ACORNS alumni Andrea Pedersen’s career was shaped by caring for others. A proud mother of four, originally from Germany – she left a legacy from her work with people with disabilities in the UK and Ireland and now she is creating a fresh one in her thriving artisan preserves business.
In 2020, after relocating to East Cork, she began to find her love for growing fruit and vegetables again. Experimenting with different recipes and testing them with friends and family, her homemade jams became a real hit.
This led to her creating Andrea’s Kitchen – producing a range of award winning products, including six jams and award winning Pickled Beetroot made from a fourth generation family recipe.
“Sometimes running a business on my own I feel quite alone. I wanted to connect with people”
She is a graduate of the ACORNS rural women entrepreneurship programme. Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ACORNS supports women entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through peer learning, mentoring and round table sessions led by experienced business owners.
The latest programme results show that the combined annual turnover of the 53 participants on ACORNS 11 increased from €4.1 million to almost €6 million during the six-month programme, generating 60 jobs. Nine entrepreneurs began trading for the first time during their participation, while four businesses became exporters.
Foundational skills
Throughout her working life, Andrea used her love for growing food, baking and teaching others to help her residents at work to build foundational skills through food preparation, baking and cooking.
Earlier this year, two new chutneys were added to her range– bringing her to a total of nine products, all done while utilising solar panels at her home to operate more sustainably.
Andrea looks back fondly on her participation in ACORNS which she says was transformational for her. Through the programme, she found encouragement, friendship and practical support from fellow participants, as well as a safe space to connect.
“Sometimes running a business on my own I feel quite alone. I wanted to connect with people. I didn’t know what to expect when applying for the programme, but when I was accepted it gave me huge confidence. I love being part of the wider ACORNS community – We have created wonderful friendships and connections”.
Looking to the future, Andrea hopes to grow her business domestically – expanding her range and increasing visibility, bringing Andrea’s Kitchen to homes and businesses around Ireland.
Do you have what it takes to join ACORNS?
Applications have opened for ACORNS 12, the next phase of the programme for early-stage female business founders.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ACORNS supports women entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through peer learning, mentoring and round table sessions led by experienced business owners.
The latest programme results show that the combined annual turnover of the 53 participants on ACORNS 11 increased from €4.1 million to almost €6 million during the six-month programme. Nine entrepreneurs began trading for the first time during their participation, while four businesses became exporters.
ACORNS 12 will run from October 2026 to April 2027 and is open to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2023. Up to 50 places are available. Participation is free of charge, supported by funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of Lead Entrepreneurs from across rural Ireland.
This year’s Lead Entrepreneurs include Alison Ritchie of Polar Ice, Geraldine Jones of Skin Formulas, Karen Kerrigan of Kerrigan’s Mushrooms, Larissa Feeney of Kinore, Mary B Walsh of Ire Wel Pallets, Orla Leahy of Ireland Chauffeur Travel and Triona MacGiolla Rí of Aró Digital Strategies.
To apply, click here
Eligibility Criteria for participation on ACORNS
To be considered for ACORNS, applicants must:
- Have set up a new business which has generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2023 or be actively planning a new venture and have made good progress towards getting the new venture off the ground. Indicators of actively planning a business would include organising the start-up team, sourcing equipment / facilities, money saved for the start-up, writing the business plan, etc.
- They must own or part-own the business and be living in a rural area, that is in an area outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.
- If selected, applicants must be available to attend the launch Forum and first round table session on October 19 and 20, 2026.
- They must expect to become an employer within three years.
👉 No tech background needed to bring your business into the AI age! Secure your Google AI Professional Certificate to complete the certification at no cost. Apply now and get started!
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
