Part of the fabric of Skibbereen and West Cork life for 90 years, Field’s SuperValu continues to go from strength and strength as demonstrated by its double success at the recent National Grocery Retail Awards at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Dublin.
As well as celebrating 90 years in business, Field’s is marking 40 years as part of the SuperValu family. No stranger to winning prestigious accolades, Field’s SuperValu took the awards for Best New In-Store Off-Licence and for Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Large Supermarket. In addition, it was a finalist in the Best Fresh Fish and Seafood Offering category.
These latest awards come on the back of a major renovation of its store on Skibbereen’s Main Street, extending to 26,000 sq. ft. and the off-licence now extending to 1,500 sq. ft. with a distinctive local focus.
“We were delighted to win the two awards. They are testament to the work our amazing team does on a daily basis and to our local suppliers,” enthuses Ruth Field, who runs the acclaimed supermarket and bakery with her father John and husband Adam along with over 200 staff.
“In 2023, we purchased two adjacent buildings which allowed us to make a major investment in our store. John made a firm decision many years ago to stay in the centre of the town and to have a thriving town centre. It’s really important to keep rural towns alive. John has always been very innovative and not afraid to reinvest.
“We’re proud to say that Skibbereen is a vibrant town with a big hinterland and is rich in local producers, so we’re in a great place location-wise.”
As a major supporter of local producers, it’s not surprising to hear that produce from West Cork Distillery takes pride of place in Field’s award-winning off-licence.
“Similar to the rest of the store, the focus is very much on local products in our off-licence. That’s a big reason why we won the Best New In-Store Off-Licence award. John has long been a champion of artisan food and drink producers in West Cork. We were the first shop that Alan and Valerie Kingston of Glenilen Farm sold their yoghurts to and they’re now a household name. Gubbeen Cheese and salmon from the Woodcock Smokery also made their debuts here.
“We’re all about supporting our own and local jobs. Generations of local people have worked here over the past 90 years. It’s something we’re very proud of,” Ruth adds.
“We’ve always supported our local producers and they’ve always supported us. The shop is only as good as its people and we’ve been very lucky in that regard. We’ve a brilliant team which includes many long-serving staff. It would be remiss of me not to mention Christy Dempsey who retired after being with us for 51 years last January. He was my father’s right-hand man for much of that time.
“We are also proud of our long association with SuperValu. We were one of the first independent retailers to join them in 1985. The partnership gave us greater buying power and our business has grown accordingly.”
All fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables are locally sourced and can be traced back to where they were produced. Unlike many other big supermarket chains which operate in this country, SuperValu is Irish-owned and enjoys a wonderful relationship with its customers. Above all else, Field’s SuperValu is best-known for its bakery produce. The family business has one bakery instore and another at nearby Castletownshend Road. It is the only bakery in West Cork still baking fresh white sliced pan bread which is delivered daily, along with delicious cakes, to shops and supermarkets across the region from Field’s ultra-modern, solar-heated bakeries.
“There is a rich tradition of bread baking in West Cork but, sad to say, we’re the only ones still doing it,” Ruth says.
In Skibbereen, that tradition goes back to the 1840s when Jeremiah Cullinan operated a food store and bakery at the current Field’s SuperValu premises on 26 Main Street. During those Famine-ravaged years, he won a special place in the hearts of the local people by allowing them each day to use his bakery to make bread after he had finished baking his own.
Field’s emphasis has always been on quality and consistency, both of which were achieved by working carefully for decades under the guidance of Master Baker and Master Confectioner, Denis McSweeney, a local man who perfected his craft while working in Westminster, London during the 1960s. Field’s has earned an enviable reputation for producing some of the best bakery and confectionery products you will find anywhere, from fresh cream pastries and buns to wonderfully rich fruit cakes that are handmade on a daily basis with the finest ingredients.
If you can’t wait to indulge in any of their sweet treats, you can do so at Field’s in store coffee shop. Operating for over 40 years, it is more than a place to buy good coffee, healthy snacks or tasty breads and cakes. It’s also a popular meeting place or the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by.
“My father’s uncle, Jack Field, bought the store in 1935,” Ruth explains.
“John purchased the business from his aunt in 1972 after Jack passed. I came on board 20 years ago and am the third generation of the family in the business. My children Johnny and Meg are now working in the shop as well. It’s changed a lot over the years, but we still have some of the original tiles and the yellow vitrolite glass on the shopfront.
“The shop has undergone about 15 revamps and extensions since the 1970s, and continues to move with the times. Customer service and fresh food from local suppliers has been our ethos going back to Jack Field’s time. We’re here to serve the local community and to ensure they receive the best possible shopping experience at the right price.”
Opening hours are 8am to 9pm Monday-Friday, 8am to 8pm on Saturdays and 9am to 7pm on Sundays.
Here’s to the next 90 years!
Field’s SuperValu
Main Street,
Gortnaclohy,
Skibbereen,
Co. Cork,
P81 DT82.
Telephone: 028 21400
First published in Grocery & Retail Ireland magazine Vol 4 No 1, Spring 2025
