GAA and GPA Sign Three Year Deal with Batchelors
The GAA and the Gaelic Players Association have announced a new three-year partnership with Batchelors, with the Irish food brand becoming the Official Beans Partner of the GAA/GPA. That is quite a niche category and a first for Irish sport, and certainly catches the eye.
The agreement links two long-established Irish organisations with strong community roots and will see Batchelors activate across retail, digital and social channels as part of a nationwide campaign tied to Gaelic Games.
Produced in Cabra, Dublin since 1935, Batchelors baked beans remain one of Ireland’s most recognisable household food brands. The Cabra factory employs 113 people, while parent company Valeo Foods Ireland has a workforce of 494 across the country.
The partnership launch at Croke Park featured Kilkenny hurler Adrian Mullen, Cavan footballer Aishling Sheridan, Waterford camogie player Niamh Rockett and Meath footballer Ruairí Kinsella.
Batchelors already has established links within the Gaelic Games community, including sponsorship of local club Naomh Fionnbarra near its Cabra factory, while former Donegal All-Ireland winners Matt Gallagher and Declan Bonner are long-serving employees of Valeo Foods.
Under the new agreement, the Batchelors brand will feature across in-store promotions, online and on social media, with supporter competitions and GAA-themed prizes planned as part of the activation strategy.
Eimear Gorman, Marketing Director at Valeo Foods, said the partnership aligns naturally with Batchelors’ position as a long-standing staple in Irish households.
“Batchelors is incredibly proud to partner with the Gaelic Players Association and the GAA,” she said.
“As Ireland’s number one baked bean brand, Batchelors has been a staple of Irish cupboards for over 90 years, providing families and athletes of all ages and levels with the fuel they need to meet challenges both on and off the pitch.”
“Through this partnership we will work with inter-county players to showcase how Batchelors can provide quick, wholesome goodness to fuel the whole family no matter what the day brings.”
GPA CEO Tom Parsons welcomed the addition of another Irish brand to the Association’s commercial portfolio.
“It is great to see an Irish brand like Batchelors coming on board to support inter-county players,” he said.
“On behalf of our members, I thank them for that support.”
GAA Commercial Director Peter McKenna added that the partnership presents strong opportunities for supporter engagement.
“We’re delighted to welcome Batchelors into the GAA and GPA family as a commercial partner,” he said.
“Batchelors baked beans are an iconic Irish product, present in family kitchens nationwide for over 90 years. We’re looking forward to working with Batchelors to bring the partnership to life in ways that excite and engage supporters across the country.”
Sport for Business Perspective
Batchelors’ move into a formal GAA/GPA partnership demonstrates the continuing attractiveness of Gaelic Games to major FMCG brands seeking mass-market reach and family-focused engagement. For the GAA and GPA, the deal adds another recognisable domestic brand to a strong commercial portfolio.
It is also a strong positive and a measure of the commitment to equality that players from each of the four main Gaelic Games codes were present for the launch.
Image Credit: Batchelors and GAA with Sportsfile
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