to listen and learn from our customers and understand their needs.

“Customers today don’t want convenience at any cost. Consumers are increasingly health conscious and as a convenience retail brand, we’re committed to helping our customers make better and healthier choices. This has been the driving force behind our store refresh programme, as well as the introduction of healthier product ranges across our stores.

“Our new strapline is Live Every Day.  It’s all about living in the moment and seizing the day.  Our Live Well Ambassador programme which we launched today is a key part of this.  Centra and its team of ambassadors will lead Northern Ireland towards a healthy “mind, body & soul” through giving them the advice, knowledge and tools to help them make healthier choices, get active and achieve balance in their life,” he added.

For further information about Centra’s Live Well campaign visit www.centra.co.uk or Like Centra NI’s Facebook page (facebook.com/CentraNI).

Musgrave Launches Christmas

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Lets Rock

LEADING convenience brand Centra kickstarted their Christmas campaign with the exclusive launch of chatshow host Graham Norton’s Own Wine in Northern Ireland.
The announcement that the local retail brands will stock the wine in their stores was revealed at an event hosted at the Oh Yeah music centre in Belfast to showcase Centra’s seasonal range of food.

More than 100 media, stakeholders and retailers attended the Christmas themed evening which saw VIP guests sample Centra’s exciting new festive range of fresh, quality, convenience food including party foods and desserts, fresh bakery and special Christmas Gourmet sandwiches.
The venue was transformed into ‘a re-tail of Christmas’ as Centra’s ‘Let’s Rock Christmas’ messages of food inspiration, convenience and enjoying the festive season to the full.

Press Event

Nutritionist Jane McClenaghan, who is partnering with Centra, created an inspiring selection of healthy alternatives for the party season.
Managing Director, Michael McCormack, said: “We’re delighted that Centra stores have been selected to stock Graham Norton Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz exclusively in Northern Ireland.
“These are great wines for Christmas celebrations and complement our new seasonal range perfectly. The festive season is a key time for retailers and we’ve increased our convenience food offering this year by 25%, to ensure our customers have everything they need for the perfect Christmas,” he continued.

“Whether you are cooking from scratch with a Fresh Turkey Dinner and all the trimmings or prefer a special Food to Go Christmas lunch, we have both the range and our Ambassador partnerships to offer recipes, inspiration, and ideas to help brighten up the festive season” Michael added.

Musgrave

Run Together For Charity in Belfast Finale

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Run Together

CENTRA Run Together in Belfast is under starters orders for its biggest and best event yet.

More than 600 people are expected to lace up their trainers for a good cause as the final Run Together of 2016 takes place on Sunday 13th November at Queens Dub Belfast.

Run Together is a series of 5k fun runs across Northern Ireland, organised by leading convenience retailer Centra to raise funds for Action Cancer.

It is a unique event with competitors running in pairs, so whether you want to race, jog or even walk, grab your partner, son, daughter, friend or neighbour and sign up.

Social running is currently the biggest exercise craze in Northern Ireland and with these community events, Centra is aiming to appeal to the complete spectrum of runners from club runners to Park Runners and Couch to 5k runners to newcomers.

The inaugural Centra Run Together series started in Belfast and Derry~Londonderry in June followed by a further event in Antrim in October which saw over 500 people taking part and raised more than £2,000 for charity.

The fun run, which will start at 10.30am on November 13, is designed to encourage all runners to pair up with a partner, however organiser Johnny Davis, MD of Pioneer Group, has said you can still sign up on your own.

“Centra Run Together is a fun pairs event to feed into the upsurge in participants in the ParkRun and Couch to 5k as well as the emergence of new community based running clubs in Northern Ireland,” said Johnny.

“Our first three events were a fantastic success and saw a new audience of runners capitalising on their training sessions in the ParkRuns and having a bit of fun running with family and friends!

“You can still sign up even if you don’t yet have a running partner and we’ll endeavour to find you a partner on the day,” he added.

Centra Marketing Director Michelle Fennell said: “With our Centra Run Together series, we are aiming to promote healthy lifestyles and encourage physical and mental wellbeing throughout communities in Northern Ireland.

“The 5k runs provide a novel way for you and your ‘running mate’, whether that’s your brother, cousin, daughter or schoolfriend, to get involved in a local community event, help raise funds for Action Cancer and hopefully have a lot of fun!” she added.

Gillian Thomson, Corporate Fundraising Officer for charity partner Action Cancer said: “Centra Run Together has proved a very popular event and has already raised thousands of pounds for Action Cancer. Cancer touches so many people from all walks of life and all profits and sponsorship money from this event will go towards helping families throughout Northern Ireland by delivery life-saving services right to their doorstep.

“I would encourage anyone whether you’re a seasoned runner or looking to get fit, to run for a reason and help raise vital funds for Action Cancer,” she added.

For further information and registration details for Belfast Run Together www.centra.co.uk/runtogether or www.facebook.com/CentraNI

Centra is a leading convenience brand in Northern Ireland for retailers who want a convenient range of fresh, local products. Core to the Centra philosophy is building vibrant communities. Centra stores throughout the province are owned and managed by independent retailers who are committed to supporting towns and villages in which they live and operate.  This is why, every year, Centra sells in excess of £96 million worth of products from Northern Ireland in its stores.

Run Together T’s & C’s: Participants must enter each race as a pair. Entry costs £24 for a team of two adults (16 and over), £20 for an adult and child (under 16) and £16 for a team of two under 16s. In the event of any participant under the age of 12 taking part they must be accompanied by an adult or be under parental or guardian supervision. Participants will receive a T-shirt and goody bag and those completing the race will receive a bespoke medal. All profits and 100% of sponsorship money from the event will go to Action Cancer. Full terms and conditions can be found on www.centra.co.uk/runtogether.

Run Together in Antrim and Belfast

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Centra’s 5k fun runs for Action Cancer back by popular demand

RUN TOGETHER, a series of 5k fun runs across Northern Ireland, organised by Centra, is back by popular demand.

Centra can reveal that the two new dates and venues are at Antrim Forum on Sunday 16thOctober at 2pm and Queens Dub Belfast on Sunday 13th November at 10.30am and you are encouraged to sign up and run with your partner, son, daughter, friend or neighbour to raise money for Action Cancer.

Social running is currently the biggest exercise craze in Northern Ireland and with these community events, Centra is aiming to appeal to the complete spectrum of runners from club runners to Park Runners and Couch to 5k runners to newcomers.

The inaugural Centra Run Together events took part in Ormeau Park, Belfast and Quay Walkway, Derry~Londonderry in June and saw over 400 people taking part and raising more than £2,000 for charity.

The event is designed to encourage all runners to pair up with a partner, however organiser Johnny Davis, MD of Pioneer Group, has said you can still sign up on your own.

Run Together for charity
Run Together for charity: Former Miss Northern Ireland and fitness blogger Tiffany Brien launched the latest series of 5k fun runs across Northern Ireland, organised by Centra.

 

Johnny Davis, MD of Pioneer Group who organises the event said:
“Centra Run Together is a fun pairs event to feed into the upsurge in participants in the ParkRun and Couch to 5k as well as the emergence of new community based running clubs in Northern Ireland,” said Johnny.

“Our first two events were a fantastic success and saw a new audience of runners capitalising on their training sessions in the ParkRuns and having a bit of fun running with family and friends!”

“You can still sign up even if you don’t yet have a running partner and we’ll endeavour to find you a partner on the day,” he added.

Centra Marketing Director Michelle Fennell said: “With our Centra Run Together series, we are aiming to promote healthy lifestyles and encourage physical and mental wellbeing throughout communities in Northern Ireland.

“The 5k runs provide a novel way for you and your ‘running mate’, whether that’s your brother, cousin, daughter or schoolfriend, to get involved in a local community event, help raise funds for Action Cancer and hopefully have a lot of fun!” she added.

Tiffany

Gillian Thomson, Corporate Fundraising Officer for charity partner Action Cancer said: “Centra Run Together has proved a very popular event and has already raised thousands of pounds for Action Cancer. Cancer touches so many people from all walks of life and all profits and sponsorship money from this event will go towards helping families throughout Northern Ireland by delivery life-saving services right to their doorstep.

“I would encourage anyone whether you’re a seasoned runner or looking to get fit, to run for a reason and help raise vital funds for Action Cancer,” she added.

For further information and registration details for the Antrim and Belfast Run Together events visit www.centra.co.uk/runtogether or www.facebook.com/CentraNI

Centra Partners Local Nutritionist for Summer Adventures Campaign

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Centra Summer Adventures
Mandatory Credit – Picture by Press Eye ©Darren Kidd / Press Eye
Monday 27th June 2016
Local nutritionist Jane McClenaghan and Centra Marketing Assistant, Rachael Dalzell join Ruby Weir (8) and Grayson Todd (3) to launch the new Centra Summer Adventures campaign. Leading convenience retailer Centra has teamed up with nutitionist Jane to invite people to share their summer adventures with Centra by writing a short rhyme to win over £1,000 worth of family adventure prizes. Jane will also develop tips and recipes to fuel summer adventures, whether itÕs on the beach, in the forest, up the mountain, in the back garden or in the house. For more information on Centra’s Summer Adventures campaign and to get involved, visit www.centra.co.uk/centraadventures, log onto the Centra NI facebook page or call into your local Centra store.

 

Centra has teamed up with local nutritionist Jane McClenaghan to launch its Summer Adventures campaign across Northern Ireland.
The campaign will see a mini roadshow visiting a number of Centra stores across Northern Ireland during July and August where there will be a fun merchandising pack available for customers along with family adventure prizes.

As part of the campaign, people will be invited to share their summer adventures with Centra by writing a short rhyme to win over £1,000 worth of family adventure prizes.

Nutritionist Jane will develop tips and recipes to fuel summer adventures on your doorstep whether it’s on the beach, in the forest, up the mountain, in the back garden or in the house.

“I’m excited to team up with Centra to help people across Northern Ireland fuel their summer adventures. Whether you’re heading to the forest for a family picnic, or enjoying a barbecue with friends in your back garden, I’ll be providing some healthy yet fun, simple, recipe ideas,” said Jane.

“I’ll be working with Centra’s 78 local retailers across Northern Ireland to ensure you have everything you need to fuel your adventure and tips to make healthy choices to eat well,” she added.

Head of Marketing at Centra Northern Ireland, Desi Derby, commented: “We’re delighted to partner with local nutritionist Jane, who shares the philosophy at the heart of the Centra brand of promoting healthy lifestyles and living well.

“We hope Centra’s Summer Adventures campaign encourages people to get out and explore all Northern Ireland has to offer and we’ll be working with Jane to help inspire you with recipes, tips, ideas and giveaways,” he added.

For more information on Centra’s Summer Adventures campaign and to get involved, visit www.centra.co.uk/centraadventures, log onto the Centra NI facebook page or call into your local Centra store.

Jane McClenaghan’s top Summer Adventure tips:
Whether you are packing for a beach adventure, climbing a mountain, exploring the forest or holidaying at home in own back garden, Jane has provided seven key tips to make a few healthy choices to keep your energy sustained and maintained all day long.
1. Pack a snack
Keep your body well fuelled by packing a healthy snack or two into your bag to keep you going. Fresh fruit, trail mix and granola bars make ideal healthy, portable snacks.

2. Keep well hydrated
Don’t forget to fill a water bottle to take with you on your adventures this summer to maintain and sustain your energy.

3. Protein power
Have a little protein with all your meals to help prevent blood sugar slumps. Eggs, meat, fish, chicken, nuts, seeds, yoghurt, cheese and peanut butter are all good sources.

4. Get cooking!
Get your kids into the kitchen to prevent summertime blues. Sizzle up a stirfry, bake some banana bread or get creative with smoothies.

5. Get outside
A healthy picnic in your own back garden can be great fun and a lovely way to get kids excited about eating healthy food. Raw veg sticks, cherry tomatoes, sugar-snap peas with healthy dips like houmous or guacamole, pasta or rice salads, crackers and cheese make the perfect picnic.

6. Fresh, local produce
Enjoy the very best of the summer season with sweet strawberries, fresh peas straight from the pods and local new potatoes. The very best nature has to offer.

7. Treat your treats as treats
When time slows down and the weather heats up, ice-cream and fish & chips are tempting treats. Choosing smaller portions, and eating these foods less often means you can still have your treat as part of a healthy diet, not instead of!

The Centra Summer Adventures roadshow is visiting the following Centra stores on the dates listed between 11.30am and 1.30pm:

Day Store
Tuesday 5th July McCool’s Centra, Ballymena
Friday 8th July McDade’s Centra, Ballygawley
Wednesday 20th July Portglenone Centra, Antrim
Saturday 23rd July McElhinney’s Centra Brookmount Omagh
Wednesday 27th July Lilley’s Centra, Drumlyon, Enniskillen
Saturday 30th July Kelly’s Centra, Trench Road, Derry
Saturday 6th August Lusty’s Centra, Larne
Friday 12th August Watson’s Centra, Portaferry
Wednesday 17th August Centra Deansbridge, Armagh
Thursday 25th August McGoveran’s Centra, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast
Centra Summer Adventure
Mandatory Credit – Picture by Press Eye ©Darren Kidd / Press Eye
Monday 27th June 2016
Local nutritionist Jane McClenaghan and Centra Marketing Assistant, Rachael Dalzell join Ruby Weir (8) and Grayson Todd (3) to launch the new Centra Summer Adventures campaign. Leading convenience retailer Centra has teamed up with nutitionist Jane to invite people to share their summer adventures with Centra by writing a short rhyme to win over £1,000 worth of family adventure prizes. Jane will also develop tips and recipes to fuel summer adventures, whether itÕs on the beach, in the forest, up the mountain, in the back garden or in the house. For more information on CentraÕs Summer Adventures campaign and to get involved, visit www.centra.co.uk/centraadventures, log onto the Centra NI facebook page or call into your local Centra store.

Derry Run Together – Participant Information

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Thank you to all those who have entered the Centra Run Together Derry event which takes place on Wednesday 22nd June in partnership with Action Cancer . We appreciate your support.

See below updated information on the event which will hopefully answer any questions you may have.

Venue – Strand Road Quay Walkway close to the Quayside Shopping Centre, off Strand Road , BT48 7AS.

Event Start Time – 7pm.

Event briefing – 6.50pm.

Start / Finish location – The Start / Finish will be on Strand Road Quay Walkway close to the Quayside Shopping Centre, off Strand Road , BT48 7AS. The Start Line / Finish line will be close to the KFC outlet .

Registration – Registration is open from 5.30pm – 6.45pm. It will take place in the Centra gazebo which will be located close to the Start / Finish line. At registration you will receive your running numbers and pins, your t shirt and your goody bag. Please do not arrive at the last minute to register as it will delay the start of the event or you may miss the start.

The Route – the 5km route starts on the Quay Walkway , close to the KFC outlet , and follows along the riverside, goes over the Peace Bridge, along the riverside into St Columb’s Park . There is a dead turn around point in the Park and you then take the reverse route back to the finish. The Start and Finish are at the same location. The route is relatively flat across the 5km route. The route will be fully marshalled and signed.

Toilets and Changing – Toilets will be available at the Start / Finish line.

Bags and Valuables – unfortunately we are not able to provide a facility to store bags / valuables.

Car Parking – We understand that normal Car Parking will be available in the Quayside Shopping Park. Please read any signs re car parking regulations in respect of permitted parking durations as we cannot be held responsibility for any parking fines issued to Run Together participants.

Water – Water will be available at the Finish line.

Entertainment – There will be Face Painting available beside the Centra gazebo.

Medals – we have designed a unique 2 part medal which will be awarded to each pair of runners as they finish.

Timing – There will be a timing clock at the Finish Line but we will not be recording finishing times. The nature of the event is to encourage participants to run with their partner and for them to work together, either to run a fast time together or simply to complete the personal challenge of running the 5km. Anyone who is running with a partner who is under 12 years old must stay with them on the run.

On Day Entries – If you have any friends interested in entering on the day you can inform them that we will have a limited number of spaces available. They will incur a £1 surcharge which will go directly to Action Cancer. Please ask them to come to Registration early to ensure they can enter the event.

Sponsorship Monies – if you have raised any sponsorship monies please hand them directly to the Action Cancer staff who will be located in the Action Cancer gazebo.

If you have any queries please email Johnny@pioneer-group.co.uk or call 07768 103968.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday and thank you once again for your support!