This article was originally published in the Winter 2024 issue of Hospitality Ireland magazine, in December of 2024.
SiSú is one of Ireland’s leading health and functional drink brands – part of a growing market for such products. Chief operations officer Aisling McGann talks to Hospitality Ireland about challenges, opportunities, and never giving up.
Aisling, please tell us about your business, SiSú.
We are an Irish, family-run business, with all our products originating from concepts we developed in our family kitchen, with a focus on clean label, premium quality, functional health benefits, and, of course, great taste. Our range includes cold-pressed juices and wellness shots, organic kombucha, and plant-based barista milks. We chose the name SiSú, which means possessing ‘the inner strength and determination’ to do the things you want to do. It stands for a never-give-up mentality, and we want the Irish consumer to feel and live by this when they drink SiSú.
Please define your role for us – what you do and how you do it.
Everything and anything! As chief operations officer, I am tasked to manage all facets of the business daily. We have a really great team at SiSú. Everyone is passionate about what we do and brings a fantastic can-do attitude, which is really important to me. Each day I spend time with members of our team, be it on commercials, sales, marketing, ops, finance or admin. Being a chartered accountant means I manage the numbers and the margins, but I love meeting buyers and customers and showcasing the SiSú range and brand.
New-product development and innovation is at the heart of our strategy at SiSú, and this year was no different.
We launched five new products this year, and we have a really exciting pipeline planned for next year. Hence, I always allocate time in my week to do research and engage with our innovative consultants.
No day is the same, and I feel very lucky to have as my guide and mentor my dad and CEO, Brian, who has amazing energy and passion for everything SiSú does.
What are the main drivers within the industry now?
We have been seeing a growing demand for functional, good-for-you products over the past 12 to 18 months. Consumers are seeking health benefits from the food and drink they consume and are, overall, more health-conscious. I believe F&B brands are tasked with innovating, to bring healthy, great-tasting products to the consumer, with a range of functional benefits. We are also seeing huge growth in plant-based [products], and consumers often choose plant-based [products] for health and environmental reasons. Our growth in plant-based milks has been outstanding this year.
How have you seen the industry change in the last five years?
Before moving back to Ireland to join SiSú full time in 2023, I spent five years living in Australia and can really see trends from Australia emerging in Ireland. There is a strong focus on health-based, functional products, as well as consumers wanting to incorporate more plant-based products in their diet. Products that were once niche are now mainstream and widely available, which is so great to see. Five years ago, I don’t think you would have seen too many people drinking oat milk with their coffee, and today you are unlikely to find a cafe or retail store that doesn’t stock it.
What are the main challenges?
It has definitely been a challenging year for the hospitality industry, as a whole, and there is no doubt this is having an impact across the supply chain. We are fortunate to be diversified across multiple industries, and whilst we have seen challenges in certain areas, we are extremely pleased to see an increasing level of sales in retail, with more and more consumers turning to plant-based beverages. Notwithstanding this, we have a very strong customer base in Ireland and are on track to sell just under two million drinks this year.
What are the main opportunities?
For SiSú, we plan to continue to innovate in new-product development, to keep up to date with customer demands and trends. We also see great opportunity in offering our current range of products in multiple formats, to cater across industries, given there is a growing demand for our products across Ireland.
Please tell us about the importance of sustainability.
This is one of the reasons why I, myself, decided to swap to a plant-based diet. We are currently working with Green for Business [an initiative from local enterprise offices that helps small businesses become more sustainable] in developing our new sustainability plan, which I am extremely excited about.
Please tell us about your own career so far.
My background is in finance, and I trained in KPMG Dublin. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, I spent five years in Sydney, working with the global foodtech company HelloFresh. This gave me quite the toolbox to bring to SiSú, having worked in a fast-paced environment in a global company going through hypergrowth and enduring a global pandemic. My focus is much broader now
in SiSú, and I am absolutely loving it!
What do you do when you’re not working?
I really love the outdoors, and so spend a lot of time cycling, sea swimming, and playing padel tennis.
What plans are coming in the next 12 to 18 months?
We have a lot of ongoing projects and exciting NPD in the pipeline, which will be revealed in the first quarter of 2025. We plan to launch some new, exciting products, offer our current range of products in multiple formats, to cater for both retail and hospitality, with a continued focus on sustainability, broaden our reach within Ireland, and, ultimately, continue the journey of providing great- tasting functional drinks to the Irish population.
